Rules & Policies

This list is not meant to be an exhaustive list of prohibited or permitted activities. The City of Richmond reserves the right, as determined by its employees and the staff of the Recreation Department, to terminate or suspend any person's use of any parks facilities at any time for wrongful conduct as stated above or otherwise.

General Rules

Parks and playgrounds are open and available for public use between 8 am until dark. All visitors and vehicles must leave the park by dark. From December 1 through March 1 the Lake Reba Park back gate will be closed to the fishing area and no through traffic will be allowed.
Parks and playgrounds are generally available on a first-come, first-served basis unless a facility reservation has been issued.
Richmond parks and facilities are to be used at your own risk.
Vehicles are to be parked in designated areas only; vehicles are restricted to established roads and parking lots.
No inappropriate use of equipment in the playground area. Playgrounds are designated for ages 5 and under and 5 -12. Please use the appropriate playground for your child.
No alcoholic beverages are permitted in parks, playgrounds, or facilities.
No Smoking will be permitted in areas where people play and congregate. (ex: Playgrounds, Shelters, Paradise Cove, Adventure Falls, sports field dugouts, and bleachers will be smoke-free and tobacco-free.)
Excessive noise is prohibited.
Fires are to be built only in grills. Areas around grills and picnic tables must be cleaned and all fires are to be extinguished prior to leaving the premises. Please do not throw hot coals in the trash can or on the ground. The maintenance department cleans out the grills on a regular basis.
Open fires must be pre-approved by the Parks and Recreation Department
Fireworks are prohibited.
Washing dishes in the drinking fountains is prohibited.
Cutting, mutilating, removing, or taking any trees, shrubs, flowers, or plants is prohibited.
Removal of, or defacing a sign, poster, building, or other property is prohibited. Posting of posters and advertisements is prohibited without prior approval by the Parks Department.
Gambling is prohibited.
Please throw all cans and plastic bottles into recycling bins, where available. Glass beverage containers are prohibited.
Persons violating the mentioned rules may lose their ability to reserve facilities in the future.

Fighting & Disorderly Behavior policy

All patrons of the Richmond Parks and Recreation Department are expected to behave in a respectful manner. Unsporting conduct, disorderly behavior, and fighting shall be strictly prohibited.

Unsporting conduct and disorderly behavior include but is not limited to:

Deliberate spitting on a person
Profanity/obscene language directed at or disturbing another
Property damage
Theft
Vandalism
Verbal abuse of another patron, staff, or contractor

Fighting includes but is not limited to:

Physical battery whereby one person uses force against another resulting in injury.
Verbal assault with an intentional threat to inflict injury upon another person

Consequences

Should a patron be caught engaging in any of these behaviors, the consequences shall be:

1st offense: An immediate request to leave the facility, possible criminal charges
2nd offense: An immediate request to leave the facility, possible criminal charges, 6 months suspension from all park and all recreation facilities
3rd offense: An immediate request to leave the facility, criminal charges, and a permanent ban from all park facilities
- Readmission to the park can be obtained with a written request to the Parks and Recreation Board; requests will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Basketball Rules - Lake Reba Park and Dillingham Park

City conducted programs have priority over all other use.
Players must provide their own ball.
Shirts and Rubber-soled shoes only must be worn on Basketball Courts at all times.
Profanity, loud and offensive language is prohibited.
No roughhousing.
No rollerblades or skateboards on the court.
The courts may be used free of charge for leisure.
Any reservation must be requested through the Parks and Recreation Department. Certain fees may apply.
Basketball has preference over all other use.
Courts may not be used between 10 pm and 7 am.
No food or liquids are to be brought on the courts.
No tobacco products of any kind are allowed on the courts.
Slam dunking is prohibited.
When others are waiting:
- Only half court basketball games are allowed.
- Warming up before a game must not exceed five minutes.
- Only one game may be played for a maximum of thirty (30) minutes, after which the court must be relinquished.
- Waiting players must remain in person at the court.
Adult supervision of all children under the age of 12 is required at all times.
All participants and spectators are expected to be on their best behavior at all times.
All participants and spectators assume all risk of injury, damage, or loss sustained on-premises.
Proper conduct is expected. Participants and spectators not complying will be asked to leave

Fishing Lake - Lake Reba

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife is responsible for monitoring Lake Reba and enforcing all state laws which relate to the use of this facility. Any inquiries in regards to utilizing the lake for an event must be approved first through the Richmond Parks and Recreation Department then approved by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife at 800-858-1549. The Parks and Recreation Department maintains the banks of Lake Reba, the fishing pier, the fish cleaning station, the dock, and the restrooms.

Rules

No Swimming in Lake Reba.
Fish that are caught must comply with state law in order to keep. This includes, but is not limited to: 1. Possession of and Shad Species is prohibited. 2. Black Bass Regulations: Minimum 15 inches, 3. Daily Creel limit: 3 fish. 4. All Grass Carp must be released immediately.
Absolutely no vehicles permitted on pier or dam.
No fishing from the courtesy dock- by order of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The fishing pier is open March through November Monday through Friday, 24 hours per day and is accessible off of Catalpa Loop Road. December 1 through March 1 the fishing pier will close at dark.
No motorboats are allowed on the Lake. Trolling motors are permissible. Paddleboats, sailboats, and rowboats are all permissible. Lifejackets are required.
No feeding the waterfowl.
When utilizing the fish cleaning station, please dispose of all remains in trash cans provided.
No fishing is allowed in the cove when it is roped off and signs are posted.

Judy Rains Memorial Dog Park Rules

Please refer to section 2.1 for additional dog ordinances and regulations for other parks. All dog owners that fail to comply with these rules will be asked to leave by parks personnel or law enforcement officers:

Use at your own risk. Owners are legally responsible for the actions and behaviors of their dog(s) at all times.
Dog waste must be cleaned up by their owners immediately. Dog waste bags are available at the entrances of the dog parks.
Owners must be within the dog park and supervise their dog(s) at all times with a leash readily available.
All dog handlers must be 16 years of age or older.
All children under age 13 must be accompanied by an adult. Small children must be kept under strict supervision within arm's length of parent/adult. This is not a child's playground.
Owners must fill any holes their dog(s) dig.
Dogs should use an appropriate dog park for their size. The Small Dog Park is for dogs under 25 pounds.
Aggressive dogs must be leashed and removed immediately.
Dogs must be leashed while entering and exiting the dog park.
All dogs must have current vaccinations and must wear a collar with a current dog license, rabies certification, and identification.
Dogs should be under voice control.

Prohibited Items

The following are prohibited:

Aggressive dogs
Dogs in heat
Dogs/puppies under 4 months old
Glass containers
Human and dog food and treats
Sick dogs

Disc Golf Rules - Camp Catalpa

Scoring

The object of Disc Golf is to have the lowest number of total strokes at the end of the round.
Each throw of a disc counts as one "stroke"
The Disc must come to rest in the "Basket" or "Chains" of the basket. If the disc comes to rest on top of the basket, one stroke must be taken to pick the disc up and place it in the basket.
"Par" for each hole should be marked somewhere near the tee box for that hole. If the hole is not labeled it is played as a "par" 3.

Scoring Example

On hole Number 1 the par is 3. It takes you 4 "strokes" to make the disc come to rest in the basket. Your score for Hole 1 is a 4 or a +1 (One over par.)

Additional Rules

When teeing off, a player can run in the direction of the basket but must release the disc prior to crossing over the end of the tee box or designated teeing area.
After a thrown disc comes to rest, the player must play the next throw from where their previous disc came to rest (known as the lie.)
Any object can be used to mark the spot where a thrown disc comes to rest. The marker must replace the closest point between the disc and the basket without getting closer to the basket. (many people will flip over the thrown disc after it comes to rest, and throw another disc.)
A player must have at least one foot within 30 centimeters of a marked disc when throwing with the exception of teeing off from a tee box or designated teeing area.
A player can not jump toward a basket and throw within 10 meters of the basket.
Players proceed in the order of the person whose disc is furthest away from the basket going first.
It is common etiquette to be silent while a player is throwing. This is solely dependent upon the preferences of the group you are playing with.
Players are responsible to be courteous to other players and park patrons. Players are also responsible for leaving the park in better shape than it was when they arrived, thus no littering. Trash cans are provided throughout the park. Please help to keep our parks clean.

Herb Vescio Horseshoe Pits Rules - Lake Reba Park

Horseshoes is a game for two or four players, horse pitching's main objective is to ring the pin or throw the horseshoe as close to the pin as possible
Each player stands at one stake and throws two horseshoes at the other stake.
A horseshoe encircling the stake is called a ringer and counts for the highest score.
A ringer is made when the thrown horseshoe encloses the stake; it counts three points in scoring.
The rules of horseshoes allow one point if no player throws a ringer, for the shoe closest to the stake as long as it is within the width of a shoe itself.
Regulation games are played to a winning score of 50, while informal games are played up to 21.
While using the Herb Vescio Horseshoe Pits, please be courteous of other players.
Please pick up any trash that may be left in the facility.
The shelter is not available for reservation.

Scheduling

To schedule tournaments, please call the Parks Department at least a month in advance.