Gastonia, NC Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)

City Code Sec. 7-51 makes it unlawful to enter or remain in a park or greenway outside its posted operating hours, and it sets the default hours by declaring that parks and greenways are closed to the general public from dusk until dawn. There are three narrow exceptions: the specific park or greenway is otherwise posted with different hours, the director of parks and recreation has given prior written permission for the use, or the person is taking part in a city-sponsored program. The director also has standalone authority under subsection (b) to close any section of a park at any time, for any interval, at his or her discretion, including when closure is deemed in the interest of public safety, health, conduct, or order.

This applies across the city's park and greenway system, including named parks like Lineberger Park, Martha Rivers Park and Rankin Lake Park referenced elsewhere in the same article. Enforcement sits with the police department and with parks and recreation staff who have authority under this chapter. A person cited under Sec. 7-51 faces the misdemeanor and civil penalty structure set out in Sec. 7-65, which applies to Article IV as a whole.