Central - BREC announced Thursday that it will close the Frenchtown Road Conservation Area on weekends after emergency responders and law enforcement had to respond to disruptive crowds last weekend.

"Extremely large crowds have continued to gather at Frenchtown on weekends," a news release announcing the closure said. "Fights have been reported and large amounts of trash and broken glass left behind."

People will be able to hike the trails on weekdays, but the area will close at 5 p.m. Friday and will remain closed all of Saturday and Sunday. Law enforcement officers will be there to enforce the closure.

“It is unfortunate that we have to do this at one of our largest and most beautiful parks. We ask the public to work with us, so we don’t have to take this action at any other BREC park as we know our parks are needed now more than ever for the physical and mental health benefits they offer during stressful and uncertain times," BREC Superintendent Corey Wilson said.

At some BREC parks, playgrounds have been boarded up, basketball goals removed and soccer goals chained up to discourage potentially unsafe activities.