I hate to give security advise without a thorough assessment, but my initial take is to perform a cost/benefit analysis. Is there anything in that park worth risking your life over? I *never* recommend a firearm as a security augment unless the person is aquatinted and proficient. As already mentioned, situational awareness is key, and you’re better off walking away at the first hint of trouble.
I had an incident at a Walmart late last week. Two guys were harassing a woman for wearing a mask as she left the store. I monitored the situation and happened to be packing. I was prepared to insert myself (masked) between her and them if they had chosen to accost her. Fortunately, they saw me giving them the stink-eye and decided to move along. This brings up the concept that do you want to find yourself in a position that you have to point a firearm at another person? Does possessing a weapon compel you stand up for justice? And besides, I worked law enforcement in the military, how does one tell the good guy with a gun vs the bad guy with a gun?
So what’s my point? Carrying a firearm is a defensive move, but be aware of the mission creep that comes with it. If a place is getting too sketchy to hang around, I find new places to visit. “Annie get your gun” just isn’t good advice when everyone is looking for justification to shoot everyone else.