News Release

George Washington Memorial Parkway will increase access to parking lots and restrooms

Date: May 29, 2020

McLean, Va. – Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, George Washington Memorial Parkway will increase recreational access by reopening parking lots and restrooms that were closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Park Service (NPS) is working with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis. 

In alignment with guidance from the Commonwealth of Virginia, George Washington Memorial Parkway will begin providing access to parking areas and restrooms along the parkway on May 29. Parking areas and restrooms will be reopened by June 3. This includes parking areas at: 

• Theodore Roosevelt Island 

• Gravelly Point (no parking allowed on overflow grass area) 

• Fort Hunt Park 

• Jones Point Park 

• Collingwood Picnic Area 

• Riverside Park 

• Belle Haven Park 

• Fort Marcy 

Parking areas at Great Falls Park have already reopened.

“The value of access to green space for health and wellness has been evident throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” Superintendent Charles Cuvelier said. “George Washington Memorial Parkway appreciates the collaboration among our regional partners including the City of Alexandria, Fairfax and Arlington counties, NOVA Regional Parks, Visit Fairfax and Fairfax County Park Authority in providing additional access to local green space as part of their phased reopening. We encourage everyone to recreate responsibly and thank visitors and neighbors for their ongoing support.” 

The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers and partners continues to be paramount. At George Washington Memorial Parkway our operational approach will be to examine and regularly monitor each facility, function and service provided to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance. We continue to work closely with the NPS Office of Public Health using CDC guidance to ensure public and workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, partners and volunteers.    
 
While these areas will be accessible for visitors to enjoy, a return to full operations will continue to be phased and services may be limited. When recreating, the public should follow local area health orders, please #Recreate Responsibly, avoid crowded areas and avoid high-risk outdoor activities.  

The CDC has offered guidance to help people recreating in parks and open spaces prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We will continue to monitor all park functions and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health.
 

Updates on park operations will continue to be posted on our website and social media channels. Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.
 

www.nps.gov 

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.