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NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC
Beginning on June 28, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. local time, the following National Park Service areas will be closed or have public use limits imposed. Maps illustrating the closed park and district areas are attached. Many of the closures will continue through July 9, 2026. See specific locations for duration of public restrictions.Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.5, the National Park Service (NPS) is imposing a temporary closure of, and public use limit in, certain designated parklands at the National Mall and Memorial Parks in conjunction with a special kick-off event for the Salute to America and Grand Fireworks Show, as delineated in the maps below and as further delineated by fencing or other physical barriers for a special event. Closures will be lifted as soon as they are no longer necessary, restoring access to the public as soon as practicable. Violation is prohibited.
In addition to the above closures, starting at 10:00 p.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026 (unless otherwise noted) full closures for both vehicle and pedestrian access for the NSSE will go into effect in the following locations. Pedestrian closures will end at approximately 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 5, 2026, and vehicle closures will end at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Note that intermittent closures of these locations will occur between June 28, 2026 and July 9, 2026, to erect and then remove anti-scale fencing. National Mall and Memorial Parks: Roadways
National Mall and Memorial Parks: Memorials, Monuments, and Park Areas
George Washington Memorial Parkway: Roadways
The White House and President’s Park
George Washington Memorial Parkway
The USSS has determined that, with respect to signs and placards, there are security concerns that require that signs and placards be made of soft materials such as cardboard, poster board, or cloth. Therefore, signs or placards made of wood, metal or other hard materials are prohibited for the duration of the closure. As noted above, NPS is also prohibiting supports for signs and placards (of any material) as these items may be used as a means of concealing weapons or as weapons themselves. Additionally, the prohibition on structures includes props, folding chairs, any type of displays such as puppets, papier mâché objects, coffins, crates, crosses (other than those worn as personal adornment in sizes consistent with jewelry), theaters, cages, and statues. It does not include signs and objects meeting the size and material restrictions, portable bullhorns, baby carriages and baby strollers that are in use for their intended purpose, wheelchairs and other devices for the handicapped that are actively being used by a handicapped individual. These restrictions are similar to the restrictions on the size, physical composition, and use of signs, placards and structures on the White House sidewalk set forth in 36 CFR 7.96(g)(5). These restrictions do not apply to items within the security footprint that are present prior to the USSS sweeps of the area provided that such items cannot be relocated from the location at the time of the USSS security sweeps. Unless otherwise noted, these closures and restrictions come at the request of the USSS and are necessary to provide a secure perimeter with sufficient stand-off distance to protect participants, invited guests and attending public while they participate in the Salute to America Celebration and Grand Fireworks Show. These temporary restrictions are also necessary to permit the USSS to perform security sweeps of the area, facilitate guest arrivals and departures, allow for security screening of attendees, and restrict unauthorized access to the surrounding area. The USSS will restrict public access and enforce the restricted items list from approximately 10:00 p.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026, through approximately 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 5, 2026. These restrictions are necessary for a secure perimeter for sufficient standoff distance, and to enable the USSS to perform security sweeps and allow for security screening of attendees. These restrictions will remain in place for the duration of the July 4th celebrations. Less restrictive measures will not suffice as evidenced by the USSS’s professional assessment that these measures are necessary to provide for safety. Although public access is restricted to all areas identified above, the public may access the following areas after security screening:
The USSS has advised the NPS that the exact times are subject to change based upon the evolving schedule of the event and will notify NPS leadership as soon as possible if any changes are needed or if restrictions are no longer necessary. Public access restrictions during installation of anti-scale fencing are necessary to ensure the safety of the public as well as the personnel engaged in installation. Once fence installation is complete in a specific area, public access will be restored until the above-referenced event-related public access restrictions begin at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026. Public access restrictions are also necessary and are expected to begin at conclusion of the event and to be completed by July 9, 2026. Public access will be restricted during the event and following the event for the removal of the anti-scale fencing to ensure the safety of the general public and the personnel installing or removing the fencing assets. This temporary and partial closure and public use limit is not of a nature, magnitude and duration that will result in a “significant alteration in the public use pattern.” Further, the public use limit and closure will not adversely affect the parks’ natural, aesthetic or cultural values, is not of a highly controversial nature, and does not require a long-term or significant modification in the resource-management objectives of any affected park. Rather, these closures are limited temporally and geographically as much as possible while still providing for the safety and security of this NSSE and still allow for public access to a significant amount of park land after security screening. Closures and public use limits such as these are commonplace for these types of NSSE public events and are necessary to provide the public with as much access as possible to park land while also providing for the security the USSS has deemed necessary for this event. Accordingly, the National Park Service determines publication as rulemaking in the Federal Register is unwarranted under 36 C.F.R. § 1.5(b). This is consistent with hundreds of earlier partial and temporary park closures or public use limitations, the legal opinion of the Office of the Solicitor, and judicial adjudications. Mahoney v. Norton, No. 02-1715 (D.D.C. August 29, 2002), plaintiff’s emergency motion for injunction pending appeal denied Mahoney v. Norton, No. 02- 5275 (D.C. Cir. September 9, 2002) (per curiam); Picciotto v. United States, No. 99-2113 (D.D.C. August 6, 1999); Picciotto v. United States, No. 94-1935 (D.D.C. September 9, 1994); Picciotto v. Lujan, No. 90-1261 (D.D.C. May 30, 1990); Picciotto v. Hodel, No. 87-3290 (D.D.C. January 26, 1988); Spiegel v. Babbitt, 855 F. Supp. 402 (D.D.C. 1994), aff'd in part w/o op. 56 F.3d 1531 (D.C. Cir. 1995), reported in full, 1995 US App. Lexis 15200 (D.C. Cir. May 31, 1995). Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.7, notice of this temporary and partial closure and public use limit will be made though media advisories, maps, fencing, and by posting at conspicuous locations in the affected park areas. Finally, pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.5(c), this determination is available to the public upon request. The National Park Service appreciates the public’s cooperation in this matter. /s/ Jennifer T. Nersesian, Regional Director, National Capital Region, July 2, 2026 Maps
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Last updated: July 2, 2026