Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.5, beginning Wednesday, January, 28, 2026, the National Park Service is imposing a temporary closure of certain designated parklands for security requirements associated with several Secret Service protectees, including the President of the United States, the President’s Cabinet members, Heads of Government, and other local, state, and federally elected leaders attending the movie premiere of “Melania” at the Trump Kennedy Center. This closure will be in effect from Wednesday, January 28 through Friday, January 30, 2026, as delineated in the attached map and as further delineated by fencing. Specifically, at approximately 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28 until approximately 6:00 a.m. on Friday, January 30, 2026, the following areas of Rock Creek Park will be temporarily closed to pedestrian and vehicular access:
There will also be a temporary restriction of vehicular access and/or pedestrian access, as indicated below, to the following locations on Thursday, January 29, 2026, from approximately 3:00 p.m. to approximately 11:30 p.m.: National Mall and Memorial Parks Vehicular Restrictions
National Mall and Memorial Parks Pedestrian Restrictions The following parklands will temporarily be closed to pedestrian access:
Rock Creek Parkway Vehicular Restrictions
Rock Creek Parkway Pedestrian Restrictions The following parklands will temporarily be closed to pedestrian access:
These closures come at the request of the United States Secret Service and are necessary to provide a secure staging area as well as a secure perimeter with sufficient stand-off distance to protect the Secret Service protectees during activities in the District of Columbia. The temporary restrictions are also necessary to permit the Secret Service to perform security sweeps of the area, facilitate arrivals and departures, allow for security screening, and restrict access to the areas and buildings surrounding the protectees’ activities. Less restrictive measures will not suffice due to the Secret Service’s security-based assessment that these park areas need to be kept clear, with which the United States Park Police agree. It is further anticipated that Secret Service personnel will temporarily restrict public access in these areas during the installation and removal of anti-scale fencing. These restrictions are expected to begin on January 28, 2026, from approximately 5:00 p.m. until the removal of fencing by approximately 6:00 am on Friday, January 30, 2026. These public access restrictions are necessary during fence installation to ensure the safety of the public as well as the personnel engaged in installation. A copy of the Secret Service’s map dated January 25, 2026, is attached and incorporated by reference. This temporary and partial closure is not of a nature, magnitude and duration that will result in a “significant alteration in the public use pattern”. Further, the closure will not adversely affect the park’s natural, aesthetic or cultural values, is not of a highly controversial nature, and will not require long-term or significant modifications to resource management objectives. This is event will be attended by many members of Congress, Cabinet Secretaries, and Secret Service Protectees, as such it requires a higher level of security. 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 will be made through media advisories, maps, 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. /s/ Kevin Griess, Superintendent Brian Joyner, Superintendent |
Last updated: January 29, 2026