News Release

Reservations for 2022 organized athletic play on the National Mall opens April 15

Date: April 15, 2022
Contact: Mike Litterst, 202-306-4166

Washington – Reservations for the 12 mixed use and 12 dedicated softball fields administered by the National Park Service around the National Mall will be accepted online at recreation.gov starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 15 for play beginning on April 15 through May 14. Additional dates will become available each morning at 10 a.m. on a rolling, 30-day advance basis (for example, fields for May 15 will become available on April 16, fields for May 16 will become available on April 17, and so on).

All softball and mixed-use fields may be reserved seven days a week for one-hour time slots (start times at 7:00 a.m., 8:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:15 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 5 p.m., 6:15 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.). Each reservable one-hour field reservation costs $20. Reservations can be made online at recreation.gov (search “National Mall fields”) or by calling 877-444-6777. Some fields may be closed from time to time for maintenance activities.

The reservation fees provide a source of revenue for the continued care and upkeep of the fields. More than $1.2 million has been invested in upgrades to the National Mall athletic fields since 2020, including replacement of backstops on all softball fields, adding Bermuda grass suitable for cleat use on the Raoul Wallenberg rugby field, upgrading of turf, rehab of the JFK Hockey Fields, and other field enhancements.

Tournaments and other large-scale sporting events require a separate permit to conduct a special event in park areas. Individuals wishing to secure a permit for these activities should contact the Division of Permits Management at [phone] or e-mail us, and submit an Application for a Permit to Conduct a Demonstration or Special Event in Park Areas (Special Event Permit Application, NPS Form 10-941). Applications for these events are accepted up to one year in advance of the proposed activity.

The National Park Service provides 35 venues for organized athletic play, including softball, volleyball, rugby and cricket spread over 30 acres in East and West Potomac parks, and East Potomac Park is home to a golf course as well as indoor and outdoor tennis courts. The Mall between 3^rd and 14^th streets are open for events, picnicking and other forms of casual recreation, but may not be reserved or used for organized athletic play. The National Park Service will monitor other uses of these areas and may close areas because of resource damage of visitor safety concerns.

NPS