News Release

National capital area parks are modifying operations to implement local health guidance

Date: March 28, 2020
Contact: Jonathan Shafer, 202-619-7186

WASHINGTON – In response to public health guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state health departments in Virginia and Maryland and in the District of Columbia, and local health departments in the counties of Alexandria, Va., Allegheny, Md., Arlington, Va., Fairfax, Va., Frederick, Md., Jefferson, W.Va., Loudon, Va., Montgomery, Md., Prince George, Md., Prince William, Va., and Washington, Md., the National Park Service (NPS) has implemented additional facility closures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).   

In most cases, national parks in the Greater Washington area will only perform functions that are essential to visitor and resource protection. Parks have postponed or canceled ranger programs and permitted events, and visitors should not expect all facilities to be open.  

Closed facilities, some of which are managed by NPS lessees or concessioners, include some: 

• Visitor centers 
• Campgrounds  
• Playgrounds  
• Picnic areas  
• Parking lots 
• Roads 
• Restrooms 
• Drinking water fountains 
• Restaurants or other concession-operated facilities 

Operational changes vary by park. Please check park websites and social media for the most current information about the status of services, facilities and areas. Outdoor spaces generally remain accessible in accordance with federal, state and local health guidance. 

The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers and partners is our number one priority. If you choose to visit during this pandemic, the NPS asks you to adhere to guidance from the CDC. You can do this by maintaining a safe distance between yourself and other people, washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth, covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, and staying home if you feel sick.  

You should also practice Leave No Trace principles – including packing-in and packing-out your trash – to keep outdoor spaces safer and healthier.   

The NPS invites you to enjoy digital experiences to explore the parks: 

• BloomCam, a live webcam overlooking the Tidal Basin made possible by the Trust for the National Mall, NPS and the National Cherry Blossom Festival. 
• This crash course on the 19th Amendment (it’s Women’s History Month!). 
• Virtual tours and 3-D visualizations of Monocacy National Battlefield structures. 
• An online story map about the history of Arlington Memorial Bridge. 

More information about NPS operations is posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. We will also provide updates on our park websites and social media channels and notify the public when we resume full operations.

Affected parks include: 

• Anacostia Park 
• Antietam National Battlefield 
• Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument 
• Capitol Hill Parks  
• Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site 
• Catoctin Mountain Park 
• Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park 
• Clara Barton National Historic Site 
• Ford's Theatre National Historic Site   
• Fort Dupont Park  
• Fort Foote Park 
• Fort Washington Park 
• Frederick Douglass National Historic Site 
• George Washington Memorial Parkway 
• Glen Echo Park 
• Great Falls Park 
• Greenbelt Park 
• Harpers Ferry National Historical Park 
• Kenilworth Park & Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens 
• Manassas National Battlefield Park 
• Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site  
• Monocacy National Battlefield 
• National Capital Parks-East  
• National Mall and Memorial Parks  
• Oxon Hill Farm  
• Piscataway Park 
• Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail 
• President's Park (White House)  
• Prince William Forest Park 
• Rock Creek Park 
• Theodore Roosevelt Island  
• Washington Monument  
• Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts  

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.