Record of Determination for a Partial and Temporary Closure of the US Park Police Rock Creek Horse Stable (H-3) Facility for Public Safety

Pursuant to 36 CFR 1.5(a), Rock Creek Park, a unit of the National Park Service, is temporarily closing a portion of U.S. Reservation 339 in Rock Creek Park in the area immediately surrounding the United States Park Police Rock Creek Horse Stable (H-3) facility at 2500 Horse Stable Road NW in Washington, DC to protect public safety during law enforcement activities at that site.

Specifically, starting at 12:00 am Thursday August 28, 2025 and lasting until rescinded, the following areas will be fully closed to all public use:

• The United States Park Police H-3 facility and an area encircling the building;
• Horse Stable Road NW beginning at the “Do Not Enter” signs, located east of the intersection with the Western Ridge Trail; and
• The horse trail connecting the United States Park Police H-3 facility to the trailhead at Bingham Drive NW and Beach Drive NW.

See the attached map for more definitive demarcation of this closed area.

The closed areas will be accessible only to United States Park Police employees, other federal and local law enforcement officers associated with activities at the facility, and National Park Service employees. The temporary closure of this area is necessary to fulfill the security needs of law enforcement activities. Less restrictive measures are not possible given the need to close the area to ensure adequate security and protect public safety.

Accordingly, the National Park Service has determined publication as rulemaking in the Federal Register is unwarranted under 36 CFR 1.5(c). The partial and temporary park closure and public use limitation is consistent with hundreds of other temporary park closures, the legal opinion of the Office of the Solicitor, and judicial adjudications. ANSWER coalition v. Norton, No. 05-0071, (D.D.C. January 18, 2005, Mahoney v. Norton, No. 02-1715 (D.D.C. August 22, 2002), plaintiffs’ emergency motion for appeal for injunction pending appeared 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. Lujan, No. 90-1261 (D.D.C. May 30, 1990); Picciotto v. Hodel, No. 87-3290 (D.D.C. December 7, 1987); Speigel v. Babbitt, 855 F Supp. 402 (D.D.C. 1994), affd in parr wlo op. 56F. 3d 1531(D.C.Cir. 1995), reported in full, 1995 US App. Lexis 15200 (D.C.Cir. May 31,1995).

Pursuant to 36 CFR 1.7, notice of this temporary and partial closure will be made through public outreach and by the posting of signs at conspicuous locations in the affected park area. Finally, pursuant to 36 CFR l.5(c), this determination is available to the public upon request.

Brian D. Joyner
Superintendent