If you’re heading out to an area National Park this weekend, it’s a good idea to check the park’s operating status first.
Getting outside for exercise is a good idea, but don’t arrive at your park of choice expecting business as usual. There are currently many service cutbacks at area National Parks because of the coronavirus crisis.
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At many parks, the following things are closed:
- Visitor centers
- Campgrounds
- Playgrounds
- Picnic areas
- Restrooms
- Water fountains
- Restaurants
- Concessions
- Parking areas
Walking trails remain open for the most part, but consider checking before you go.
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 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
Operational changes vary by park. The most current information about the status of services, facilities and other areas can be found online and on social media.
Outdoor spaces generally remain accessible in accordance with federal, state and local health guidance.
The National Park Service also invites guests to use the following digital resources to explore the parks:
-
- BloomCam, a live webcam overlooking the Tidal Basin.
- This crash course on the 19th Amendment (it’s Women’s History Month).
- Virtual tours and 3D visualizations of Monocacy National Battlefield structures.
- An online story map about the history of Arlington Memorial Bridge.
