Norton Introduces Bill to Rename Rock Creek Park as “Rock Creek National Park”

WASHINGTON, D.C – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced her bill to rename Rock Creek Park as "Rock Creek National Park," which would acknowledge the importance of the park for the nation, visitors, tourists, and its central place for District of Columbia residents. Norton said this name would highlight Rock Creek Park as one of the nation's great historic parks, along with national parks such as Yosemite and Sequoia National Park. Rock Creek is the nation's oldest federally managed urban park and the third oldest federal park in the country.

“Rock Creek Park is one of our nation’s great public treasures. Established by Congress in 1890, it was the first federally managed urban park and remains a remarkable refuge of natural beauty, recreation, and history in the heart of our nation’s capital," Norton said. "Redesignating Rock Creek Park as Rock Creek National Park would appropriately recognize its national significance and elevate awareness of a resource that serves not only D.C. residents, but visitors from across the country. This designation reflects what Congress intended when it created the park for the benefit and enjoyment of all Americans, and it honors more than a century of conservation, stewardship, and public access.”

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of the

Rock Creek National Park Act of 2026

June 1, 2026

Today, I introduce the Rock Creek National Park Act of 2026, which would redesignate the United States-owned Rock Creek Park in the District of Columbia as ‘‘Rock Creek National Park.’’  Redesignating this park will highlight its significance to the nation. Rock Creek Park is already a ‘‘national’’ park, as it was established by Congress in 1890 ‘‘for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of the United States.’’ 

Rock Creek Park was the first federally managed urban park and the third federal park ever created, after Yellowstone and Sequoia. Rock Creek Park was designed to preserve animals, timber, forestry and other interests in the park, and to ensure that its natural state is maintained as much as possible, not only for D.C. residents, but for all Americans.  The park also preserves the ancient history of the land, as it was used for temporary settlements and as a quarry for weapons and tools by Native Americans from 7000 BCE until the 1600s. 

Rock Creek Park offers residents of D.C., Maryland and Virginia, as well as tourists, an escape from our increasingly urban environment. Residents and tourists alike enjoy many activities in the park’s 2,000 acres, including hiking and biking, horseback riding, picnicking, tennis and other recreational activities in some of the open fields.  Our residents have expressed their appreciation by volunteering to clean up and maintain the park. 

In 1918, landscape architects John Charles Olmstead and Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr. wrote of Rock Creek Park, ‘‘No matter how perfect the scenery of the park may be or may become, no matter how high its potential value, that value remains potential except insofar as it is enjoyed by large and ever larger numbers of people, poor and rich alike.’’ Redesignating Rock Creek Park as Rock Creek National Park will help recognize the national status of this remarkable resource in our nation’s capital. 

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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