Donald Trump’s proposal to redevelop East Potomac Golf Links in Washington DC has sparked growing opposition from runners, cyclists, birdwatchers and other residents who fear the plan could remove public access to Hains Point.
The southern tip of East Potomac Park is used daily for recreation, with its waterfront views, cherry trees and three-mile Ohio Drive loop attracting people who run, cycle, picnic, fish and watch birds.
Trump has proposed combining the park’s three historic golf courses into one 18-hole championship-style course. A rendering shared by the president appears to show the course covering the peninsula, including the existing playground and picnic area, with no road around the perimeter.
He has said the redesigned course will be open to the public and capable of hosting major tournaments. He has also described the existing facility as “dilapidated” and part of it as “Trash Island”.
Trump said renovations would close the entire park for 15 months from November, later saying work would begin “immediately”. However, government lawyers told a court they were not aware of a final plan.
The Department of the Interior did not respond to questions about whether the playground, picnic area and perimeter road would be removed. The conflicting messages have added to uncertainty over the future of the park.
More than 400 trees were cut down on the golf course earlier this month with less than a day’s notice. The administration said it was acting on recommendations from a 2019 landscaping report, while opponents questioned whether the clearance was an attempt to begin the redevelopment.
Judge Ana Reyes held a hearing to examine the tree removal and consider whether further work should be halted. Hains Point Runners told the court that federal law required the National Park Service to assess the area’s longstanding recreational uses before carrying out changes that could affect them.
“From the perspective of the running community, that did not occur here,” lawyers for the group wrote in a 35-page brief.
Hains Point’s public uses at risk
The peninsula is part of the route for several major races, including the Marine Corps Marathon and the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-mile run, which attracts about 20,000 participants each spring.
Race organisers are considering alternative arrangements for next year because of the proposed works. Rob Wolfe, the event director, said the future of the park mattered more than a single race, warning that the loss of the roadway could affect hundreds or thousands of people each day.
Runners also value the flat, traffic-free route as a safe place for beginners and those returning from injury. Ashley Hawkins, who runs there every day, said: “Running is so tied to my mental health. And no place in this area has given me the peace that Hains Point has.”
Hains Point is also a popular location for viewing Washington’s cherry blossoms and is regarded by birdwatchers as one of the city’s most distinctive habitats. Its position beside the Potomac gives visitors wide views of migrating birds, while the trees provide places for them to rest.
María-Elena Montero, president of the DC Bird Alliance, described the possible closure as a “devastating loss of habitat” for birds and people. The organisation is planning daily “Hold the Point!” bird walks, while the Washington Area Bicyclists Association has organised rallies and bike rides under the banner “Hains Point Hoopla”.
Critics say improvements such as new benches and repairs to the crumbling seawall could be made without restricting access to public facilities. Elizabeth Kiker, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclists Association, said the park was “such an important part of the fabric of this region”.
Opposition groups have also formed online and in the community. Save East Po was started by local resident Alex Rosen, while birdwatcher Summer Delehanty has sold “Hands off Hains” T-shirts to raise money for the DC Preservation League.
The preservation league and two local golfers sued the government in February over what they describe as an unlawful takeover of the public course. The dispute follows the dumping of debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing on the golf-course grounds last year.
For many residents, the controversy is about more than golf. “It belongs to the people,” Ms Montero said, as campaigners urge the public to make their views known while the court case and plans for the site remain unresolved.
