President Donald Trump said renovations would close the park for 15 months beginning in November. A rendering he shared shows a new 18-hole course stretching across the peninsula, apparently covering a playground and picnic area at its southern end, with no road shown around the perimeter. The Interior Department has not answered questions about whether those features would be removed, and government lawyers told a judge Monday they did not know of a finalized plan.

The uncertainty comes after federal crews cut down 430 trees at the course earlier this month with less than a day’s notice. The government says it acted on recommendations from a 2019 landscaping report. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes held a hearing Monday on the tree clearing and whether to halt additional work.

Hains Point, at the southern tip of East Potomac Park, is known for its waterfront views, cherry trees and Ohio Drive, a roughly three-mile loop used by people exercising and enjoying the outdoors. Congress established the park in 1897 for “the recreation and pleasure of the people.” Its location near the National Mall, while largely removed from city traffic and crowds, makes it a distinctive public resource, local users say.

“It’s such an important part of the fabric of this region,” said Elizabeth Kiker, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclists Association. The organization has held group rides and rallies opposing changes to the area.

Hains Point is part of the routes for major races, including the Marine Corps Marathon and the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-mile run, which draws about 20,000 participants each spring. Event director Rob Wolfe said organizers are considering backup routes for next year amid uncertainty over the project. But he emphasized that preserving the park matters more than keeping a particular race course unchanged.

“If this roadway goes away, hundreds, thousands of people on a daily basis would lose out,” Wolfe said.

Runners say the loop’s broad, flat route and limited traffic make it accessible to beginners and people returning from injuries. Ashley Hawkins, who travels from Prince George’s County, Maryland, to run there daily, said the park supports her mental health and offers a sense of peace she has not found elsewhere nearby.

Birders are also concerned about the effects of the tree removal and a possible closure. Summer Delehanty, who moved to the area about a year ago, said Hains Point has helped her build community and is an unusually good place to see migrating birds because of its position along the Potomac River. The cut trees mean fewer places for birds to rest, she said.

María-Elena Montero, president of the D.C. Bird Alliance, called a potential closure a devastating loss of habitat for birds and people. The alliance is organizing daily bird walks under the name “Hold the Point!”

A group called Hains Point Runners has also challenged the work. In a court filing, the group argued that federal law requires the National Park Service to identify established recreational uses and consider ways to avoid harming them before making changes. Its lawyers said that process did not take place from the running community’s perspective.

Trump has described the proposed course as a championship-level redesign combining the site’s three historic courses into one 18-hole layout. He has said it would remain open to the public and could host major tournaments. Critics worry the redesign could reduce access or make golf less affordable, as well as displace other park uses.

The golf course is already the subject of a lawsuit filed in February by the D.C. Preservation League and two local golfers, who allege the government is unlawfully taking over a public course. Community groups have since organized rallies, walks and other efforts to preserve the park and press for public input. A local birder, Summer Delehanty, has sold about 200 “Hands off Hains” shirts, raising roughly $1,500 for the preservation group.

People who use Hains Point say improvements such as repairing the deteriorating seawall and adding benches could address maintenance needs without sacrificing public access. For Hawkins, the prospect of losing her daily route remains difficult to contemplate. She says she plans to keep running there until she is told she cannot.