Are National Parks Closed During the Government Shutdown?

"We don't leave museums open without curators, or airports without air traffic controllers, and we should not leave our national parks open without National Park Service employees."

"Our understanding is that anything that would normally have closed last night, where they would have closed the gate or closed a door... those portions of parks are staying closed."

Leaving public lands open during a government shutdown will keep open-air park elements such as roads, trails, memorials, and viewpoints accessible while closing visitor centers, caves, indoor museums, and some restrooms. Reduced staffing creates safety and resource protection risks analogous to leaving museums or airports open without essential personnel. Contingency plans permit parks to accept donations and use state appropriations to maintain staffing, but availability will vary by site. Utah and Colorado legislators have offered state funding to sustain major parks. Recreation.gov warns that permit and reservation processing may be limited depending on agency operations.

Read at Conde Nast Traveler