Here’s how the government shutdown—and the administration’s decision to keep public lands open—could impact national parks and upcoming trips.
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Why are advocates calling for park closures?
To put it simply, leaving public lands—including national parks—open during the government shutdown is dangerous to both visitors and park resources, says Emily Thompson, executive director of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. “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,” she tells Condé Nast Traveler.
Which national parks are staying open?
The language in the DOI’s Park Service contingency plan indicates that open air elements of national parks, such as roads, trails, outdoor memorials, and viewpoints, will stay open and accessible to visitors. Meanwhile, facilities like visitor centers, caves, indoor museums, and some restroom facilities will be closed.
“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,” says Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, a membership group that represents park professionals. “Everything else is going to stay open.”
The federal government’s contingency plan allows for parks to utilize donations and appropriated state funds to keep national parks staffed and open, though it is unclear which sites will have the resources to do so. Both Utah and Colorado legislators have mentioned that they will, if necessary, use state money to fund major national parks so that their respective economies and gateway communities are minimally impacted.
If you’re a traveler with an upcoming national park booking, such as a camping permit or entry reservations, Recreation.gov has posted a vague disclaimer that it might not be able to take reservations for future dates “depending on agency operations,” noting that existing reservations could be canceled with or without an email update. The website suggests contacting local park offices for specific details on reservations, but with the NPS communications team furloughed, it’s unclear what, if any, communications will get through.
