As Congress grapples with budget disagreements, the National Park Service (NPS) has felt the impact of a government shutdown, which has now stretched into its fourth day.
Across the nation, several parks have closed their doors, while others operate with reduced staffing and limited services.
The situation has left many park visitors confused about which sites remain open or what services are available during this uncertain period.
A notice on the NPS website reads, “National parks remain as accessible as possible during the federal government shutdown.”
However, it adds, “some services may be limited or unavailable,” and provides links directing readers to contingency plans outlining funding allocation during the shutdown.
Under the contingency plan, the NPS states that park roads, lookouts, and trails will generally remain accessible to visitors, but regular updates on road and trail conditions will not be provided.
The plan also details that park staff will post signs indicating that only basic services or no services will be available, with emergency services operating at a limited capacity.
At park locations that typically collect fees, there may still be basic services available, such as restroom maintenance, trash collection, and road upkeep.
However, for some parks that are closed, essential services like trash collection, restrooms, maintenance, and visitor information will not be in operation.
Upon reaching out to the NPS for comment, NPR has yet to receive a response.
In response to the shutdown, some states have taken proactive measures to ensure that their parks remain operational, either by directly funding these sites or soliciting donations.
In states such as West Virginia, Utah, and Hawaii, park officials have managed to secure necessary funding to maintain operations during the government impasse.
Unfortunately, visitors to parks in other states have not been as fortunate.
Kathy Ten Eyck, who traveled from Utica, New York, to visit White Sands National Park in New Mexico, was met with unexpected closure when she arrived.
“I just couldn’t wait — could not wait to — get here,” she said, explaining that she learned of the park’s closure at a nearby store.
Kathy Theriot also experienced disappointment after driving over five hours with her children from Taos, eager to share her cherished memories of the park.
“I’ve been waiting 10 years to show my kids White Sands, and the day we come it’s closed, which is very disappointing,” Theriot expressed.
She added, “But it is really, really sad though that we get to the side of the road to enjoy part of our country because our elected officials can’t get along.”
Safety and vandalism have emerged as pressing concerns during this shutdown, particularly with limited staff available to oversee park operations.
Notably, Texas’ national parks such as Big Bend and Padre Island National Seashore will remain open, but may have limited staffing, according to Texas Public Radio.
Previous shutdowns have raised alarms over vandalism, including incidents at Big Bend where historical rock formations were damaged due to lack of oversight.
Given these concerns, some park advocates have suggested that all parks experiencing reduced staffing levels should temporarily close until federal funding is resolved.
Stephanie Kurose, deputy director of government affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity, strongly criticized the decision to keep parks open under these conditions.
“Keeping our national parks open after President Donald Trump and Republicans forced a government shutdown is stupid, short-sighted and incredibly dangerous,” Kurose stated.
She added, “We’ve seen the irreparable harm that can happen when our parks go understaffed. Vandalism, trash, and human waste will tarnish natural treasures that are the envy of the world. But apparently nothing says ‘Make America Great Again’ like turning Yosemite into one giant toilet.”
During the last government shutdown, which lasted for a record 35 days starting in December 2018 under President Donald Trump, many national parks suffered significant damage.
Joshua Tree National Park, for example, reported destruction of trees and illegal road construction in the absence of staff.
The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has also voiced its concerns, advocating for park closures to prevent vandalism, sanitation issues, and ecological damage.
“The government has shut down, and the administration is once again putting our national parks and visitors at risk, effectively directing staff to open park gates and walk away,” said NPCA president and CEO Theresa Pierno.
She concluded, “It’s not just irresponsible, it’s dangerous.”
NPR’s Ava Pukatch contributed to this report.
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