10 Most Visited National Parks Are Open During the Government Shutdown | Invesloan.com

Glacier National Park in Montana is open to visitors during the government shutdown.

Visitor centers are closed, and campgrounds that remain open will have minimal staffing, according to the Whitefish Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming is open during the government shutdown.

Roads and trails are open, while visitor centers, ranger programs, and the permitting office are closed, and the entrance gates are unstaffed, according to the Grand Teton National Park Foundation.

Olympic National Park in Washington remains open during the government shutdown, though visitor centers are closed and entrance fees are not being collected, according to local media reports. Privately run operations, including lodging, dining, and activities, will continue.

Washington’s National Park Fund, the official nonprofit partner of the state’s national parks, has urged the public not to visit the parks during the shutdown, adding they could experience “limited services, reduced access, and diminished resources.”

“Government shutdowns highlight the vulnerability of the landscapes, wildlife, and cultural treasures that national parks safeguard,” CEO Steve Dubiel said in a statement. “While the few park staff who are deemed essential work under difficult circumstances, we encourage everyone to ease the burden by seeking alternative ways to connect with nature.”

Acadia National Park in Maine remains open during the shutdown, along with its roads and trails.

Campgrounds and restrooms remain open and are being maintained, though the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, the Sieur de Monts Nature Center, Rockefeller Hall on the Schoodic Peninsula, and the Wild Gardens of Acadia are closed, according to the nonprofit Friends of Acadia. The state-operated Acadia Gateway Center is open.

“The timing of the shutdown is particularly difficult, as fall foliage season is among Acadia’s busiest periods and a major driver of the regional economy,” Friends of Acadia said in a statement, adding that the group estimates the park generated roughly $1.5 million in fee revenue last October.

Yosemite National Park, as well as California’s eight other national parks, are open during the shutdown.

Roads, trails, campgrounds, and sanitation facilities are open, according to the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau. As of October 6, the Yosemite Welcome Center and the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza were open and staffed by the nonprofit Yosemite Conservancy.

Entrance fees are not being collected, but law enforcement, maintenance, and emergency services are continuing. Food and lodging services are available from the park concessionaire.

Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado remains open during the government shutdown, although its visitor centers are closed.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that the state’s national park sites that collect fees, including Rocky Mountain National Park, will use those existing funds to keep the parks operational.

Polis said physical structures at the parks, including visitor centers and historic buildings, would remain closed, but that custodial services would continue.

“The State anticipates all eight National properties will remain open during the shutdown until fee revenue runs out,” Polis said, adding that the state will explore accepting donations from state, local, and other donors if needed.

Yellowstone National Park, located primarily in Wyoming and extending into parts of Montana and Idaho, remains open during the shutdown.

At least three visitor centers — Mammoth Hot Springs, Canyon, and Old Faithful — have remained open with the help of funding from the park’s nonprofit partner Yellowstone Forever, the nonprofit said.

Services that are not provided by NPS are also available during the shutdown, including lodging, restaurants, and gift shops.

Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona remains open during the shutdown, although services at the park are limited.

Park roads, lookouts, and trails are open; however, entrance fees are not being collected. Additionally, any buildings operated by the National Park Service, such as visitor centers, remain closed, according to the nonprofit Grand Canyon Conservancy. Campgrounds and the Backcountry Information Center remain open.

Services provided by concessionaire companies to visitors, rather than the NPS, are open. That includes lodging, restaurants, grocery stores, retail shops, rentals, and tours, among other services.

Zion National Park in southern Utah remains open.

The Zion Canyon Visitor Center is open, and the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center is closed, according to the Utah Office of Tourism and Film. Shuttles, backcountry permitting, trash collection, restrooms, water, and emergency services are available.

Visitor centers remain open at all of Utah’s “Mighty 5” national parks — Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, and Capitol Reef — thanks to funding from the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, the Office of Tourism confirmed to Business Insider.

“Utah’s National Parks will remain open,” Natalie Randall, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism and Film, said in a statement. “We are committed to supporting visitors in planning and preparing for their best trip to Utah, preserving our parks, and ensuring Utah communities and businesses that rely on national park visitation are supported.”

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, is open during the shutdown.

State and local governments and a nonprofit came to an agreement to provide funding that would allow the park to maintain its full operations, the nonprofit Friends of the Smokies said. The funding allowed the park to continue paying most of its 275 full-time employees and reopen visitor centers that had been briefly closed following the shutdown.

The agreement provides for the park operations to be fully funded through at least October 19.

At least one major national park appears to be fully closed to the public: White Sands National Park in New Mexico. The park’s website said it would be closed “until further notice.”

There are 63 national parks in the United States and a total of 433 sites managed by the National Park Service, including monuments, memorials, and preserves.

While many of the 63 national parks remain open, other NPS sites could also be experiencing full or partial closures.

For example, in Northern California, the Muir Woods National Monument is closed, while the Fort Point National Historic Site is open, according to the NPS.

Visitors should check for updates from their specific sites or local media for the latest updates.

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