As the US government shutdown continues, national parks across the country are grappling with closures, skeleton staffing, and frustrated visitors. Kim Nachazel, who had planned a road trip to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, arrived to find the gates closed. 'We were devastated,' she said, after driving from Salt Lake City.
Under the shutdown, 9,296 of the National Park Service's 14,500 employees have been furloughed, according to a Department of the Interior contingency plan. The plan states that park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible, but facilities like buildings and gated parking lots will be locked. Some parks, such as Yosemite, remain open with no fee collection, while others like Grand Canyon and Sequoia are operating with minimal maintenance and no regular updates.
Angela Gonzales of the National Parks Conservation Association expressed concern, noting that the National Park Service has lost over 25% of its permanent staff since January. 'Thousands of park employees are now furloughed, unsure when they’ll see their next paycheck,' she said, adding that many fear they may not have jobs to return to.
James Jones, a veteran maintenance worker at North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway, said the park is still recovering from Hurricane Helene. He noted that during past shutdowns, poachers have collected ginseng and visitors have been injured, waiting long for medical attention. 'They’ve left the park open, which is new,' he said, speculating that the interior secretary wants to minimise the appearance of impact.
