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Bryce Canyon will be one of the open national parks next week amid a government shutdown.
Visitors will still be able to check out Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. (Photo: Getty Images/ Andia )

National Parks Will Stay Open in These States During a Government Shutdown

The Interior Department said on Friday that national parks will shutter if Congress doesn鈥檛 approve the recent spending bill. Several governors say they will use state funds to keep federal parklands open.

Published: 
Bryce Canyon will be one of the open national parks next week amid a government shutdown.
(Photo: Getty Images/ Andia )

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Visitors to many U.S. National Parks have until Sunday, October 1, to complete their trip, before the parklands close amid the impending government shutdown.

On Friday, September 29, the that the entire National Park System will shutter this coming Monday, October 2, if the U.S. House of Representatives fails to ratify a budget agreement to fund the federal government. Congress has until midnight on Saturday, September 30, to agree on the deal.

The decision adds clarity to speculation that the federal government would fund limited operations at the parks, as the Trump Administration did during the most recent shutdown from 2018-19. This time around, there is no plan to keep them open.

鈥淎t NPS sites across the country, gates will be locked, visitor centers will be closed, and thousands of park rangers will be furloughed,鈥 the Interior Department said in a release. 鈥淎ccordingly, the public will be encouraged not to visit sites during the period of lapse in appropriations out of consideration for protection of natural and cultural resources, as well as visitor safety.鈥

The NPS will continue to fund skeleton crews of safety officials at these parks鈥攍aw enforcement, border surveillance, firefighters, among other positions鈥攂ut most workers associated with customer-facing jobs will be furloughed. Visitors will also still be allowed to visit some federal parks that cannot restrict visitor entrance鈥攖he National Mall in Washington D.C., for example.

But all is not lost for vacationers hoping to visit some parks. Leaders in some U.S. states have announced plans to use state funds to keep parks open. But there鈥檚 a catch for states that choose this route: the Interior Department said it will not reimburse any cash used to fund federal lands during the shutdown. Below is an updated list of states and national parks that may remain open amid a government shutdown.

Arizona

On September 20 said she would use state lottery聽funds to keep Grand Canyon National Park open amid a shutdown. 鈥淭he Grand Canyon is a pillar of our state and provides good paying jobs for hundreds of Arizonans while showcasing one of the seven natural wonders of the world to those who visit,鈥 Hobbs said. 鈥淚 am proud to offer resources to keep the park open and am committed to ensuring Arizonans are protected from Washington鈥檚 failure.鈥

Hobbs鈥檚 statement doesn鈥檛 mention the state鈥檚 two other national parks: Saguaro and Petrified Forest. 国产吃瓜黑料 has reached out to Hobbs鈥 office for additional information.

Colorado

Governor Jared Polis on Thursday, September 28, instructing the Colorado Department of Natural Resources to develop a plan to fund federal lands amid a shutdown. This includes the state鈥檚 four national parks: Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison.鈥淐losure of our national parks and federal lands would adversely impact Colorado communities, businesses, workers, and the outdoor recreation economy, which rely on tourist and visitor traffic,鈥 reads the order.

October is prime leaf-peeping season at Rocky Mountain National Park, and a contingency plan could allow tourists to see the aspen trees change color.

Utah

Governor Spencer Cox has promised to step in and fund the state鈥檚 five national parks: Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion. A state representative that it has set aside $5 million to run the parks, and the cash comes from the governor鈥檚 office of economic opportunity. How long the cash will fund the parks is yet to be seen. During the 2013 shutdown, that the bill to operate Arches National Park alone was $7,662 a day.

But visitors to the parks shouldn鈥檛 expect the same level of service and manpower. According to聽The Tribune,聽some visitor centers man shut down, and trash and bathroom cleanup will be less robust than normal.

This is a developing story and聽国产吃瓜黑料 will update the list as more states announce contingency plans for federal parklands.聽

Adam Roy, Alison Osius, and Jake Stern contributed to this report.聽

Lead Photo: Getty Images/ Andia

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