Some parks and sites managed by the National Park Service will remain open during the government shutdown, relying on previously collected entrance fees and donations.
The Department of the Interior, which oversees the NPS, said last week that parks would remain largely accessible, however some have had to rely on donations to keep operating. NPS-managed parks and sites generate billions of dollars for the economy each year and support hundreds of thousands of jobs, according to the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association, putting local economies in jeopardy if parks close.
Tour operators that lead itineraries in national parks have reported minimal disruptions.
The country's most-visited national park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, resumed full operations Saturday thanks to funding provided by Sevier County, the state of Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Friends of the Smokies and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Park visitors spent $2.1 billion in local gateway communities in 2022.
Areas that were previously closed, such as visitor centers and picnic areas, were reopened. Local and state partners will pay $61,703.18 daily to keep the park fully operational. The state said park visitors contributed $3.1 billion to the state economy last year.
Visitor centers at Utah's five national parks (Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands) and the Cedar Breaks National Monument will remain open because of funding from the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. Utah said park visitors contributed $3.1 billion to the state economy last year.
Colorado national parks will remain open until previously collected entrance fees run out, though physical structures will be closed.
White Sands National Park in New Mexico, which contributed $53.4 million to the local economy last year, is closed until further notice.
Parks that are open, like Acadia in Maine and the Grand Canyon, will not collect entrance fees due to lack of staffing. Nonprofit Friends of Acadia asked visitors to make donations since a drop in entrance fees and park passes will ding the park's revenue, putting next year's operational budget at risk.
Trump funds Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island will both remain open and funded by the Trump administration after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state would not pay to keep the statue open.
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation will pay for three visitor centers in North Carolina and Virginia to remain open during what is historically one of the most-visited months for the parkway. Visitors flock to the parkway to see the autumn leaves changing colors.