National parks will be partially open amid the government shutdown, according to the Department of the Interior.
The government shutdown went into effect at midnight on Oct. 1, after lawmakers missed the deadline for funding the government. This lapse in funding will lead to mass furloughs of government employees, including nearly 9,300 National Park Service (NPS) employees.
The NPS oversees 433 sites, including national parks, battlefields, monuments, memorials and parkways. The Interior Department said that "park roads, lookouts, trails and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible."
The NPS website on Wednesday had a banner on the homepage advising that parks would "remain as accessible as possible during the federal government shutdown."
Parks that collect fees under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act will use funds to provide basic services like sanitation, trash collection and emergency operations. Parks that charge entry fees include Acadia, Yosemite and Saguaro.
Places like the Hill Aerospace Museum in Utah, Clinton Presidential Center in Arkansas and the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in Georgia were closed until further notice due to the shutdown.
Parks and sites may enter into agreements with local governments or third parties for donations to fund full operations, according to the Interior Department.
USTOA president and CEO Terry Dale said the shutdown had the
potential to disrupt millions of people's national parks plans. He said USTOA
members that operate national parks itineraries should check with local
officials to obtain the most updated information about access.
"USTOA remains a strong supporter of our national parks
and urges a swift reopening of the federal government so that visitors can
fully experience America's national treasures," he said.
Catherine Prather, president of the National Tour Association,
advised members last week to build contingency
plans. With the shutdown official, Prather said the NTA shared
the Interior Department's plan with members, many of whom operate national
parks itineraries.
"Also, we are asking our members to encourage their congressional
representatives to work together and seek a solution that reopens the
government," she said. "Beyond the remarkable experiences our industry
produces, we employ millions and help drive the U.S. -- and global -- economy. We
need Congress to end this massive, disruptive blow to tourism at a time when
our economic sector is already struggling."
What tour operators are saying
Globus and Cosmos tours in national parks were operating as normal on Wednesday with little to no disruption, said Steve Born, chief marketing officer of the Globus family of brands.
"Our teams are closely monitoring the situation, and should itinerary adjustments become necessary -- particularly for tours that include national parks -- we will communicate directly with our guests and travel advisors," he said, adding that the company was advising travelers to anticipate airport delays.
Collette tours are operating as scheduled, but the luxury tour operator did report some cancellations due to the uncertainty of parks being shut down. The cancellations were for itineraries scheduled to begin Oct. 1, said executive vice president and chief revenue officer Jeff Roy.
Jason Murray, president of Southwest Adventure Tours in Utah, said the operator was leading tours in 15 national parks Wednesday and observed no major disruptions.
"There are a few locations like Grand Teton and Olympic national parks that are closing their visitors centers and a few other facilities, but otherwise things are going to be normal," he said.
Intrepid Travel will operate its itineraries as normal if parks remain open, but the operator was teeing up contingency plans, said Intrepid president of the Americas Leigh Barnes.
"With fewer federal services in play, you might hit delays, limited access or unexpected changes at national parks, monuments and other federal sites -- so it pays to stay alert and plan ahead," he said. "Travel's still on, but expect longer lines, possible cancellations and fewer services."
The National Parks Conservation Association said that parks remaining open and accessible during a government shutdown with fewer parks employees wasn't a good thing. The nonprofit pointed to previous federal government shutdowns when prehistoric petroglyphs were vandalized at Big Bend and Joshua trees were cut down at Joshua Tree National Park.
"It's tragic, but until the federal government reopens, the administration should require national parks to close their gates to safeguard our most cherished places and keep visitors safe," National Parks Conservation Association senior director John Garder wrote in an email about the shutdown. "Park staff should not be forced to swing the gates open and walk away."