Some units of the National Park System are facing greater pressures caused by the partial government shutdown, while others are benefitting from helping hands from states, concessionaires, and non-governmental organizations.
With the shutdown now in its second week, accumulations of human wastes and overflowing garbage cans have forced some parks to close campgrounds, restrooms, and trailheads. Even the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias at Yosemite National Park was closed due to the absence of maintenance crews to deal with the wastes. Some parks that have avoided such problems could encounter them this week as funding support runs out.
Here's a glance at operations in the park system. Please update this list in your comments.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
* Highway 240 Loop Road and Sage Creek Rim Road was closed Saturday in anticipation of winter weather. The Cedar Pass Road from exit 131 to the park interior, including the Pinnacles Overlook, Big Badlands Overlook, Cliff Shelf and Notch Trail, were to remain open.
Big Bend National Park, Texas
* Staff on Wednesday closed the Chisos Basin, Rio Grande Village, and Cottonwood campgrounds due to sanitation and resource impact concerns. The Santa Elena Canyon Trailhead and trail also was closed due to resource impact concerns. In both instances, the lack of maintenance crews to remove the garbage from overflowing can was creating a sanitation problem as well as being an attractant for the park's black bears.
Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida
* Preserve Headquarters - Closed
* Oasis Visitor Center - Open
* Swamp Welcome Center - Closed
* Campgrounds: Bear Island, Burn's Lake, Gator Head, Midway, Monument Lake, Mitchell's Landing, Pinecrest Group Camping, Pink Jeep – Open but unstaffed
* Commercial Use Authorizations - Will operate as usual
* Special Use Permits - No permits issued and uses requiring oversight and monitoring ceased
* Landowner access - Accessible
* Vault toilets - Accessible
* Recreational ORV access - Will remain unchanged
* Hunting season - Will remain in progress, except in designated closed areas
* Loop Road, Turner River Road, Wagonwheel, and Birdon Roads - Accessible
* H.P. Williams, Kirby Storter Boardwalk, the Swamp Welcome Center boardwalk, Fire Prairie Trail, and Gator Hook - Accessible
* Turner River Canoe Launch and Halfway Creek - Accessible - Caution Advised
Biscayne National Park, Florida
* Marine Waters - Publicly Accessible - Extreme Caution Advised
* Dante Fascell Visitor Center - Closed
* Biscayne National Park Institute Boat Eco Adventures - Open
* Commercial Use Authorizations - Will operate as usual
* Boca Chita, Elliott Key and Adams Key - Accessible but no visitor services and restrooms.
Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
* Marine Waters - Publicly Accessible - Extreme Caution Advised
* Garden Key & Fort Jefferson - Publicly Accessible per Superintendent Compendium
* Fort Jefferson Bookstore - Will operate as usual
* Yankee Freedom Boat Tours - Will operate as usual
* Key West Seaplane Adventures - Will operate as usual
* Garden Key Campground - Closed (Campers will not be asked to leave)
* Mooring balls available on a first-come first-serve basis
* Special Use Permits - No permits issued and uses requiring oversight and monitoring ceased
Everglades National Park, Florida
* Marine Waters - Publicly Accessible - Extreme Caution Advised
* Key Largo - Closed
* Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center & Public Restrooms - Closed
* Main Park Road - Accessible
* Park Entrance Station - Unstaffed
* Homestead Trolley - No Park Rangers onboard
* Royal Palm - Accessible
* Anhinga Trail - Accessible
* Royal Palm Gift Shop - Will operate as usual
* Restrooms - Open
* Nike Missile Base - Closed
* Dan Beard & Bill Robertson Centers - Closed
* Long Pine Key
* Day Use Area - Accessible (Restrooms Closed)
* Campground - Open
* West Lake - Accessible (Restrooms Closed)
Flamingo
* General Area - Accessible
* Campground - Open
* Visitor Center - Closed
* Restrooms - Closed
* Fish Cleaning Station - Closed
* Boat Launches - Accessible
* Backcountry Camping - Open first come first serve permits will not be issued.
* Coopertown Airboats - Will operate as usual
* Gator Park - Will operate as usual
* Everglades Safari Park - Will operate as usual
Shark Valley
* Park Entrance Station - Unstaffed
* Tram Tours & Bicycle Rentals - Will operate as usual
* NPS Visitor Center and Bookstore - Closed
* Parking lot - accessible per Superintendent's Compendium
Gulf Coast
* NPS Visitor Station and Book Store - Closed
* Everglades National Park Boat Tours - Will operate as usual
* Backcountry Camping - Open first come first serve permits will not be issued.
* Commercial Use Authorizations
* Fishing Guides - Will operate as usual
* Birding Guides - Will operate as usual
* Other Guide Services - Will operate as usual
* Special Use Permits - No permits issued and uses requiring oversight and monitoring ceased
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, California
* Areas closed at the Marin Headlands include the Point Bonita Lighthouse, Nike Missile Site and Visitor Center. The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is also closed, including the visitor center, Maritime Museum, Hyde Street Pier, and Municipal Pier.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee/North Carolina
* The Great Smoky Mountains Association has been covering costs associated with visitor center staffing, restroom cleaning, and trash hauling. Those services would be provided at the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, Tenn., Cades Cove near Townsend, Tenn., and Oconaluftee near Cherokee, N.C. However, that support could run out by January 1 if the shutdown lasts that long.
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
* Access through the Nisqually Entrance was limited to the Longmire area.The road to Paradise was closed to the public.
Muir Woods National Monument and Alcatraz Island
* Muir Woods National Monument and Alcatraz Island will remain open to visitors this holiday weekend. Due entirely to funding by concession operators (Alcatraz Cruises, Ace Parking, which operates the Muir Woods parking reservation system GoMuirWoods.com, and the Muir Woods Trading Company), National Park Service staff are on site to coordinate the safety of park visitors at these areas. Muir Woods National Monument and Alcatraz Island operations will remain open through agreement with the NPS until January 6.
Due to limitations of the government shutdown, visitors are asked to "Pack it In and Pack it Out." Trash and bathroom services will be unavailable or closed entirely to comply with government shutdown requirements.
National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, D.C.
Areas and sites closed during the shutdown include:
* Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial (previous closure for rehabilitation)
* Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument
* Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site
* Clara Barton National Historic Site
* Daingerfield Island restaurant, Triple Craft (previous closure)
* Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site (Ford’s Theatre Society will continue to offer performances in the theater as scheduled)
* Fort Marcy
* Fort Washington Park
* Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
* Great Falls (Md.) Visitor Center
* Old Post Office Tower
* Olmsted Island/Great Falls Overlook (Md.)
* Great Falls (Va.) Visitor Center
* Hains Point
* Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
* Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site
* Oxon Hill Farm
* Peirce Mill
* Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium
* Rock Creek golf course (seasonal closure)
* Turkey Run Park (gated areas)
* Washington Monument (previous closure for elevator modernization)
* White House Visitor Center
Restrooms: All public restrooms are closed. However, concessioner Guest Services, Inc., has provided portable restrooms at the following locations for the duration of the shutdown:
* Lincoln Memorial (south side)
* Thomas Jefferson Memorial
* Tidal Basin (between the Martin Luther King, Jr. and Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorials)
* Washington Monument grounds (15th Street, between Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive)
* West Potomac Park (between Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial)
* World War II Memorial
Third-party operated services that will continue:
* Food kiosk and concessions operated by Guest Services, Inc., will continue to operate, with the exception of food and retail operations at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion and the retail operation located in the basement of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, as that area is closed to the public.
* Eastern National will continue to operate bookstores at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial (mezzanine level only), Washington Monument Lodge and the Old Stone House in Georgetown.
* East Potomac and Langston golf courses are open.
* East Potomac and Rock Creek tennis centers are open.
* The Canal Quarters Program will continue.
* Glen Echo Park will remain open.
* The Women in Military Service for America Memorial at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery will remain open.
* All marinas on national park land in the D.C. metro area remain open (Belle Haven, James Creek, Columbia Island, Washington Sailing Marina, Fort Washington Marina).
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
* Due to road conditions from recent snowfall and blowing and drifting snow and ice combined with the inability to snowplow, sand or otherwise maintain the roads, gates were closed past the Wild Basin Entrance on the Wild Basin Road and at the Grand Lake Entrance on US 34.
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
* The Dickey Ridge Visitor Center and Elkwallow areas (including restrooms) were closed due to visitor impacts to resources and public safety concerns.
Yosemite National Park, California
* The Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow campgrounds were closed, as was the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, due to impacts from human waste and vehicular safety concerns along Wawona Road, Highway 41. All park visitor centers were also closed.
Zion National Park, Utah
* Zion Canyon Visitor Center will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through January 5 thanks to donations from the State of Utah and Zion Forever Project.
* The restrooms near the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and in the Campground will be open through January 5, thanks to donations from the State of Utah and Zion Forever Project.
* The restrooms at the Zion Lodge shuttle stop will be open through January 31, thanks to a donation from Xanterra. The remainder of restrooms on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive will be closed, but port-a-johns will be available.
* The Park Store inside the Visitor Center will be open daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through January 5.
* One loop of Watchman Campground will remain open through January 5, thanks to donations from the State of Utah and Zion Forever Project.
* Backcountry permits will not be issued; visitors should not enter backcountry permit-only areas.
Support Essential Coverage of Essential Places
Comments
You finally got it right.
==
Uh Esteemed Comrade, many's the time here that I've pointed toward Congress as the cause of many (perhaps even most) of our park and other national problems, and many's the time you've defended them vociferously.
What made you change your tune this time?
Let me guess . . . it's because everything was hunky dory when the Repubs were in control and now you have to change your opinion because the wind is blowing from the left side of the flagpole?
I'll stick to my long-held conclusion that the only way we can drain the cesspool is to vote out all incumbents from both parties and try for a fresh start.
Perhaps -- hopefully -- we've made a bit of a start with so many new House members who have never held elected office previously.
Maybe we can finish the job in 2020.
Hey C-Walla -- just in case you're not aware, all 3 branches of our government have been under conservative control for the past 2 years; instead of blaming the Democrats for closing the National Parks, you might want to consider that only 1 of those 3 branches has been under Democratic control for less than 24 hours! Nice try, though.
No, Roy, I don't think furloughed employees may "volunteer."
I survived Reagan's 8 shutdowns and in those days we were not permitted to do anything unless it was a crash emergency where lives were in danger. And even that was questionable. (Although to tell the truth, many of us did go ahead and take care of such things as keeping our water system working or plowing snow from driveways in the park residential areas. But then, those were our homes, too. In fact, in one park near to where I was, the employees even had to pool finances to get propane tanks refilled to keep the visitor center and housing area buildings heated to prevent pipes and families from freezing. I don't know if they were ever reimbursed or not.)
A furloughed employee volunteering would be against the law based on the anti-deffifiency act and employees have been warned that they risk prosecution if they do so.
Update: Muir Woods is going to close on Monday, Jan 7, 2018 unless there's a budget in place.
I spent a week in Death Valley and Joshua Tree and DIDN'T see any human waste. Where is this story coming from? Frankly, sounds like nutty scaremongering.
I had a wonderful time, despite Trump's moronic holiday season National Park shutdown. The only negative I encountered was lack of trash disposal, which was oblivious park visitors not having the common sense to carry it away and throw it in a dumpster once out of the park. Knowing this, my wife and I simply brought extra bags and picked up extra trash wherever we found it.
Come on folks, make up for the fools and pick up trash and help carry it out of the parks!
It's admirable that some park employees are helping out. However, I would not critisize any employee who doesn't volunteer. Anyone who works would more than likely question why they work for free for a company, govenment or whatever if they are told we can't pay, don't know when we can pay you, and oh by way, it may be months or even years. I have sympathy for the workers, not for
the govenment.
So, if you get laid off from YOUR job, you are going to smile and volunteer to keep working?