Why There’s a Push to Close National Parks During the Shutdown

A group of visitors to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park in Maryland on the second day of the government shutdown. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Key Points

• Hundreds of national parks remain open but largely unstaffed during the federal government shutdown, posing risks to visitors and nature.
• Nearly 9,300 park service workers, about two-thirds of the total staff, have been furloughed, limiting services and oversight.
• Conservation groups express concern, citing past damage like illegal off-roading and vandalism.

When Washington shuts down, the wilderness doesn’t.

The federal government’s funding is on pause, and many government workers are on furlough. But hundreds of national parks across the country remain accessible to visitors even though they are largely unstaffed. That could pose a risk to the parks themselves.

Most roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials at national parks can stay open during the shutdown, according to the Interior Department’s contingency plan.

The federal government allows essential workers at the park—such as law enforcement, emergency responders, and firefighters—to stay on the job. It also allows parks to tap other sources of funding, including recreation fees or funds from local governments and donations, for basic services, such as restroom cleaning and trash pickup.

Nearly 9,300 park services workers have been furloughed, about two-thirds of the agency’s total staff. That means many services will be kept at a minimum level, depending on each individual park’s available funding.

Visitor centers might be closed, tours provided by the park are likely canceled, and the few employees on duty could be stretched to cover more ground.

Conservation groups are raising concerns, saying that open parks without adequate staff can be dangerous for visitors and potentially harmful to nature. During previous government shutdowns, illegal off-roading, overflowing trash and human waste, and vandalism were well-documented.

Some harm can be irreversible or take decades to heal. In Joshua Tree National Park, the namesake trees were chopped down by vandals during the 2018–19 federal shutdown. The trees can be more than a century old and are known for how slow they grow.

“We know what happened last time park staff were forced to leave parks open and unprotected, and the impacts were disastrous,” said Theresa Pierno, president of the National Parks Conservation Association. She called the move irresponsible and dangerous, and urged the government to close the parks.

In a document that lays out its contingency plan, the NPS said the agency’s goal is to allow the public to enjoy the parks while leaving the scenery and historical objects unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.

The agency didn’t immediately respond to Barron’s request for comment. The department’s website says that it won’t be able to respond to inquiries during the shutdown. Secretary Doug Burgum said in an X post that the Interior “will continue all critical services.”

The safety of visitors is also a concern. Travelers might find themselves in unexpected situations where they need help. Changing weather, washed-out trails, or encounters with wild animals are all risks even when the parks are fully open. The absence of rangers and delayed response time could turn small problems into big ones.

Park workers were already dealing with job insecurity. Since January, the National Park Service has lost at least 24% of its permanent staff, according to NPCA. That has forced parks to slash ranger programs, shutter visitor centers, deny camping permits, and halt maintenance and research.

President Donald Trump has also threatened mass firings at federal agencies during the shutdown, though he didn’t specifically mention national parks. “Any further staffing cuts to the Park Service would be devastating for our parks,” said NPCA.

Write to Evie Liu at evie.liu@barrons.com