In a post on Instagram, the National Park Service (NPS) has announced that if there is a funding lapse as a result of a government shutdown, U.S. National Parks will be closed to visitors beginning Monday, October 2.
In a press release, the NPS says this would mean “the majority of national parks will be closed completely to public access” and that at NPS sites across the country “gates will be locked, visitor centers will be closed, and thousands of park rangers will be furloughed.”
In 2019, a government shutdown closed U.S. National Parks, and visitors continued to come, in some cases damaging fragile ecosystems. Therefore, the NPS encourages the public not to visit sites if they’re forced to close next week “out of consideration for protection of natural and cultural resources, as well as visitor safety.”
Some states have said they will use state funds to continue supporting the parks in the event of a government shutdown.
