Some national parks stay open in shutdown, but many services are curtailed

Published on Oct 6, 2025, 4:54 pm CDTUpdated on Oct 6, 2025, 8:06 pm CDT

6 min read

Several National Park Service sites remain accessible during the federal government shutdown, supported by previously collected entrance fees and short-term donations from states, counties, and nonprofit partners. While roads and trails are largely open, many buildings are closed and fee collection is suspended at some flagship parks, creating immediate cash-flow gaps and risking next year's operating budgets. The NPS reports that park visitation pumped $29.0 billion into gateway communities in 2024, underscoring the economic stakes for destinations built around public lands.

Key points

Why it matters: NPS visitation generated $56.3 billion in U.S. economic output in 2024; shutdown access decisions affect local jobs and revenue.
Travel impact: Roads and trails remain open at many parks, but visitor centers, permits, and some tours are paused, and many entrance stations are unstaffed.
What's next: Parks using fee balances can operate only until funds run out; additional state or philanthropic stopgaps may determine access in coming days.
Great Smoky Mountains is fully open via a multi-party funding pact covering $61,703.18 per day.
Utah is keeping visitor centers at its five national parks open with state funding; Blue Ridge Parkway facilities are reopening via a nonprofit.

Snapshot

Under the Department of the Interior's contingency plan, "park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials" generally remain accessible, but locked facilities are closed and any site without accessible outdoor areas must shut. Some parks can temporarily tap recreation fee balances for trash, restrooms, and campground basics. Great Smoky Mountains National Park resumed full operations after state, county, and nonprofit partners agreed to contribute $61,703.18 daily, supplemented by park fee revenue from campgrounds and parking tags. Utah's Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity is funding visitor centers at Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, and Cedar Breaks. Conversely, New Mexico's White Sands National Park is closed until further notice. Open parks such as Grand Canyon and Acadia are not collecting entrance fees, with Friends groups urging travelers to donate the value of a pass.

Background

National parks anchor regional travel economies. In 2024, visitors spent an estimated $29.0 billion in communities near NPS sites, supporting jobs in lodging, dining, and tours; total economic output reached about $56.3 billion. At Great Smoky Mountains, 12.9 million visitors in 2022 spent $2.1 billion in gateway towns, supporting 32,590 jobs and $3.3 billion in local economic benefits. White Sands' 2023 visitation generated a $53.4 million local impact. During shutdowns, the NPS typically furloughs roughly two-thirds of staff, limiting ranger services, education programs, maintenance, and fee collection. That model shifts cost burdens to states and nonprofits and can erode future operating budgets if fee revenue dips during peak shoulder seasons like October leaf-peeping in the Appalachians and the Southwest.

Latest developments

States, counties, and nonprofits step in to fund access

Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina resumed full operations on October 4 through a funding agreement among Sevier County, the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Friends of the Smokies, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The pact covers $61,703.18 per day, with remaining costs coming from park fee revenue. Utah's state funding keeps visitor centers open at the Mighty 5 parks plus Cedar Breaks, while the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is paying to reopen three key facilities for at least a week during peak fall color. In contrast, White Sands National Park announced a full closure. Grand Canyon remains open but is not collecting entrance fees; Friends of Acadia is asking visitors to donate the value of a pass to offset suspended collections. Separately, the Trump administration said it will fund operations to keep the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island open after New York declined state support.

Tour operators report limited itinerary disruptions

Multi-park tour operators report running scheduled trips with minimal changes where roads and trails remain open. The bigger traveler impacts are reduced services, shuttered visitor centers, canceled cave tours, and unstaffed entrance stations at some parks. Expect variability day-to-day as fee balances are tapped and short-term funding pledges evolve.

(For airline screening and airport effects during the shutdown, see our coverage: Government shutdown travel: TSA warns of longer lines, and check daily delays here: Flight delays and airport impacts: October 6, 2025.)

Analysis

For travelers, the headline is access with caveats. The Interior contingency plan preserves outdoor access but strips much of the visitor-service core that makes park trips smooth: staffed entrances, permits, tours, and ranger programs. That reduces friction for itineraries already in motion, which is why tour operators report few wholesale cancellations. Yet it shifts risk to travelers who now face limited information, fewer restrooms, and fewer safety backstops on crowded trails. Financially, the shutdown arrives during critical October windows: leaf season on the Blue Ridge Parkway and in the Smokies, prime hiking in Utah, and comfortable rim weather at the Grand Canyon. Forgone fee revenue now means thinner operating margins in 2026, unless Congress backfills. The emerging patchwork-states like Utah funding visitor centers, nonprofits propping up specific sites, and fee balances covering basics-keeps gates open but introduces inequity between well-resourced parks and those without philanthropic lifelines. If the shutdown drags on, expect more closures as fee accounts deplete. Travelers should verify site-by-site status on the morning of their visit and budget extra time and flexibility.

Final thoughts

National parks remain open in many places, but travelers should plan for closed buildings, unstaffed stations, and variable conditions. Consider donating to local Friends groups when entrance fees are suspended, and build buffer time for self-service logistics. The short-term patchwork is buying access; the long-term solution is restoring stable funding so America's most popular landscapes are not managed by stopgap. If you are planning a trip this month, confirm specifics on the park website the day you go and be ready for contingency plans typical of a national parks shutdown.