National Parks Open During the Holiday

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As the nation enters the holiday weekend under a federal government shutdown, many of its most popular national parks and attractions will either be closed or partially closed.

The National Park Service (NPS) warned that its website—usually filled with up-to-date information—“will not be updated and may not reflect current conditions.”

“Some national parks may remain accessible to visitors,” the NPS website said. “However, access may change without notice.”

Which government programs running, shuttered during shutdown?

Some parks were completely closed. Those that remain open will have no NPS-provided services such as restrooms, trash collection and road maintenance. Many states and local non-profit organizations have stepped in to provide the services that the NPS cannot.

  • The National Gallery of Art will be closed as usual on Jan. 1 but will re-open Jan. 2. The gallery’s status after Jan. 2 has yet to be determined.
  • Other D.C.-area parks and attractions are closed. They include the Clara Barton National Historic Site, Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site, Fort Washington Park, and the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site.
  • Destination D.C., the city’s tourism board is updating the status of attractions on its social media channels with #DCisOpen and at Washington.org/dcisopen.
  • New York State is paying to keep the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island open.
  • In California, Joshua Tree National Park, including its campgrounds and vault toilets, remains open. Yosemite National Park is also open.
  • In South Florida, Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, and Big Cypress National Preserve are open but NPS-run facilities such as visitor centers are closed.