National parks to close camping sites if government shuts down

The public will be barred from accessing camping sites at any of the 59 U.S. national parks if the government shuts down.

The National Park Service (NPS) will work to keep parks “as accessible as possible,” an NPS spokesman told The Hill Friday, but services that require staffing and maintenance, such as campgrounds and full service restrooms, will close in the event of a shutdown.

“We fully expect the government to remain open; however, in the event of a shutdown, national parks will remain as accessible as possible while still following all applicable laws and procedures,” said NPS spokesman Jeffrey Olson.

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According to the NPS contingency plan posted on the Interior Department website, last updated September 2017, visitors planning to utilize overnight accommodations and campgrounds will be notified in order to make other arrangements and depart the park. The plan does not specify when notifications will occur and how campers will be reached.

The plan also emphasizes that park roads leading in and out of the parks will be closed and access will be denied “wherever possible.” 

According to Olson, NPS’s current working plan is “roads that have already been open will remain open,” specifically referring to snow removal. 

During the 16-day shutdown in 2013, all national parks were closed, sparking backlash from the public.

The NPS contingency plan says that parks will shut down in two phases. The first phase is to “notify the public of closure” and wind down operations to “essential activities.” The second phase includes a “complete shutdown of all concession facilities and commercial visitor services.”

The plan emphasizes that overnight campers will be given two days to make alternative sleeping arrangements and then asked to leave.

The Trump administration had reportedly weighed a plan to keep parks open in the event of a shutdown, The Washington Post reported Thursday.