National parks impacted by shutdown: Half of staff furloughed, access limited

The nation's parks were once again caught in the middle as the federal government shut down at midnight on Wednesday. A newly released contingency plan from the National Park Service outlines how millions of visitors will be affected by the shutdown, from shuttered facilities and limited staffing to significant financial losses for nearby communities. National parks will remain partially open during the government shutdown. Visitors will still have access to roads, trails, lookouts and open-air memorials, according to the NPS plan. With more than 9,000 of the agency's 14,500 employees furloughed, most facilities that require staff will not operate. That means no permits, guided tours, routine trash collection, restrooms, road and walkway maintenance, or visitor information. If a facility o