YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK (KFSN) -- A trip to Yosemite National Park came down to a gamble that paid off for one tour group from France.

"We flipped a coin. I saw on the internet that it may be open or not, so we made a bet and we won. We're right here in Yosemite National Park," French tour guide Xavier Chanut said.

Chanut wasn't sure what to expect on the first day of the government shutdown. He had a backup plan but was relieved to see Yosemite still open.

"I didn't know if we were going to enter. We did it, we took the risk, if not, it was turning around and going to find a state park like Calaveras or somewhere," he said. "We said we're going to try it, we made it and we got to the gate and we entered and here we are."

Park roads, lookouts, trails and open-air memorials remain open.

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