If you’ve been planning a national park trip, the government shutdown likely won’t keep you from hitting the trails—at least for the time being. But with thousands of National Parks Service (NPS) employees expected to be furloughed, a number of park buildings and indoor attractions are set to close and former officials have warned that leaving other sites open will pose serious risks to the public, the parks themselves, and the wildlife living within them.
According to a contingency plan posted by the Department of the Interior Tuesday night, “park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors”—but “as a general rule, if a facility or area is locked or secured during non-business hours (buildings, gated parking lots, etc.) it should b