Zion National Park And Great Smoky Mountains Raise Funds To Keep Parks Open During Shutdown In Completely Different Ways

The government shutdown, and subsequent loss of federal funding, is wreaking havoc on America's national park system. Charged with the task of remaining "as accessible as possible," according to the National Park Service Contingency Plan published on September 30, national parks are trying to appear normal with only a fraction of their staff and no cash flowing in.

While the majority of national parks are open to some degree, few are really operating normally. The vast majority have the absolute minimum staff available, and have closed visitor centers, canceled tours, and incomplete maintenance. Already struggling with the cutbacks from February and March, when most seasonal and probationary staff were laid off, a majority of national parks are simply trying to "keep the lights on."

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