While some other states are providing funds to keep their national parks open during the federal government shutdown, the Polis Administration so far is waiting to see if intervention will be necessary in Colorado.
State and county governments are helping to fund Utah’s national parks. According to Visit Utah, the state’s official tourism office, all five national parks are open, including their visitor centers. In Tennessee, state and county governments are funding operations in Great Smoky National Park, always the busiest national park in the U.S., with more than 12 million visitors annually.
In August. Gov. Jared Polis said the state stood ready to help keep national parks open in the event of a shutdown. The current shutdown began on Oct. 1, but so far, Rocky Mountain National Park has been kept open with previously collected fee revenue that is funding minimal services. The state has provided no funds thus far.
“I have been clear that one of my top priorities amid the Republican controlled government shutdown is to ensure that Colorado’s natural wonders are accessible for Coloradans and visitors, and enjoyed responsibly,” Polis said in a statement. “We will closely monitor if the state needs to partner with the federal government to keep the parks open, which has not yet been necessary. I continue to urge Coloradans to enjoy our beautiful parks responsibly.”
Visitors are entering Rocky Mountain National Park free of charge and without timed-entry reservations. For what it’s worth, the requirement for a reservation to enter all of the park except the Bear Lake corridor has ended for the year. The requirement for a reservation to enter the Bear Lake corridor ends Sunday.
The story is different at Mesa Verde National Park, however, where the ancient cliff dwellings are closed, according to the website of the Mesa Verde Association, a non-profit partner of the park. Also closed are the visitor center, the Mesa Verde Museum, Mesa Top Loop, Cliff Palace Loop and all other trails.
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Rocky Mountain National Park remains open despite government shutdownGreat Sand Dunes National Park is open and attracting visitors, although the visitor center is closed. Raleigh Burts, a manager at Kristi Mountain Sports in Alamosa, says his shop has been renting sandboards to visitors bound for the tallest dunes in North America.
“The feedback from customers is that they know the visitor center is closed, but the bathrooms are still open and being cleaned,” Burts said. “As long as people are being respectful, not vandalizing, using the trash and toilet services, I think it’s perfectly fine for people to continue recreating.”
In Utah, like Rocky Mountain National Park, basic park services such as search-and-rescue and sanitary needs have been covered by fee revenue collected by the parks prior to the shutdown. Visitor centers were closed when the shutdown began, but the state stepped in with funds to reopen them last week.
“It’s been an amazing partnership so far, between the state, the county,” said Brian Martinez, a Grand County (Utah) commissioner in Moab who runs an outfitting business in Arches and Canyonlands national parks. “Everything is moving really smooth. The biggest challenge we’re having is the messaging. If you go on the Arches National Park’s website, it says reservations required. We’re having a hard time getting out the message that there are no reservations needed.”
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