No one was watching Old Faithful at noon on Saturday/NPS

National Park Service staff woke up Saturday to an unpaid vacation of unknown duration, while visitors to the National Park System were told not to expect many visitor services during the government shutdown. In some limited cases, however, nonprofit organizations and states stepped up to provide a range of services for visitors.

Great Smoky Mountains Association had pledged to provide enough funding to staff visitor centers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park through January 1, while the state of Arizona provided money for trash collection, custodial services in restrooms, and to clear roads and pathways of snow at Grand Canyon National Park.

Most Park Service-operated campgrounds across the country were open Saturday, though there were no fee collection, trash collection, or cleaning of restrooms being done. Campers could remain in the campgrounds.

Because of the federal government shutdown, NPS social media and websites were not being monitored or updated and may not reflect current conditions

The Anhinga Trail at Everglades National Park was not crowded Saturday/NPS

At Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, the road to Paradise would remain closed to public use, including vehicles and recreational use. Travel on foot, snowshoes, or skis was not being allowed on the road behind the closed gate at Longmire. Plows might be working the road to provide access to maintain park facilities and utilities during the shutdown. The park road between the Nisqually Entrance and Longmire, trails, and the National Park Inn at Longmire will remain accessible to visitors, but emergency and rescue services will be limited. The National Park Inn at Longmire will remain open with overnight lodging, gift shop, and dining room, weather dependent. Reservations should be confirmed by contacting the National Park Inn.

Elsewhere in the park system:

* At Yellowstone National Park, concessioners were providing funding for road grooming so that oversnow access to the interior is possible. Guided snowmobile and snowcoach trips with commercial operators were being allowed. Non-commercially guided snowmobile trips will also be allowed.

* At Dinosaur National Monument in Utah and Colorado, roads and trails were to remain accessible to visitors, unless safety concerns warranted their closure. Emergency and rescue services will be limited.

* Along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina, park roads, overlooks, and trails along the parkway were to remain accessible to visitors weather permitting. Emergency and rescue services will be limited.  There will be no NPS-provided visitor services at the Blue Ridge Parkway, including public information, restrooms, trash collection, and facilities and roads maintenance (including plowing if applicable). Some lodging, restaurants, and other services may be available when provided by concessioners or other entities (such as the Southern Highland Craft Guild at the Folk Art Center). Reservations at park hotels should be confirmed by contacting the concessioner that operates the hotel or visiting their website.

* Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in South Dakota was closed for the safety of visitors and park resources. 

* At Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in Wyoming and Montana, roads, lookouts, and trails at were to remain accessible to visitors, but emergency and rescue services would be limited. There would be no NPS-provided visitor services, including public information, restrooms, trash collection, facilities, programming, and roads maintenance (including plowing).

* At Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, staff cautioned visitors to use extreme caution if choosing to enter the park, as park personnel would not be available to provide guidance or assistance. Emergency services would be limited. 

* At Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, Deputy Superintendent Gopaul Noojibail said, "Visitors will be able to access Grand Teton National Park, but should plan ahead and use caution as park staff will not be available to provide guidance or assistance. If visitors see something that jeopardizes visitor safety or park resources, call Teton Interagency Dispatch Center at 307.739.3301." 

Grooming of the Teton Park Road was to continue through a partnership agreement with Grand Teton National Park Foundation. Grooming is scheduled to occur twice a week.  Access to Yellowstone National Park's south entrance would continue, including staging and winter services available at Headwaters Lodge at Flagg Ranch in John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.

No lines were seen shortly after noon at the entrance to Arches National Park/NPS

* There would be no NPS-provided visitor services at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, including public information, restrooms, trash collection, and facilities and roads maintenance. Some restaurants and other services may be available when provided by concessioners or other entities, such as the Hot Springs Mountain Tower.  

* At Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, no plowing of park roads was being done.

* Some programs and services at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio may be available when provided by park partners, including the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and Countryside. Reservations for partner programs and services should be confirmed by contacting the partner or visiting its website.

* At Acadia National Park in Maine, Park Loop Road sections normally open this time of year would remain open (Ocean Drive, Sieur de Monts, and access to Jordan Pond area). However, in the event of hazardous conditions, these sections would close to vehicles. Acadia parking lots normally open in winter were to remain open but will not be plowed in the event of snow. The Schoodic Loop would remain open and plowed to allow employees access to housing. Carriage roads were to remain open, however the carriage roads would not be groomed for skiing. Snow groomers are Acadia National Park volunteers hosted through Friends of Acadia and volunteer services cannot continue during the shutdown.

"All through the year, park staff are at work preserving and protecting park resources, and Friends of Acadia hates to see these professionals sidelined by a shutdown, knowing that Acadia is already under-funded and under-staffed," said Friends of Acadia President David MacDonald. “We hope that officials in Washington D.C., can find a way to step away from the recent cycle of impasse, shutdown, eventual compromise and reopening which only confuses and inconveniences the public and adds to the burden of those who care for our most treasured natural resources. We are relieved that the park itself is not closed to public use as in other shutdowns, but want to remind visitors that services are not available and assistance in any emergency may be delayed."

* In North Carolina at Cape Lookout National Seashore, there would be no NPS-provided visitor services, including public information, restrooms, trash collection, and facilities and roads maintenance. Limited ferry service provided by Island Express Ferry Service may be available. For ferry information and availability during the shutdown, contact them directly at (252) 728-7433.

* In North Dakota, park roads, lookouts, and trails at Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site would remain accessible to visitors, but emergency and rescue services would be limited. Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site was mostly closed. There are no NPS-provided visitor services at all North Dakota national park sites, including public information, restrooms, trash collection, and facilities and roads maintenance. Emergency services are not available. 

Hiking trails at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site are open. The visitor center and earthlodge exhibit were closed. The Bodmer Overlook Trail and other trails outside of the fort walls at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site were accessible. The fort and visitor center was closed. At Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the North Unit Scenic Drive was open to the Caprock Coulee Trailhead and was open to foot traffic beyond the vehicle traffic closure. In the park’s South Unit, East River Road and the Scenic Drive were open to vehicles, as long as weather permits. Visitor centers were closed. All hiking trails remained open.

* At Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan, the visitor center was closed and there would be no NPS-provided visitor services, including restrooms, trash collection, or facilities maintenance. Services at the Platte River Campground were to be discontinued as well, including snow plowing, custodial, bathrooms, showers, electricity, check-in/check-out, and reservations. Trails would remain accessible to visitors, but trailhead parking lots would not be plowed and emergency and rescue services would be limited.

* At Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, the following areas were to remain open: Kīlauea Visitor Center (KVC), picnic tables and restrooms. KVC exhibits will be open; KVC auditorium will be closed and films will not be shown. The Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association store in KVC will be open. Crater Rim Drive from park entrance to Kilauea Military Camp; Crater Rim Trail between Volcano House and Kilauea Military Camp; Volcano House lodging, gift stores and restaurants; Kilauea Military Camp & Theatre; Volcano Art Center Gallery; Steam Vents and Sulphur Banks; Mauna Loa Road to Kīpukapuaulu (vehicles not permitted past the gate at Kīpukapuaulu); Mauna Loa Road to Mauna Loa Lookout – pedestrians and bicyclists only; Kīpukapuaulu day use picnic area (no trash or custodial services or – pack it in, pack it out only); Kīpukapuaulu and trail; Ka‘ū Desert Trail to the Footprints shelter and exhibit.

* George Washington Carver National Monument in Missouri was closed for the safety of visitors and park resources. 

* Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky was not operating cave tours, providing visitor services, or operating the Green River Ferry during the government shutdown. Park roads, lookouts, and trails, were to remain accessible to visitors, but emergency and rescue services would be limited.