The carriage roads at Acadia National Park are opening during the government shutdown, but are not being groomed/NPS file photo

Trying to figure out where you can go in the National Park System during the government shutdown? That's a good question, but not easily answered, as much has been left to the discretion of individual superintendents.

For instance, at Acadia National Park in Maine, staff say the carriage roads are open but will not be groomed for cross-country skiing as "(S)now groomers are Acadia NP volunteers hosted through Friends of Acadia and volunteer services cannot continue during the shutdown."

But fly across the country to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and you'll find that, "(G)rooming of the Teton Park Road will continue through a partnership agreement with Grand Teton National Park Foundation," and at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan, "the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes may continue to groom the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail."

Elsewhere in the system:

* George Washington Carver National Monument in Missouri is closed for the safety of visitors and park resources, though park staff didn't cite what potential safey issues there were;

* Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park in Ohio "is a partnership park. Scheduled programming at park sites owned by park partners may continue to be available to visitors. Examples include Hawthorn Hill Mansion and the Wright Brothers Aviation Center owned by Dayton History, Carillon Museum, and the Dunbar House owned by The Ohio History Connection;"

* At Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri, "(A)lthough vault toilets will remain open parkwide,  water-borne facilities such as the restroom/shower houses at Round Spring and Pulltite will be closed. Akers Ferry will remain in operation through services provided by park concession Akers Ferry Canoe Rental;"

* In Colorado at Rocky Mountain National Park, "(R)oads that are already open would remain open, weather and road conditions permitting. However, visitor services will be limited. Services that require staffing and maintenance, such as entrance stations, the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, the Kawuneeche Visitor Center, Moraine Park Campground, and most restroom facilities will not be operating;"

* At Death Valley National Park in California and Nevada, "(T)here will be no NPS-provided visitor services at Death Valley National Park, including public information, trash collection, and facilities and roads maintenance. This also includes visitor center restrooms. However, lodging, restaurants, and other services provided by concessioners or other entities at Panamint Springs Resort, Stovepipe Wells Village, and the Oasis at Death Valley remain available;"

* Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas was closed;

* Castle Clinton and Statue of Liberty national monuments remained open.

But at Grand Teton National Park, grooming of the park road for skiers is continuing under an arrangement with the Grand Teton National Park Foundation/GTNPF file photo

Across the entire system, National Park Service staff were cautioning that, "emergency and rescue services will be limited."

"Emergency responders, including Fire Management, EMS, and Law Enforcement personnel, not required for essential activities will be placed on furlough but may be called back to duty if an emergency situation arises," the NPS noted.

Additionally, the agency pointed out that "(P)arks may not exceed the staffing number approved during the October 2013 shutdown unless a partner is willing to provide payment in advance (as a donation) to support additional staff."

Individual superintendents also have been given the authority to "close grounds/areas with sensitive natural, cultural, historic, or archaeological resources vulnerable to destruction, looting, or other damage that cannot be adequately protected by the excepted law enforcement staff that remain on duty to conduct essential activities."

While the Park Service has permission to work out funding deals with local partners and governments to maintain services, those donations will not be reimbursed. That scenario created a bone of contention back in 2013, when several states, including Utah and Coloardo, provided funding to keep national parks in their states open with the hope of being reimbursed, but Congress never authorized that.

While most concessions operations were being allowed to continue, Park Service guidelines noted that, "(I)f over the course of the shutdown, NPS expenditures or obligations become necessary to support commercial, concession or partner operations, the park superintendent must require a suspension in those operations. Park superintendents may not bring on additional staff in excess of numbers approved to support essential activities in order to provide for commercial, concession or partner operations."