LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The gates to national parks and lands remain open during the federal government shutdown but thousands of government workers who normally oversee them are furloughed.
What does that mean for popular recreation sites in Nevada?
You can still drive in if you plan to visit Lake Mead, but there won’t be anyone at the gate taking an entrance fee or giving you a map for the park. The visitor center is also closed. There are more than 400 national park sites in the country, and right now, access to them varies widely.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area was a virtual ghost town Friday afternoon when FOX5 paid a visit. It is the largest national recreation area in the United States,1.5 million acres. According to park officials, 6.4 million people visited last year, contributing more than $553 million to the local economy and supporting 3,660 jobs. During our visit, we did not see any park staff.
“We’ve been blessed to live in this beautiful country with all of this beautiful nature, and the government has created all of these national parks for us to enjoy, and the fact that they are subject to being closed or not properly manned is just heartbreaking to me,” contended Craig Woods, who was out working on his boat at Lake Mead Friday.
A shutdown contingency plan for all parks on the NPS website says, “park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible.” However, some areas are closed. That seems to include the most popular attraction at Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada, the Lehman Caves, which are only accessible on ranger-led tours. People posted on social media that their tours have been cancelled.
At Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, just north of Las Vegas, phones were not answered Friday, but the website says trailheads remain open. That also appears to be the case at Death Valley National Park.
On Mount Charleston and in Kyle Canyon, bathroom facilities at popular trails maintained by the forest services are closed.
Las Vegas is also a gateway to the Grand Canyon with daily buses taking tourists to the natural wonder. It, too, is open to drive or hike, but attractions like the visitor center are closed.
During the government shutdown in 2018 and 2019, some parks saw a lot of trash and vandalism. The current contingency plan says parks could still close entirely if the same type of damage is done.
The Hoover Dam, one of the most popular local attractions, remains open, and tours are ongoing. It is run by the Bureau of Reclamation and is self-funded, not impacted by a lapse in federal funding.
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