LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Day two of the government shutdown has impacted federal services and national parks in Nevada.
Lake Mead’s visitor center is closed, but Red Rock Canyon is still open. According to the park’s website, you must have a reservation from now until May 31.
However, the shutdown is impacting much more than just the availability of parks to visitors. If there is no one to work at the parks, that means there is no one to maintain the area.
FOX5 has learned that the shutdown impacts the recreation areas around Mount Charleston. The Spring Mountain Recreation Area Visitor Center is closed.
Residents up there feel it is history repeating itself with the last shutdown six years ago that lasted several weeks.
Resident Jimmy Alderson also said the parks were closed during the pandemic, which led to trash piling up, and he is worried the same will happen again if the shutdown drags on.
“The last shutdown, the trash was piling up in the dumpsters. Trash piled up around the bathroom. Doors were dirty, diapers, things like that just started to become piles of this stuff. At that point, we had to get the health department involved,” Alderson said.
Alderson said he has also seen visitors resort to using the outdoors as a restroom when the bathrooms were closed.
Alderson also noticed that any trails with a gate in front are closed.
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