How National Parks and Museums Are Affected by the Shutdown – The New York Times

Here’s what travelers to Washington and other cities can expect during the shutdown.

Airports remain open

Transportation Security Administration employees are working without pay, but so far no major delays have been reported because of the shutdown.

How about National Parks?

The answer differs by state. Some states have stepped up to keep parks and monuments functioning: New York state is spending $65,000 a day to operate the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; Arizona is paying to keep the Grand Canyon open, Puerto Rico agreed to provide up to $80,000 for two weeks of services at the San Juan National Historic Site; Utah has kept visitors’ centers open at Arches, Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks.

At the Grand Canyon, the state of Arizona is paying for trash collection, custodial services for bathrooms and snow removal from sidewalks and trails. Stores and restaurants that aren’t run by the government are open. Campgrounds are open, but there is no reservation and check-in and check out process.

At Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state, the gate remained open, but officials cautioned that “entry during the federal shutdown is at visitors’ sole risk.”

In California, at Yosemite National Park, trash collection, along with visitors’ centers and the park’s restrooms have been closed since the shutdown began. Park officials closed two campgrounds and a redwood grove after finding human feces and urine on the park’s roads. Joshua Tree has been operating with some staff, but beginning Wednesday afternoon, is not allowing camping because of health concerns about near-capacity toilets.