Good Reads: How Tourism Communities Are Supporting Local NPS Sites in the Shutdown
We’re into the third week of the federal government shutdown with no movement on a resolution. I thought it would be useful to share stories of how tourism communities are supporting local National Park sites by raising funds to maintain staff and operations or by directing visitors at closed sites to nearby natural, cultural, and historic attractions.
The conventional wisdom is that most people outside of DC are not experiencing any negative impact from the government shutdown. As we are at peak foliage travel season, that is not true! Lots of communities have scrambled to pull together a shutdown response not just to safeguard their local national parks but to protect the busy Fall travel season.
Good Reads:
NPR: Locals step up to serve visitors to Acadia National Park during government shutdown
POLITICO/West Wing Playbook: Shutdown? What Shutdown | Shenandoah National Park
Mississippi Today: Donors keep Vicksburg military site open as government shutdown closes most national parks
Vicksburg Daily News: Military Park needs help during government shutdown. (Note: This article is the appeal to community for support from the Executive Director of the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park, which I thought would be useful to some members of the network.)
WSLS News 10: Blue Ridge Parkway remains open during government shutdown
NPR: Local governments band together to reopen famous national park during shutdown
Outside: These Locals Have Stepped in to Keep Country's Most Visited National Park Fully Open
Charlotte Observer: Cherokee Indians to help keep US mountain highway open during federal shutdown
WSAZ 3: West Virginia National Parks remaining open. (Note: West Virginia is amplifying their investment in their two national parks by offering a 20% discount to visitors who book a three-day stay in a state park.)
Spectrum 1: Explore Kentucky’s Caveland helps tourists during shutdown
WHAS 11: Mammoth Cave shutdown impacts local tourism and business
KATV: Hot Springs National Park fights to stay open amid government shutdown challenges
NBC News: Governors tap state funds to keep some national parks open during government shutdown
Just a reminder, the National Park Service has released the Visitor Spending Effects 2024 report, which documents the economic impact of national park visitation on gateway communities and breaks down the data by national, state, and park. This can be useful data to make the case to your Congressional delegation to reopen the government and act quickly to approve the FY26 appropriations bills.
If you have a story about how your community is supporting your local national parks or how you have been impacted by the shutdown. Please send them along.