Government Shutdown: Are All Parks and Trails Closed?

The National Park Service announced Tuesday, Oct. 1 that all 401 national parks are closed due to the federal government shutdown. 

All park grounds, visitor centers, hotels, campgrounds, and park roads – except for thru ways – are closed. All programs are canceled and permits issued for special events on park grounds nationwide are rescinded.

Park visitors in all overnight campgrounds and lodges have been given until no later than 6:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday, Oct. 3 to make other arrangements and leave the park.

National parks will remain closed until the government reopens. And because it will not be maintained, the National Park Service website will be down for the duration of the shutdown, closing off access to 750,000 web pages about national parks and programs. 

But with the plethora of outdoor recreation opportunities in Washington state, does that mean you have to hang up those hiking boots early? Not exactly. The Washington Trails Association has compiled this very helpful breakdown of what is open and closed during this shutdown. 

Here's a brief summary:

• Mount Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park and North Cascades National Park are closed
• State Route 20 and State Route 410, which run through the North Cascades and Mount Rainier, respectively, remain open. But roads leading to park destinations are closed
• National Forest trails are not closed to hikers, but camping and other facilities are closed

Visit the WTA page for the full list of updates.

For updates on the shutdown, please visit www.doi.gov/shutdown.