Overview

• Parks are keeping roads, trails, lookouts and open‑air memorials accessible as staffed buildings, gated lots and many services close, with emergency response and maintenance restricted.
• The National Park Service has furloughed about 9,296 of 14,500 employees and retained roughly 2,700 for duties to protect life and property, and park websites and social media will not be routinely updated.
• Fee‑collecting parks may use Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act funds for basic sanitation, trash pickup, campground operations, law enforcement and limited gate staffing, and areas may close if safety or resource conditions deteriorate.
• Local impacts vary: in the Bay Area, Muir Woods and Fort Point are closed and numerous parking lots are shut, Alcatraz is closed Oct. 1 but scheduled to reopen Oct. 2, and Presidio Trust sites remain open.
• Former superintendents and advocacy groups are urging full closures to prevent a repeat of 2018–2019 damage, as early signs of uneven access include Liberty Bell doors closed in Philadelphia while Statue of Liberty tours continue.