The entrances at Glacier and Yellowstone national parks will be closed and locked if the federal government lapses into a shutdown.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of the Interior, most national park sites across the country will be closed "in the event of a lapse in annual government appropriations."
"This means that the majority of national parks will be closed completely to public access," the press release states. "Areas that, by their nature, are physically accessible to the public will face significantly reduced visitor services."
"At (National Park Service) sites across the country, gates will be locked, visitor centers will be closed, and thousands of park rangers will be furloughed," the press release continues. "Accordingly, the public will be encouraged not to visit sites during the period of lapse in appropriations out of consideration for protection of natural and cultural resources, as well as visitor safety."
The federal government will shut down on Oct. 1 if Congress does not pass legislation approving appropriations.
The decision to close National Park Service sites is in contrast to the last federal government shutdown in 2018. Yellowstone remained open at that time, although all government-run operations and facilities were closed. The entrance stations were open but not staffed.
Officials at Glacier National Park released the following statement to MTN News on Friday, "We remain hopeful that a lapse in government funding will not occur." Additionally, Park officials "are reviewing the NPS contingency plan and working to determine specifics at Glacier National Park."
