The National Park Service announced today that parks will remain as accessible as possible during the government shutdown, but some services may be unavailable, but it's not yet clear what that means for visitors.
Earlier this week, former national park superintendents urged the agency to fully close parks during the shutdown, citing safety and maintenance concerns. But the Trump Administration has ordered parks to remain at least partially open.
Brian Hinrichs is the executive director of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. He said that while roads and trails will remain open, there will be minimum maintenance done to restrooms and other areas.
The Tekakapimək Contact Station was initially closed during the start of the shutdown, but Hinrichs said the nonprofit has made an emergency donation to ensure the station is open for the first two weekends in October.
"So I would just urge folks to really carefully consider any of their plans and to keep their own safety and to keep the protection of these natural landscapes and natural resources at the forefront of their planning," he said.
It's not clear what services will be affected at Acadia National Park.
