While Americans woke up to the news Wednesday that their federal government had shut down due to Congress failing to approve a funding bill before the start of the new fiscal year, Utah state tourism officials said Utah’s “Mighty 5” national parks will remain open — but with limited services.
It’s not yet clear how many national park workers based in Utah could be furloughed, with uncertainty surrounding how long the funding lapse will last. But according to an updated National Park Service contingency plan, for now federal dollars will fund “health and safety” operations, including fire suppression, drinking water and sewage, and other essential services.
“Our priority has been and continues to be preserving our parks, maintaining the visitor experience, and ensuring Utah communities and businesses that rely on national park visitation are supported,” Natalie Randall, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism and Film, said in a prepared statement. “We are engaged in proactive conversations with public and private partners at all levels, offering strategic support to ensure the parks remain open with necessary resources.”
Utah Rep. Mike Kennedy, who spoke to reporters at the Utah State Capitol on Wednesday, praised efforts to keep the parks open, albeit with some reduced services, by both federal and Utah agencies, for the time being.
A former state legislator, he recalled Utah’s past commitments to keep the parks operating during previous “nonsensical government shutdowns.”
“When government shuts down, I know the state legislative leadership, as well as our governor, are motivated and incentivized to make sure that those national parks continue to stay open — and that’s a backstop that shouldn’t have to be used. The federal government should fund those programs,” Kennedy said, among his comments that laid blame for the shutdown on U.S. Senate Democrats.
Utah’s national parks are an important economic driver, especially in rural and southern parts of Utah. In 2024, national park visitor spending contributed an estimated $3.1 billion to the state’s economy, according to state tourism officials.
Utah’s five national parks — Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion — are still open to the public, the Utah Office of Tourism said in a news release Wednesday, while also directing Utahns and visitors to VisitUtah.com for more information about how the federal shutdown is impacting Utah’s parks.
While the parks will remain open, “visitors should expect reduced services and reduced staffing” during the shutdown, state tourism officials said.
State tourism officials also pointed out that Utah’s 46 state parks will remain open and unaffected by the shutdown.
“They are fully staffed and ready to welcome visitors,” they said.
Here’s a breakdown of what to know before visiting each park, as of Wednesday:
Arches
- The park is accessible.
- Campgrounds are open but must be reserved online at recreation.gov.
- Available services include trash collection, restrooms, water and emergency services.
Bryce Canyon
- The park is accessible.
- The visitor center is open.
- Campgrounds are open, but must be reserved online at recreation.gov.
- Available services include shuttles, trash collection, restrooms, water and emergency services.
Canyonlands
- The park is accessible.
- Campgrounds are open but must be reserved online at recreation.gov.
- Available services include trash collection, restrooms, water and emergency services.
Capitol Reef
- The park is accessible.
- Campgrounds are open, but must be reserved online at recreation.gov.
- Available services include trash collection, restrooms, water and emergency services.
Zion
- The park is accessible.
- The visitor center is open.
- Campgrounds are open but must be reserved online at recreation.gov.
- Available services include shuttles, backcountry permitting, trash collection, restrooms, water and emergency services.
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About the Author
Katie McKellar covers Utah government as a senior reporter for Utah News Dispatch. She specializes in political reporting, covering the governor and the Utah Legislature, with expertise in beats including growth, housing and homelessness.
