Some national parks remain open during closure, others are closed

Some national parks and historic sites in the United States will remain open as long as the partial government shutdown continues until Christmas. However, other tourist sites will remain closed until lawmakers reach an agreement to reopen the government.

On Saturday, negotiations between the White House and Republicans and congressional Democrats block the stalemate over President Trump's $ 5 billion request to fund the construction of a building. wall along the US-Mexico border. The Senate will technically hold a "pro forma" session on Monday, but that will probably not help. Negotiations will probably not resume until senators resume work on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Statue of Liberty and Grand Canyon are open to trade, and the government has stated that other national parks "will remain as accessible as possible".

In some parks, you can hike, but largely by yourself. In other places, like the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, closed National Military Park, you're out of luck. And while the Starry Banner still floats at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, the gates of the iconic War of 1812 site are locked.

In Estes Park, Colorado, visitor reception centers were closed Saturday at Rocky Mountain National Park. Park roads have been closed or not cleared due to the closure of the federal government. The park doors were open, but the numbers were reduced and the roads were not cleared.

"It's really disappointing," said Sarah Schlesinger of Boulder. Schlesinger went to the park with two nieces from Florida who had never seen snow before.

Some attractions remain open thanks to funding from states and charities.

The state government of Utah provides funding for staff at the reception centers of Arches National Parks, Bryce Canyon and Zion. Arizona ponies to keep trails, shuttles and toilets open at the Grand Canyon. New York pays the bill for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island for the third time in five years.

"Many travelers planned their visit several months in advance and came from all over the world to be there," said Utah Governor Gary Herbert, Republican. "We want them to go home with memories of beautiful views and receptions, no locked doors."

The closure affects nine out of 15 departments, including the Interior, which manages national parks, and Agriculture, which manages national forests. About 16,000 National Park Service employees, or 80% of the agency's workforce, are on leave.

The country's presidential libraries are also closed

The George HW The Bush presidential library and museum at College Station, Texas, are closed, but the family's burial place – where the 41st president was buried recently – will remain open. The George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas is open, but archival services are not available.

Temporary and permanent exhibitions at the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, one of the major tourist attractions of Little Rock, Arkansas, are closed. The restaurant is open and offers "stop specials".

At Acadia National Park, Maine, austerity measures include closing bathrooms, reducing garbage collection, and reducing snow removal. A lack of plowing could also hinder access to Crater Lake in Oregon, Mount Rainier in Washington and other parks normally flooded with snow at this time of year.

Hotels, restaurants, shops and gas stations of Yosemite National Park in California remain open and do not seem affected by the closure, which canceled some programs, closed visitor reception centers and left campsites unmanned.

"It's basically free to enter the park and people come in and go as they please," said Jade Lezon, a cashier at El Portal Market, near a park entrance. . "It looks like summer today.The weather is perfect for a government shutdown."

Superintendent Cassius Cash of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, said that visitors should put into practice the principles of "leave no trace" in order to avoid fouling of the park when no service is available. It is provided available. The holiday period is typically one of the busiest weeks in the park, he said.

"National parks will remain as accessible as possible during the closure of the government," said National Parks Service spokesman Jeremy Barnum, noting that open roads remain open and wild-type toilets are always available.

In Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, non-profit organizations join forces to maintain the open reception center at the government-run USS Arizona Memorial. The monument itself is closed until March to allow repair of the loading dock, but visitors are still welcome to take a guided tour of Battleship Row and its surroundings in the harbor.

Navy sailors driving tourist boats are not affected by the closure.

At the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, things happened as usual after New York governor, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, announced that the state would fund its operations, as it did when closing the federal government in 2013 and 2018. It's All of this will cost the state about $ 65,000 a day, Cuomo said.

"Thanks to New York for funding!" said Steffen Manheim, a tourist from Maine.

In Arizona, Governor Doug Ducey activated the state's Grand Canyon Protection Plan, which asks the state to bear the costs of public safety and basic services provided by the desert treasure. The plan was developed by Arizona after its intervention in financing the operations at the last stop, 11 months ago.

"No matter what happens in Washington, the Grand Canyon will not close," said Ducey, a Republican. "If you're planning to visit the Grand Canyon this weekend, keep them in. The Grand Canyon will stay open."