These 10 NJ Parks Could Close As Government Shutdown Looms

NEW JERSEY — A majority of national parks, including 10 in New Jersey, will close to the public on Monday if the federal government is unable to reach a spending deal ahead of its Saturday deadline, the Department of Interior announced Friday.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's last-ditch plan to keep the federal government temporarily open collapsed on Friday as hard-right holdouts rejected his spending package, making a shutdown almost certain.

The bill’s failure a day before the deadline leaves few options left to prevent a shutdown that will furlough federal workers, keep the military working without pay and disrupt programs and services for millions of Americans.

Once the shutdown starts, the majority of more than 420 national parks in the United States will also be off-limits to the public, the Department of Interior said in a release. About 13,000 of the 19,000 National Park Service workers are also expected to be furloughed, the agency said.

“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 Interior Department said in a statement.

In New Jersey, a shutdown would affect the following parks:

• Appalachian National Scenic Trail
• Delaware Water Gap Recreational Area
• Ellis Island
• Gateway National Recreational Area
• Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River System
• Morristown National Historical Park
• New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve
• Paterson Great Falls National Historic Park
• Thomas Edison National Historic Park
• Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route

See more information about these parks online.

Because of the shutdown, visitors should expect many services and facilities at national parks to be closed or largely unavailable. Gates will be locked and visitor centers will be closed, officials said.

Whether tourists can access national parks will depend on size, location and other factors, officials said. Generally, if a site is closed or locked during non-business hours, it will remain that way.

Some publicly accessible places like park roads, lookouts, trails, campgrounds, and open-air memorials will remain open, but there are no guarantees that restrooms or trash will be maintained, officials said.

"Parks will not provide regular road or trail condition updates," officials said. "As a part of their orderly shutdown activities, park staff will post signs as appropriate to notify visitors that services, maintenance or other non-emergency management activities will not be conducted."

In some cases, the director of the National Park Service can enter into non-reimbursable arrangements with state, tribal or local governments, or third parties for donations to fund park operations, the department said.

For example, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said they will tap state funds to ensure visitors can still enjoy the dramatic depths of the Grand Canyon and the soaring red cliffs of Zion Valley, among other parks.

Interior officials said operations that protect life and property will remain ongoing. This includes law enforcement and emergency personnel, as well as fire suppression services.

Related article: Federal Bill Collapses, Shutdown Looms: What It Means For NJ Residents

The Associated Press contributed to this report.