The ongoing shutdown by the U.S. federal government shuttered National Park Service sites on or near Route 66 this weekend, with no resolution in sight.
An exception is Grand Canyon National Park, which remains accessible because of a partnership with the state of Arizona. Businesses there that include lodging, restaurants and retail stay open. Within the park, however, several NPS-related facilities are closed.
The Grand Canyon sits about 60 minutes north of Route 66, but it long has been a popular side trip for such travelers.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial also will stay open, reported KFOR-TV, because it is is privately owned and operated by the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation.
A phone call to Petrified Forest National Park in eastern Arizona, which features an original section of Route 66, revealed the park is closed. A recorded message also said the park would not take any calls until the shutdown ends.
Other sites near Route 66 or often are visited by Route 66 travelers as side trips are closed or partly closed. Some of these places may be accessible to the public, but NPS-related facilities there will be closed.
- Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Wilmington, Illinois.
- Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Springfield, Illinois.
- Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (aka Gateway Arch), St. Louis.
- Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, near Springfield, Missouri.
- White Sands National Monument, New Mexico.
- Pecos National Historic Park, New Mexico.
- Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico.
- Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, Arizona.
- Walnut Canyon National Monument, Arizona.
- Joshua Tree National Park, California.
- Death Valley National Park, California.
If the shutdown continues into Monday, which seems likely, that also means the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program will be closed for anyone needing technical assistance about the Mother Road.
If the shutdown persists into later in the week, applications to the National Register of Historic Places would stay in limbo.
UPDATE: It appears the shutdown has ended after three days. Congress on Monday evening passed a three-week spending bill. Operations at national parks will begin to return to normal Tuesday.
(Image of the Petrified Forest National Park by Jerry and Pat Donoho via Flickr)
Just how childish and selfish can the government of the “leading nation of the free world” get?