The shutdown of the U.S. government that began Friday night is affecting some, but not all, of the national parks and other sites managed by the National Park Service.
The effect the shutdown, if it’s short-term, should be low on Route 66 because it’s tourism off-season, especially near the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
One site that will stay open 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 will stay open. Within the park, however, several NPS-related facilities are closed.
The Grand Canyon lies 60 miles north of Route 66 from Williams, Arizona, but remains a popular side trip for many Route 66 travelers.
KFOR-TV reports the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum also will stay open during the shutdown.
But these NPS-managed sites will be shut down or their hours or services curtailed:
- Midewin Tallgrass Natural Prairie near Wilmington, Illinois
- Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois
- Gateway Arch in St. Louis
- Old Courthouse in St. Louis
- Petrified Forest National Park in eastern Arizona
There probably are others, but the gist is if a site is managed by a state, county, city, private owner or Native American Indian tribe, it is open. If it’s a federal site, it is closed.
This also means the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program office in Santa Fe is closed during the shutdown. So anyone who needs information about cost-share grants or other technical information will be out of luck during the interim.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports the shutdown could delay the processing of visas and passports.
This is the second government shutdown in less than a year. The previous one in January lasted three days.
(Image of the Petrified Forest National Park by Jerry and Pat Donoho via Flickr)