Shutdown Forces Park Closures; Yosemite Climber Dies

The partial U.S. government shutdown has forced roughly 64% of National Park Service staff to be furloughed, producing a patchwork of closures and limited operations across national parks and historic sites. Some units — including Fort McHenry, the Klondike Gold Rush Visitor Center and Montezuma Castle — and many visitor centers were closed, while parks such as Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Cuyahoga Valley remained generally open but with visitor centers, programs and routine maintenance curtailed. The disruption has left tourists and local businesses frustrated, caused lost tourism revenue, and limited on-the-ground communications and interpretive services, though the Interior says critical functions protecting life, property and public health will continue. During the first day of the shutdown, 23-year-old climber Balin Miller died while livestreaming a solo climb on Yosemite’s El Capitan; park rangers responded and the NPS is investigating amid reduced staffing. Some historic sites have stayed open through alternate arrangements — for example, Pearl Harbor operations are privately funded and the Statue of Liberty was kept open after administration decisions — creating an inconsistent visitor experience.