Gates will be locked and thousands of rangers furloughed at national parks if government shuts down

PHOENIX (AP) — Gates will be locked and thousands of rangers will be furloughed from national park sites if Congress doesn’t reach a budget agreement. But Arizona and Utah officials say they’ll make sure visitors can still enjoy the dramatic depths of the Grand Canyon and the soaring red cliffs of Zion Valley if a cutoff comes Sunday (Oct. 1, 2023). The parks’ economic impact is so huge that Arizona’s Democratic governor and Utah’s Republican governor will invest to keep Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and Canyonlands national parks open. Colorado is thinking about keeping Rocky Mountain and other parks open.