Though Yosemite was open and we were able to have a positive experience at the park, the shutdown affected some of the other places we wanted to visit during our Bay Area trip.
Muir Woods National Monument, an NPS site known for its redwood forests in Marin County, was closed amid the shutdown. Most parts of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area were open, though Fort Mason’s headquarters, China Beach, and some parking lots by the Presidio were closed.
I didn’t feel much of the impact at Yosemite, but it’s just one of dozens of national parks and historic sites enduring the shutdown — and this is just my experience.
Though I didn’t see any of this firsthand, videos and reports suggest that people have begun squatting, using drones, and performing dangerous illegal stunts at Yosemite.
Some have pushed for national parks to close because they’re concerned that there are not enough employees to care for the resources or deal with rule breakers on the properties.
The impact on local businesses and the parks may not be immediately visible to all visitors, but some suggest the costs could be major.
The National Parks Conservation Association has estimated “that local economies could lose as much as $80 million in visitor spending every day parks are closed in October.”
It’s unclear when the shutdown may come to an end, but if it continues, I suspect my experience may not be the same as that of other visitors.