NY Times: Current Status of Certain National Parks During Shutdown

I’m heading to Zion and Bryce in a couple of weeks so I’m watching this carefully. So far so good for those parks.

Good luck, saf!

Crossing fingers for you too, saf; both are gorgeous parks! Hope you're going to do some hiking?

Yes! I’m looking forward to hiking in both places! :-)

I work for the National Park Service. Basically, what's happening is that the administration is ordering that these parks stay open but without most of the staff that is usually there. Some staff have been told to keep working without pay. Good for people planning to go but bad for resource protection. We anticipate a lot of damage happening, unfortunately, as it did last time a shutdown happened.

Ooh, saf, hope you have this one on your gotta-do list at Bryce! Done it a couple of times - from both directions - and it's a honey!
https://www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/qgnavajocombo.htm

Our fave at Zion: check with the rangers or the good folks at Zion Adventure Company (where you should rent your watertight pack, poles and river-hiking footwear) to make sure flow level is safe before heading in.
https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/thenarrows.htm
https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/narrowsbottomup.htm

Kayenta is a pretty one:
https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/hike-kayenta-trail.htm

You're going to have so much fun!!!!!
kblur9, I hear you about the idiots who vandalized different of the parks during a former shutdown. My thanks for your service to these irreplaceable natural treasures! :O(