Home » General » Arizona National Parks and Monuments Guide to Shutdown

Arizona National Parks and Monuments Guide to Shutdown

arizona mapSedona AZ (October 3, 2013) – As of October 1, 2013, the federal government has shut down impacting the national parks and monuments. Visitors currently staying in accommodations in the parks, will have 48 hours to make alternative arrangements and depart the park. No new visitors will be allowed to enter and National Park Service facilities will be closed. The concessionaires will be allowed to keep the concessions open until the guests depart within 48 hours. Below is information more specific to the Grand Canyon National Park.

Please note that Arizona’s State Park system will remain open. Please visit http://arizonaguide.com/places-to-visit/arizona-parks-monuments or http://azstateparks.com/ for more information about Arizona’s State Parks.

Grand Canyon

State Highway 64 is closed. Cars will not be allowed to stop and national park roads, trails and overlooks will be barricaded.

Air tours can continue to operate if the companies (primarily Papilion and Maverik) choose to do so.

Visitors in campgrounds above and below the rim will have 48 hours to leave the park. There is no way to notify visitors in the back country, but once they leave the park they will not be allowed to re-enter.

All recreational activities will stop. Visitors already in the park will not have access to mule rides, and/or trails.

Those with river permits will not be allowed to begins trips, but those who are currently on trips will be allowed to complete them.

Other iconic locations that will be OPEN include:

  • Grand Canyon West will remain open as it operates on Hualapai Tribal Land.
  • Monument Valley
  • Sedona
  • Canyon de Chelly National Monument – Is operated jointly with the Navajo Nation. Campgrounds will remain OPEN; however, the visitor center will be closed. Thunderbird Lodge will remain open and tours will continue to operate.

Instead of Grand Canyon Railway the following is OPEN:

  • Verde Canyon Railroad from Clarkdale
  • Camping and RV parks near the Grand Canyon
  • Williams
  • Flagstaff

sedona red rocks state parksBelow is a listing of the national parks and monuments closed as a result of the shutdown and a listing of alternate destinations that visitors can still experience.

Saguaro National Park – will be closed

Other natural attractions in southern Arizona which will remain OPEN include: 

  • Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
  • Catalina State Park
  • Kartchner Caverns State Park
  • Tohono Chul Park

Petrified Forest National Park – will be closed.

Other attractions in the area that will remain OPEN include:

  • Canyon de Chelly National Monument
  • Holbrook Historic Courthouse
  • Rock Art Canyon Ranch
  • Canyon de Chelly National Monument is operated jointly with the Navajo Nation.
  • Campgrounds will remain open; however, the visitor center will be closed.
  • Thunderbird Lodge will remain open and tours will continue to operate.

Northern Arizona NPS sites – will be closed

For more information on attractions around National Park Service sites in Northern Arizona, please visit http://arizonaguide.com/places-to-visit/northern-arizona

Tuzigoot National Monument – will be closed

The Great House at the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

The Great House at the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Other ancient Native American sites in the area which will remain OPEN include:

  • Homolovi State Park near Winslow
  • Casa Malapais in Springerville
  • Palatki near Sedona

Navajo National Monument – will be closed

 Other ancient Native American sites in the area which will remain OPEN include:

  • Canyon de Chelly
  • Casa Malapais in Springerville
  • Homolovi State Park near Winslow
  • Palatki near Sedona
  • Rock Art Canyon Ranch near Winslow

Wupatki National Monument –will be closed

 Other ancient Native American sites in the area which will remain OPEN include:

  • Canyon de Chelly
  • Casa Malapais in Springerville
  • Homolovi State Park near Winslow
  • Palatki near Sedona
  • Rock Art Canyon Ranch near Winslow
Meteor Crater in Arizona

Meteor Crater in Arizona

Sunset Crater National Monument – will be closed

 Other attractions in the area that will remain OPEN include:

  •  Meteor Crater

Ganado Trading Post National Monument – will be closed

Other Trading Posts in Northern Arizona: http://arizonaguide.com/experience-and-share/featured-article/arizonas-trading-posts

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area – will be closed

Other attractions in the area that will remain OPEN include:

  •  Antelope Canyon

North-Central Arizona NPS Sites – will be closed

For more information on attractions around NPS sites in Northern Arizona, visit http://arizonaguide.com/places-to-visit/north-central-arizona

Montezuma Castle National Monument – will be closed

Other ancient Native American sites in the area which will remain open include:

  •  Palatki near Sedona
  • Besh Be Gowah Archeological Site

Tonoto National Monument – will be closed

 Other ancient Native American sites in the area which will remain open include:

  •  Besh Be Gowah Archeological Site
View of San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff

View of San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff

Southern Arizona NPS Sites – will be closed

For more information on attractions around NPS site in Southern Arizona, visit http://arizonaguide.com/places-to-visit/tucson-southern-arizona

Fort Bowie Historic Site – will be closed

Chiricahua National Monument – will be closed

  •  Slaughter Ranch Museum

Coronado National Memorial – will be closed

  •  Kartchner Caverns State Park
  • Ramsey Canyon Preserve

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument– will be closed

Other places to view the desert or Sonoran Desert flora and fauna which will remain OPEN include:

  •  Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
  • Tohono Chul Park
  • Catalina State Park

Tumacacori National Historic Monument – will be closed

 Other area historic attractions which will remain OPEN include:

  •  Tubac Presidio State Historic Park
  • Mission San Xavier del Bac
Arizona is still open for business on reservations and state parks with lots of wide open spaces and starry skies to enjoy!

Arizona is still open for business on reservations and state parks with lots of wide open spaces and starry skies to enjoy!

Arizona’s West Coast NPS sites – will be closed

For more information on attractions around NPS sites in Arizona’s West Coast, visit http://arizonaguide.com/places-to-visit/arizona-s-west-coast

Lake Mead National Recreation Area – will be closed

 Other water activity areas which will remain OPEN include:

  •  Bullhead City
  • Lake Havasu City

Pipe Springs National Monument – will be closed

Phoenix and Central Arizona NPS sites – will be closed

For more information on attractions around NPS sites in the Phoenix area, visit http://arizonaguide.com/places-to-visit/phoenix-central-arizona

Casa Grande National Monument – will be closed

Additional information on what visitors can see and do in Arizona can always be found at www.arizonaguide.com.

For the best in Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

For the best in Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

17 Comments

  1. U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar, D.D.S (AZ-04) after the House of Representatives voted again to avoid a government shutdown:

    “The House has the power of the purse and we ought to use it wisely and positively – that starts with keeping government open, delaying Obamacare, and not allowing special exemptions for Congress or the President. House Republicans have now offered three funding bills to avoid a government shutdown and protect American families, while Democrats refuse to negotiate and insist on protecting Obamacare. The Senate Majority leader should follow the House’s lead and act to prevent a government shutdown.”

  2. Corie White says:

    Shared this article on Facebook.

  3. Tree Mename says:

    It is your land. Go where you wish.

  4. Karen says:

    This has been a boon for our Sedona businesses. Lots of tourists came down from Grand Canyon that never do because they had nowhere else to go and drove down to Phoenix and stopped over. Heard from others that it was a good late Sunday for them.

  5. You don’t need permission to hike in any of those areas from the government or the park service. What is closed are the visitors centers. If a car is towed from any of those areas I’ll bet it will cause a lawsuit. You can’t tow a car from a publicly owned area (government areas are publicly owned) paid for by the guy who parked his car there because the entity that the guy pays his taxes to maintain that lot ceased to perform its mandated duty…okay it shutdown..get it, it’s the catch 22. Private areas are different. Public taxpayer funded lots are not.

    If the government has employees working who are fining and towing cars, I bet some government or park boss better have a very good reason for justifying that employee’s job as “essential”. The local Red Rock district has enough bad press going for it. And the Red Rock District has a difficult time obeying federal law about collecting pass money as it is.

  6. I want to encourage everyone to go take a walk in OUR forest today, and everyday they are “closed!”

    Closed in Sedona: Palatki, Honanki, V Bar V, Crescent Moon, Thompson trailhead, Boynton Canyon trailhead, Dry Creek Vista and trailhead, Baldwin trailhead, Huckaby trailhead, Bell Rock Vista and trails, Courthouse Vista, Yavapai Vista, Little Horse trailhead, Bear/Doe Mtn trailhead, Banjo Bill, Bootlegger, and Halfway picnic areas, Cathedral trailhead, Bell Trail Brockett trailhead, Lawrence Crossing Camp, Bull Pen Camp, Deer Pass/89B, Fossil Creek, Childs campground, Beaver Creek day use area, and visitors centers. Cars parked in these areas will be towed.

  7. PD says:

    I don’t get it. I drove and parked in a few of the above areas and went for a hike. They were closed last week but are open now. No ticket no nothing. Doe, Aria, Bear, and Brins seemed to be open for parking and hiking so beats me what’s going on.

  8. President Obama ordered all National Parks closed due to the government slow down on October 1. Since that time, 83 percent of the federal government has been operating. The House of Representatives passed a full funding bill for National Parks on October 2, a bill that the Senate refused to vote upon, thus resulting in the closure of the parks. During fall, the Grand Canyon draws about 18,000 people a day who spend approximately $1 million per day in the local economy.

  9. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer also negotiated an agreement with the federal government to reopen Grand Canyon National Park as well, also using state and local funds amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.

    “I’m gratified the Obama administration agreed to reverse its policy and allow Arizona to reopen Grand Canyon, Arizona’s most treasured landmark and a crucial driver of revenue to the state,” said Brewer.

    Under the agreement, the state will pay the National Park Service $651,000 — $93,000 per day — to reopen Grand Canyon and fully fund park operations for up to at least seven days using state and other monies.

    The state will continue to assess next steps if the shutdown has not ended in seven days.

  10. Press release statement from Rep. Kirkpatrick:

    “This is major news for the Grand Canyon National Park and the many other national parks and monuments in my district and across Arizona. These destinations bring millions of dollars into our local economy, which has taken a tremendous direct hit during the shutdown. We are glad the administration listened to our strong concerns and will allow for state resources to step in during the federal shutdown. Ultimately, the best way to restart our economies is to reopen the entire government.”

  11. Zion NP Open says:

    Utah reopens five national parks for 10 days after the state sent $1.67 million to the U.S. government. Zion National Park superintendent Jock Whitworth said staff members began opening gates and removing barriers and expected to have the park fully operational by Saturday.

  12. Busy Bee says:

    we park on the side of the road & we park in the lots, doesn’t matter, don’t pay because they shut down & no right to collect money

  13. call chamberlain & cornelius they’ll get volunteers & vets to clean it up & do better then bureaucrats. Semper Fi

  14. Yep still not missing them

  15. C. J. Borg says:

    Helloooooooo Gov. Brewer we’re doing fine without the feds. Tell them to get lost and send in park volunteers to open OUR parks if need be. There are volunteers that are keeping the Washington DC National Mall trash picked up and parks maintained. Reverse my money that you sent them to keep OUR parks open. They keep reversing payment on money they owe us. We can take care of ourselves.

  16. Miss Becky Bee, Payson says:

    Remember when this happened?

    2020 MLK Jr Day
    Free to go to National Parks.

    No entrance fees to parks around the country, including the Grand Canyon National Park in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

    Besides the Grand Canyon National Park, areas like Petrified Forest National Park, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Tonto National Monument, Walnut Canyon National Monument and Wupatki National Monument will all have entrance fee waived.

    All national parks will not charge fees on January 20. Enjoy!

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