The state of Utah kept the Mighty 5 national park’s visitor centers open during the 43-day government shutdown — a move that may have helped steady some local businesses — but it came with a price.
It cost the state $337,000 to keep visitor centers and limited services open at the parks. This is money that won’t be reimbursed by the federal government, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
Steve Evers, executive director of Friends of Arches and Canyonlands Parks, told The Times-Independent the state allocated roughly $8,000 per day, with about $4,000 sent to the three visitor centers at Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
Evers estimates the parks lost $20,000 to $25,000 per day in entrance fees, equating to the parks losing roughly $1 million throughout the shutdown. The National Park Service did not respond to The Times-Independent inquiry about the loss in revenue.
“It was great that the state of Utah was contributing some funds to help keep the visitor center open,” Evers said. “But ultimately, the parks [were] just bleeding money throughout the shutdown.”
While the budget bill that reopened the government expires Jan. 30, Evers added there’s not much nonprofits can do to prepare for another government shutdown.
“Our hands are quite tied. There’s not a whole lot that we can do. Every shutdown is different,” Evers said. “… You can plan for one thing, and then the government shuts down, it’s a totally different scenario than what you plan for, and it’s all wasted effort. The moving target makes it really difficult.”
Arches National Park recovery
National parks will be funded until Jan. 30, meaning if Congress fails to pass another funding bill, the government will shutter — leaving the parks in limbo once again.
Anna Loughridge, director of communications at the Utah Office of Tourism, told The Times-Independent the state is in discussion with the U.S. Department of the Interior.
“We’re all at the table trying to figure out what is the best path to solution, what is the best path forward, and how can we ensure that we are all working together to build a Utah that lasts,” Loughridge said. “It’s ensuring that we are protecting and preserving our parks, making sure that we are supporting our local businesses and communities who rely on visitation to our national parks, and also making sure that we are maintaining the visitor experience.”
Arches National Park had its ups and downs throughout the shutdown. During the first few days of October, visitors told The Times-Independent they found it “disturbing” to see the visitors center closed. Others reported it was “unsettling” to go on long hikes without any guidance from park rangers.
But after the state stepped in to fund the parks, visitors were eager to visit the Mighty 5. A group traveling from California told The Times-Independent they were worried the park would be “trashed,” but instead found Arches to be in “excellent” condition.
One retired National Park Service ranger, however, found spray-painted graffiti on the Devil’s Garden Trail three days before the government reopened.
When The Times-Independent inquired about the vandalism to the National Park Service’s Communications Office, they wrote, “The vandalism is being investigated, and we don’t [have] further comment at this time.”
In the same email, NPS then thanked the Trump administration for keeping the national parks “safe, clean, and open wherever possible. Thanks to strong leadership and a well-executed contingency plan, the National Park Service maintained essential services, minimized disruptions, and prevented resource damage.”
NPS did not answer any of The Times-Independent’s questions about how much staff worked at the Arches National Park during the shutdown, or if the rangers would receive back pay. According to the NPS shutdown plan, about two-thirds of the workforce were furloughed across the country.
The National Parks Conservation Association, however, did report the furloughed park employees would receive backpay.
Business in Moab
It was estimated by the National Parks Conservation Association that gateway communities that depend on national park tourism would lose $80 million in visitor spending from the shutdown.
Some Moab businesses, however, reported stronger-than-expected numbers in October.
“I think it’s the only month of the year that we, in our business, have exceeded our 2024 numbers,” said Lori McFarland, chair of the Moab Tourism Advisory Board. “It’s a lot of work, and it seems that there might be some momentum that Utah’s tourism [office] has played a huge role in the governor’s office.”
In September, McFarland reported her business, High Point Hummer, was “below flat” compared to last year.
Alex Borichevsky, owner of 98 Center and Sabaku Sushi, said his businesses were “pretty strong” in October at the Nov. 11 meeting.
Borichevsky also noted that visitors are “happy” and customer sentiment was positive throughout October.
It comes at a time when key tourism tax revenue is down for both the City of Moab and Grand County. Grand County is roughly down $335,000 in transient room tax. The city is down about $89,300 in TRT revenue.
October numbers won’t be released until the end of December.
Note to readers • Lizzie Ramirez is a Report for America corps member covering local government and tourism in Grand County for The Times-Independent. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by clicking here.
This story was first published by The Times-Independent.
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