ESTES PARK, Colo. — Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado was partially open Wednesday, as the federal government inched toward the 24-hour mark of a shutdown.
Visitors were able to gain entry into the national park itself, but could not enjoy all of the visitor experiences. Visitor centers within RMNP boundaries were closed because they are staffed by park rangers, who are federal employees unable to work during a government shutdown.
Dale Weiss and his wife were among the many trying to get into the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center Wednesday with no luck.
"We were just coming here to check it out, maybe to see if they had anything to, you know, like I could get a new hat or something like that, and unfortunately, it's closed," Weiss told Denver7.
He made the trip to Colorado from Nashville to check out RMNP.
"We got to see quite a bit. We got to see a lot," Weiss said. "We got to see the animals, the bugling, all that type of thing. So it's been great. It's been a great trip."
Beaver Meadows wasn't the only visitor center in Rocky Mountain National Park closed Wednesday. Kawuneeche Visitor Center and Alpine Visitor Center were also closed.
The Fall River Visitor Center, on the other hand, was open because it sits outside of the Rocky Mountain National Park boundary and is staffed by Rocky Mountain Conservancy staff.
The Scripps News Group reached out to Rocky Mountain Conservancy, asking how it's supporting the national park. A spokesperson provided the following statement:
"Rocky Mountain Conservancy is the official nonprofit partner of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Rocky Mountain Conservancy continues to work where we have facilities available in service of our mission and to preserve the visitor experience.
Because it is located outside of park boundaries, Fall River Visitor center is open daily from 9am-5pm and staffed by knowledgeable Rocky Mountain Conservancy employees who can help you navigate your visit to the park."
For Estes Park Mayor Gary Hall, the concern lies in the length of the government shutdown.
"My biggest concern is the time frame and the depth of staffing reduction," the mayor told Scripps News Denver. "Those are my biggest concerns at this point. All we can do is gather information and hope for the best, but we can also take steps to encourage our congressional delegation to do the work that they need to do to get to closure and to help the people that do come up here have a good time."
Hall added he's hopeful the government shutdown's impacts on Rocky Mountain National Park won't spill into Estes Park.
"The impact that we can have here is welcoming our visitors, keeping our residents safe and healthy and taking advantage of this incredible spot in the world, a wonderful place to be," he said.
Bill Wade, the executive director for the National Association of Park Rangers, shared Hall's concerns about the length of the government shutdown and its impact on visitors' experience.
"What they won't find is likely to have visitor centers be open," Wade said. "They may see some custodial maintenance problems, depending on whether or not the park was able to keep on some custodial maintenance people for trash pickup and keeping restrooms clean and that sort of thing, using whatever other than appropriated sources of money they have."
For those visiting on Wednesday, like Cheri Lutton and Susan Santelices, simply being able to enjoy the beauty Rocky Mountain National Park has to offer is good enough, for the time being.
"It's gorgeous," Lutton said. "I love coming here."
