Government Shutdown

The federal government shutdown has reduced local tourism by about 20%, according to Mesa Verde Country CEO Brian Bartlett, though some visitors are still exploring the region’s fall colors and outdoor recreation. Mesa Verde National Park and nearby Utah monuments remain open in a limited capacity, while the Ute Mountain Tribal Park continues to offer select tours. Despite fewer visitors overall, Bartlett notes that visitor spending in 2025 is up compared to last year.

The good news is, you can now get into Mesa Verde National Park for free. The bad news is, not much of the park is open.

The president invoked emergency powers to free up more money than Congress had allowed in its spending deal. House Democrats are launching an investigation into his decision.

Mesa Verde National Park is set to open to the public next week, over a month after it closed during the partial government shutdown. At the start of the…

The federal government continued hiring 2020 census workers through the government shutdown. But the low unemployment rate could result in an applicant pool smaller than the bureau would like.

More Americans are being impacted by what is now the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. This week, the already stressful world of air travel...

Volunteers and a skeletal staff have maintained sites in some parks. In others, the amount of damage and trash triggered an unprecedented move from the National Park Service to return more workers.