Some states pick up the tab to keep national parks open during federal shutdown

Tourists board a shuttle into Zion National Park, in Utah. The state government will pay for the park to stay open during the government shutdown, in order to keep tourist revenue flowing to nearby towns. (David Condos/KUER)

With the possibility of a federal government shutdown on the horizon, the Interior Department is poised to close the gates to the National Parks System, which includes the national parks, monuments, and historic sites across the country. But some state governments are prepared to step up and pay to keep their most popular sites open in the event of a shutdown.

In Utah, state leaders have committed to funding the operation of the state's five popular national parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches, if Congress fails to pass a spending bill by the end of Saturday.