Governors tap state funds to keep national parks open in shutdown

Several states are betting that it makes more financial sense to dip into their coffers to keep tourist dollars flowing during the funding standoff in Washington.

With the government shutdown about to extend into a second week, some governors are drawing on state funds to ensure popular national parks remain open for visitors.

Utah and West Virginia said they already have funding streams to keep places like the Zion and New River Gorge parks operational. Tennessee is playing a role in helping keep Great Smoky Mountains National Park open, while Colorado is eying similar steps for some of the National Park Service attractions in its state.

The Interior Department issued guidance last week allowing open-air sites at parks to remain open during the shutdown, but indoor structures like visitor centers would be closed to the public. Nearly 64% of the National Park Service's 14,500 employees are expected to be furloughed amid the funding lapse.

Here's how some states are handling the situation a week into the shutdown.

Utah is providing “dedicated funds” to keep its five national parks open, the state Tourism Office said in a release Friday.