NPS Public Health Update

Beginning Friday, July 8, Denali National Park and Preserve will require all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear masks while inside any federal building within the park or while riding a park bus, except in the Walter Harper Ranger Station in Talkeetna.

The National Park Service has updated its masking guidance to align with the CDC’s new COVID-19 Community Level tool, which helps communities decide what prevention steps to take. Effective immediately, masking requirements will vary by park based on local conditions, however masks are still required on all forms of enclosed public transportation. Updates will be posted on individual park websites to help visitors plan their visit and on signs in parks.

The home where Abraham Lincoln completed the Gettysburg Address will soon reopen to the public. The historic David Wills house will be open, free of charge, on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, from 1 pm to 5 pm, from Thursday, November 4 through Saturday, November 20.

Concessioners, commercial use authorization holders and leaseholders are encouraged to obtain information on workplace safety and associated requirements.

National Park Service staff studying effects of the Coronavirus pandemic found wide variations in park visitation, fewer park programs, gaps in long-term monitoring of natural and cultural resources, and lost park-related employment across the U.S. in 2020. Findings in the paper show that in the early stages of the pandemic in April 2020, visitation to U.S. national parks declined by about 87 percent. In some parks visitation rebounded quickly as the summer progressed, while in others it remained low. Other parks, particularly those near urban areas, experienced increased numbers of visitors as people sought safe areas for recreation and exercise.

San Antonio, Texas – San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site plans to expand visitor services at all sites Wednesdays through Sundays, this Wednesday March 24 with the reopening of the park bookstore now open Wednesdays through Sunday 10am-4pm.

Beginning April 16, 2021, campgrounds, trails, docks and anchorages at Isle Royale National Park will be open, with the exception of the Minong trail, North Desor campground and Little Todd campground. The National Park Service (NPS) Houghton Visitor Center will re-open to the public on April 19.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park experienced the second busiest year on record in 2020. In spite of a 46-day, full park closure this spring and partial closures through August due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the park had 12,095,720 visits.

To protect the health of those who live, work, and visit national parks and National Park Service (NPS) facilities, and in support of President Biden’s Executive Order on Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing, Weir Farm National Historical Park is requiring face masks.

To protect the health of those who live, work, and visit national parks and National Park Service (NPS) facilities, and in support of President Biden’s Executive Order on Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing, NPS is immediately implementing a mask requirement for employees, visitors, partners and contractors.