The Appalachian Trail, a 2180-mile trail from Maine to Georgia, passes just outside of York County. YORK DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS — FILE.
The government shutdown has closed national parks and monuments across the country.
The Appalachian Trail is federally owned and about 700 miles are managed by the National Park Service. Those 700 miles are technically closed, according to a news release from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
That means, national park employees are not to work. And any volunteer efforts have been canceled. The Conservancy office in Boiling Springs was also required to close, the release said. Not all locations were asked to close because the Conservancy runs on public and private funds.
“An extended shutdown would result in a significant reduction in the volunteer and governmental activities necessary to keep the Trail safe and open for the estimated 2.5 million annual hikers,” said Ron Tipton, executive director and CEO of the Conservancy, on the group’s website.
To see the Department of the Interior Contingency Fact Sheet for National Parks, click here.