Governor Patrick Morrisey has announced that West Virginia will keep its national parks open during the ongoing federal government shutdown. Morrisey signed a donation agreement to provide state resources to maintain operations at the parks, including reopening visitor centers and restoring public transportation services at Harpers Ferry. The plan is pending final approval from the National Park Service, but both parks are expected to welcome visitors again soon.
“Our national parks are some of West Virginia’s greatest treasures and I’m proud to ensure they remain open during this time,” said Governor Patrick Morrisey. “I invite folks from near and far to take advantage of West Virginia’s natural beauty and plan a trip to visit one of our national parks or nearby state parks.“
After learning about the closure of visitor centers due to the shutdown, Morrisey and the West Virginia Department of Tourism worked quickly on a solution. The agreement covers two weeks and may be extended if necessary.
“We are going to do everything we can to limit the impact of the Schumer Shutdown on our state,” said Morrisey.
“Tourism is essential to West Virginia’s economy, and we want to ensure that our national parks are able to continue welcoming folks to the Mountain State,” said West Virginia Department of Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby. “October is one of our busiest months for visitation, and thanks to Governor Morrisey for allowing us to use state funds, travelers can still visit our parks for stunning fall foliage.”
Earlier in the week, Governor Morrisey joined other Republican governors in calling on the Senate for a short-term funding extension in order to avoid a government shutdown.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve had nearly 1.8 million visitors in 2024, with over 200,000 coming in October alone. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park received more than 488,000 guests last year; about 78,000 visited in October.
Recent data shared at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism showed that tourism’s annual economic impact in West Virginia has exceeded $9.1 billion for the first time, with more than 77 million visitors recorded annually. On average, travelers spend over $18 million per day in the state.
Officials say park visitors should not experience any service disruptions once facilities reopen. The state’s park system remains fully operational during this period. More information about visiting can be found at wvtourism.com/fall.
