Volunteers and a skeletal staff have maintained sites in some parks. In others, the amount of damage and trash triggered an unprecedented move from the National Park Service to return more workers.
The partial government shutdown is stretching into its third week, with more than 800,000 federal employees having to stay home from work or be furloughed.
Because of the partial government shutdown, some national parks are closing because employees aren't working and both trashcans and toilets are overflowing. Yellowstone has found a work-around.
The government shutdown is causing Death Valley National Park to close more of the park for health and safety concerns associated with the pileup of human waste, trash, vandalism and park resource damage.
A significant power shift begins in Washington with Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives. The incoming speaker plans votes on bills to reopen the government and new rules.
The government partially shut down, President Trump and the first lady made a secret visit to Iraq and the stock market plunged and rebounded — all in just over a week.
As the partial government shutdown continued into its second week, the president invited a bipartisan group of lawmakers to the White House for talks. "Let's make a deal?" Trump asked in a tweet.
The partial government shutdown is hurting the pocketbooks of 800,000 federal workers. But it also could affect consumer and business confidence down the line.
Some state governments and tourism boards have been using their own funds to keep the parks open. Elsewhere, open but unstaffed parks have become something of a free-for-all.
"There's no getting around it," Linda St. Thomas, chief spokeswoman for the Smithsonian. About two-thirds of the institution's staff are federal employees and will be furloughed effective Jan. 2.
Lawmakers planned to extend the law, but it expired on Friday. Payment requests from VAWA-funded programs will be delayed until the law is reauthorized, but grants already given will not be affected.
The Senate has approved a short-term measure to fund government agencies at their current spending levels and put off any fight over a border wall until February. The House takes up the bill Thursday.
Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are still fighting over President Trump's demand to include $5 billion for a border wall in the annual spending bill and have until Dec. 21 to get a deal.
After the death of former President George H.W. Bush top Hill leaders decided to prepare a two-week funding bill to postpone a fight over President Trump's demand for $5 billion for a border wall.
Three times in three days this week, President Trump said he would force the government to shut down if Democrats do not agree fund a wall with Mexico, and make changes to immigration laws.
Senate leaders say they are closer than they have ever been to reaching a long-term budget deal, but the president is threatening a shutdown over immigration.
The partial federal shutdown that went into effect at midnight on Friday has a broad impact, from closing Independence Hall to furloughs at the Department of Education.
The president indicated in a morning tweet that he opposed House Republicans' bill to extend long-term funding for a popular children's health care program as part of a short-term spending agreement.
President Trump met with congressional GOP leaders over the weekend to plan out their 2018 agenda. But a deal on immigration and funding the government must come first.
Shutdown and debt ceiling deadlines are fast approaching four days before the Alabama Senate election, and Republicans are trying to pass a tax plan by Christmas.
The recent spending compromise may well have just kicked the can down the road until September, when both sides may be spoiling for a fight amid the specter of a government shutdown.
