- America’s national parks are overflowing with garbage and human waste as the US government shutdown prevents federal employees from cleaning toilets and picking up trash.
- While it’s common for national parks to close during a shutdown, the Trump administration has opted to leave them open to visitors.
- Many parks have been forced to close their campgrounds due to health and safety concerns.
As the US endures the second week of a partial government shutdown, national parks have taken a major hit.
With few rangers or staffers to clean toilets or pick up trash, parks in the American West have started to overflow with garbage and feces.
Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California threatened to close to visitors on Thursday due to safety and sanitation issues, but ultimately decided to stay open. The park initially shuttered its campgrounds due to “human waste in public areas.”
Overflowing toilets have also caused a problem for Yosemite National Park, which was forced to close its campgrounds and snow play areas on Sunday.
Excess trash along Generals Highway, which runs through Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park, contributed to the road being shut down.
Even the National Mall in Washington, DC, is strewn with garbage near the Washington Monument and US Capitol.
The filth is unprecedented, even for a shutdown, when it's common for the government to suspend all operations at national parks - including visitor access.
The Trump administration has opted to leave gates open to the public in the absence of any federal employees.
Many parks are now closing anyway due to health hazards and threats to wildlife safety. Take a look at the state of the nation's beloved parks and monuments.
On December 30, visitors discovered piles of trash spilling out of a public bathroom at Lassen National Forest in Northern California.
Stray belongings had been pitched against the side of a restroom.
Broken sleds and discarded beer cans lined the snow-covered ground.
As of January 10, the situation has grown worse, with visitors uncovering soiled diapers, alcohol bottles, and human waste. One public land advocate even found animal feces laced with Styrofoam.
Source: Public Land Lover
The advocate's son helped round up garbage, which included discarded shotgun shells.
Big Bend National Park in Southwest Texas has also seen its share of overflowing trash.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown said her husband, Dan, cleaned messy bathrooms at Mt. Hood National Forest.
This is just one of the many reasons I love my husband, Dan. He visited Mt. Hood National Forest Sno-Park, and like many national parks across the country, found it a mess due to the partial government shutdown. He cleaned the bathrooms—and sent the bill to President Trump. pic.twitter.com/GvGSZAkoSQ
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) January 11, 2019
Oregon State Parks workers have also pitched in to clean restrooms at Santiam Sno-Park at Willamette National Forest.
Source: Jefferson Public Radio
Governor Brown said bathrooms were still being used at the park, even though signs indicated they were closed.
Source: Jefferson Public Radio
Trash has also been tossed along the road at Yosemite, where restrooms are inundated with feces.
At the base of the site's scenic mountains, people have discovered plastic bottles and trash bags, which can be harmful to wildlife.
Without an official trash collection service, garbage bags have started to pile up at Everglades National Park in southern Florida.
At Joshua Tree National Park, volunteers have helped to maintain public restrooms.
http://instagr.am/p/Br3nnaehWeI
The park was supposed to close to visitors on Thursday, but opted to remain open instead.
Officials said the park used recreation fees to bring on more staffers to clean toilets and trash.
Source: Los Angeles Times
By that point, visitors had already taken to cutting down trees to gain access to restricted areas.
Source: National Parks Traveler
They also camped out illegally before campgrounds were re-opened for overnight stays.
The problem has gotten out-of-hand in Washington, DC, where the National Mall is teeming with litter.
Ahead of the shutdown, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said the Department of Public Works would take over trash collection for the National Parks Service.
Source: Executive Office of the Mayor
As late as Wednesday, residents found the sidewalks still covered in garbage.
Trash has piled up near the US Capitol building.
Bins are also overflowing near the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
Many of the city's museums and attractions have been closed temporarily, but the Lincoln Memorial remains open to visitors.
While some locals are chiding citizens for tossing their trash into an already-full bin, others blame the shutdown.
Source: Twitter users Beano, Sandra, and Evan Koslof