National parks scamble to fix damage inflicted by visitors during shutdown

National parks across the United States are scrambling to clean up and repair damage caused by visitors and storms during the government shutdown while bracing for another possible closure ahead of the usually busy President’s Day weekend.

Section:Gallery

Fri., Feb. 1, 2019

Elephant seals and their pups occupy Drakes Beach, Friday, Feb. 1, 2019, in Point Reyes National Seashore, Calif. Tourists unable to visit a popular beach in Northern California that was taken over by a colony of nursing elephant seals during the government shutdown will be able to get an up-close view of the creatures, officials said Friday. Rangers and volunteer docents will lead small groups of visitors starting Saturday to the edge of a parking lot so they can safely see the elephant seals and their newborn pups, said park spokesman John Dell’Osso.

Eric Risberg Associated Press
Elephant seals and their pups occupy Drakes Beach, Friday, Feb. 1, 2019, in Point Reyes National Seashore, Calif. Tourists unable to visit a popular beach in Northern California that was taken over by a colony of nursing elephant seals during the government shutdown will be able to get an up-close view of the creatures, officials said Friday. Rangers and volunteer docents will lead small groups of visitors starting Saturday to the edge of a parking lot so they can safely see the elephant seals and their newborn pups, said park spokesman John Dell'Osso.

Eric Risberg Associated Press
Elephant seals and their pups occupy Drakes Beach, Friday, Feb. 1, 2019, in Point Reyes National Seashore, Calif. Tourists unable to visit a popular beach in Northern California that was taken over by a colony of nursing elephant seals during the government shutdown will be able to get an up-close view of the creatures, officials said Friday. Rangers and volunteer docents will lead small groups of visitors starting Saturday to the edge of a parking lot so they can safely see the elephant seals and their newborn pups, said park spokesman John Dell’Osso.

Eric Risberg Associated Press
Elephant seals and their pups occupy Drakes Beach, Friday, Feb. 1, 2019, in Point Reyes National Seashore, Calif. Tourists unable to visit a popular beach in Northern California that was taken over by a colony of nursing elephant seals during the government shutdown will be able to get an up-close view of the creatures, officials said Friday. Rangers and volunteer docents will lead small groups of visitors starting Saturday to the edge of a parking lot so they can safely see the elephant seals and their newborn pups, said park spokesman John Dell’Osso.

Eric Risberg Associated Press
Elephant seals and their pups occupy Drakes Beach, Friday, Feb. 1, 2019, in Point Reyes National Seashore, Calif. Tourists unable to visit a popular beach in Northern California that was taken over by a colony of nursing elephant seals during the government shutdown will be able to get an up-close view of the creatures, officials said Friday. Rangers and volunteer docents will lead small groups of visitors starting Saturday to the edge of a parking lot so they can safely see the elephant seals and their newborn pups, said park spokesman John Dell’Osso.

Eric Risberg Associated Press
Elephant seals and their pups occupy Drakes Beach, Friday, Feb. 1, 2019, in Point Reyes National Seashore, Calif. Tourists unable to visit a popular beach in Northern California that was taken over by a colony of nursing elephant seals during the government shutdown will be able to get an up-close view of the creatures, officials said Friday. Rangers and volunteer docents will lead small groups of visitors starting Saturday to the edge of a parking lot so they can safely see the elephant seals and their newborn pups, said park spokesman John Dell’Osso.

Eric Risberg Associated Press
People look out at elephant seals and their pups as they occupy Drakes Beach, Friday, Feb. 1, 2019, in Point Reyes National Seashore, Calif. Tourists unable to visit a popular beach in Northern California that was taken over by a colony of nursing elephant seals during the government shutdown will be able to get an up-close view of the creatures, officials said Friday. Rangers and volunteer docents will lead small groups of visitors starting Saturday to the edge of a parking lot so they can safely see the elephant seals and their newborn pups, said park spokesman John Dell’Osso.

Eric Risberg Associated Press
This undated photo provided by the U.S. National Park Service shows vehicle tracks beyond a sign banning vehicles in the North Panamint dry lake area during the recent federal government shutdown in an area of Death Valley National Park, Calif. National parks across the United States are scrambling to clean up and repair damage caused by visitors and storms during the government shutdown while bracing for another possible closure ahead of the usually busy President’s Day weekend.

U.S. National Park Service Associated Press
This January 2019 photo provided by the U.S. National Park Service shows vehicle tracks in an area of Death Valley National Park, Calif., that park staff says can leave a lasting trench. National parks across the United States are scrambling to clean up and repair damage caused by visitors and storms during the government shutdown while bracing for another possible closure ahead of the usually busy President’s Day weekend.

U.S. National Park Service Associated Press
In this Jan. 3, 2019, photo, a woman walks past trash piled next to a garbage bin at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. National parks across the United States are scrambling to clean up and repair damage caused by visitors and storms during the government shutdown while bracing for another possible closure ahead of the usually busy President’s Day weekend.

Jeff Chiu Associated Press
This January 2019 photo provided by the U.S. National Park Service shows vehicle tracks an area that is home to rare and endangered plants and animals in Death Valley National Park, Calif. National parks across the United States are scrambling to clean up and repair damage caused by visitors and storms during the government shutdown while bracing for another possible closure ahead of the usually busy President’s Day weekend.

U.S. National Park Service Associated Press
In this Jan. 10, 2019, photo, a car drives along the road at Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California's Mojave Desert. National parks across the United States are scrambling to clean up and repair damage that visitors and storms caused during the recent government shutdown while bracing for the possibility of another closure ahead of the busy Presidents Day weekend later this month.

Jae C. Hong Ap