Zion National Park survives the government shutdown thanks to the help of the Zion National Park Forever Project Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019.

The National Park Service is preparing for a possible government shutdown on Oct. 1 if Congress doesn’t approve funding to keep the government running past Sept. 30.

New details are still to come on the Interior Department’s website, but contingency plans published last year shed light on what travelers can expect.

Contingency plans dated March 2024 state, “In general, National Park Service sites will be closed during the period of a lapse in appropriations.”

The plan says parks would begin notifying visitors on the first day of the lapse and wind down “routine visitor services” the same day if the larger shutdown begins on a weekday. Operations would continue until the following Monday if the shutdown starts over a weekend, “to allow for orderly closures.”

Park superintendents could decide if previously scheduled special events and activities authorized by special use permits could go on, if no NPS personnel are needed for monitoring them.

Additionally, certain activities deemed “necessary to protect life and property” would continue, like law enforcement and emergency response, border and coastal protection, and ensuring power production.

There are a few other exceptions, but by and large, “the public will be encouraged not to visit National Park sites during the period of lapse in appropriations.”

Travelers worried about upcoming trips can look up cancellation policies for their respective parks on Recreation.gov

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Are national parks being shut down in 2025? What to expect if government funding runs out

Reporting by Eve Chen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect