BAR HARBOR, Maine —

The National Park Service (NPS) plans to furlough about two-thirds of its employees as a result of the government shutdown, but the agency also plans to keep parks largely open to visitors.

Acadia National Park in Maine is one of the 10 most-visited national parks in the United States. On Wednesday, there were no park rangers in sight and would-be hikers in search of trail maps found empty receptacles outside a closed visitor center.

A contingency plan released Tuesday night states "park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors." However, given sharply reduced staffing, parks without "accessible areas" will be closed during the shutdown. And sites currently open could close if damage is done to park resources or gar

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