Federal shutdown may close Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- A looming federal government shutdown could close Cabrillo National Monument and more than 400 other national parks and historic sites across the country.

Visitors flocked to Cabrillo on Monday, worried it might be their last chance before the gates close.

“I grew up visiting national parks, state parks, camping, traveling — America’s beautiful to live in,” said Melissa Westerman, who was among those at the monument.

For Ashwin Gowda, Cabrillo was the first stop to show his visiting cousins from India. “It’s probably one of the most beautiful spots in San Diego. It’s a beautiful day today, it’s just great coming up here,” he said.

But those views may soon be off-limits. Kenji Haroutunian, executive director of the nonprofit Friends of Joshua Tree, said a shutdown could leave some parks technically open but unstaffed — raising concerns about trash, sanitation and damage to protected land.

“What happened is that there was no law enforcement presence, so people could just drive in the park and drive across the open desert,” Haroutunian said, recalling the last shutdown in late 2018 and early 2019. “The services for bathrooms and trash removal were not in play, so those resources got overflowed and became quite a mess.”

National park visitation reached a record high in 2024 with more than 331 million recreational visits, according to the National Park Service. Advocates and visitors say that’s why Congress must avoid a shutdown.

“Hopefully it stays open and we can all come to an agreement and keep them open,” said visitor Stephanie Kirsch.

Haroutunian added that a closure would also deliver a blow to businesses that rely on tourism around the parks.