Yosemite, Alcatraz accessible during government shutdown

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. – The entrances to Yosemite National Park stayed open but visitor centres were closed, National Park Service programs were cancelled and campgrounds were not staffed as a partial government shutdown took effect Saturday.

Yosemite, which draws more than 6 million visitors a year, is a popular destination during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Park concessionaires, including hotels, restaurants, stores and gas stations, remained opened and seemed unaffected by the shutdown.

Jade Lezon, a cashier at the El Portal Market near the park entrance, says “It’s basically free to get in the park and people are coming and going as they please.”

In San Francisco, the company that provides ferry services to Alcatraz Island kept its daytime tours but cancelled its behind-the-scenes and night tours.