YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK - Visiting Yellowstone National Park right now is remarkably normal despite the federal government shutdown.
While money is not being collected at the entry gates, the visitor centers are staffed, bathrooms are open and clean, and law enforcement, fire, search and rescue, and other safety workers remain on the job.
Watch: Inside Yellowstone during the government shutdown: A surprisingly normal experience
“The people that are here that have kept their vacation and not canceled are actually getting the best of Yellowstone,” said Kelly Hart, the co-owner of Free Wheel and Heel, a bike and ski shop in West Yellowstone.
In spite of cold weather, rain and even some snow, crowds are still flocking to Old Faithful.
"We drove through the Tetons this morning, and then we're here. Make this a day and then back to Park City,” said Stephanie Miller, a park visitor from Orlando, Florida.
Stephanie and her husband, Kim, on a one-day visit to Yellowstone, said they couldn’t tell that anything was missing from their experience.
That sentiment was echoed by numerous visitors this week.
Shane Hall of Indianapolis, Indiana, said, “I can't tell a difference one way or the other. So far we've just been driving and stopping and looking at the sights.”
In fact, the weather may be more important than the government shutdown when it comes to park visitation this fall.
“The weather was nice just a couple of weeks ago. When it started to turn, we definitely saw a drop off. Part of that, not sure if it was because of the shutdown or if it was just the snow that landed on the ground and stuck,” said Hart.
She said even that may have been helpful, adding, “We actually saw a little bit of a kick in our coffee bar because it snowed at Old Faithful and at Canyon. And so people were a little bit scared to drive in the snow. So people were coming back to the Gateway communities.”
Watch related coverage: Government shutdown impacts small business near Glacier National Park
Businesses in Gardiner and Old Faithful told me that visitation remains strong in Yellowstone, especially for this time of year, just two weeks before the annual pre-winter shutdown.
You can see it with people going in and out of the Visitor's Center at Old Faithful.
Park Superintendent Cam Sholly said that the Visitor Centers in the park remain open during the shutdown thanks to a grant from the nonprofit group, Yellowstone Forever.
“I feel bad for some of the employees who were not furloughed and are working without pay. Hopefully, they will get compensated for their hours,” said Hart
She added that she hopes park visitors keep having good experiences.
“People pay a lot of money to come to Yellowstone, and when they can't see everything that they intended on seeing, or going where they wanted to go, then, you know, they may not come back.”
While the park may seem pretty normal for visitors, not everything is running as it should. Half the staff is not working. Administrative offices in Mammoth are quiet. Employees handling things like payroll and planning are on furlough.
Many non-essential maintenance and management duties are not happening. Much of the research and management of animals, forests and waterways is on hold.
Two retired park workers told MTN the current situation is simply unsustainable.
