The Office of the Governor of the State of West Virginia

10/03/2025 | Press release | Archived content

October 3, 2025 Governor Patrick Morrisey Announces W.Va. First State in the Nation to Receive Signed Agreement to Fully Reopen National Parks Amid Government Shutdown ...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Governor Patrick Morrisey announced today that West Virginia has received a signed donor agreement from the National Park Service to fully reopen its national parks amid the federal government shutdown, becoming the first state in the nation to do so.

"I want to thank Secretary Doug Burgum and the Trump Administration for working with West Virginia to become the first state to fully reopen our national parks," said Governor Morrisey. "We recognize the importance of our parks to the local economy and hardworking West Virginians, as well as the many visitors who want to enjoy our state's natural beauty."

"While we are excited to have our national parks reopened, it's time for Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats to come to the table and end the Schumer shutdown."

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park are currently open to visitors and are expected to return to full operations in the next few days.

The Office of the Governor of the State of West Virginia published this content on October 03, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 06, 2025 at 17:35 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]