Masks required for tourists, employees at any National Park
Aug 17, 2021, 12:11 PM
A park ranger wears a face mask while patrolling the Bright Angel trail in the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park on May 25, 2020, in Arizona. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
You’ll need to mask up if you’re heading to a National Park.
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The National Park Service says all tourists and employees are required to wear a mask or facial covering in crowded areas. The rule covers both indoor and outdoor spaces, including in all NPS buildings, on all forms of enclosed public transportation, and on narrow or busy trails and overlooks. It will be in effect until further notice.
Masks are required regardless of vaccination status or community transmission levels.
“Visitors to national parks are coming from locations across the country, if not across the world. Because of this, and recognizing that the majority of the United States is currently in substantial or high transmission categories, we are implementing a service-wide mask requirement to ensure our staff and visitors’ safety,” said NPS Deputy Director Shawn Benge.
Washington state has three National Parks: Mt. Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades.
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