The federal government shutdown that began at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Oct. 1, 2025, led to closures at National Park Service sites nationwide. In San Juan County, however, Salmon Ruins in Bloomfield has remained open, offering local residents and visitors continued access to archaeological exhibits and walking trails while federal sites are shuttered.

The operational status of Salmon Ruins was confirmed via a KSJE 90.9 FM broadcast and social media posts on Oct. 16, 2025, which highlighted the site as an alternative for those finding federal parks closed. Salmon Ruins is managed locally by the San Juan County Museum Association rather than by the National Park Service, which is why it was not affected by the federal lapse in appropriations. As of Oct. 19, 2025, the site’s website lists daily access, indicating continued availability amid the ongoing shutdown.

Local officials and cultural organizations are monitoring the situation because shutdowns have direct economic implications for the Four Corners region, where tourism tied to heritage and outdoor sites is a meaningful component of local economic activity. Federally managed destinations such as Chaco Culture National Historical Park typically draw visitors from out of state and internationally; their temporary closure can depress short-term visitor spending on lodging, dining, and related services. Salmon Ruins’ continued operation offers a partial local substitute that preserves some tourism activity and local spending, although it is not a like-for-like replacement for larger federal parks in scale or draw.

KSJE 90.9 FM, the public radio station based at San Juan College, promoted Salmon Ruins as an accessible option during the shutdown, and the station’s coverage included comments from Tori Myers, who was featured in the broadcast discussing visitor access. The San Juan County Museum Association’s local stewardship of the site underscores a broader resilience strategy in which community-managed cultural assets can maintain operations when federal sites cannot.

Several important gaps remain in assessing the full local impact. Current reporting and the museum association’s information confirm operational status but do not supply real-time visitor counts or quantifiable economic impacts stemming from Salmon Ruins’ continued opening. Additional verification would be useful on two fronts: empirical visitor data and any state-level funding arrangements that might change the site’s exposure to federal funding disruptions if the shutdown persists.

For residents and local businesses, Salmon Ruins’ availability provides immediate recreational and cultural options and may help sustain a modest level of tourism revenue while larger federal attractions remain closed. Community leaders and economic development officials are advised to track visitation and revenue metrics to better understand how much local operations can make up for losses tied to federal closures and to plan for longer-term scenarios if the shutdown continues.