Fall is a popular time for visitors to tour western North Carolina, as the air gets crisp and the leaves turn from green to brilliant reds, yellows and oranges. But the looming deadline for a federal government shutdown could close one of the most popular destinations in the North Carolina mountains: the Blue Ridge Parkway.

What You Need To Know

  •  If Congress doesn't agree on a spending plan, the federal government could shut down this weekend

  •  The National Park Service said a government shutdown would mean closing national parks around the country

  •  State officials say they are committed to providing short-term funding to keep the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountain National Park open

  • The shutdown comes as fall begins, a popular time for tourism in western North Carolina

The Parkway isn't just a scenic road. It's a long ribbon of National Parks land, stretching through North Carolina and into Virginia. State officials say they are committed to providing short-term funding to help keep the Parkway open during the shutdown.

The National Park Service said a government shutdown would mean closing parks and amenities to the public, and that could include the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"As a general rule, if a facility or area is locked, secured or otherwise inaccessible during non-business hours (buildings, gated parking lots, bathrooms, etc.), or is closed regularly for safety or resource protection, it will be locked or secured for the duration of the lapse in appropriations," the Park Service said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for the Parks Service would not say specifically if the gates to the Blue Ridge Parkway would be closed during the shutdown. 

"Should there be a funding lapse, access and visitor services would be available on Sunday, Oct. 1. Beginning Monday, Oct. 2, all national parks would close and visitors should expect services to be unavailable. Roads will generally remain accessible," the spokeswoman said in an email.

Governors in Utah and Arizona said they would provide funding to keep parks like Zion and the Grand Canyon open. On Friday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper joined them and said the state would use its own funding to keep the Parkway and Great Smoky Mountain National Park open.

"The Governor and state officials are committed to providing short-term help to keep the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway open during a potential government shutdown for the millions of people who visit them every year at this time," said Jordan Monaghan, a spokesman for the governor's office.

"North Carolina state officials are in ongoing communications with Tennessee state officials and the National Park Service to minimize visitor impacts due to a federal government shutdown," he said. 

A federal shutdown would likely shutter amenities at other National Park sites, like bathrooms and visitor centers at Cape Hatteras National Park and Cape Lookout National Park on the Outer Banks.