A road sign notifies drivers of the closure of Montezuma Castle National Monument in Camp Verde, Ariz., on Oct. 1, 2025. (Photo by Sydney Lovan/Cronkite News)CAMPE VERDE — Yasmeen Mustafa approached the locked gates at Montezuma Castle National Monument and let out a deep, frustrated sigh as it dawned on her that the monument – and other national parks in Arizona, too – would have closures after the government shutdown began Wednesday. Mustafa and her family planned to visit the Montezuma Castle National Monument; Bryce Canyon and Moab in Utah; and other national parks and monuments in the area. The Montezuma Castle National Monument was just one of the sites they had planned for the final week. The National Park Service has a contingency plan in place when a lapse of appropriations occurs.