Face it: With the government shut down over President Donald Trump’s insistence on $5 billion for a border wall, this may not be the best time to visit a national park. Most parks are still open, but visitor centers (and bathrooms) are closed, leading to trashed campsites and vandalized facilities. What’s more, with the House of Representatives now in Democratic hands and President Trump dug in to his position, it’s quite possible that the shutdown could go on for weeks, even months.

Happily, there are ready alternatives all across the country: small, local parks that are free to enter yet often overlooked.