ASHEVILLE — It's unclear how the region's national parks would fare in the potentially looming government shutdown, but it isn't something that hasn't happened before.

"We know based on previous times this happened, is that the parkway staff typically are not working," said Brooke Losey, communications coordinator for the Blue Ridge Parkway Association. "And that means there's no trash collection, the visitors center and bathrooms that would be typically open aren't, emergency services aren't available."

MORE:

► Blue Ridge Parkway remains closed 2 weeks after winter storm; when will it reopen?

► National climate change report: Plagues of insects and fires for Southern Appalachian forests?

► Thom Tillis, Mark Harris speak to Republicans in Asheville; Jarrett and Summey honored

Losey said they're still waiting to hear official word from the National Park Service, like others preparing if Congress and the White House can't reach an agreement by midnight Friday to continue funding the federal government. If a shutdown comes to fruition, it will be the third of Donald Trump's presidency.

If funding lapses, all but essential operations in nine federal departments, including Agriculture, Commerce and Justice, would close and roughly 800,000 employees would be furloughed or forced to work without pay.

Trump said he was "totally prepared for a very long shutdown." The chances of a shutdown are “probably very good,” he said, as he blamed Democrats.

Will a shutdown happen?

"It's totally up to the Democrats" whether or not a shutdown happens, he said.

Earlier this year, a shutdown closed parks and forests across the Western North Carolina region, though roads that weren't closed because of weather or dangerous driving conditions remained open.

The Smokies on the North Carolina-Tennessee border saw main thoroughfares open during the last shutdown.

That also was the case with the parkway, though Losey said if a shutdown were to persist, closed roads that are ready to open because of improved weather may stay shut down "simply because no one is there to open the gates."

The parkway is the most visited of the 400 sites in the National Park Service, with more than 16 million visitors last year.

"None of us is going to know until the end of the day exactly what is going to happen," Losey said early Friday afternoon.

The National Park Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Asheville-based federal agency, National Centers for Environmental Information.

What services would be interrupted?

State and local farm service centers operated by the Agriculture Department would close, which means that no staff would be available to answer questions or assist farmers in signing up for new programs under the Farm Bill recently approved by Congress, according to a memo prepared by Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

More than 30 million small businesses would no longer have access to federally assisted loans and technical assistance since Small Business Administration guarantees to back loans would freeze.

Americans looking to buy a new home or refinance a mortgage insured by the Federal House Administration would be put on standby.

Civil litigation, payments to victims and training for state and local law enforcement would stop during a shutdown.

What services would remain open?

Postal Service. Luckily for online shoppers and gift-senders, the Postal Service will continue operating.

Travel. Air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration workers and Customs and Border Protection agents will remain on the job. Amtrak also would continue operating, if you find yourself in an area with the train system.

Benefits. Social Security benefits will still go out, as well as Medicare services and benefits from programs such as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.

The USA TODAY Network contributed to this report.