PHOTO: National Park Service Barrycades Scenic Overlooks on the GW Parkway

Take a look at this photo. It was taken in Washington, D.C., this morning, 9:10 AM Eastern time.

This is a scenic overlook on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Washington, D.C. The GW is one of the most scenic routes around the nation’s capital. Scenic overlooks are unmanned places where motorists can pull in, park for a couple minutes, look around, maybe snap a photo, and then move on with their day. There are no amenities. It’s just a small parking lot.

The truck belongs to the National Park Service. Note the logo on its door. It’s this logo.

It doesn’t cost a cent to leave the scenic overlooks unmanned. But it does cost money — pay, fuel, the cost of the obstacles — to send National Park Service personnel out with Barrycades to block them off.

Photo credit: Judicial Watch.