The USFS domains are still up and running
I plan to go hike in the forests tomorrow. I also plan to have a small American flag hanging from my daypack to symbolize freedom. I hope you will go take a hike and proclaim freedom in the woods that many fought to protect and uphold.
While that may be true, the NPS is responsible for "protecting" our parks.Originally Posted by da fungo
So the logic (remember, this is "government" logic here) goes like this: We are allowed access to our National Parks, but it is not unfettered access. We are only granted access under the supervision of the Park Rangers. The rangers make sure we don't do damage to the National Park. But with the government shutdown, the rangers are not allowed to work. Since there is no one to supervise our activities in the park, the only way the government can protect the parks is to close them to all access.
Yeah:
USFS is part of the Department of Agriculture;
NPS is part of the Department of the Interior.
Different agencies, different approaches.
I guess my point is, the could, if they wanted, give us information. In fact some of the individual forests have.
Actually they have now closed all gates to all parking areas that belong to the park. I walked the entire 16 mile loop this morning, but parked my car in a Kroger Parking Lot and road hiked to get on the trail. The local paper has reported that the park is still available to walkers and runners, but all the parking areas are now closed down.i posted this in groups so apologies to the 3 people who have already read it.
I think Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is handling the closure perfectly.
They have 18 employees; 14 were furloughed and 4 law enforcement officers still working. Obviously, the visitor center, museum, souvenier shop, theater, and main parking lot are all closed. However, the satellite parking lots remain open. These lots are gated so it would be easy to close them if they wanted to. The law enforcement officers are telling everyone that the park is closed, but are allowing anyone to enter the park and use the 20 miles of hiking trails after warning them that they are entering "at their own risk" and to be careful.
That was my main reason for doing the entire loop...to investigate the satellite parking areas availability. They were all closed up tight. I saw them with my own eyes.
you guys better not be hiking this weekend! the moderators on WB will be at each trailhead to turn you away, "dont make me call that satellite phone guy"
Not bad at all.
2,000 miler. Still keepin' on keepin' on.
Let's not get into the politics of it folks. The Departments and Agencies have shutdown procedures already codified prior to shutdown, and still have nonexempt personelle in charge operating under rules and laws pertaining to shutdowns. Use of federal property is established by law, passed by Congress, handed off to the executeive branch, and watched over by the courts. This thread is just to pass on information on what's open for hiking. OK please? Go do whatever you want about it, but keep the discussion here about hiking places on federal land and keep the suggestions legal. TYVM.
"Sleepy alligator in the noonday sun
Sleepin by the river just like he usually done
Call for his whisky
He can call for his tea
Call all he wanta but he can't call me..."
Robert Hunter & Ron McKernan
Whiteblaze.net User Agreement.
Talked with several SOBOs at Paul Wolf Shelter just south of SNP. They said the park rangers gave them until noon on 10/1 to get out of the park or they would be charged with trespassing. The rangers would not give them a ride so they went out on Skyline Drive and hitched out missing the last 20 miles of the AT.
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
Back to the GSMNP topic. I wonder if the Government refunds the budget does my reservations for the shelters on the 18th-21th still stand????? My emails 1 for each night and shelter said I could rebook or get a refund. I don't want either I want for old reservations to stand!! Just wonder if any of you know for sure if the reservations will be good that are on the schedule page will still be good. Furture reservations that were made and ones after the refunding. Just hope I don't have to compete again for the same nights. I booked at 2am when shelters opened and all 12 slots were taken by the time I paid for my two spaces. HIKE ON!!!!!
Miller
The USFS has been directed to close even those parks that are privately managed under contract, and use absolutely no public money. Draw your own conclusions as to the motivation for this.
Its Official: US Forest Service Closing over 1000 Privately-Funded Parks
October 2, 2013, 5:36 pm
The US Forest Service, under pressure apparently from the White House, has reversed both its historical precedent as well as its position yesterday and will close over 1000 public parks and campgrounds that are operated by private companies without using one dime of public money. Why does the fact that our landlord the US Forest Service is going on an unpaid vacation mean that tenants of theirs have to close up shop too? We have no idea.
This is how I explained it in my letter to my senators:My company, based in North Phoenix, operates over 100 US Forest Service campgrounds and day use areas under concession contract. Yesterday, as in all past government shutdowns, the Department of Agriculture and US Forest Service confirmed we would stay open during the government shutdown. This makes total sense, since our operations are self-sufficient (we are fully funded by user fees at the gate), we get no federal funds, we employ no government workers on these sites, and we actually pay rent into the Treasury.
However, today, we have been told by senior member of the US Forest Service and Department of Agriculture that people “above the department”, which I presume means the White House, plan to order the Forest Service to needlessly and illegally close all private operations. I can only assume their intention is to artificially increase the cost of the shutdown as some sort of political ploy.
The point of the shutdown is to close non-essential operations that require Federal money and manpower to stay open. So why is the White House closing private operations that require no government money to keep open and actually pay a percentage of their gate revenues back to the Treasury? We are a tenant of the US Forest Service, and a tenant does not have to close his business just because his landlord goes on a vacation.
Punishment. They are to powerful in DC.
hike
How crowded do you think the trail will be on the 18th of this month from Standing Bear to Hot Springs if the GSMNP does not reopen?
Tell the landlord no, and stay open. It's worth trying since you have so much at stake. It may be even worth hiring an attorney.
Thank you for passing that on since I was so snarkily told that that simply never happened in the park and that it was all happy land with the rangers.
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
Sorry I was "snarky" before, Ms. B, if you're referring to my response yesterday. Still, this latest report is in direct conflict with two SOBO's I recently corresponded with who have had no ranger sitings and reports lots of fellow hikers still enjoying the trail. I'll check with them if they want their trail names divulged. Oh well! I wonder where these SOBO's ran into the rangers? Must have wandered off trail into the waysides/campgrounds/picnic grounds/SNP public areas. And why would rangers still be around anyway? I also talked to a PATC volunteer, a very nice lady who gave me a ride to Wash. Dulles yesterday, and she claimed no problem continuing huiking the AT in SNP. But she did say that she would be glad to resupply or give rides to any hikers at the public road Skyline Drive crossings (that I assume are still open, right???)
I could be reading it wrong, but it looks like the PATC website specifically lists SNP (and the two big National Forests in VA) as being closed to hikers. http://www.patc.net/PublicView/
I'm sorry, too. We're all on edge about all of this and it seems no two stories match up. I have no reason to not believe the guy that said he was kicked out on the 1st. Obviously there are rangers that are enforcing the rule and there are rangers that are not. I've also read that rangers are not furloughed but aren't getting paid either. I had a lady drop out of a planned backpacking trip this weekend on the AT because she is convinced that the entire AT is closed. I rerouted the hike away from the towpath and Harpers Ferry to avoid any problems/confrontations and then find out the towpath is loaded with hikers/bikers.
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
Well, I think we've established that yes, everything official says the AT within park is closed. But I think it's also clear that many are still enjoying the trail, and many "official" people (such as some PATC menbers and some rangers) say don't worry about it and just Hike On. I sure hope most people do just that. That all being said, if in fact there are "closed" signs on the AT proper at the park boundaries, I would indeed obey the post. When I exited the north end of the park yesterday, there was no such notice at the northern boundary of SNP. Plus there were plenty of SOBO's I passed and discussed this all with and they had zero intention of stopping. They were of course bummed about having no services along the trail inside the park. I personally relied on these services (stores and waysides) this last week as I entered the south end with only 2-3 days of food and spent 5 1/2 days in the park.
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