What happen if National Parks close?

[Many Moons]

Hey All,
What happens if the great one's in DC can't work it out and they close the National Parks in October with the AT thru the Smokies? They say the National Parks will close and all employees not working. Will my shelter reservations still be good? HIKE ON!!!

Miller

[Sly]

Serious boondoggle. While the government may shut down, it's hard to imagine the service providers taking time off, or the parks actually closing.

I'd say your permit is safe.

[kayak karl]

if it do happen, who would tell you you could not camp??

[A.T.Lt]

if it do happen, who would tell you you could not camp??

The Senate and the House... apparently Mark Sanford will be out there hiking the AT to make sure every one stays out

[WingedMonkey]

The Interior Department said it would have no choice but to close 368 parks — giving campers and hotel guests 48 hours to vacate — as well as halt any non-emergency use of Bureau of Land Management acres and furlough, initially, 58,541 employees of its nearly 73,000-strong workforce.

Essential services, such as law enforcement, would continue, Interior said in its contingency plan.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politic...nment.html.csp

[Wise Old Owl]

The trees will still be there... enjoy


just park outside

[WingedMonkey]

The official response.

The National Park Service’s contingency plan:

http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/upload/N...er-15-2011.pdf

[atmilkman]

Hey All,
What happens if the great one's in DC can't work it out and they close the National Parks in October with the AT thru the Smokies? They say the National Parks will close and all employees not working. Will my shelter reservations still be good? HIKE ON!!!

Miller

That bunch is truly a work of art.

[Marta]

I remember hearing about thru-hikers being stopped at the edge of Shenandoah NP during the shutdown during the Clinton years. (Did that story appear in A Walk in the Woods?) One of those bizarre decisions that there was money to post guards to stop people from entering the Park, rather than simply let them hike through the Park without any employees being present.

[Trillium]

I remember hearing about thru-hikers being stopped at the edge of Shenandoah NP during the shutdown during the Clinton years. (Did that story appear in A Walk in the Woods?) One of those bizarre decisions that there was money to post guards to stop people from entering the Park, rather than simply let them hike through the Park without any employees being present.

I can confirm that when the shutdown occurred that we were prevented from driving in to the Everglades. There were barricades across the road and a guard to prevent us from entering. It amazed us that there was money to post guards but not to allow visitors.

[genetic claybuilding]

I'm sure this has been mentioned several times already, but I don't have the time to search for it. So if someone could give me a quick answer:

Are the road entrances to the GSMNP barricaded?

If not, does anyone have informed information whether your car would be towed by the NPS if you park at a trailhead within the park?

Thanks.

[HooKooDooKu]

Are the road entrances to the GSMNP barricaded?

All 'tourist' roads are closed. This would include things like Clingman's Dome, Roaring Fork, and Little River Road.

441 is different. Without getting technical, this isn't so much a National Park Road as it is a thoroughfare between Gatlinburg and Cherokee. As such, you my travel 441 to get between these cities. But you may not use 441 to access any part of the National Park.

So as I understand it, every road in GSMNP is closed except for 441, the Gatlinburg Bypass, and the roads that connect these roads together.

[lush242000]

Hey All,
What happens if the great one's in DC can't work it out and they close the National Parks in October with the AT thru the Smokies? They say the National Parks will close and all employees not working. Will my shelter reservations still be good? HIKE ON!!!

Miller

Looks like you could camp wherever you want...




Sent from somewhere.

[russb]

Looks like you could camp wherever you want...

On the link provided above it appears to prohibit any recreational use of the park land. see closedown procedure (phase 2) step 3. Found on pg 8.

Not sure how anyone besides park officials are to know about it? The only signage they describe is that no services are provided. I don't think the trees and the ground are considered a service. Why then would the signage not say "no access" if that is the case?

[BobTheBuilder]

This is near and dear to my heart as I have a section hike coming up in a week and I was planning to park (and finish) inside SNP. If the shutdown happens, it will just be a shorter hike and I will need to finish, and park, before the park boundary.

[gollwoods]

all national parks would be shut down so the rangers would throw you out after letting you donate to reduce the debt. or if you are really fortunate give you a little time to reflect away from your usual life.

[illabelle]

all national parks would be shut down so the rangers would throw you out after letting you donate to reduce the debt. or if you are really fortunate give you a little time to reflect away from your usual life.

I can hardly imagine a more inane reason for our upcoming trip to Vermont to be ruined! I can understand if our trip is ruined because one of us got sick or injured, but really, they can't just let us hike through the Green Mountains on our own? What possible difference will it make to our hike if the government is or isn't shut down? We're not using park services anywhere that I'm aware of. We're just walking on land owned by the citizens of this country, us. Are they really going to post rangers at road crossings and send them to the backcountry to chase people out, fine them, and possibly arrest them? Our $900+ in plane tickets are not refundable! Washington, Somebody, please please please make this problem go away!

[Lone Wolf]

there are no national parks in vermont

[illabelle]

there are no national parks in vermont

Won't Green Mountain National Forest be affected in a similar manner as the parks?

[Lone Wolf]

Won't Green Mountain National Forest be affected in a similar manner as the parks?

no. not at all