Anyone know...can you still GET IN to National Parks?

[joeybee12]

I mean, will they block off the roads? Thinking of taking a drive to Bryce Canyon this weekend and since the season is alsmot over, don't want to delay it if I can't get in...don't care if the Visitor Center is open, so that's not an issue. Thanks.

[Earth_First]

1. Trailheads are always open...

You may have to adjust your itinerary a bit, or hike a ways further to your destination.

Be safe and plan accordingly.

[Kolesar]

27. No:Day use visitors will be instructed to leave the park immediately as part of Phase 1 closures.

http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/fy2014/upload/NPS-contingency-plan.pdf
that means that we are not permitted to be there

[petronius]

2. The article in the LA Times this morning (focused on Yosemite

and CA parks, but I'm sure nationally applicable) says gates will be closed and people arriving turned away. If you're already there, you get 48 hours to leave. I do wonder if they're going to scour the backcountry as well - most of my visits to places like that involve hitting a trailhead and getting as far away as possible...

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-federal-shutdown-hits-southland-20131001,0,7903431.story

--- Snip ---

One of the most jarring repercussions is the impending closure of 401 national parks that include Yosemite and Joshua Tree, among others.

"Anyone who's hoping to arrive, even for a day visit, would see gates closed and would be turned away," said Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the National Park Service. "There won't be any access."

Visitors already at park campgrounds or lodges will have 48 hours to leave.

--- Snip ---

[Brickbat]

3. We had a state shutdown a couple years ago; state parks were gated, but there was nothing to stop

people from hiking, biking or canoeing in. They were assuming a lot of liability, however, because there was no support staff and they were, essentially, trespassing.

[RebelOne]

4. Not here in North Georgia.

All gates are closed and locked for all the parks, according to local news channels.

[FSogol]

5. Closed. Here's the info the DOI

http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/fy2014/upload/NPS-Fact-Sheet.pdf
http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/fy2014/upload/NPS-FAQ.pdf

What about roads through parks?
While the national parks are closed, roads that serve as thruways will remain open.

[virgogal]

14. The Arizona memorial in Pearl Harbor is closed too.

[cthulu2016]

6. Not legally

[newfie11]

7. Yellowstone is blocked

Except to folks with property inside. I heard gates are closed.

Don't know about anywhere else

[Cleita]

8. Many will still let you camp and visit. It's just you are on your

own if you have an emergency. No rangers on duty or personnel to clean things up. Usually, they will put up a sign to that effect.

[frogmarch]

9. Mt. Rushmore is closed.

Mt. Rushmore National Memorial (U.S. National Park Service) is closed:

yesterday:

http://chadrad.com/newsstory.cfm?story=31194

PIERRE, S.D. (ASSOCIATED PRESS) - Mount Rushmore's spokeswoman says South Dakota employees could not be used to keep the memorial open.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard says he sent a letter to the director of the National Park Service offering personnel and resources if the government shuts down at midnight.

Park spokeswoman Maureen McGee-Dallinger says she hasn't seen the letter, but since it's a federal facility, only federal employees can operate it.

She says that means if the funding ends, the memorial will close.

That doesn't mean tourists would unable to see the memorial. It's visible from the road in front of it, and nearby Iron Mountain Road offers some of the best views available of the four faces.

[msanthrope]

10. Here in Philly, people are still walking past Hall and the Bell, but can't get in. nt

[onehandle]

11. So much history just on the street in Philly.

My wife and I have been here for a couple of years, but we still wander around Center City in amazement.

[msanthrope]

13. Center City. If you say "Central" you get marked as a 'touron.' And the right answer to

"Pat's or Geno's?" is "Neither....Tony Luke's."

If you ever get a chance, go walk down the street I used to live on--Elfreth's Alley.

[onehandle]

16. Gah! I think autocorrect did that. I know better. Fixed it.

We love Elfreth's Alley. Went to an open house a few months back. I had to duck down going through inside doorways.

[msanthrope]

17. Damn you Autocorrect!!! Elfreth's was great, but a fishbowl. I had tourists

walk into my house and sit themselves down. And since I always did the holiday tour, I had no end of people in my house, pointing and remarking.

[egold2604]

23. excuse me, Jimmy's on South Street

[msanthrope]

24. Yeah, but then I have to deal with the riff-raff from Joisy hanging out on South Street. nt

[struggle4progress]

12. What You Can and Can't Do During the Government Shutdown

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/What-You-Can-and-Cant-Do-During-a-Government-Shutdown-225824691.html
Tuesday, Oct 1, 2013 | Updated 11:32 AM EDT
... All national parks -- from Yosemite to Shenandoah National Park -- will close, and day visitors will have to leave immediately ...

[brooklynite]

15. It would be irresponsible to go in...

...even if the trailheads are accessible. The limited staff on site are ultimately responsible for your safety and if anything goes wrong while you're hiking, it would be an extra burden to provide you with assistance.

[Xithras]

18. Yosemite will remain partially accessible.

Highway 120/Tioga Road through the park is a California state highway, and the NPS can't block it simply because the park is closed. There's actually a gate on the roadway at the Tioga Road junction specifically for this purpose, so they can permit traffic up the highway while blocking the rest of the park.

The Tioga Road provides access to Olmstead Point, which provides spectacular views of Half Dome, Tioga Lake, which is one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in the Sierra's, and Tuolumne Meadows, which is the second most popular destination in Yosemite anyway. Of course, all of the park facilities along the road will be closed, but they CAN NOT stop you from parking your car on the shoulder, hopping out, or taking in the view while stretching your legs.

[LordGlenconner]

19. Anyone near Rocky Mountain National Park?

I know of at least one trailhead that's actually outside of park boundaries and you don't pay an entrance fee when you go in that way. It's very tiny in the town of Allenspark. Maybe room for 8 cars at the TH. Seems to me that if someone wanted to visit the park during this saga that would be one way to get in as it is not manned in any way. I was just there in August.

[joeybee12]

20. Thanks everyone...I guess that answers my question!

FYI, some of the longer trails in Bryce begin outside the park entrance...I wonder if people would be found getting in that way...and I wonder how well staffed the place is to be able to patrol that.

[Shrike47]

21. You can go in, but if you fall and break your ankle, it'll be a long, lonely crawl.

[joeybee12]

22. The hike I want to do starts way at the other end...you go in and take the

drive all the way to the end, so I'm out of luck.

[msanthrope]

25. Nonsense. I'm sure there would be a wolf or bear to stave off the loneliness....nt

[bpj62]

26. Parks Closed

Parks Closed, Moose out front should have told you. Sorry couldn't help myself. Most of the National Parks have some sort of entrance and they all have gates so the Park Service just locked them up. In the case of the Washington Monuments the Park Service puts up barriers and stations a Park Police officer nearby to keep people out.

[NM_Birder]

28. Avert you eyes, no unauthorized wildlife viewing allowed !