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This is not a political thread but rather a question about RMNP. If the government shuts down, will they lock the gates? Is there anyway to get in or is it impossible? Maybe some of you know this from the last time there was a government shut down.

I have a plane ticket and planning to be there last weekend in April. The date is locked. I can climb elsewhere but I don't want to. I have my sight set on Longs Peak.

George, it all depends on the decisions made by politicians .... there's no way around it.

Here's some of the latest news, subject to change :

"Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith, worried about the economic impact of shuttering Rocky Mountain National Park in the wake of a federal budget stalemate, today said he'll provide law enforcement and emergency services to help keep the park open.

"The citizens deserve access to their national park, and the merchants who depend on the visitors can count on the Sheriff's Office to keep the park safe," Smith said in a news release. "The entrance stations may not be staffed to collect fees and hand out maps, but that shouldn't stop visitors from being able to enjoy their park."

Wrangling over the federal budget threatens to shut down the government for a week or more starting midnight Friday, furloughing federal workers top to bottom ..."

Thanks Larry. That's slightly encouraging.

You're welcome.

My crystal ball remains foggy due to all the hot air being bantered around by our prestigious decision-makers.

I'd be interested to see more info from the Park Service if the shutdown happens. Word from Red Rocks NCA in Vegas is that Law Enforcement Rangers will still be on duty, and that visitors entering during a shutdown could be ticketed. That makes me think that the county providing law enforcement won't automatically ensure that people will be allowed in.

From what I have read elsewhere, visitors will be given 48 hours to vacate the National Parks following a shutdown. This implies to me that entering after that period, or even during it, could be trespassing or some other crime.

I'm sure information will be more clear following the actual start of a shutdown, though they are saying the NPS website will likely be offline.

I, too, wanted to get up to RMNP. Let's hope everything is worked out quickly!

This is the info I just pulled from CNN.com:
"All national parks would close at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. Parks that have actual hours, like the St. Louis Arch or Washington Monument, just won't reopen. At parks where people camp, gates will be closed so no one can enter. Those in the park will be given 24 hours to leave. Parks like Yellowstone and Gettysburg, which are large and contain public roads, will be passable but all gates and visitor centers will be locked and closed. Most park employees will not report to work. Law enforcement will remain to protect parks and the public."

RMNP does have a road through, so that might remain open. But it sounds as if use of the park is not allowed.

Don't know that there's a gate on the road to the Long's Peak CG/TH since it's normally open year round. If there isn't, you might still have access in spite of the "main" part of the park being closed.

I'm ok with them charging a fee for using our national parks to cover the cost of park management but durng a government shutdown they stop managing the parks. Thus we should not have to pay the fee to access them. If they're going to shutdown, they should leave the parks open. This is, afterall, public land which is owned by US citizens. What a bunch of a$$holes to accuse people of "trespassing" on pubic land.
Sorry, now I'm getting political.

It's okay, George. Politics can be a passionate subject, and can most often get you in some type of trouble.

I would prefer the Parks stay open, also ..

Alpinist wrote:I'm ok with them charging a fee for using our national parks to cover the cost of park management but durng a government shutdown they stop managing the parks. Thus we should not have to pay the fee to access them. If they're going to shutdown, they should leave the parks open. This is, afterall, public land which is owned by US citizens. What a bunch of a$$holes to accuse people of "trespassing" on pubic land.
Sorry, now I'm getting political.

Keeping outhouses clean/open, emptying trash, and patrolling for vandalism are problems. Plus the gubmint is probably more liable if the parks are not locked (if a federal judge decides so, the park service can be sued).

My brother called the RMNP HQ and they basically said enter at your own risk. Outside of the three east entrance stations (Wild basin might not be manned in the winter, so maybe just the two) a good deal of the trailheads would not have been patrolled. Sure your list of destinations would have been cut down, but thats no reason to let the government keep you out. We climbed three RMNP mountains on Saturday without ever parking within the park boundaries.

I was in Palm Springs this weekend with a planed trip into J-Tree for Sat (16 mile loop with the Wonderland Traverse). We were watching the news very closely on Friday night. Thank god there was no shut down. I did talk to a ranger on Sat. morning and she said they were ready to shut all gates and that campers would need to be out by Sun...or Mon. I can't remember. I would have been pissed after flying to Palm Springs, paying for three nights hotel in Palm Springs and dealing with the largest gay dance party in the world the same weekend 25 thousand gay men in one desert town is way too many.