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ExcitableBoy wrote:The North Cascades National Park, which I have long felt should be the model for other parks, would be essentially unaffected by the closure. There are no gates to lock, no visitors centers to close, no amenities to with hold.

I have to agree with you on that.

I haven't been to Olympic NP in many years, but I suspect closures would not affect access there much either.

I don't think they can close State Highway 190 through Death Valley.

Department of Interior Statement:

http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/fy2014/uplo ... -Sheet.pdf

Not sure how long this shutdown will last, but I'm still headed over Kearsarge Pass regardless.

Bob Sihler wrote:

mrchad9 wrote:So when they are closed... are they gated and shut in? I mean... can you still do something like drive over Tioga Pass in Yosemite?

During the 96 shutdown, all gates at Shenandoah NP entrances were shut. Trails were officially closed, but there was no one enforcing that to the best of my knowledge. But if there's a shutdown, forget about vehicular travel through most parks.

If the road is a public road (such as Newfound Gap at Great Smoky Mountains NP) you can still get through; otherwise generally not. They will simply lock all of the gates, so if there is a gate you won't be going through. Some of us can still get in our local park on the fire roads, though.

Any official closure of the trails would require an administrative act and they aren't authorized to spend the money to do that, so unless it is in their basic regulations (which I doubt) the trails can't actually be officially closed.

Gateway National Recreation Area:

The Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook, N.J., has furloughed its poison ivy-eating goats.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nati ... d/2899555/

Even NOAA is closed. Now what am I supposed to use? Weather.com? Yeah right, fat chance of that one.

I've gotten an e-mail that says I shouldn't do any volunteer work in Shenandoah NP because their Workers Comp. insurance will not be in effect. It didn't say anything about not going into the park, except about not using Skyline Drive.

Josh Lewis wrote:Even NOAA is closed. Now what am I supposed to use? Weather.com? Yeah right, fat chance of that one.

Try this link:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.ph ... 9568359376

Yeay! Now I feel a little better about the government shut down.

Weather.gov is NOAA - the part that runs that website gets to stay open during the shutdown as the weather info is considered vital to public safety. I was worried myself as I refer to on the website almost daily for both my main recreational activities - hiking/climbing (for obvious reasons), and scuba diving (gotta know the marine forecast before planning a big dive).

I was worried about the Blue Ridge Parkway since I will be in the NC mountains next week. But surprise, it's open!
http://www.hcpress.com/news/httpwww-hcpress-comnewsdespite-federal-govt-shutdown-blue-ridge-parkway-open-for-exploration-n-c-state-parks-not-affected-html.html
Don't know about Virginia.

The Blue Ridge Parkway doesn't collect any fees, so they can't close fee stations. They may chain it off when it snows, and could do that now except that they probably aren't authorized to do that. Virginia should be the same - just note that in Virginia the Blue Ridge Parkway ends at the Skyline Drive, which is in Shenandoah National Park and is closed.