Is Yosemite really closed??

When the backpackers leave I don't think their wilderness permit could be extended or renewed. If you are on the pacific trail there is a good chance you could still walk through. If somehow you could live off the land you could very well stay in the back country on foot until all the hoopla passes.

Reminds me of the Pink Panther cartoon where he plays park ranger. At night Pink Panther closes the park with turning off the water falls, lake gets drained, trees come down etc.

nomad297 wrote:
I wish they paid as much attention to securing our borders as they do securing our national parks from us citizens.

Bruce

Well said nomad297........:C

Jay Leno said it best the other night about govs closing the parks.
He said what are they going to do? Put a big tarp over the Grand Canyon so you can't see it?!

I wish they paid as much attention to securing our borders as they do securing our national parks from us citizens.

Bruce

I hear that they are spending billions to build high screens along the roads so nobody can see anything. Start looking for the fence crews any day now. They will be wearing Park Ranger uniforms.

Both of you have valid points. But if National Parks belong to the people(only run by the govt, providing some services, etc.)I sort of think I should be able to camp and not use any govt. service. I paid for my Yosemite annual pass,which is supposed to be good all year. Will I be reimbursed for those days taken from my Annual pass? For Pete's sake, they even shut down the Web cams of Yosemite. Whats next? Are they going to put a big tarp over the statue of liberty so you can't gaze upon it?

westernrvparkowner wrote:
Bunch of hooey

I couldn't agree more!

Yes, the Yosemite is closed. You cannot legally even hike into it. If there is a highway going through a national park, it may be left open, but it is technically illegal to even stop and take photos. Bunch of hooey, but the government shutdown has to have an impact somewhere, especially since 83 percent of all government services are still open and operating, therefore the National Park system has drawn the black pea. Your vacation, your enjoyment of the national park system, all the employees and concessionaires and all the businesses that serve and rely on park visitations have been deemed "NON ESSENTIAL". Maybe that is what I should put for my occupation on my tax return and fail to send them any money. If my business is NON ESSENTIAL, I think the tax revenue owed from that business is NON ESSENTIAL as well. Too bad I would end up being watched by an essential guard at an essential prison if I actually took that action.

As I understand it, if a highway runs thru a NP, the highway is left open, but any of the off-shoots will be closed
Your comment about the ocean lacks one thing....just because something is closed, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If you close up your RV for the winter, has it disappeared? If a Home Depot is closed for the night, is it no longer a store?
When the parks are closed, they are still THERE, but we can't go and enjoy them...at least not legally.

Politics will eventually ruin this country....and they sure seem to be trying real hard to do that. I'm not going to say who is right or wrong. But, it would sure be nice, if they could try and get on the same page, and not hold us all hostage!
Of course, with an approval rating of about 20%, I guess we can't expect much more from Washington.

I understand that the State Parks are really trying to pick up the slack....so you can still go camping....:)