Government shut down killing our vacation!!!!

Please forgive my unfamiliarity with the area but am I correct in assuming you can enjoy a lot of the scenery of Teton NP from what looks like hiway 191 that runs along the lake? It appears to run outside of the actual park boundaries. Thanks in advance,DW and I are bummed, but determined.

well...if its shut down still by the middle of next week we have to adjust our plans too. we were going to stop at a park along the Columbia river that is part of the national park system. the gates will be closed. facilities...I don't care about those but we wont be able to get in. so we will just have to go to another place and give our money to a privately owned place. there is no blm or dnr land to camp near where we will be stopping for the night. what I find interesting is that even the website is shut down for this deal. that kind of surprised me that the website is shut down.

U.S. Forest Service workers head home; national forests remain open

The article relates to Montana, but would assume it to be similar for other states.

From the article:

As long as a ranger or contracting officer isn’t needed nearby, the public can continue to play and work in national forests during the federal government shutdown.

“As long as they don’t need a contracting officer to do the work they’re doing, they can continue operating,” Forest Service Region 1 spokesman Brandan Schulze said on Tuesday morning. “People using undeveloped campgrounds that don’t have a ranger present can still stay there. The trails will still be open. I don’t imagine people are going to get trapped behind gates.”

That should be a relief for hunters scouting national forest lands as Montana’s big-game archery and upland game bird seasons get underway. But it leaves workers on Forest Service logging projects, prescribed burns and road maintenance in limbo.

Please link to the article for more information.

Having a camper gives one a whole lot more options than folks who are booked into lodges inside national parks. Granted, there are areas where options are limited, but then again, many of the small towns around national parks have visitor resources, and can be quite helpful in finding alternative camp sites, things to do, places to go.

I agree with the moderator that this thread can be valuable to many who are planning to travel. I hope that people post as much information as possible in as timely a manner as you can. Unlike the government shut down experience in 1995, today's widespread use of the internet gives far more people far more information. Just like this Forum.

With a couple of exceptions (not serious), this thread has not strayed into Politics, Flaming or Trolling. I think this thread can be valuable to many who are on vacation or going on vacation. Please be advised it is very typical for this type of thread to end up closed or deleted due to those posts with Politics, Flaming or Trolling. On this thread, I will be less tolerant. If I edit or delete post, it is unlikely I will send a PM or explain.

Wayne
Moderator

Just because the Park rangers aren't working or, any other Government agency, I wouldn't let that ruin my trip planning or execution! Just be smart, safe, and aware! There's still plenty to do/see/explore without "gubmint" oversight etc.

Those workers not working will still get paid--remember 1995? They're just getting a little "paid furlough" while our elected officials churn through the legislative budgetary sausage making process....

No need to panic, ignore the mass media.

Non-staffed national forest and BLM land as well as state parks and campgrounds are open... plenty of camping out there.

Saw this just now, doesn't really say a lot other than campgrounds will be closed. National Parks

Being an XTC-er, I always operate in spite of government not because of government. I do not let them stop me from having a good time. I use the USMC protocol which includes: Adapt/Make do/take advantage of the situation.
I don't want the 'free stuff' from our gov't. (Well, except I do own a $10 Golden Geezer pass.)
I remember a quip from some years ago, kind of in jest, but with a point:
"PAVEMENT". Yet another example of government waste.
camp on,
jefe