I'm at work, can't call, five of us are going to stay at Pt. Reyes Nat'l Seashore this weekend, Friday and Saturday nights. With the possibility of a govment shut down, will we be allowed to enter the Seashore for the two days we have paid for already if they shut down at midnight? Get a refund?

It depends on whether there are gates on the road that can be shut. If so, they will be. If not, you'll technically be illegal but you can get there. Most national parks will be giving 24-48 hours for folks currently camping to get out. You might want to call them late Friday afternoon after checking the news.

Here is more info, although it is about WA national parks and forests:



I am seeing lots of undocumented items (which may or may not be strictly rumor) including threatened fines for people caught hiking (assuming you meet one of the rare law enforcement rangers who isn't furloughed). I have seen a news article (but can't find it now) that state and federal highways that transit a national park, unless they have entrance stations, will not be closed. If parking lots are gated, they'll be closed.

On second thought, I'd call the folks at Pt. Reyes today or no later than tomorrow morning. Hopefully one of your group can get a few minutes' break to get to a phone! By tomorrow afternoon their phones will be ringing off the hook!

I'm quite sure they won't give you a refund, though. Not an act of God, but certainly beyond their control!

EDIT, later--found this article specifically addresing Pt. Reyes. Doesn't look good.

Two of us are headed in around 1 tomorrow, the other three are supposed to arrive after work around 6:30PM. I don't want to drive for five hours and see a locked gate and a sorry we're closed sign. Permit is paid for by the young guy organizing the trip, but we have to show up to get the actual permit. Thank you OM. I emailed two others in our group last night about this, but have not heard back yet. If I don't hear good news tonight, I'll have to spend my three day weekend at home. I'll call.

Called, if we all show by Friday night which we are, we will be allowed to stay for the weekend. However, anyone arriving Saturday would not be allowed in, provided there is a shutdown.

Here's an oddity. Although Channel Islands NP will be closed, the concessionaire, Island Packers, will still be running trips to the islands and letting people land, presumably for day use only. This is per their operating permit.

It is important to check each area individually. If you are hiking in a closed part, the issuance of a ticket will probably depend upon the circumstances and the attitude of Smokey.

Duane, it sounds as though your weekend is saved! Just make sure you can get out if they lock the gates behind you!

Have a great trip!

With Island Packers in the Channel Islands, they have their own guides who accompany folks in sensitive areas (Anacapa or the Nature Conservancy area on Santa Cruz), so I doubt the Park Service is too worried about unsupervised idiots messing up the place.

Mt. Rainier is closing the park up tight, but most of it is closed due to snow anyway, including the state highways that run through it. Obviously they don't want anyone to try to go up to Paradise when they are not running the snowplows. Of course all of North Cascades NP is under many feet of snow. I don't know what's happening at Olympic NP. Roads with entrance stations will of course be shut. My curiosity is about the beach areas which don't have entrance stations and have self-issuing permits.

To the best of my knowledge, nothing unusual is happening here in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic area, except that ranger stations and visitor centers will be closed. The main restrictions will be if snow continues to fall at the 1000-foot level or lower!

Xanterra will suffer huge losses if they have to close Grand Canyon or any other Park they service. If will be interesting to see how this comes down.

Thank you OM. I'm assuming someone will be at the entrance, checking people or turning people back who try to bike/walk in. Law Enforcement should be present to protect resources. All depends on a budget getting passed or a extension which I heard the Dems rejected. Politics.

Pavla, another of our NorthCA Hiking group has a trip to Yosemite this weekend and has already changed plans a few times.

Looks like everyone in Washington put on their big-people clothes and got the budget deal done, so you should be good to go - have a great trip!

Thank you Glenn. Good trip, great weather, even had a extra guest show up Saturday afternoon, so six made the trip. Two I had never met before. A night each at Sky and Glen Camp, day trip down to the falls south of Wildcat CG, a long day on Saturday. Fourteen miles maybe, but we dropped our packs at Glen Camp, while the younger hikers napped, I went down the road 3/4 mile scoping the road out.