Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Park Shutdown

The Federal Government Shutdown could affect us if it happens.

"At 12:01 a.m. Saturday, the dollars dry up unless Congress and the White House agree on another short-term spending measure. About 800,000 federal employees nationwide could be furloughed as a result, Obama administration officials estimate."

"At Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon and other national parks in California, Barkoff said that campers and other visitors already inside park boundaries would be given 48 hours to depart once the government shuts down. Other contingency plans are still being finalized."

I wonder what will be the impact on the Forests.

...how would they know, and what if they don't depart? If the rangers are furloughed, who is going to enforce anything?

They will chain the gates.

Yes, you can still access YNP from Fish Camp by parking and walking into the park.

But if something should happen like an injury or an animal attack, there will be no response.

In a park shutdown, no one can hear you scream...

BTW, my wife works for the feds. Shutdown means no work, no income...

So... isn't Inyo federal? Who is going to be there to hand out the permits?

Q1 answer: Yes.

Q2 answer: Well, the unions call them scabs.

Oh, and "federal" law enforcement (those who cruise in the red and blues) will not be affected...they will be the ones maintaining law and order during the escort of citizens out of the national parks and/or monuments.

OOohhhh... that could get ugly.....

I find the notion outrageous considering it's our parks "the peoples". Almost makes me want to go and stay in the park as an official protest lol.

If this happened in summer months it would be a bit interesting to come hiking out of the back country into Yosemite valley to find it deserted. Imagine being on a multi week hike with no news from the outside world then have that happen. It's the end of the world! which means I have no resupply!

A re-make of a sci-fi thriller...The World, the Flesh and the Devil redux!

This raises all kinds of entertaining questions. Such as, if my livestock are grazing on federal land, do I have to leave them? Do they have to leave, too?

If no federal employees are working, who is going to throw/keep you out? If they are working, why would they?

And what about the park concessions? No federal employees there, but they are shut down, too? All those employees who live in the Parks? They have to leave? But they can't go to work? I think I'l book a room at Ahwahnee . . .

Of course, it may all be academic. If you have 48 hours to leave, as of midnight tomorrow, could the shut-down really last that long?

Can I feed the bears?

I live about 5 minutes from a NP. I think I'll take a hike Saturday.

Hmmm...does this mean they will put one more rock on Whitney Portal Road closing the gap I went through in March?

Q1 answer: No. Q2 answer: No, unless you want to herd them up!



Q1 answer: Federal law enforcement...they are exempt from "shutting down." Q2 answer: When you work for the federal government, you follow orders just as if you were in the military.


Yosemite National Park (YNP) concessions are owned and operated by Delaware North Company (DNC), under contract with the federal government. DNC owns and operates many of the concessions in our national parks including hotels. Case in point, the grill at Tuolumne is run and operated by DNC. Those who live there, can stay there, but it would be in their best interest to leave since there are no tourists. Booking a room at the Ahwahnee is impossible. Reservations fill up way in advance. You can probably camp on the main entrance. Caveat: Refusing to "leave" is considered "trespass" and you can be arrested and charged, imprisoned and fined.


Yes. If Congress cannot agree to a budget, the shut down could last weeks.


Go take the hike, but don't feed the bears...it's not their fault.

So.... random question... with the PCT annual kickoff in Campo, CA less then a month away... how much of the PCT goes through National/Federal park land?

Less than 10%.

Correction to other comments I made:

YNP will not "chain" their gates. There are residents who live in West Yosemite. They do not work for the federal government. They have homes and they have to earn a living. Thank you to a family friend who alerted me to this.

On the NPS website for Yosemite, the last news release was dated April 5, 2011. I am sure there will be an news release soon.

Now, YNP is getting snow...again...due to this latest system. Yes, it snowed 2 inches at my house, but it has since melted.

My wife, who is a federal govt employee affected by this (her return home was a pre-planned visit...what a coincidence...I have been taking the Amtrak from Fresno to Richmond, CA every weekend...7.5 hours RT), and I will head up Saturday, April 9, as far as we can up the SR 41. I will provide a TR on park closure and road conditions. May not make it as far as Lewis Creek.

I got this message from Inyo National Forest:

Well, it looks like the kindergarten bullies have finished pushing & shoving for a few days.



CNN might fix the image, but the distortion is beyond symbolic.