National Forest Campgrounds Closed!

JSJJ388

JSJJ388

GREEN GREMLIN
Joined
Aug 31, 2016
Location
HAMPTONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
Yup, Was hoping to go to Uwharrie (Arrowhead) Memorial Day Weekend, As of right now that weekend is the first one they're accepting reservations for, we'll see if they're going to still open then or not :(
 
We had 10+ sites booked in Oconee Pointe Campground (SC) for May 15-17 and they were all cancelled Friday.
 
So does that mean you can still camp off the trails?
 
A lot of other National and state parks have closed altogether. I'd expect URE will, and should, as well.
 
RatLabGuy said:
A lot of other National and state parks have closed altogether. I'd expect URE will, and should, as well.
Click to expand...

For the sake of conversion, why should they? I am failing to see why keeping the public off public lands is efficacious to preventing disease spread, especially as weather improves. Ya, I get some people are idiots no matter what, but hiking and camping are pretty socially distant activities. I definitely don't understand keeping them closed until mid-May.

Then again, "social distancing" is pretty much my daily life anyway and hiking or going for a bike ride is my outlet.
 
trailhugger said:
For the sake of conversion, why should they? I am failing to see why keeping the public off public lands is efficacious to preventing distance spread, especially as weather improves. Ya, I get some people are idiots no matter what, but hiking and camping are pretty socially distant activities. I definitely don't understand keeping them closed until mid-May.

Then again, "social distancing" is pretty much my daily life anyway and hiking or going for a bike ride is my outlet.
Click to expand...
I'd say lack of personnel. The whole stance of we are doing what's best for our company stance. This company being the Government. Or the hyper vigilance of let's not let congregations occur where we can limit it with a pen stroke.
But I don't think many of the aproaches have been rational or congruent a cross the board.



May somebody in planning scored a bulls eye with this dart?
 
trailhugger said:
For the sake of conversion, why should they? I am failing to see why keeping the public off public lands is efficacious to preventing disease spread, especially as weather improves. Ya, I get some people are idiots no matter what, but hiking and camping are pretty socially distant activities. I definitely don't understand keeping them closed until mid-May.

Then again, "social distancing" is pretty much my daily life anyway and hiking or going for a bike ride is my outlet.
Click to expand...

WARRIORWELDING said:
I'd say lack of personnel. The whole stance of we are doing what's best for our company stance. This company being the Government. Or the hyper vigilance of let's not let congregations occur where we can limit it with a pen stroke.
But I don't think many of the aproaches have been rational or congruent a cross the board.

May somebody in planning scored a bulls eye with this dart?
Click to expand...
This. At least in part. Its for the sake of the Rangers and staff who have to be around. THEY are potentially exposed to a lot of people. I mean Uwharrie is kind of unique in the fact that once you have a pass you don't really need to see another human being and in theory the park can run itself. But in reality, they have to have staff around to deal w/ problems etc. Leaving it open unstaffed, and letting it be known it is, is unfortunately just asking yahoos to come out of the woodwork and be bigger idiots than normal.

The other thing is removing opportunities for people to gather when they shouldn't. What you're talking about, a couple folks being by themselves in the woods, is perfectly logical in the whole social distancing scheme. But the door also remains open to clubs getting together. Or even two small clubs running into one another and being tempted to hang out... they have no way to prevent that.

Now, reasonable minds will disagree about the Governments role in preventing people from doing things they shouldn't. I mean, on one hand, yes its all our land, and that shouldn't be their job... but on the other, it is kind of the government's job to enforce rules that are in place "for the larger good" when they are necessary (and of course there's reasonable disagreements regarding the degree to which its necessary...). If The Government is already saying no contact > 10 people, I can see them also being responsible to enforce that.
But certainly, the safest and conservative thing to do is to just prevent access in the first place. I can totally see how and why that decision would be made. Deciding now to close until May 15 seems a little drastic, I'd maybe go to May 1 then make another call.

I think it may also be a different situation for parks that have very little traffic at any given time anyway w/ very little time spent crossing paths w/ other people. But we all know that place would be a zoo of people, especially w/ people not working and little else to do.
 
RatLabGuy said:
This. At least in part. Its for the sake of the Rangers and staff who have to be around. THEY are potentially exposed to a lot of people.
Click to expand...

Military barracks, Navy boats/submarines..etc I mean, heaven forbid the PARK rangers have to interact with a few people (sorry...but my cynicism just keeps getting worse every day with this)


Perfect example of how "a" solution is in no way "the" solution for everyone
 
I see it like this, all the state parks are staying open. They are allowing people to hike all the trails but have closed bathrooms and picnic areas. So I can see just as many people on in closer proximity on a hiking trail in town vs driving past someone in a vehicle.
 
The trails in George Washington and Jefferson National forests appear to be staying open, But common areas with bathrooms and such are closed, In all the times I've been in these forests, I think I've encountered Ranger two, maybe 3 times, I don't think closures are about Rsangers, i think they are about being unable to keep common areas clean.
 
jyaks said:
I see it like this, all the state parks are staying open. They are allowing people to hike all the trails but have closed bathrooms and picnic areas. So I can see just as many people on in closer proximity on a hiking trail in town vs driving past someone in a vehicle.
Click to expand...

DuPont State Recreational Forest is closing tomorrow. I know this for a fact. Bathrooms and visitor's centers have already been closed. This is a full closure
Get ready for a bunch of "won't ever close" to close until further notice.
 
Jody Treadway said:
DuPont State Recreational Forest is closing tomorrow. I know this for a fact. Bathrooms and visitor's centers have already been closed. This is a full closure
Get ready for a bunch of "won't ever close" to close until further notice.
Click to expand...
Who makes that call? Just DuPont and not our WNC national parks? What happens if you’re caught hiking or biking? I don’t expect you to know all the answers.

Closing campgrounds and bathrooms fine, whatever. Closing tax payers land to tax payers REALLY pisses me off! It’s ridiculous.
 
Truthfully, it's ONE of the FEW places they can actually legally close in a State of Emergency.
It only applies to PUBLIC places and buildings.
I'm surprised every state , local, and federal park in the nation hasn't already been closed.
 
fnbs.jpg
 
Back
Top