US Gov't Shutdown Impacts RVers at Federal Parks

pegmikef

Well-known member
The current political environment has now caused not just the national parks (as said on the news) to shut down, but includes all federal parks including the Corps of Engineer parks. If you have any reservations for the period that this nonsense might continue to take place, you better make other plans. I am now changing my plans for the Canton and Beaumont rallies because I use COE parks as intermediate stops. Oh yeah, it is also going to be a real hassle to get refunds for any reservations since you pay up front when making the reservations.
 

Invizatu

Senior Road Warriors
Mike... If there is no host or workers on site, who is going to stop you from staying there? I have stayed at usfs campgrounds after they were closed for the season and they count on you to pay in the honor envelopes. The only diff. is that they lock the restrooms and turn off the water. Still o.k. (legal) to use the facilities. Of course if there is a gate and it's locked closed, then that's a whole nuther story. Which COE campground were you planning on staying? (Sam Rayburn Res. I assume) I am planning the same thing.
 
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ncc1701e

Well-known member
US Gov't Shutdown Impacts RVers at Federal ParksUS Gov't Shutdown Impacts RVers at Federal Parks

Just looked at the COE sites for LBL in KY and they are closed guys. Oh, and those camps have gates that can be locked.
 
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pegmikef

Well-known member
Hi Brett, We were going to stay at Copperas Creek at Proctor Lake on the way to Canton and later at Live Oak Ridge Park on Belton Lake on the way home from Beaumont. Unfortunately, both have gates. . . . They are nice and handy for a lot of the routes we take when going in an easterly direction, but thanks for the tip on the forest service parks and I imagine the same thing would be true for national forests. We're going to hang out in Canton an extra day or two and then just drive on down to Beaumont on the 16th (if I remember right).
 
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jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
Don't forget the state parks. There is Lake Livingston State Park. Another park that is a great park is South Toledo Bend State Park (in Louisiana). Their fees are low and they give senior discounts and many honor the federal parks discount pass. Also there are many public parks around. So there are plenty of places to stay. There is a beautiful park call Camp Shiloh Lutheran Retreat in Pittsburg TX which is very reasonable and open to any Christian (you don't have to Lutheran to use it). That one is on Lake Bob Sandlin. BTW there is also Lake Bob Sandlin State Park with RV Sites close to Camp Shiloh.
 
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Paul & Nan

Well-known member
Mike, we are always available to and fro as we are in the Piney Woods of East TX. We may be a bit out of the way, but the price is right. Nan and Paul
 

whp4262

Well-known member
It's my understanding that state parks that are tied in with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are also closed and they are making people leave. I work for the USDOT so I'm one of those who got furloughed without pay yesterday. I'm also prohibited from taking a second job without running it through legal first and of course they are furloughed too. Not sure if the people in Washington are to ignorant to realize the impact of a government shutdown or they just don't care. But I hope most of the country remembers during the next election. Oh and Congress and Senate members continue to receive their paychecks however their staff does not. I usually avoid political discussions because I don't believe they belong on a recreational forum. But when something this stupid causes financial harm to my family it really gets difficult to contain.


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DonnyB007

Well-known member
I think the key thing for the future is to get the law changed to reflect that congressmen do not get paid as well in circumstances like this. Politicians generally do not give a tinkers **** about too much as long as it does not effect their pay. But hit them in the pocket book and you will NEVER see anything like a government shut down again.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
My opinion is we should each procure a bucket of tar and a bag of feathers. Then all drive to Washington, D.C. Give the lot of them a new look.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
I would say we should fire them all and start over again but I cannot say that because we are not allowed to be political on this forum.
 

dave10a

Well-known member
I wonder if we will get a refund on our taxes for the period of time the government suspended services.
 

123camper

Well-known member
I agree with whp! I wife is a medical proffesional for the government. She is required to work with no idea if or when she may get paid. We still have to make the car payment and put gas in it! Congress needs to have the same worries!!!
 

JanAndBill

Well-known member
Had planned on spending some time in the Smokies National Park yesterday, until it was announced that everything was closed including park roads. Then we decided to drive out 441 and just pull off a look at the scenary. Only we couldn't do that because they also closed the scenic overlooks???? What a bunch of idiots we have in charge!
 

Kbvols

Well-known member
Had planned on spending some time in the Smokies National Park yesterday, until it was announced that everything was closed including park roads. Then we decided to drive out 441 and just pull off a look at the scenary. Only we couldn't do that because they also closed the scenic overlooks???? What a bunch of idiots we have in charge!

We went across 441 early this AM and most of the scenic overlooks only had cones marking them closed and some people were moving them and enjoying the scenery by the time we came back across this evening they (park rangers) were placing plastic barracades up and filling with water so people couldn't pull into the overlook area at New Found Gap. Now if we could put barracades around Washington and keep the idiots in charge out this shutdown would be a good deal.
 

scottyb

Well-known member
We were headed for Moab, UT in a couple weeks. We had planned to visit Arches and Canyonlands while there and camp at a BLM campground. I can find no information on the BLM website, but I don't intend to haul all the way up there and not see the NP's while I am there. We are looking for some alternatives. We will be at Lake Havasu for a boat race before our little vacation. We may stay there or in Parker for a few days.
 

ucwinters

Active Member
Had reservations for Cranes Mill Park at Canyon Lake this weekend - called this morning and fellow said that the park was closed. Called the 800 phone # for my refund - lady said that I would be contacted by them on the day that I was supposed to show up to tell me that my reservation had been cancelled. Told her that I knew that the park was closed and just wanted my refund - she said that it doesn't work that way and that I would be contacted on Friday. She was certainly an example of the Peter Principle. Good news is that I got a reservation at Kerrville-Schreiner Park.
 

hoefler

Well-known member
On the news last night, they were talking about the parks closing around Table Rock Lake here in SW MO. Campers were told, if they don't leave, they will be visited by the sheriff. Our tax dollars at work!
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
ucwinters, Kerrville-Shreiner is a nice park. I like the section that is across the highway from the office because it is quieter. It is wooded and the sites are mostly pull throughs. The other side is closer to the highway so you get road noise.
 
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