I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and hike with a group nearly every Tuesday, often either in the Golden Gate National Recreation, Muir Woods, or Point Reyes National Seashore.
But right now we, along with millions of other Bay Area residents and out-of-town visitors, are locked out of the federal parks in our own backyard.
That means all of we “locals” who know about alternative places to hike, such as state and local parks, or in lands managed by water or open space districts, are leaving too many footprints in too few places. But even recreational use of those lands has slowing, since many visitors who don’t live here assume that a “park, is a park, is a park,” and that every single one of them is closed, regardless of which agency manages them.
To add insult to injury, the federal government shutdown has not only closed the national parks, but also shuttered NPS Websites, making it impossible for potential park visitors to find out what’s open, and what’s not.
As I said in “Shutting Down “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” a story posted today on Tales Told From The Road ( www.talestoldfromtheroad.com ): “The National Parks remain ‘America’s Best Idea.’ But why Congress fiddles, and tourists do a slow burn, visiting those parks remains a mere pipe dream obscured by smoke blown by politicians from both sides of the aisle in Washington.”
Sincerely,
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
This recreation area encompasses more than two dozen natural, historic and cultural sites in and around the city of San Francisco. Experience the isolation of Alcatraz, America’s first “supermax” prison. Stroll beneath towering trees in Muir Woods. Walk on the beach at the Marin Headlands. Scan the horizon from the 150-year-old Point Bonita Lighthouse. Tour half a dozen operational and shuttered military facilities, including an active missile site. Hike miles of trails and enjoy unforgettable ocean views.
State(s): California
Established: 1972
“I've visited nearly every National Park or Monument in the Western U.S., and some in other parts of the country, over the last forty-odd years. The parks are, as documentary filmmaker Ken Burns called them , "America's Best Idea."”
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