Quote from: Charliemyboy on April 08, 2014, 07:41:00 AM
Last year, when Hussein shut down the Federal Government, the National Park Service closed all trails in the Smoky Mountains.  These were just trails which required no rangers, just trails through the woods to a cave or waterfall, no assistance needed.  A lot of people come from long distances to drive and hike through the mountains.  I was happy to see that people were parking along the road because the parking areas were blocked.  They were climbing over the barricades and hiking on the trails.  Maybe we are not a nation of sheep after all.

Kind of ironic that the "shutdown" required MORE staff to close off the previously wide open areas like the ones you mention, and memorials.

Quote from: Bowhntr on April 08, 2014, 07:24:56 AM
National Forest "user fees" to increase in North Carolina.  So after our tax dollars were used to buy it we now have to pay more to use it.

But, but it's for the baby animals.