Is Carry legal or not on Olympic National Park?

markm · Aug 3, 2014

Hello All,

My wife and I returned from a 9 day vacation on the Olympic Peninsula. Thanks so much for Washington State's fine hospitality.

I performed my due diligence before leaving for Washington State. I felt sure that I could open carry in the Olympic National Park, or conceal carry under RCW 9.41.060, paragraph 8. We were hiking; therefore, we were exempt from needing a CPL for conceal carry while in the backcountry.

Through out the park we encountered signs that said "no weapons." The Backcountry Use Permits stated in red ink: "No pets, weapons, or wheeled devices."

I asked a park official and informed her that the Credit Card Accountability Act made it legal for law abiding citizens to carry the best means of self defense, a hand gun, in National Parks (paraphrase from SCOTUS judgments, in part). She acknowledged the CCAA and stated that the signs were to prevent pellet gun and BB gun use.

What gives?

Thanks,

markm

deanf · Aug 3, 2014

She acknowledged the CCAA and stated that the signs were to prevent pellet gun and BB gun use.

But are not those firearms also legal to carry?

She's dumb and was feeding you a line. Probably the same line someone fed her, and she was too lazy to verify.

FattyKrack · Aug 4, 2014

And my multitools, knives, fists, boots, and parang are of course just tools.

golddigger14s · Aug 4, 2014

Guns, legal in the park yes. Just not in any park building. The signs are outdated, and they probably won't change them till their useful life span has been reached. This of course can be confusing to the unknowing sheeple, who could conceivably freak out. To the OP I have carried OC at Mount Rainier with no issue from any of the dozen rangers, or visitors who saw me.

markm · Aug 4, 2014

NavyLCDR said:
Old permit template that was never revised when the law changed. They have no interest in changing it because people who do not know the law will think it is true.

On their website:
http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/wilderness-regulations.htm

Pets, weapons other than firearms, vehicles, bicycles and other wheeled devices are not permitted on park trails, meadows, beaches or in any undeveloped area of the park.

The use of firearms is prohibited in the national park.

Hello LCDR,

Thanks for your response. You are a great source for information.

I have OCed in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier. The rangers in those parks complied with the law and removed offending signage, immediately. In Kali, the rangers have fought the CCAA with circler logic. The Kali state legislature has helped them.

It is shameful that we live in a country where the paid employees of the people perform their jobs according to their own political agenda. This is no different than bureaucrats in other totalitarian societies. Did I witness police state tactics?

Thanks again.

markm

markm · Aug 4, 2014

golddigger14s said:
Guns, legal in the park yes. Just not in any park building. The signs are outdated, and they probably won't change them till their useful life span has been reached. This of course can be confusing to the unknowing sheeple, who could conceivably freak out. To the OP I have carried OC at Mount Rainier with no issue from any of the dozen rangers, or visitors who saw me.

Hello golddigger14s,

Thanks for your response.

Did you find signs that said "no weapons" while at Rainier?

I too have OCed in NPs and have had no trouble from rangers.

Thanks again,

markm

golddigger14s · Aug 4, 2014

I don't remember any signs, but it was winter so we were confined to the sledding area that day.

slapmonkay · Aug 4, 2014

I carried at Mt Rainier in July of 2011 the first time and noticed no firearm signs throughout the park. I had contacted the NPS Chief Ranger and the signs have since been addressed on subsequent visits.

National Parks Rules and Policies page: [External NPS Site Link]

Original Mt Rainier Carry Summary: [Thread Post]

Follow up with park thread: [Thread Post]

Excerpt of email from Chief Ranger (not including subsequent emails where he was going to re-cover the signs not yet changed the following day with new tape):

Chuck Young (NPS Chief Ranger) said:
Mr. _____________,

I was forwarded the following message that you had sent to Mount Rainier
National Park regarding firearms regulations.

The revised laws pertaining to firearms possession in National Parks came
into effect on February 22, 2010. The park immediately began covering the
"no firearms" symbols on the existing regulations signs with tape as a
temporary fix. Unfortunately, some of the tape has been removed by
visitors, or has fallen off due to the harsh environmental conditions. The
park also ordered new trail head regulations signs to take the new law into
account. These signs arrived too late in the 2010 season to post, but we
have been changing out trail head signs this spring, as conditions (snow)
have allowed. We hope to have the project completed by the Fall.

Please feel free to contact me if you'd like further information on these
signs or the regulations.

Thank you.

__________________________________

R. Chuck Young
Chief Ranger
Mount Rainier National Park
55210 238th Ave. East
Ashford, WA 98304-9751
(360) 569-6612 (off)
(360) 569-2164 (fax)
(253)-389-4138 (cell)

You may want to contact the parks ranger office and bring up the issue, at least verify the new sign layouts on next printing will not have the firearm restrictions and any individual signs that can be removed are removed.

Is Carry legal or not on Olympic National Park?

markm

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deanf

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FattyKrack

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golddigger14s

Activist Member

markm

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markm

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golddigger14s

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slapmonkay

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