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Hi, I heard that the new gun laws for national parks have taken effect today. I am very excited and happy that our constitutional rights are being restored, slowly, one by one. I will never travel to any wilderness area with threats of dangerous wildlife and two-legged predators without a gun, so I made a decision never to go to National Parks. However, I love trees, natures, hiking and outdoors activities and always wanted to see Rainier, Olympic, Yosemite, and Yellowstone National Parks.

Rainier National Park is the closet to where I live and I would like to take a trip there this spring, but I want to conceal carry my .45ACP and .44 magnum when I am there.

Can anyone tell me if I can safely now conceal carry weapons in National Parks in Washington? I plan on getting my WA conceal carry permit soon. Does anyone know if open carry of shotguns, rifles will be allowed in National Parks?

I'd appreciate to hear what people have to say about this issue.
 
I wouldn't try concealed carry at Yosemite quite yet.

The law merely harmonizes National Park and Wildlife Refuge federal areas with those of the states, and in certain cases, localities, of which they are a part.

Today you cannot get busted for concealed carry at Crater Lake NP if you have an Oregon permit, or at any such park or refuge in Alaska or Vermont.

Everywhere else, like in WA and CA for instance, you have to obey the state law on carry. With no reciprocity and only patchwork carry permits even issued in CA, not much will change for visitors as regards CCW. Open carry is another ball of wax though.
 
I thought in Washington, conceal carry was allowed in wilderness areas even without a permit. I heard getting a WA conceal carry permit is not hard for ORegon resident. I did live in WA and have a conceal carry permit. I talk to the sheriff and they said all I have to do is go to the Clark County Sheriff office and get the address of my permit updated and it will be validated.

I can see where in California you have problems. However, I thought in many states you did not need conceal carry permit for wilderness areas. Also, lets say I do get a conceal carry permit validated for WA, then you think the next day I can go to Rainier NP with a concealed handgun?
 
You may concealed carry a pistol in a National Park in Washington state if you have a concealed carry permit recognised by Washington. Open carry is legal in Washington so you may open carry in a National Park in Washington. Carrying a long arm would be legal but personally wouldn't see why you would want to other than poke anti-gunners in the eye. There is nothing to be gained by that. If you fire a gun in the park you will have a lot of explaining to do. If you conduct yourself properly and use your brain four legged predators are not a huge problem in Washington parks and your carry pistol will handle them or the two legged predators. The new law allows you to carry. It does not allow you to shoot without consequences.
 
Thanks for the info TCOV.. UNlike what the idiots at the Brady campaign says, I wasn't planning on going there to go on a rampage with my AK-47. I plan to spend the time with my camera "shooting" pictures of flowers, wildlife and nature. I am excited to go hiking, camping and enjoy the waterfalls and mountain scenery. If I want to go shooting, I go to the shooting range.

However, I don't like walking around the wilderness "naked, i.e. without any source of protection. And, no I don't go up to bears and start taunting them. However, I have had a run in with about 4 black bears when living on the Oregon coast, and there is no real great reason not to have an protection device with you, since if you do, on the rare occasion, get attacked, you are as good as dead out there.

I want my gun for self-defense and God forbid that I ever would have to remove it from my holster. I don't plan on open carrying. The reason I asked about long guns, is that in some areas, there is threat of grizzly bears, like in National parks in Alaska, Montana, Wyoming and even some very rare parts of Washington state. However, I will feel plenty happy with my .45 and .44 in Oregon and most of Washington.
 
4 Freedom sounds like you have the right attitude. This rule change was a great win for firearms owners and Americans. My hope is that some gun owners don't needlessly rub this new freedom in the face of the anti gun people and especially the large number of people who don't care either way. Concealed carry or open carry handgun is probably the best way to go. Do not purposely intimidate any one in the way you carry or it could be a problem. Too many irresponsible acts and we could lose this freedom in coming years.
 
Open carry is legal in Washington so you may open carry in a National Park in Washington. Carrying a long arm would be legal...

Do you have a source you could cite? I have been hearing about this law but up till now I have only heard that it normalizes concealed carry with state laws. Can anyone verify that it allows open carry for open carry states? It's much easier to open carry with a backpack on then concealed carry since I normally use IWB...
 
I've always carried concealed on hikes in national parks, in WA. With my WA concealed permit. It is just stupid to be out in the middle of nowhere, without any protection.

I would think that if you had a long gun out there, it better be hunting season, or you might get a poaching ticket.

I've seen black bears, heard cougars, and stumbled upon a meth camp up on Mt St Helens wilderness areas. I always back away, and go around, so that I don't have to shoot. .357mag is usually what I carry.
 
Just google National Park Service or NPS.GOV and follow the links for press release or gun law and read their statement. When googleing park gun laws don't be confused by references to the previous rules banning posession or requiring concealed carry as those are updated on 02/22/2010 to allow carry as per state law. Some statements refer to licensed gunowners but many states do not require a license for open carry so that statement doesn't mean anything. Concealed carry according to state regulations. Keep in mind discharging a firearm in the park will get you in trouble.
 
huntpotter not a good idea to admit lawbreaking in writing on the internet. As far as carrying long arms in the park it is legal but has nothing to do with hunting seasons as there is no hunting allowed in the National Parks in Washington. I personally would not carry a long arm in the park just for the problems that could come from people not liking or understanding the law but thats just me.
 
This from the NPS website is interesting:

Federal law continues to prohibit the possession of firearms in designated "federal facilities" in national parks, for example, visitor centers, offices, or maintenance buildings. These places are posted with "firearms prohibited" signs at public entrances.

Sheds some light on all the "is an outhouse in the backcountry considered a federal facility?", "could I get busted for carrying while pooping?" questions.
 
The upshot of the new regulations is this:

You can carry (we are not talking about shooting) in National Parks if you have a CHL issued by the State that the NP is in. State Law prevails. Unlike before. That was then, this is now. State Law prevails. Read the legislation, not the news (I have).

However.....

You do need to know that existing Federal Law prevails when the question of carrying in "federal facilities" is concerned. This has nothing to do with carrying in the wide open spaces of the NP's. So what constitutes "federal facilities", you ask?

Well, that depends on who you ask and what their "persuasion" might be.

Everyone agrees that a Federal Facility denotes a building, inside of which, the Federal Government conducts fedgov business and which is staffed by federal employees conducting said business, such as a federal courthouse, the White House, the floor of the Senate, the local Post Office, a National Park Visitor center, a Forest Service Ranger Station, a Social Security office, etc. So don't get any ideas about exercising your "right" to carry (open or concealed) inside of federal buildings. Because it doesn't exist and hasn't for quite some time. And that ain't about to change.

Does the definition of "facility" also include an outhouse? (Fair question!) Or a campground?

Probably not....if reason were to prevail and a common-sense interpretation of the law were as common as common-sense is assumed to be. But if the anti-gun bureaucrats in the NP system were to have their way, well...it could be, eventually. Point being....it ain't over yet. Expect some push-back. The NPS is all about "managing people" rather than "managing land". It is easier and simpler for the "visitors" to be more easily "managed" for "the safety and security of all visitors " (consider the TSA model here) if they remain as unarmed as they possibly can be.
 

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