Camping at Paradise?

Hey, I am new to the area and was wondering if, on a nice weekend, it would be reasonable to spend the night up at paradise or in the MRNP backcountry? I understand the road is gated every day outside of 9-5.

Lets say you arrive saturday morning... assuming the weather was nice, theres no reason why they would keep the gate closed sunday morning, trapping you up there, is there?

Thanks!

I haven't overnighted in that area in a while, but from what I recall, you have to get an overnight permit at Longmire to spend the night. I don't think there's any cost associated with the permit, however.

You can't camp at Paradise, you have to be a certain distance from the parking lot - but there are plenty of places you are allowed to camp that you can reach fairly easily.

Note that the above information is based on my somewhat foggy memory and may be somewhat inaccurate.

Telemetry only shows a couple feet, probably heavily runneled and icy.
"Snow camping at Paradise is prohibited until there is at least five feet of snow on the ground".
www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/upload/Wi...ing-Nov13-Wmap-1.pdf

"Hard-sided containers are REQUIRED in all Paradise area winter camping zones"
www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/winter-re...n.htm#CP_JUMP_230057

I couldn't find it on the park website, but I'm pretty sure sleeping in vehicles is not allowed anywhere outside park campgrounds, which are all closed. It's legal to camp on adjacent USFS roads at any turnout for up to two weeks per year, I believe.

Fairly rare events can trap campers at Paradise.  Ice storms, landslides and flood damage have closed the road in the past.  The road was closed this morning at the park entrance by numerous large fallen trees below Longmire and Paradise remained closed all day today.

I couldn't find it on the park website, but I'm pretty sure sleeping in vehicles is not allowed anywhere outside park campgrounds,

Camping in a vehicle isn't permitted. For an overnight stay you need a backcountry camping permit. (which means 5 feet of snow and all)

The group camping areas around Paradise are all pretty close to the "Comfort Station" / parking lot.

Here is some information. www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/upload/Wi...ing-Nov13-Wmap-1.pdf

Note that in the evening the rangers will do a sweep of the parking lot and inspect every vehicle in the lot and check it's plate number against the list of plate numbers registered with the backcountry camping permit system. If the plate number doesn't come up -- they check with the DOL to get the name of the registered owner and then look up the home phone number and give it a call.

I've seen the rangers perform this procedure and use it to initiate search and rescue operations.

Some of rangers have also informed me that if your vehicle is registered in the backcountry camping permit system and when they sweep your vehicle it they can't tell whether you are sleeping in the car during their normal sweep operations -- that they aren't going to be prying into the vehicle to see you are in there or sleeping in a snow cave 1/4 mile away.

Of course if some day trip person doesn't make it back -- you might not get much sleep with search and rescue operations getting underway.