Penalty for not adhering to entry point

[Obsidianpumice]

Does anyone know what would happen if you got caught entering at a different trailhead than the one you made a reservation for? Plenty of trailheads are near each other, so I wonder if there's any leniency at all.

Are you sent out? Are you fined?

[maiathebee]

Respect the trailhead quotas. They're there for a reason: to protect the wilderness and preserve it for the life that calls it home and for other humans to enjoy. The consequences are not just about what you will suffer, but about the wild place you are visiting (VIS-IT-ING!) and the plants and animals that call it home. You're not special, you're one of 7 billion humans on this earth. Please remember that your actions have consequences not only to yourself.

As for what would happen if you get caught, you will be hiked out and fined. If you're asking this question, it's likely that you'll be hiking in an impacted area and are likely to get your permit checked. Just don't do it.

You can try to get a walk-up for the trailhead you really want, using your reserved permit as a backup.

[maiathebee]

Ps if the trailheads are near each other, it shouldn't be a problem to start at the one you're permitted for. C'mon.

[John Harper]

You get a blindfold and a last cigarette.

John

[chulavista]

You can sometimes switch trailheads when you pick up your permit depending on availability. Depending on where you go, the trailhead permits might not cover every possible entry point. Just have to use judgment to follow the spirit of the quota rules to not overrun certain areas.

You could ask the same question about having a fire above the elevation limit, leaving garbage at a campsite, or any other wilderness rule. I don't think anyone really knows what would happen if you got caught, but I do know that the wilderness wouldn't be as nice as it is if everyone followed rules based on whether or not they thought they would get caught or punished.

[Wandering Daisy]

They can walk you out and fine you. But it is not consistently enforced. Probably enforced in high use areas such as the Whitney Zone. I hope you are asking this question not to skirt the regulations but simply changing your plans or other logistical problems after you get the permit. I usually build some contingency in my plans, but sometimes the unforeseeable happens. The only time I was stopped by a ranger after going in a day late, I simply explained that I felt safer waiting until morning instead of walking in the dark, and he was OK with it. Most rangers are very reasonable, but they have good instincts for those who are trying to skirt the rules.

True confessions! Once I went in a nearby trailhead because after picking up my permit and driving to the trailhead, there were absolutely NO legal parking places (Tahoe area problem where day-hikers take parking spots that are supposed to be for overnight permit holders and totally pack the side of the highway). Another time I got a permit for Crescent Meadows (HST) and got stuck in a traffic jam, was tight on time, so turned around and went back to Wolverton to start. Ended up the same place at the end of the day. Although the permit station was nearby, it was closed. Another time I was doing a loop and at the trailhead decided to reverse the direction (which actually put me on a different trailhead). A long line at the permit office, traffic, etc. delayed me enough so would have had to hike in the dark before I reached the first campsite from my permitted trailhead, whereas I could easily get to a campsite in a few hours the opposite direction.

[creekfeet]

I don't know, I don't see a huge issue with changing trailheads if you're still heading to the same destination, unless maybe it's a location where parking's an issue. I feel the quotas are in place more to protect backcountry locales than the areas near trailheads where there's no cap on the amount of day hikers that are allowed. Take a super popular location like Emerald and Pear Lakes for instance. If the Wolverton quota's full you'd need to get your permit for Lodgepole, which adds an extra two miles of hiking before meeting up with the Lakes Trail. This junction is less than a quarter-mile into the Lakes Trail proper, so it's not like a significant amount of trail is seeing less impact due to the quota system. But the quota's there in the first place to keep the lakes from turning into full-blown refugee camps, as many people might not realize they can also be accessed beginning on the Old Lodgepole Road.

[tlsharb]

I've had a similar question regarding fishing licenses. At least twice in the last few years I've forgotten my out of state license in the car. I had it....just forgot to put it in the pack. I wondered what would happen if I was caught. I've never seen a fish and game person in the high country, so I'm assuming the chances of getting caught are slim.....but if you were, what would they do?
ts

[Wandering Daisy]

I do believe the rule is the license is always with you, even when out on the shore fishing. I keep my fishing license in my fishing gear bag, since that ALWAYS is with me. I have accidently left my trail permit in the car. Now I make a point of putting it in my ditty bag when I get it. The older I get the more times I forget things! Perhaps at after certain age of senility the warden would forgive you.

[Harlen]

chulavista writes:

You could ask the same question about having a fire above the elevation limit, leaving garbage at a campsite, or any other wilderness rule. I don't think anyone really knows what would happen if you got caught, but I do know that the wilderness wouldn't be as nice as it is if everyone followed rules based on whether or not they thought they would get caught or punished.

X4 The Harlens.