Park Rangers

I'd be lying if I didn't admit that the majority of the time I smoke are in the woods of the beautiful parks I have in my area. 1 of the 3 never, ever have park rangers or even cops stop by. But the other 2, that I use less frequently, have park rangers on staff at all times. They never seem to hike the trails I smoke on anyway, but I'm curious about something.

Do these park rangers have any actual power? I'm very familar with how to handle real cops, but do park rangers have any rights to search you, or do you have to give consent?

If I ever do run in with a park ranger, can I just say "fuck you, I'll leave" and not getting any repercussions?

Thanks. Hopefully someone out there is an actual park ranger or knows of one.

well as far as i know, park ranger can only try to detain you and call the cops. but if they are a game warden to that is a differant story. park ranger-game wardens, are the only federal police that have absolute power over everything, they can even search your car or home withought permission, or warrent....~yes this is true~.....so i would be carefull

Wait, what?

Game wardens have the power to search without permission, but park rangers dont?

Sorry, I was confused when you said "park ranger-game wardens, are the only federal police that have absolute power over everything, they can even search your car or home withought permission, or warrent"

well lots of park rangers are just regular people that work for the forrestry service. but some are game wardens to which makes them federal, so they can search your property withought a warrant. they passed that law so poachers could not get rid of skins or poached meat before the warrant was served..if they dont carry a firearm, there not warrdens..not trying to scare ya just be carefull..

Thanks man :), that's what I needed to know.

But regular park rangers basically carry no rights in terms of search and seizure?

guys guys...

Park Rangers can search your vehicle without any cause, cause you are in a park. They cant "arrest" you but they can put you in handcuffs, haul you off to the Rangers Station, and wait for police to take you the other half of the trip. Basically, when your inside a National/State Park...Rangers are the law. Thats why you dont toke up inside a Park. Yeag above was right in a sense, Park Rangers are considered Game Wardens, since catching Poachers is part of their Job.

Wana know something fucked up..Game Wardens can come INSIDE YOUR HOUSE WITHOUT A WARRANT, and search your fridge.

no you are wrong......sorry lots of rangers work for the forrestry department..but game wardens are a whole other ballgame...look it up..google it...i am right...i am so sure i would self bann myself if i was wrong

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_ranger


And leeched off google::


at the federal level, you have:
- U.S. Park Police, charged with law enforcement at the national parks in Washington DC (The Mall, Washington Monument, etc.) as well as in New York City and San Francisco. They are the closest thing the federal governement has to municipal patrol officers.
- Fish & Wildlife Service Officers, charged with enforcing federal laws regarding fish and wildlife protection.
- National Park Rangers, who fall into two categories. One is comprised of the interpretative staff that gives talks and tours at National Parks; no LE powers. The other is made up of law enforcement personnel that enforce federal as well as state laws on National Park property.

In our state, we have:
- Conservation Wardens, which are often referred to as 'Rangers'. In fact, I was visiting a state park this summer and saw the park's CW driving a squad car marked 'RANGER'. They have state-wide law enforcement status, though they spend most of their efforts enforcing game and state laws at state parks, forest, and other state-owned natural areas.
- State Park Rangers, who are the ones that typically check people into campgrounds at state parks. Little to no legal authority.

Locally, many municpalities employ Park Rangers. In our city, the municipal park rangers do everything from running summer programs to doing maintenance to cleaning bathrooms at municipal parks. About all they can do is write parking tickets and other minor citations.

Hmm thanks for the info, guys. Google never lies.

I guess it just depends on who catches you. I mean it's really hard to get caught in a big park, especially now that it's getting cold.. but I just wanted to make sure that average park rangers couldn't detain you.

I always thought most of the park rangers, branched of a regular LEO, the criminal justice system. Im pretty sure they can act like normal police being there the police of the woods, but I realy dont know.

okay man i know this one for sure, park rangers have ZERO authority, they cant touch you or anything, if you get caught by one just leave. only thing i would be worried about is them getting my license plate and forwarding it to the cops, but as far as park rangers go i would just take a huge it and blow it in their face and leave...

In National Parks they can definitely arrest you. I know a number of people who've been arrested and spent a night in the Yosemite Valley jail for shit like being drunk and disorderly in public.

At the state and local level it probably depends on where you live. Out here in California the rangers carry guns, write tickets for shit like speeding (on mnt bikes LOL), etc. They are considered to be law enforcement. That being said, I know from personal experience that most are extremely lenient and will often look the other way. people become rangers to be part of nature, people become cops to enforce the law.

Yeah, in all of the state parks in Illinois that I've been to, park rangers carry guns and have badges. I think they are also considered state troopers.

NP rangers piss me off to the nth degree; by the way, the national parks pass is going up in cost this new year from $50 to $100; so get one in nov. or december before the rate hike if you need one; i can't believe the arrogance of teh national parks service. i'm not allowed to park my truck and sleep in the back, but there's no problem with building all sorts of hotels, gift shots, all sorts oof crap that impacts the environment (yosemite and yellowstone are prime offenders) because it makes money. it's bullshit. john muir, a personal hero of mine, would roll over in his grave, and so would teddy rosevelt, who instigated the NP system. these days (and i spend lots of time in teh outdoors), you need a national parks pass, national forest, state parks, fish and wildlife, fishing licenses, hunting licenses, fees to camp, fees for certain "attractions..... it's insane. none of this has to do with the entire point of keeping wild areas wild: PROTECTION....building hotels, a jail, and un-fucking-believable gift shops in yosemite valley is unbelievable, how fucking dare they put a line on a map around an area, charge me to get in, then completely disregard the entire purpose of its being. i have no love for rangers either who think that the fucking forest would die if they weren't there to care for it. BTW, i'm on a roadtrip right now and have been to yosemite, lassen, and olympic national parks this month; i'm in central washington and am coming back down the country along the coast to socal; i'm livid with hate for how this country treats its wild areas

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Originally Posted by the yeag

well lots of park rangers are just regular people that work for the forrestry service. but some are game wardens to which makes them federal, so they can search your property withought a warrant. they passed that law so poachers could not get rid of skins or poached meat before the warrant was served..if they dont carry a firearm, there not warrdens..not trying to scare ya just be carefull..

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they can only search your house if they have a reason to do so,(they see the pochers skining a deer in the middle of summer in there kitchen {deer season is fall and winter as far as i know} game wardens are basicaly just cops in different uniforms)

damn man the yeag was right on i googled it

I would just stick to the simple rule that on park grounds, you have little to no rights, because you are on federal property. thats a good rule to live by, i wouldnt assume anyone is powerless becuase why else would they be there. Around NJ we have a couple reserves/parks and then some in s. NY but any way i would rather have a run in with a cop then a ranger. Also just because they have guns, doesnt mean the ones that dont, have no power. Its there property its there law. Like stated there main purpose is the protection of park welfare and wildlife. to think they find some one killing an animal off season they wouldnt let him just walk... And in most cases i do belive because it is federal property there is a dramatic incline in offenses and your ganna get a shit load of fines.