Colorado

 

Rocky Mountain National Park

From the 50 State Visitor Guide:

C.R.S. 2019  §§16-13-901 through 16-13-906

C.R.S. §§16-22-101 through 16-22-115

C.R.S. §§18-3-412.5 through 18-3-412.6; 8 C.R.R. 1507-24

AWA Compliant

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Initial registration and updates within 5 business days.  “Residence” means 14 consecutive days in any 30 day period. §16-22-105.

“Temporary Resident” includes present in Colorado more than 14 consecutive business days or 30 days per calendar year. §16-22-102(8)(c).

Transient registrants subject to annual registration must report every 3 mo. Transient registrants subject to quarterly registration must report monthly. §§16-22-105 through 16-22-108.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

No statewide restrictions.

Duration & updates:

Lifetime. Petition: 5 years. Quarterly registration for SVPs & out-of-state who register quarterly in state of convictions. Others register annually. §16-22-108

Colorado Update: October 2023

Petrified tree trunks at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

Enjoy your Colorado vacation but don’t get the idea that it’s a state where you might want to live permanently.  Registration is lifetime no matter your tier or equivalent. The only good news is that for Tier 1 or equivalent you can petition for removal after five years.  But as with most other states, there’s never any guarantee of approval.

But for visitors, Colorado has some of the least punitive requirements of any state. Yes, it’s 14 consecutive business days (or 30 per year) to establish a temporary residence. With 2 weekends included that means at least 18 days total; more if there’s a holiday.

Colorado also has no statewide presence or residency restrictions, although you should still be careful because local restrictions are allowed under state law.

If you read my previous blog – Utah – you may have noticed that at the end I said the next and last state on the return leg of my trip to the 2023 ACSOL conference was Colorado.  And much like my time in Utah, I was only slowing down to see a couple things on my way through Colorado, after which I was hurrying home to Iowa.

This pass through Colorado took two partial days one full day, so my total for the year 2023 was 8 business days plus 2 weekend days, well within Colorado’s limit.  On Day 1 my primary destination was Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.  I had stayed overnight there two years before (see below) but not seen much of it in the daytime and wanted a return visit.  This is a truly stunning canyon, really one of the hidden jewels of the national park system. Very impressive! 

Much like my visit two years prior, that night turned out to be the coldest night of that entire trip.  I guess this mountainous western part of Colorado is just naturally cold!  Good thing I happened upon an RV park that also had cabin rentals with heat – and hot showers!

Day 2 I sort of slow-walked my way across the state without a primary destination, but happened upon Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.  Interesting!  The fossil beds consisted mainly of petrified tree stumps. 

That night I found a state park campground in eastern Colorado and the weather was much better.  The following morning I was out of the state early and on my way home.

 Colorado scenic train rides: July 2023

 

Durango & Silverton Scenic RR

Enjoy your Colorado vacation but don’t get the idea that it’s a state where you might want to live permanently.  Registration is lifetime no matter your tier or equivalent. The only good news is that for Tier 1 or equivalent you can petition for removal after five years.  But as with most other states, there’s never any guarantee of approval.

But for visitors, Colorado has some of the least punitive requirements of any state. Yes, it’s 14 consecutive business days (or 30 per year) to establish a temporary residence. With 2 weekends included that means at least 18 days total; more if there’s a holiday.

Colorado also has no statewide presence or residency restrictions, although you should still be careful because local restrictions are allowed under state law.

If you have been reading my blogs you may know I’m a sucker for a scenic train ride.  The problem is that each one takes most of a day, so if I encounter one while traveling I have to decide between the train ride and anything else I may have intended to do that day.  So the entire purpose of this trip was to go on five Colorado scenic train rides in seven days and get it all out of my system (at least for this year).  Naturally I had to do advance research and make train reservations ahead of time.

I should also say here that when I showed up to report travel at my local sheriff’s department with all my reservations in hand they let me get away with using those train dates and locations as my travel destinations instead of motels and campgrounds.  Of course, whether your local sheriff would be that accommodating is a separate question.

So here are a few comments on the scenic train rides:

Georgetown Loop Scenic Railroad

++ Lots of scenery packed into shortest least expensive ride. Get the mine tour (costs extra).

-- Too “family friendly” – themed playground, toy-heavy gift shop etc. made me paranoid.

Leadville Scenic Railroad

++ Lots of scenery packed into a “relatively inexpensive” ride.

-- Goes through a crappy part of Leadville going and returning; ride is “one-sided” i.e. all the scenery is on the left (downhill) side as your facing the front of the train.

Durango & Silverton Scenic Railroad

++ Most scenic, and the entire train turns around so anything you didn't see on the way up from your assigned seat you will see on the way back.

-- Expensive, box lunch was extra, tracks run alongside US 550 for about an hour each way, tracks poorly maintained so the train rocks a lot.

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

++ Very scenic and you are allowed to move around so you can see out of both sides of the train, price includes buffet lunch, tracks well-maintained.

-- Expensive, not as close to the scenery as others, goes through flat scrub for an hour after leaving town.

Pikes Peak Cog Railroad

++ Unique attraction and technology that takes you to the top of Pikes Peak.

-- Less scenery except from the top of Pikes Peak, assigned seating means you only get one view, buffet lunch at the top costs extra.

In between the train rides I also visited a few other places, including: Rocky Mountain National Park (spectacular and one day only just scratched the surface); Mesa Verde National Park (lots of ancient pueblos, cliff dwellings and petroglyphs – a real hidden gem of the National Park system); Great Sand Dunes National Park (a disappointment); Garden of the Gods (wow you’ve got to go!).

Cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park

Previous visit: October 2021

In October 2021 I entered Colorado from Utah on I-70 in mid-afternoon.  My first destination was Colorado National Monument. I had been there once before but it was a decades ago.  I remembered that it was beautiful, not far from the interstate, and has a scenic drive that only takes an hour or two depending on how much time you want to devote to it.  On all these counts, Colorado National Monument did not disappoint. On the minus side, it was pretty darned cold that day in late October.

My plan was to go south from the interstate and sort of slow-walk my way through Colorado mainly following U.S. 50.  On that route the next national park was Black Canyon of the Gunnison which, like most of you I’m sure, I’d never even heard of.  It was late enough in the season that I worried whether the campgrounds there would be closed. They weren’t, but wow, that was the coldest night of camping on my entire trip!

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

  Southern California

Palm Springs as seen from Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument

From the 50 State Visitor Guide:

Cal. Penal Code 2019 Effective July 1, 2021  §§290 through 294

Cal. Penal Code §§ 3003, 3003.5.   Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 6608.5

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

All registrants must register within 5 working days of coming into the state. §290.011; updates also within 5 working days.  §§290(b), 290.013.  Those working in the state for 14 days or for more than 30 days in a calendar year must register. §290.002.  Those who “regularly reside” at a temporary or permanent residence must register “regardless of the number of days or nights spent here.” §290.010.

Transients must reregister every 30 days. §290.011.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Presence restriction:  Registrants may not enter schools without permission.  §626.81. Parolees with convictions involving minors under 14 may not enter parks without permission. §3053.8.  May not enter daycare or place for dependent adult if conviction involved dependent adult. §653c. 

Residence restriction: 2,000 ft. of schools and parks.  §3003.5(b).  NOTE: this statute was declared unconstitutional as applied to certain parolees by In re Taylor, 60 Cal. 4th 1019 (2015) and is no longer being enforced by the state.  However, local governments may enforce this statute or local ordinances.

Few local governments have more restrictive requirements, not because there is a state pre-emption but because ACSOL aggressively sues & overturns them.

Duration & updates:

Lifetime. Petition to remove: T1 – 10 yrs. T2 – 20 yrs. SVPs update every 90 days; all others update annually. §290.012.

NOTE:  Per Rolfe Survey, visiting registrants are placed on state’s website and not removed. However, per ACSOL staff, procedure available for removal from registry after departure.

 

Sand dune field in Mojave National Preserve

Most recent visit: October 2023

For registered visitors, California is better than some states but worse than others. All registrants must register within five working days of coming into the state. §290.011. Notice the statute says “within five working days,” so it’s clear that your fifth working day in California will trigger their registration requirement. So in reality you only get four working days. Also, as with most states, you should always assume that partial days count – so enter California in the morning and leave four working days later in the evening.

The good news is that weekends and holidays don’t count, so if you include a weekend you can extend your stay. Also, there appears to be no limit per month or year, so if you do include a weekend, and leave California for one day (and two nights) in mid-week, you can re-start the clock.

One piece of good news is that California has very few local ordinances or regulations more restrictive than state law. However, in this case that’s not because they have any state pre-emption. Rather, it’s because ACSOL aggressively sues & overturns them. Therefore, like Arizona and New Mexico which I had just passed through on my October 2023 road trip, you can travel in California mostly without fear of unknowingly tripping over some local land mine.

In October 2023 I came to Southern California to attend the annual ACSOL conference.  Since this conference always takes place on a weekend those days didn’t count towards my California total and I could enter the state on Thursday and stay as long as the following Tuesday.  As it happened I left on Monday.

Mojave National Preserve

Upon entering California from Bullhead City, AZ at about 8:30 am I spent the morning of Day 1 exploring the south half of Mojave National Preserve.  A think many people’s first impression might be, this is a desert so it must be pretty much the same everywhere, but that’s not true.  Unfortunately Mitchell Caverns was closed for the season, but other areas such as Kelso Depot and Hole in the Wall Visitors Center were open. 

Four days later I visited the north half of Mojave Reserve on the return leg of my California trip when I passed by on I-15.  In this area there are cinder cones and a large sand dune field.  A rail line also passes through Mojave, and I saw a long train bristling with tanks and other military equipment traveling southwest, presumably towards the Port of Los Angeles on its way to Ukraine.

 

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

I devoted the afternoon of Day 1 to Joshua Tree National Park, which is very beautiful and diverse.  I also camped there overnight (Belle Campground) and spent a little of the next morning taking in the southern half of this great park.

But I spent the remainder of Day 2 trying to get to Los Angeles and the ACSOL conference which would take place on Saturday and Sunday, days which did not count toward my total allowable days in California because it was a weekend.

Upon leaving the conference on Sunday evening I thought I could head into nearby San Gabriel Mountains National Monument to find a campground, but this proved impossible partly because some of the internal park roads were already closed for the season (!) and partly because there were a lot of other people who apparently had the same idea I did.  In the end I found a little “informal” place to park for the night.

The next morning was Monday and therefore counted as Day 3 of my four allowable days in California.  My goal for this day was simple – get out of California and as close to Zion National Park in Utah as possible.  Even with a little side trip into the north half of Mohave National Preserve (see above) I accomplished this goal easily.  I was in Nevada by 4:00 pm.

Previous visit: October 2021

On my previous visit I entered California as early as possible on a Thursday morning. I wanted to have as much time as possible that day to take in Joshua Tree National Park – which I did and thoroughly enjoyed – before proceeding as far west and north as I could that day, finding an inexpensive motel to set myself up to visit Sequoia National Park the next day.

That’s when my trip began to go badly.  That part of California had suffered major forest fires only weeks earlier. Perhaps you’ll recall seeing news reports about firefighters wrapping the General Sherman in aluminum foil. The skies hung with stale smoke and both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks were still closed, as was Giant Sequoia National Monument. It was sad.

However, it turns out that most of the Giant Sequoias in California aren’t even in these parks and monuments. Of course, if you’re from California you already know this and consider me to be a complete idiot for not knowing, but I was happy to find that Sierra National Forest was undamaged by fire and still open for business, and has its own Sequoia groves for tourist to take pictures of.

El Capitan, Yosemite National Park

From there I proceeded further north and found a National Forest campground with plenty of sites available about 40 miles from the Yosemite south entrance. My plan was to spend the next two days (Sat. & Sun.) there. Little did I know that even in mid-October the weather was starting to deteriorate rapidly.

Also, even though the park was crowded the tram busses had stopped operating at the end of September, which meant that I couldn’t go see Mariposa Giant Sequoia Grove unless I felt like hiking six miles each way. That would’ve meant devoting most of that first day to just that one hike, so it was out of the question.

Instead I devoted both of my two days to Yosemite Valley, the park’s main draw. Spectacular, of course, and there were plenty of Giant Sequoias, but no bus trolleys operating there either. My plan was to leave by the east entrance on the afternoon of my second day, which I did although I was surprised to see signs announcing that entire road would be closed for the season by Wednesday of the coming week! Then by the time I got to Tioga Pass there was snow on the ground.

Again, if you know California you’ll call me an idiot for not realizing that mid-October is already too late in the season. I stayed at a little motel in the town of Lee Vining, and the next morning it was 19 degrees and my car had two inches of snow on it! Oh well, this is how we learn. All the local campgrounds were closed for the season.

My plan for that Monday was to cruise down U.S. 395 and drive through Death Valley National Park before leaving the state. That much I accomplished successfully. Next time I’ll know better than to leave only two days for Yosemite, and certainly not in October.

 Grand Canyon National Park

Desert View

From the 50 state visitor guide (Arizona):

A.R.S. 2019  §§ 13-3821 through 13-3829, 13-3727

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Visitors must register if staying for more than 72 hours excluding weekends & holidays (per statute). §13-3821(A). SOR office refused to answer whether return visits allowed per month or year. “That’s determined by local sheriff.” NOTE: AZ SOR office defers on many questions to local county sheriffs for interpretation. Updated Aug 2024.

Initial reg. required “within 72 hours excluding weekends & holidays of entering and remaining in any county.”  §13-3821. Updated 8/2022.  Registrants working in state must report in any county where present for 14 consecutive days or an aggregate of 30 days/yr.  Address change etc. required w/in 72 hours (business days only).  §13-3822.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction:  1,000 ft. restriction applies to Level 3 offenders. §13-3727. Local governments are pre-empted from adopting more restrictive requirements. §13-3727.

Duration & updates:

10 years to life. Transients report every 90 days.  All others annually.

 

Grandview

Most recent visit: October 2023

Grand Canyon visitors beware – Arizona has recently revised its statutes to be much tougher on visiting registrants. Visitors now must register if staying for more than 72 hours (excluding weekends and holidays). This requirement can be found in A.R.S.§13-3821(A). Arizona’s SOR office refused to answer whether return visits allowed per month or year, saying, “That’s determined by local sheriff.”

One silver lining is that not only does Arizona’s 1000 foot residency restriction apply only to Level 3 offenders, it is also one of seven states that statutorily pre-empt local governments from adopting any ordinance or regulation more restrictive than state law. So like New Mexico which I had just left on my trip to attend the October 2023 ACSOL Conference, you can travel in Arizona without fear of unknowingly tripping over some local land mine.

Grand Canyon National Park comprised days 2 & 3 (hours 13-60) of my travel through Arizona.  I should point out here that actually, you can see as much as you want of this national park in two business days and be out of Arizona before your 72 hours expire, as I did on this particular trip.  Unlike parks like Yellowstone and Great Smokey Mountains that have a wide variety of different things to see, the Grand Canyon is, after all, just one thing.  It’s huge and stunningly beautiful, and there are many different viewpoints to visit, but they are all views of the same geological feature. 

What you can’t do unless you time your trip to include a weekend and/or holiday is see anything else in the Grand Canyon region, like Antelope Canyon on the Navajo Nation or Grand Canyon West which I will discuss in more detail below.  You’ll have to leave them for a future trip, or take your chances on leaving Arizona for at least one hour (and document that with receipts and date & time stamped photos) and returning to re-state the 72 hour clock, even though I told you (above) that the Arizona SOR office refused to tell me whether return visits are allowed per month or year. 

Sunrise over the Grand Canyon

Last point – this national park is actually not very close to any state line, so you’ll be wasting hours of time schlepping to Utah or California just to get out of Arizona for an hour.  You might as well figure on an overnight stay out of state.

I entered the national park from the east on U.S. 64.  The first major viewpoint you come to is Desert View, which is where the Colorado River makes a 90 degree turn so you can look up the canyon to the north and down the canyon to the west.  This was also where my campsite was for the coming night.  Although it was off-season and midweek, it was a good thing I’d made a reservation because the “campground full” sign was up. 

From Desert View it’s about 20 miles to Grand Canyon Village.  At that point you have to park in the main lot and get on one of three different shuttle busses to see everything else.  That’s going to take some time – in my case most of my first afternoon and my entire second morning.  But the views are stunning and you’ll want to see them all.

You may have heard that you can also take a donkey tour to the bottom of the canyon or a rafting trip down the river.  That’s all true and I’m sure they are amazing experiences – but – each one of those will take at least two days, so you’ll definitely have to plan your trip carefully to include a weekend and if possible a holiday (Indigenous Peoples Day?) so you’ll have enough time to do it all.  And make your reservations well ahead of time.

 

Grand Canyon West

Grand Canyon West

Most people who visit Las Vegas and want to spend some of their winnings to visit the Grand Canyon don’t go to the national park.  That’s because the park entrance is over four hours each way by car or tour bus from Las Vegas, which blows an entire day all by itself.  Instead most Vegas tourists go to Grand Canyon West, which is “only” 1 1/2 hours each way.  That way you can get there, take the tour and get back to your hotel, all in one day.

So what is Grand Canyon West?  It’s actually a part of the Hualapai Nation Reservation which the tribe has ingeniously rebranded and built as a complete canyon attraction and tour to separate Las Vegas tourists from their money.  The entire tour is great but the crown jewel of Grand Canyon West is the Skywalk, a clear plexiglas walkway that literally takes you out over the canyon so you feel like you’re in midair.

I didn’t go to Grand Canyon West on my trip to attend the October 2023 ACSOL Conference but I have been there once, long before I flushed my life down the toilet and landed on my state’s registry.  I really liked it, but get ready to pay through the nose!  The Hualapai Nation has something you really want to see and they know it.  They’re making money the old fashioned way, and there’s no casino on their reservation.

When you enter the reservation your first stop will be “The Terminal.”  That’s a building where they herd everyone in to pay for a really expensive “One Day Passport” to be on their land.  The passport includes one of those hours-long bus shuttle tours where you can get off and on at each tour stop, and while you’re on the bus the native tour host tells you native lore and fun facts about the canyon.

However, this very expensive “One Day Passport” DOES NOT include the Skywalk.  That requires an extra ticket, also very expensive.  And the native tour host keeps telling you that you are welcome to take all the photos you want – EXCEPT no pictures on the Skywalk “out of respect for the spirits of the canyon.” 

Grand Canyon West - Skywalk

Then, after much anticipation, you get on the Skywalk only to discover that there are native photographers out there only too ready to take photos of you suspended in the sky above the canyon.  I guess those guys are blessed by the spirits of the canyon or something?!  Then at the end of Skywalk you walk straight into – what else? – a gift shop where they will be happy to sell you very expensive photo packages like what you might be suckered into buying after a leaving a thrill ride at Six Flags.

So at this point you’ve spent hundreds of dollars (per person!) and you haven’t bought the first refrigerator magnet or souvenir mug at the gift shop.  You haven’t bought your expensive lunch at the Indian barbeque restaurant across the street.  You have, however, had a well worth it tour of the Grand Canyon and the Hualapai Nation has cleaned you out of all your Las Vegas winnings.  This is capitalism at its best.  I love America!

 Arizona

Saguaro National Park, Tucson

From the 50 State Visitor Guide:

A.R.S. 2019  §§ 13-3821 through 13-3829, 13-3727

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Visitors must register if staying for more than 72 hours excluding weekends & holidays. §13-3821(A). SOR office refused to answer whether return visits allowed per month or year. “That’s determined by local sheriff.” Updated Aug 2022.

Initial reg. required “within 72 hours excluding weekends & holidays of entering and remaining in any county.”  §13-3821. Updated 8/2022.  Registrants working in state must report in any county where present for 14 consecutive days or an aggregate of 30 days/yr.  Address change etc. required w/in 72 hours (business days only).  §13-3822.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction:  1,000 ft. restriction applies to Level 3 offenders. §13-3727. Local governments are pre-empted from adopting more restrictive requirements. §13-3727.

Duration & updates:

10 years to life. Transients report every 90 days.  All others annually.

 

Petrified Forest National Park

Most recent visit: October 2023

Grand Canyon visitors beware – Arizona has recently revised its statutes to be much tougher on visiting registrants. Visitors now must register if staying for more than 72 hours (excluding weekends and holidays). This requirement can be found in A.R.S.§13-3821(A). Arizona’s SOR office refused to answer whether return visits allowed per month or year, saying, “That’s determined by local sheriff.”

One silver lining is that not only does Arizona’s 1000 foot residency restriction apply only to Level 3 offenders, it is also one of seven states that statutorily pre-empt local governments from adopting any ordinance or regulation more restrictive than state law. So like New Mexico which I had just left on my trip to attend the October 2023 ACSOL Conference, you can travel in Arizona without fear of unknowingly tripping over some local land mine.

It so happened that I entered Arizona from the Zuni Nation at about 12:00 noon on Indigenous Peoples Day.  Question: Is that a “holiday” in Arizona as it pertains to the registry?  I don’t know yet, but since I planned to be in this state just short of 72 hours in any case I could safely err on the side of caution and count my first 12 hours here towards the total.  I’ll need to call the SOR office anyway when I update all my research in 2024, so I’ll ask them then and let you know.

That first day I was able to squeeze in both Petrified Forest, which is a national park with its own exit on I-40, and Meteor Crater which is a private attraction.  With the Petrified Forest you also get the Painted Desert all on the same auto tour.  Meteor Crater also has its own I-40 exit so it’s easy to get to.

Days 2 & 3 in Arizona (hours 13-60) consisted of a brief side trip into the Navaho and Hopi reservations (see my Navaho, Hopi & Zuni Nations blog post) and the Grand Canyon (which I will also describe in a separate post).  At the end of Day 3 I camped at Lake Mead National Recreation Area – specifically Katherine Campground just outside Bullhead City, which was nearly empty, it being off-season and mid-week.

Bullhead City is also right on Arizona’s western state line, so when I got started the next morning, drove thru breakfast and crossed into California it was about 8:30 am.  I had spent exactly 68.5 hours in this state if you include Indigenous Peoples Day, or 56.5 hours if you don’t.

Meteor Crater

Previous visit: October 2021

In October 2021 I entered Arizona on I-10 in early afternoon, which left plenty of time that day to see Saguaro National Park, which is quite literally in Tucson. One minute you’re driving through the city’s eastern suburbs, the next minute you’re entering a national park – so in that way it’s a bit like entering Great Smokey Mountains National Park from Gatlinburg, TN.   Saguaro has an auto loop road, so it’s pretty easy to go tour the whole park, enjoy all the saguaro cactus trees, and be on your way. 

But Saguaro has no campgrounds. I thought I would overnight at a state park, but even though it was midweek and slightly off-season I was met with a “campground full” sign. So I found an inexpensive motel in town.

My main objective for the next day was to get as close to California as possible so I could enter the following morning. I got to Buckskin Mountain State Park, which is right on the Colorado River, early in the afternoon which left enough time for a side trip to Lake Havasu City to get my car serviced (it was due for an oil change & tire rotation).

London Bridge, Lake Havasu City

While there I visited the town’s big tourist attraction – London Bridge! I vaguely remembered that some town in Arizona had bought London Bridge some years ago, but didn’t know it was right there! Due to the stupidity of the International Megan’s Law, Great Britain refuses to let registered Americans in. I suppose this was as close to London as I’ll ever get.

 New Mexico

Bandera Volcano

From the 50 State Visitor Guide:

N.M. Stat. Ann. 2019  §§29-11A-1 through 29-11A-10

N.M.A.C. §1.18.790.157

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

5 business days for initial registration & updates. §29-11A-4.

State law requires “sex offenders” to register, which includes one who: (1) establishes a residence [not defined] in NM; (2) “stays in multiple locations in NM,” or (3) is enrolled in a NM school, or (4) is employed in NM for more than 14 days or an aggregate period exceeding 30 days in a calendar year. §29-11A-3.

Visitors: NM State Police say: “If convicted prior to July 1, 2013 you will need to register if in the state of New Mexico for longer than ten (10) days. You will need to register within five (5) days if convicted after July 1, 2013.” §29-11A-4 says business days.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

State pre-emption: Cities, counties & other political subdivisions are prohibited from adopting any ordinance, rule, regulation, resolution or statute on sex offender registration and notification and from imposing any other restrictions on sex offenders that are not included in the state SOR Act. §29-11A-9.

Duration & updates:

10 years to life. Updates are every 6 mo. or every 90 days depending on offense. §29-11A-4.

Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument

Most recent visit: October 2023

If your conviction was prior to July 1, 2013 New Mexico will require you to register if in the state for longer than ten days. However, if (like me) your conviction was after July 1, 2013 you only get five days. Two pieces of good news: N.M. Stat. §29-11A-4 says that either way, it’s business days. Also, there appears to be no limit per month or year, so you can leave the state for one complete calendar day (including the two nights on either side of that day, and making sure to keep your receipts to prove your whereabouts) and restart the clock again when you return.

One other piece of very good news is that not only does New Mexico have no statewide presence or residency restrictions, it is also one of seven states that statutorily pre-empt local governments from adopting any ordinance or regulation more restrictive than state law. So you can travel in New Mexico without fear of unknowingly tripping over some local land mine.

In October 2023 I was on my way to the annual ACSOL Conference and took the opportunity to see some parts of this state I’d never visited before.  I was in the state for parts of three days, entering on a Saturday and leaving on a Monday which so happened to be Indigenous Peoples Day (a.k.a. Columbus Day), so I was in New Mexico for zero business days and never actually started their five business day clock toward a registration requirement.

Entering about mid-morning of Day 1 from Colorado on I-25, I quickly ditched the interstate highway to explore New Mexico’s rugged north country on U.S. 64.  Passed by Philmont Scout Ranch where I had lead a group of teens on a backpacking adventure a lifetime ago.  Did not hear any hum in Taos.  Took a few side trips to peak at Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument, Bandelier National Monument and Valle Grande National Preserve.  All worthwhile places to visit – maybe I’ll stay longer next time.  

Church in San Ildefonso Pueblo

Another interesting stop late on Day 1 was San Ildefonso Pueblo.  As a rule, I have found that the people of the indigenous pueblos of the Southwest would much rather be left alone, but they know that tourists want to gawk at their pueblos, especially an authentic place like San Ildefonso.  The people here have put a Visitor Center at the entrance to their pueblo (closed that afternoon on account of a traditional ceremony) and have established a short driving tour you’re allowed to take as long as you stay the heck out of the rest of their community. Very interesting!  

Spent the night in Los Alamos (the town, not the military base).

Chaco Culture National Historic Park

On Day 2 my main adventure was Chaco Culture National Park. I entered from the north from U.S. 550. Peering down the dirt County Road 7900 I thought, this is an official county road leading to a national park – surely it’s well maintained, right?  And it was – until it wasn’t!!  After that you and your car’s suspension are on your own!  This just illustrates how neither the Navajo Nation nor any other local government has no particular interest in whether you can get to Chaco Canyon or not.  

Ancient communal dwelling a Chaco Canyon

But just when I was sure my car was a goner I passed the park entry monument and Tadahhh !! everything inside the park is nicely paved.  Later on, leaving by the south (CR 14) was also dirt, longer but a much easier ride – although it had its moments.  I was told that these road conditions can vary widely from year to year and season to season.  Just be ready for anything.

However, the park itself is truly spectacular.  The canyon is beautiful, and the ancient pueblos and kivas are among the best preserved you’ll see anywhere.  Even I who have no military experience could see that the three main pueblos are strategically located so that, between them, the entire canyon could be well defended and the Anasazi could see any unwanted visitors approaching.

Ancient Kiva at Chaco Culture National Historic Park

That night I camped that night at El Malpais (“The Badlands”) National Monument before taking a tour of its wonders the next morning, Day 3 of my tour of New Mexico.  That morning I also stopped at Bandera Ice Caves & Volcano, a private attraction that’s really worth the stop, and El Morro (“The Headwaters”) National Monument which has petroglyphs, a pueblo & kiva, and the graffiti of early Spanish explorers.

Zuni Pueblo

As I was departing New Mexico on State Road 53 I decided to stop in Zuni Pueblo, the largest town of the Zuni Nation.  It so happened this was on Indigenous Peoples Day (a.k.a. Columbus Day) and I was feeling guilty about wandering down the side streets of Zuni Pueblo on a day when the people would want more than anything not to be reminded of Europeans’ existence.  There is a small visitors center but guess what?  Appropriately enough, it was closed for Indigenous Peoples Day!

If you want to gawk at reservation poverty it would be hard to pick a better pueblo to do that than Zuni Pueblo.  Unlike San Ildefonso Pueblo which I had visited two days earlier (see my New Mexico post) there was no auto tour posted outside the visitor center, and there was almost no adobe architecture, authentic or not.  Instead it’s mostly run down shacks and mobile homes.  I didn’t take any pictures. By noon I was crossing the state line into Arizona.

Previous visit: October 2021

When I entered New Mexico from Texas in October 2021 I had a reservation for a tour at Carlsbad Caverns.  Technically, you are required to have such an advance reservation, but on the shoulder season day I arrived it wasn’t booked up so I could’ve bought the $1.00 ticket at the counter.

Wow!  Best. Cavern. Ever! Just go, and you’ll know exactly what I mean.

Carlsbad caverns

From Carlsbad I traveled west on U.S. 82 & U.S. 70, which took me through Lincoln National Forest and past White Sands National Monument (both very beautiful in their own ways and well worth a stop) but unfortunately I couldn’t figure out how to get to Organ Mountains Nat. Mon. from any direction. Is that deliberate? The peaks sure look spectacular from I-10.

  Wyoming

From the 50 State Visitor Guide  :

Wyo. Stat. 2021 §§7-19-301 through 7-19-320

AWA Compliant

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Three business days for initial registration and updates, including temporary trips and vacations. “Temporary residence” includes hotels, motels, camping areas & parks. §7-19-301(xi)(C).

Visitors must register within 3 business days. §7-19-302(c)(iv).

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: Adults “who are required to register … pursuant to §7-19-302” may not reside within 1,000 ft. from schools. §6-2-320.

Presence restrictions:  Adults “who are required to register … pursuant to §7-19-302” may not enter school grounds if s/he “has reason to believe children … are present and are involved in school activity or when children are present within 30 minutes before or after scheduled school activity” and may not “knowingly loiter on a public way within 1,000 feet from the property line of school grounds.” Various exceptions apply. §6-2-320.

NOTE: Because §6-2-320 says these restrictions apply to adults “who are required to register … pursuant to §7-19-302”, and visitors in state for less than three business days are not required to register, such visitors would, in theory, not be subject to these restrictions.  However, this theory remains untested.

Duration & updates:

Lifetime; petitions for removal available. §7-19-304.  Updates: §7-19-302.

Trilobite Mass Death at Wyoming Dinosaur Center

Most recent visit: July 2026

Wyoming is yet another one of those states where visitors are required to register within three business days.  Partial days count and the third day triggers your obligation to register, so make the most of the two business days you actually get here.  The silver lining is, if you enter the state on Friday morning and include a weekend, you can be in Wyoming for four days.

Also, Wyoming has no limitations on the number of return visits per month or year.  This is an important consideration for registered visitors because it means that if you leave the state for at least two nights and one business day (so that the intervening day can’t be counted against you as a “partial day”) you can return and restart the clock.  You can leave Wyoming late on Tuesday, spend Wednesday somewhere else, then return early on Thursday for another extended weekend in Wyoming.

As noted above, because Wyoming’s law explicitly says that its residency and presence restrictions only apply to adults “who are required to register … pursuant to §7-19-302”, and visitors in state for less than three business days are not required to register, such visitors would, in theory, not be subject to these restrictions.  

However, this theory remains untested and I’m not going to be the one to test it.  My advice is to act like these restrictions apply to you anyway while in Wyoming just in case.  Fortunately all of Wyoming’s restrictions involve schools, which are relatively easy to stay away from unless your son has invited you to attend your granddaughter’s middle school graduation.  Then you’re screwed.

Grand Tetons National Park

Devil’s Tower Mato Tipila (Bear Lodge) National Monument

Although I was heading for the Pacific Northwest in August 2026, I left time for a side trip on I-90 about 75 miles west of the Black Hills to see Devil’s Tower Mato Tipila (Bear Lodge).  Mato Tipila is the Kiowa name for this 50 million year old magmatic intrusion.  They imagined that a giant bear clawed the grooves into the igneous rock cliffs.  Sounds reasonable to me.

Mato Tipila is, of course, the main event at this national monument.  The main trail, which is paved with asphalt (see photo), goes around the Lodge column.  It’s pretty easy and only 1.4 miles. Part of it is handicapped accessible.

Grand Teton National Park

In September 2023 I was in Wyoming for parts of three consecutive days, but because that third day when I was out before 8:30 am was a Saturday I was in compliance with state law no matter how harshly you interpret it.

I entered Wyoming from Idaho early on Day 1 on State Road 22.  My plan was to spend the morning at Grand Teton National Park, which I knew from a 2015 visit wouldn’t be nearly enough time to see it all.  Nevertheless I got many fine photos of the mountains, gawked with a crowd watching a few moose frolicking in the water of the Laurence S. Rockefeller Preserve, and walked the Lakeshore Nature Trail near the Colter Bay Visitor Center.  

As rushed as my time at Grand Teton was, I was still running behind my planned schedule by the time I was heading east on U.S. 26.  I had thought I could make it to the Wyoming Dinosaur Center and Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis before they closed for the day but it soon became obvious that wasn’t going to happen, so I stopped in the dumpy little town of Shoshoni where I spent the night at its nice new town RV park.

Wind Canyon - a Wyoming must-see

Wind River Canyon and Reservation

The town of Shoshoni buts up to Wind River Reservation (Shoshone and Arapaho).  I wasn’t paying much attention to reservations in 2023 but I was so impressed with Wind River Canyon, which is on the reservation, that I vowed to come back and see more.  Now that I’m paying attention, I returned on the last leg of my 2026 Pacific Northwest road trip, and when I post about it later in this series I will have much more to say about the truly magical place that is the Wind River Reservation.

On my 2023 trip through the canyon I happened to meet a geologist who was there making videos to use in his university classes.  He couldn’t stop gushing about how important this canyon is, how its exposed rock layers show the geologic history of the region, etc. etc.  And yet this canyon isn’t on anybody’s map.  I mused that the tribes must consider this canyon sacred and would rather keep tourists away but he said Nope!  The Arapahoe and Shoshone tribes were both dragged here from somewhere else, the canyon is not sacred, these two tribes are not exactly bff’s and live uneasily together on the reservation.

Ayer's Natural Bridge

Anyway, from Wind Canyon I proceeded east on U.S. 20 and I-25, stopping to take in Hell’s Half Acre (which is actually 320 acres) and Ayer’s Natural Bridge on my way to my planned campground in Medicine Bow National Forest.  That campground turned out to be waaaaaaay more remote than it looked on the map, but it was also completely empty so I had the whole place to myself.

The next morning I got an early start and zoomed out of Wyoming.  I made it home to eastern Iowa by that night.

 Idaho

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

Idaho Code 2022 §§18-8301 through 18-8414.  I.D.A.P.A. §11.10.03.000 through 11.10.03.012.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Two working days for initial registration and updates.  Transient registrants must report location every 7 days.  §§18-8307, 18-8308.

Statutes do not address registration requirements for visitors. However, "Temporary lodging" means any place in which the offender is staying when away from his or her residence for seven (7) or more days 18-8323 (1)(h). Added Aug. 2024. Also, “any person who enters this state … and makes an application for an identification card or a [drivers] license in this state” is presumed to be establishing a residence. §18-8306(4). Sheriff will notify you of the 2 day obligation to register (see above). 

Rolfe survey indicates that visits of 7 days or more require registration.  

Temporary volunteers or employees:  Must register if in state for more than ten consecutive days, or for an aggregate period of 30 days in a calendar year.  If “employment involves counseling, coaching, teaching, supervising or working with minors in any way,” must register “regardless of the period of employment.” §18-8303(6).

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

May not reside or loiter within 500 ft. of school, and may not reside within more than one person also required to register, with certain exceptions.  §§18-8331, 18-8332.

Presence restriction:  Day cares, unless picking up or dropping off one’s own children.  §18-8327.

Duration & updates:

Lifetime.  Petition to remove – 10 yrs.  Sexually Violent Persons must update every 3 months.  All others update annually.  §18-8307.

Per Rolfe Survey, Visiting Registrants once placed on state’s registry ARE NOT REMOVED.

Deer feeding at roadside

Most recent visits: August & September 2023

I have read through Idaho’s statutes several times and still have a number of questions about it, but calling the Idaho SOR office proved useless because all you get is an outgoing message that says they only answer questions from attorneys.  Therefore in discussing the number of days you can be in this state or what restrictions might apply to you while visiting I need to err on the side of caution. 

For example, Idaho Statutes do not address registration requirements for visitors.  However, “transient registrants” must report location every 7 days (§§18-8307, 18-8308) and I notice that the Rolfe Survey claims visits of 7 days or more require registration.  Putting those two things together I conclude that if you’re in state for 7 days or more that would automatically make you a  “transient registrant” and you have to register … so just be gone by the end of Day 6.

Do partial days count?  I don’t know and they won’t answer that question, so your safest bet is to assume they do.  However, Idaho Statutes sets no maximum number of days per calendar month or year, and they won’t answer that question either, so I my assumption is that return visits are okay.

Scenic Idaho river

First pass through Idaho

These are the assumptions I felt safe in making on my 2023 Pacific Northwest Tour, when I passed through Idaho twice.  My first pass consisted of three consecutive partial days, well within the state’s limit.  On Day 1 I entered from Montana on U.S. 2 and took a look at Bonner’s Ferry (where I had lunch), Sandpoint and Kootenai before returning to Montana.  And I must say I was not impressed.

On Day 2 I entered Idaho again from Montana again late in the afternoon, this time on I-90, on my way to my reserved campsite at Hepburn State Park.  Nice place.  The next morning I got back on I-90 and headed west into Washington State.  As brief as each of those partial day forays into Idaho were, they were consecutive and they all counted.

Sawtooth National Recreation Area

Second pass through Idaho

My second pass through Idaho consisted of four consecutive partial days, again well within what I infer to be the state’s limit.  These two visits were separated by 12 calendar days and were in two different months (Aug & Sept) so according to the assumptions I made above I was fine.

My first partial day of my second pass through Idaho was not planned in advance.  I had been in Oregon and decided to go take a look at Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, and the most logical way to get back from there to my reserved motel room in Ontario OR was SR 71 and US 95 in Idaho.  And you may say Oh Please!  How can that little short cut even count?!  But my job here isn’t to comment on the utter stupidity of any state’s registry laws, it’s to explain how I navigated those laws so you can too.

On Day 2 of this pass I entered Idaho from Ontario OR early in the morning, made a loop up US 95 and down State Road 55.  My original plan was to find a campground somewhere in Boise National Forest, but that was the day I changed my mind and decided to go back to Ontario and scope it out as a possible future base camp for Pacific Northwest travel (see the Pacific Northwest Tour Overview and my Oregon blog entry).  So yes I spent most of the day in Idaho but still a partial day.

Devil's Orchard, Craters of the Moon National Monument

Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Craters of the Moon National Monument

Day 3 was my most extensive travel day in Idaho.  Entering from Ontario again, Sawtooth National Recreation Area was magnificent and my only regret is that I couldn’t devote any more time to it.  Maybe next time!  

I wanted to return to a place I’d been to years ago – Craters of the Moon National Monument.  Like Lava Beds National Monument only bigger (see California), it consists of vast lava beds (laid down only 2000 years ago) and twisted formations.  I walked the Devil’s Orchard Nature Trail, drove the park loop road to see Inferno Cone and Big Sink Overlook.  It’s like a dream world.

From there I headed east late in the afternoon on my way to find a campground somewhere east of Idaho Falls.  Ririe Lake Recreation Area fit the bill nicely and had showers too.  This was the only night I slept in Idaho on my second pass.  The next morning, my fourth consecutive partial day, I grabbed some breakfast at a convenience store and headed over the Tetons into Wyoming.