When it's fully upright, you can't open the rear hatch or tailgate.
When it's in the first angled position (for loading or unloading bikes), you can open both the upper hatch and lower tailgate with relatively easy access to anything in the back. The lower tailgate's metal latch hook fits perfectly between the bike rack's formed metal c-supports at the hinge (see photo) - but you wouldn't want more than one person's weight on the tailgate because it will weigh it down enough to make slight contact (but really hasn't been an issue).
When the bike rack is in the fully-down position on the ground, you canNOT open the lower tailgate anymore (see photo).
