Protecting national parks from too much love
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- Опубліковано 6 жов 2024
- Over the past decade, the number of visitors to our national parks has increased 34%, forcing many parks to require reservations, timed entry passes, and shuttle buses in order to limit crowds and traffic. This Memorial Day Weekend (one of the busiest weekends of the year), correspondent Conor Knighton looks at how some of our national parks are dealing with becoming too popular.
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Please dont expand the roads in these beautiful places - we shouldnt take away from sacred lands to see them more.
I 100% agree with you, that guy is way off base.
@@jeanettel4840 well, he personally stands to benefit as a local developer.
Protect? seems like you're getting tired of people being negligence Wildfires and drought
Yeah let’s make it where only people with enough money can use them.
@@SkepticalZack Reservations are free or a nominal cost. It’s not like an airplane where the pricing is dynamic to meet both maximum capacity and revenue.
Scheduling hurts spontaneity? Really? Try out the spontaneity of being turned away at very crowded times. Reservations are wonderful.
Agreed. And a three hour wait to get in without a reservation and to fight crowds. Who wants that. For now the Reservation system is the only thing that makes sense.
No one wants a reservation and then have a rainy day. Spontaneity is based on weather.
weather over everything and that’s where the ability to go when the weathers nice is a huge factor for many, whether you like to admit it or not
Our national parks are amazing spaces where one can reconnect with nature and remember what is truly most worth enjoying about life. whatever preserves the parks for perpetuity I am in support of. The national parks are for all of us, I have enjoyed a few of them and they always remind me of how beautiful our country is.
Ronald understands. Some of the last free space is public BLM land. Everything is privatized. National parks are so restricted it’s hard to enjoy without sneaking on. It’s became a place to just look and leave. Camping in a tent is banned in many places in favor of RV’s. Having to make reservations make trips impossible for me. Protect them? Maybe. I’m just lucky enough to have been to all the locations listed. Such as Zion and Glacier. But unlucky enough to have seen them put up gates, post fees, ban activities that others seem too lazy to even care about. One day expect them to close eagles landing hike. The talk comes up everytime someone falls to say because one person messed up, thousands may no longer enjoy it.
Wildfires....... reservations really that's stupid
I totally agree with this there is nothing worse than going to a park and it feels like a shopping mall with people walking around on their phone bumping into everyone, people talking on phones, babies crying, hundreds of people talking at all times scaring away any wildlife or anything cool, and not to mention the litter created and thrown all over, just not the same.
Totally agree. Wall to wall people.
God forbid people enjoy the parks as intended.
I thought everyone died from COVID. We're still over-populated.
This is why I didn't bother going anywhere this Memorial Day weekend. Had thought of going out to a national park or two over the extended weekend but decided against it in part due to the overcrowding. Just takes away the peace and calm.
We did a run through several of them last year (Arches, Zion, and Grand Canyon), and Arches was by far the best experience due to the traffic mitigation from the timed entry. The reality is that these places were never designed to be able to accommodate tourism from a nation of 350 million people plus overseas visitors. It's unfortunate because it makes last-minute getaways a lot more difficult as the slots get filled up months in advance, but the demand is simply just way too high now.
Working @ parks my whole life, this is a great idea. The parks have been terribly underfunded for decades and they are being destroyed by overuse. THEY NEED HELP! While changes are made, to allow more ppl, ppl will have to cope. Trust me you may want spontaneity but when you get there and sit in a barely moving line of cars for HOURS you'll think twice about that.
Bingo. My thoughts exactly. You can't ALL have spontaneity.
I visited Zion and Bryce canyon in August 2020. I didn't enjoy Zion, it's operated. Our tour group of 3, get to Bryce canyon and spend 1 night camping . There was no need for bus, we were drop off near the Hoodoos , I managed to walked to the bottom and up again. I still think Zion is operated
I’ve visited 15 national parks the last few years and yes last year was the worse to go to any Yellowstone had just lines of cars everywhere, glacier just started the reservation system when I went up there unaware. But going at non peak season is definitely recommend to avoid all the crowds like I did in yosemite. But they have to be bringing in record funding so it should go to hiring more workers.
When on a road trip a few years ago near Zion, I wasn't in the least bit interested in fighting crowds just to say I had been there. Instead we went to Cedar Breaks National Monument. It was breathtaking and uncrowded and gave us a wonderful experience of the beauty of the canyons. Plus the drive was much more enjoyable.
U so smart.
One thing that would help is simply banning RVs and 5th-wheel trailers. Some parks do. They take up so much parking space and always back up traffic in the mountainous parks. For every one of those removed it makes space for 3-4 passenger vehicles. Let them in as far as the campground and that's it.
I can't stand those cumbersome, gas guzzling land yachts.
“Hmmm… How can I make a ton of money despoiling nature?” Developer Mike.
This hurts my heart as pre Covid, I went to Arches twice on a whim and got to enjoy the absolute splendor of this amazing location. It also makes me so happy that Americans are finally discovering their National parks.
"Finally discovering our national parks??" Overcrowding at national parks has been an issue for a long time thanks to Mission 66. This initiative was spearheaded by the national park service in the 1950's in order to make parks more accessible and theme park-like during a ten year period. Look at the post WWII numbers regarding the exponential visitor increase every decade. People were complaining about crowded conditions in the 1970's. National parks are nothing more than theme parks.
I hope the timed entry becomes permanent for the popular national parks. We used it last year on our family trip to Glacier National Park on Going To The Sun Road. It definitely helped. The only downside, was that it pushed a lot of that “spontaneous” traffic to the outer reaches (like Polebridge, MT, and Bowman Lake), which were also difficult to get to. It did encourage us to find and explore other areas (state and national parks) that are less traveled, but often just as amazing as the big popular places. In the end, we found ourselves exploring places unknown to us and made lifelong memories in the process. The key is being adaptable.
I get that it sucks to be turned away but what sucks more is having an extremely crowded park.
Yeah it's totally better not getting in at all vs having to "deal with other humans" /s
@@lchaney If you've been to Zion in recent years, the park is more like a cattle roundup now than it is a park. Thousands of people and cars everywhere. Mitigating those crowds would absolutely make it a better experience for the people who can visit.
Parks don’t need to be redesigned to accommodate more cars. For the parks in most demand there should be off-park parking and BEV buses to take crowds into the park.
Each bus could be sponsored by a foundation or a private corporation.
Lol we just sent $54 billion to Ukraine. Why can't the government pay for it?
Yeah like in Europe they have like like a parking area below and then they have like little trams or like little golf carts things where they can take you up to the spot where you can walk in that way you don't have to hear cars and stuff yeah this is ridiculous story I cannot believe this I'm from Florence Oregon
@@derikbagley2958 You cannot do anything like Europe or take any of their good ideas otherwise you are branded a socialist. Also Canada. Sorry you just have to do it the American way.
@@RealMTBAddict I’m fine with the government paying, I only added the foundation/private paying to appease those who hate paying taxes.
@@steven.l.patterson If they hate paying taxes they should move to England and enjoy a 50% tax rate.
I worked at 4 national parks over my culinary career and I do miss it. The average visitor doesn't realize how much the concessionaires make off this huge influx of business. Rooms at Old Faithful Inn are going from $300 to $600 a night. Grand Teton Lodge starts at $300 to over a $1000 not including food and activities. Camping spots are usually well booked ahead which causes tourist to have no where to stay. The contracts are issued to two companies who make a killing. Yes they are fixing up certain venues but mostly for there own benefits. Building new campsites and lodging is a must. Please give a look into these greedy companies. It is at a point that the only way to enjoy the parks is to work there.
..”substantially, nothing has changed for seventy years.” Developer Mike, touting the successes of our park service. Hayduke lives!
This is a great idea!
I go to parks to get away from people. The noise that blocks out nature. The smells. The lights. The trash. Nothing spoils your moment in nature like a crowd of people.
Of course a land developer feels entitled to the land.
I'm surprised it took many comments to read before I found one dismissing the land developer! I agree with you.
The other day I thought about going out in public...but there was too much public!
I was at Arches NP in October 21, perfect weather, not much traffic, plenty of parking, not so crowded, overall best experience of my life.
“it almost seems the land is being protected FROM the people..” exactly! developer Mike.. Exactly! Thanks to the parks service.
The original National Parks Act declares that they are for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.
@@obiwan2112 again- kudos to the Park Service for wisely managing delicate resources.
@@spockspock again - if I am denied access to public lands, do I get a refund on my parks pass?
@@obiwan2112 when the park is smashed flat and no longer draws crowds it won’t be a problem… you won’t want to go. I applaud the stewardship, get in line and take your turn. There will be some splendor yet remaining.
@@spockspock Hmmm...I visited Yellowstone last summer and have many times. Despite the screaming, squalling, hand-wringing, and dire warnings from elitist, exclusionary twits, the park was just fine. The bison were fine, the elk were fine, the thermal features were fine, and the waterfalls were fine. You have NO IDEA what you are talking about.
"I wish more people could enjoy these national parks by paving it over with more parking!"
Such a ridiculous, car-brained approach.
The USA is full of bd parking lots.
Most of the lots aren’t ever FIL either except on B Friday and that seems to be heading out the door.
It's a myth that most Americans are traveling spontaneously. Everything in our lives these days is scheduled. You need reservations for motels and even most campsites. It's a fact of life. Getting used to a new system where even Park visitation has to be scheduled will just take some getting used to. It's a dam good idea!
Completely agree
Wrong. Spontaneous trips are based on weather. No one wants to reserve a spot only for it to rain.
No it's not I've never planned to go to any of these parks at least not a week or more in advance.
They have required tickets for the Yunque National Park. It’s tedious but the enjoyment of its beauty without the over crowding was worth it. Yes, they need to be protected from people.
Then we need to get rid of them. They were intended for all people, and if that's over, they need to close them to the public. Elitism has spread its ugly claws too far into our society. Poor people and people without internet access have no chance of winning these lotteries or gaining difficult access.
L. C. $2.00 ticket per car is not elitist, it’s responsible.
I love visiting during the fall and winter
That's the only time I go
These national parks have such beautiful scenic views and wide open areas for animals to roam around and such. Even I’d like to visit more often, since I love to take unique pictures of wherever I travel, in the country.
Instagram did this - noone wants to talk about that. Its ruining some very amazing places.
Exactly. Instagram /social media is the prime reason to blame for this overcrowding. The people who need to get 'that shot' and post it on their feed... they're the ones who've perpetuated this problem of overcrowding.
The developer gave me the impression that in addition added parking lots etc, he wouldn't object to a few strip malls.
Of course! It’s only about the money to him.
3:50 "It almost seems the land is being protected FROM the people."
UHM.....THAT IS LITERALLY THE POINT MIKE.
But seriously though, you're 100% right. He just seems like the kind of person who would pave over nature to make room for more road expansion and to bend over backwards to motorists. He's just one of those "just ONE more lane" kinds of people.
I am fine with reservations, but if they end up like state park campgrounds, I will be highly disappointed. The sites used to handle reservations just do not cut it. I constantly go to State Parks for a day trip as no camp sites were available. Then, when I get there for the day, I find the campground half empty. They can not rent you the site because Reserve America says it is full, and people do not bother to cancel because there is not a refund. I am sure this happens also when people reserve days passes months in advance, then never show. It would be such a simple fix but there seems to be no interest in doing it. A simple website where you could register you site and if it got rebooked, you get a refund. Simple and easy yet they are happy to just let these places stay empty. I think it is vital for everyone to have access to our parks. I feel strongly they are vital to our existence.
I'm sure that is disappointing. However, it sounds like Heaven on Earth to me. ❤️
Just think, if you had scheduled your trip and arrived to find you had more space!
It could very well be that parks are not offering all sites up for reservations for crowd control.
The one major complaint that I have with the reservation system is that you can't get a full refund up to, say, 48 hours before your arrival date and a half refund after that. I get that the rangers need to plan for the visitors, but allowing for a full refund will allow people to get their money back will incentivize them to actually drop the reservation and open up the chance for others to jump in and pick up the site. It would certainly make things easier than just setting aside a bunch of first-come, first-serve sites among the reserved spaces. I've seen people even in state parks who never showed up for their reserved space, and it's really frustrating that others get shut out because the first person never dropped the reservation.
In the early 80's, my family traveled across the U.S. during summer vacation (california to N.Y. City).
I remember all the different places we stopped at and saw.
15 years later, my husband, son, family friend & his kids traveled to Rushmore and the number of people there at that time was nuts !!!
I recently saw a photo of the crowds at Rushmore, 20 years after that last visit, and it was just wall to wall people. Just does not look enjoyable.
I really miss the days, where on a Thursday you can go "hey, let's go camping this weekend at the coast", but when you show up the campgrounds are all full.
In order to do spontaneous camping, you have to find places in the backcountry, that do not require reservations, and no "amenties" toilets, picnic tables, etc.
The internet has opened up the world to everyone, which can be great, however, rarely can you go to "popular" spots without there been tons of people.
…”but you don’t understand! There needs to be development or Moab won’t keep expanding into the desert!” Developer Mike.
“more cars could be accommodated”.. there’s money! Cash money! in them cars!” Developer Mike 2022
The important goal is to protect our beautiful land so that everyone has the capability of seeing it sometime.
I had this chick from behind as we watched the sunrise near Arches Park. What a stunning view
Sometimes I forget how breathtakingly beautiful some parts of this country is and these parks are definitely on my bucket list. I wish they would have listed the other alternative destinations aside from the parks.
Research to see if there are state parks in the vicinity of the NPs. They probably have similar or the same views, with way fewer people. Also check out Forest Service and BLM land.
@@scholasticacooney6830 Thanks
There are many less visited national parks that are just as beautiful. There are many lists that show most visited and least
We spend a lot of time exploring the state parks in our neck of the woods and have discovered so many fantastic places to visit and have enjoyed our time researching and discovering beautiful locations.
During 2020, I got to explored a few lesser known California places, beaches, but I don't Geo tag it. I don't wish for mass tourism to spoil it
At Denali national Park in Alaska you can only drive a few miles into the park. The rest of the way is by bus.
Great point.
Try driving to Dry Tortuga's National Park.
JP Miller you can, in a boat :-0!
Zion was full by 8 on Saturday morning. No slots left for the day.
Arches needs reservations too.
Both with be near 100° soon.
Please visit in the fall or spring.
Sounds like DIsney World.
Too many people. Everywhere.
Agreed. Build that wall on our Southern border.
@@nghtwtchmn129 a wall around Texas is a good start
as well as talk about how, ultimately, Instagram and social media is to blame for the overcrowding of the parks to begin with.
I wish they allowed guaranteed spots for the locals. Locals are often kicked out of their own parks by tourist, and that doesn’t sit right.
The parks don’t *belong* to the locals.
Just because you live in the state with a nice NATIONAL park doesn’t make it yours.
It’s a NATIONAL park that EVERYONE has access to.
….kicked out of your own park 😂
Your park and your spot is within the acres of land you own and pay for just like the rest of us.
Some of you locals are a trip. 😂😂😂
Developer Mike doesn’t sit right with wild places.
“It’s very disappointing to me that I can’t make money to destroy paradise…” Developer Mike
Went to Arches/Zion in 2018. Felt like I was at a theme park. Had to wait in line for everything and basically tripping over people on every hike.
People are crazy for wanting to go to one of these places on a holiday weekend. Also, for the parks in the desert southwest, it's better to go during the off-season anyway because it's not as hot. Going to Arches or Zion in the middle of the day in June or July would be masochistic.
Yeah I stay away from the parks during 3 day weekends & their annual fee-free days.
I want to know about the whole poo crisis going on at the National parks.
I heard they request that people poo in a wag bag and pack it out ESPECIALLY the Zion.
'Better a cruel truth than a comfortable delusion.' Edward Abbey
Developer Mike won’t rest until there’s a 4x4 theme park with a gas station and refreshments at Wolfe Ranch. Money to be made! Money money money, I say! Money! Hayduke lives!
I've been scrolling through this looking for some monkey wrench
The last week in June of 2017 our family took a road trip from MN to Glacier National Park. The Going to Sun road was closed everyday until the last full day of our trip so we were lucky enough to drive up before driving 18 hours back home.
I'm about to be working at a state park in Texas. A lot of people don't know that there are small museums in towns and they might not know about the state parks.
I was fortunate enough to have visited Arches 4 times between 1986 & 2003, each time more crowded than the last & little to no chance of a campsite back then. Sadly, I can't imagine going back to one of the most unique National Parks in the country.
Arches must have been pretty awesome and accessible back before the mountain biking trend turned Moab into a yuppie and Gen-X tourist hotspot.
People management. Excellent!
I don't know how CBS chose him, but Mr Liss does not represent we Moabites. He's likely build a motel at Balanced Rock if he could.
There should be exceptions for people who live close to a national park. We live near Yosemite and now can't go for a day trip.
I went the weekend before Memorial Day this last May and Arches is easily my favorite park in Utah. The reservation idea is wonderful. Never felt crowded in the slightest. We all did the “Mighty Five” and found Zion the most unbearable. They got rid of their reservation system and it seemed more like Disney rather than a Nat Park experience.
The national Park service needs to set up better shuttling service from nearby towns. The shuttle service at Zion was impossible to book, I was there waiting online to get a ticket and it was still impossible to get. I hope the changes make it easier on people traveling.
Too many folks on the same day always winds up in a traffic jam. Avoid peak weekends and your National Park experience is bound to be better. I'd go for replacing all auto traffic for a light rail replacement. Start with Yellowstone.
I don’t like outdoor activities, but I lived 90 minutes away from Estes Park, and my Wife begged me to go to RMNP back in 2016.
I reluctantly went.
After that first visit, I got addicted, and we were hiking different paths every weekend .
I don't live near a national park but I live right next to a state park. Since March 2020 we had never seen so many people out here. All year long now my 4 miles of gravel road is a highway Thursday through Sunday.
This will entirely affect low income and/or young individuals. I'm all for protecting parks, they belong to all of us, not only the wealthy who can afford to predict their future.
What you're going to lose is the ability for people that can't predict their work schedules from being able to access parks. That's not going to happen on memorial day, or labor day, the people who actually keep this country running will be at work. It's going to be a random weekend that an overworked, overstressed person realizes they have two days off in a row and wants to see nature. They'll make the drive and be turned away because all the middle management people who have a set schedule, or the boomers who vote to destroy nature, will have made reservations months ago.
Be careful lumping everyone into a category. I’m a boomer and I loathe people who destroy or are in favor of destroying our national treasures.
The reservations are only during peak months. Folks can be spontaneous during the off peaks months.
That's exactly the mentality leading to overcrowded parks. As the video just stated, a handful of National Parks are doing this as a last resort for part of the year. Today's youth better find themselves extra adaptable to a changing world before that proverbial walk in the park.
@@darkhorsejim I blame that damn rock music. That and all the government slashing they voted for when they were babies.
You're saying today's youth needs to be "extra adaptable" and I agree. It was much easier for the previous generations to gain wealth, what with all that government assistance. It's just so weird the current young generation voted to do away with all the government systems and protections that allowed the previous generations to succeed.
We're worried about the walk in park now Jim, before the parks are burnt to a crisp by the sun or swallowed by the ocean.
Our walk in the park is trying to hold democracy together long enough so we don't have to die in the coming water wars.
I was just visiting Zion National Park this past weekend. There were many people, but it didn't look like what they showed in the video clips. I would've been so devastated if they turned us away, but then again, I totally understand there is an influx of visitors during the summer. With that said, I would love that all National parks implement the timed entry system.
We visited Arches in October of 2021 on a weekday and the line of vehicles at the entrance wasn’t too bad.
I live near GSMNP and hike there quite often. I have a little trick to avoid crowds in the most traveled NP in the US…early bird gets the worm 😀
Ghost Town in the Sky, RIP
My work never allows me to schedule days off ahead of time. They need to disallow cars and only have shuttle service.
It is not just popular national parks that require timed reservations. Columbia River Gorge now requires timed entry and separate parking passes.
The absolute worst side effect of COVID19 was people flooding to the National & State Parks. I happily pay for my America the Beautiful park pass annually but when I can't even get in to these parks due to it being too over crowded *SUCKS!!* I get that lock-down made people want to get out more. I'm just glad I still know of the off-the-beaten-path secrets to avoid people!
It makes sense the national parks are placing restrictions on entry because in 1950 we had a population of 151 million people. In 2020, we have a population of 332 million people. Additionally, a lot of the visitors come within a few months out of the year because their kids are out of school and that is the best time of year to see the park.
For example, Yosemite Valley has spectacular waterfalls. They are fed by snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada high country. That means April-June are the best months to see them. July- September they gradually peter out until Yosemite Falls completely dries up and Vernal Falls is a fraction of its spring glory. Most of the four million annual visitors to Yosemite come to Yosemite Valley to see the waterfalls. It is crowded and parking is at a premium.
Solitude.. thanks Park Service!
Enjoyed your video! We live an hour away from Zion’s and never get tired of visiting it. The number of visitor’s is getting out of hand. Southern Utah has become very popular.
So grateful I saw them years ago, avoid them like the plague now!
Massive demand, limited supply. Seems like we should be expanding our national parks.
I want 2009 & 2010 back. It was wonderful to visit a National Park when it wasn’t a traffic jam.
I don’t think I’ll ever go back to Acadia. That’s ok, we already hiked every trail from 2004-2019.
It’s just too small. They have to limit the visitors.
I could not get campsites in Yosemite
Edward Abbey predicted this when they decided to build the road for Arches NP in his book Desert Solitaire.
I do believe that if you visit an incredible place, it is your job to do your part.
Do what you can.
Clean up, donate, etc.
respect nature.
The gatlinburg side of the smoky mountains may be like this very soon. It can be impossible to get parking in busy times. I'm glad they have a handle on it though. I'd rather have a nice experience than be in herds of people that rangers can't keep up with.
I miss the tranquility of a pre internet era.
Actually smart. If you register you're whereabouts are known. Alot of accidents have occurred while at National Parks.
Just an idea... the NPS needs money for maintenance and repair. Do what Switzerland does... charge 2-3x for foreign visitors, whether it's a entrance fee or hotel tax.
I love reservations and limited crowds. To many people only hurts the parks. I've noticed roughly 1/3 of the people don't respect park rules, being loud in quiet sections, careless with trash, acts that some would consider vandalism or disturbing the natural beauty.
Keep the vehicles out and run buses. The problem is the traffic. I live near Glacier and Yellowstone and it is absolutely insane. There is no reason to have your car to see the place and there is no reason there should be so many people at certain times.
While I have no issue with paying for my National Parks Annual pass and making a reservation to visit - using Disney Genie is a bad example - it is designed to put you all over the park just to spend money. Wait times are sometimes inflated to encourage lighting lane purchases. Even with the reservation system - designed to keep crowds down - is not working - parks are slammed and Disney is raking in the money from making people PAY twice - once to get in and and then to ride a ride. I am retiring soon and the plan is to visit all of the National Parks and I will be happy to give them my money because I will get something in return. I think shuttles are a great idea - keeps cars off the roads and with drop off and pickup points, there will be less backup!!
We need more parks.
Crazy I would've been turned away from all of my visits, they've all been on a whim and enjoyed my experiences.
So glad I went twice during the pandemic 😊 NO crowds at all !
The great nature will do something like the deluge it brought on 1st national park^^
It's a problem and the NPS is probably doing the best that they can. My only complaint with the NPS is that it seems they are not all that interested in improving the infrastructure that does exist. I have seen too many weathered and shabby buildings, and deteriorated/undersized campgrounds with terrible bathrooms/kitchen facilities. It's shameful.
It's frustrating for old people who might not know how to use a computer or might not have access to a computer and printer..or smart phone.. also it's frustrating if someone wants to go at the last second..or on a day that's scheduled it's raining lots..very disappointing
I like free bus’s like the Island Explorer in Acadia. It’s paid for by the park service and L.L. Bean.
Just go in the off season, thats what I have always done
Wish there had been more emphasis on distribution of people. 30 minutes form Arches is Canyonlands National Park, a vast reserve with vistas overlooking the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers (as well as its own stone arches!)
Whereas Arches had 1.8 million visitors in 2021, Canyonlands had half at 911,000. With 50% of people crowding 6% of parks the solution is obvious--guide people to other places. There's such bountiful beauty in this country. Scarcity is so often an invention of the mind. The best government policy thoughtfully addresses this phenomenon.
I stopped going to state parks because of this very issue I never even renewed my parking pass for the state park system and the local trails are overcrowded too so its not worth not even going on local trails which put a halt to my exercise outdoors which sucks but I don't want to deal with the drama and problems of overcrowded wilderness areas
Wow. So this is what's it's come to.
I can't wait till the trend to be outside is over!! Believe me, this is a trend!!
No it's not.
I swear, some of these comments are meant to confuse a % of gullible minds.
… a trend that has lasted for tens of thousands of years
Lol I've biked 25k miles since 2010. Get real.
lmaoooooo Susan you're a literal NPC
There’s no way to get a tickets, they’re always booked, totally Impossible to get reservation
Thanks to instagram. Everyone wants that same perfect shot. Idiots are actually falling off rock ledges for selfies
Increase more road and parking lots....that's just a horrible idea.
Our country’s population has more than doubled since 1950. If everyone is cramming onto the same trails and at the same sights, keep the parking lot as is and limit the number of people. I come to the parks to enjoy nature not to constantly maneuver around people.
Shame on that man with his desire to turn Arches into LA
The parks need additional funds to support all these visitors. Money talks.
Ban cars. Shuttle everyone or they can walk or bicycle in.
Folks with disabilities - wheelchair, blind, sensory/spectrum and more - fare best in vehicles with supportive friends/family/caregivers guiding their visit.
Shoving one and all into jitney busses (airport rental car lot style) won't work.
Ditto frail elders and young families who need tots scure in car seats....
I live in an area close to several state parks, and so I’d recommend local parks or other state parks rather than national ones. Try botanical gardens, as well. There is beautiful nature everywhere, and you don’t have to just go to a national park to appreciate it!
National parks are unique experiences. That's why they're national parks. Local parks do not compare.
What they need are many buses from Moab to Arches
They should build more parking lots and add more lanes SMH!
How about American citizens only in our national parks? That would help!
I do enjoy living spontaneously.
Much like Haleakala to see the sunrise in the morning