National Parks overcrowding.

Doing the NPs from Sunday to Thursday helps. Doing them when schools are in better. Not doing the best known ones better almost any time. Avoid NPs when & where the tourbuses loaded with people from who knows where go. It is true, get on a trail more than 100 yds from the carpark & the crowds thin out dramatically.

Ya gotta know how to play the game.

The Nat'l Parks are in severe need of a makeover.

missnmountains wrote:
I agree they are way overcrowded. On our way up to Alaska this year we stopped for a week at the Grand Canyon and a one day stop at Zion. Both were extremely crowded. Zion now can really only be seen via bus as you can only drive straight through now. Similar to Denali.

Over our lives, we have visited 51 of the 58 major NP's. We have definitely seen the evolution of the increasing crowds.

In 2016 35.4% of the visitors to US national parks were non US citizens.

Ken

Not counting Parks I've just driven through, I counted ONLY 17 Major NP's we've been to! WOW, I have some catching up to do!!!(at least two of those were in Hawaii :-) )

Go ahead and visit! Most folks are way too lazy or rushed to wander more than 100 yards or so off the main areas. In very short order, you'll have the place to yourself.
:)
Lynn

Over population causes lots of problems. Can't see an end to it as long as we continue to think our own DNA is so special we need to pass it along to 10 kids....

I think visiting other less popular parks is a viable option - ONCE you've been to the popular ones.

On travel forums, you'll read recommendations to skip visiting the Eiffel Tower, etc., and instead go sit at a cafe and people watch.

The idea is the same. Once you've been to visit Yellowstone, then it's easy to go visit other places in the area. But if you've never been, are you really going to miss the chance to see Yellowstone?

goducks10 wrote:
Long article but still interesting.
https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2018/12/updated-national-parks-working-figure-out-how-best-manage-crowding

This is really old news - Post I made over 15 years ago

"As much as I love Yellowstone it is not the place to be in the high season. Are you interested in great places or just want to say, “been there done that”? If you are looking for a great trip with fewer people then you might want to go to the areas that have fewer people. One of the things we’ve found is to travel back roads and go to state parks and reservoirs. Skirt the big parks. Try Bad Lands and Wind Cave they will still be crowded but not like Yellowstone. Try Devils Tower, Red Lodge and the Bear Tooth Pass area, get out of the camper and hike doesn’t have to be long or far, just out. Another thing that is always fun is to look at the ski resorts near the NP’s these are generally in beautiful areas that are in the off season so the crowds are small and they usually have large parking lots that will accommodate a camper. Think about Flaming Gorge national rec area, Dinosaur national monument is one I visited when I was young and have never forgotten. If you go to Yellowstone try to get a room at the lodge the kids will thank you and never forget it. Anywhere in Colorado should be fun, but the same thing holds true, avoid the crowds seek out the smaller unknown areas go to the ski towns, get out and walk around in the mountains. Try to get up to see every sunrise and position yourselves to see the sunsets. Last but not least try to get another week you’ll be surprised at how fast the time flies. Good Luck and Enjoy the trip,"

I think I still write the same responses today :)

Just need to be Smarter and think about it a little more - Soooooooo much to see and Never Enough TIME....................

In the old days visiting the NPs was easy. Now I avoid the poplular times entirely. It takes some practice to know when to go. Seek out the smaller and less popular sites. Go in the middle of the week. I find that there are often great places near National Parks on Forest Service or BLM with almost no visitors.

Going to a big National Park now during the summer with a reservation is now a waste of time if you ask me.

For us, the solution is to travel and visit the NPs in the Spring and Fall while the kids are still in school. Also for us, traveling in the Summer is just not pleasant because of the heat, with the exception of the Northern states or Canada. We also have little tolerance for rude, arrogant and ignorant people, all of which seem to be on the increase.

Unless you go to a forced reservation system, or you have to be inline by X o’clock capping the crowd will be difficult. Can you imagine a mile long backup and the gates close? Like all things (toll booths, gas stations, computer servers, sewers ), when the arrival rate exceeds the departure rate things backup sometimes with less than desirable results..