National Parks overcrowding.

[goducks10]

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

[shelbyfv]

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....

[toedtoes]

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?

[Busskipper]

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

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....................

[ppine]

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.

[zigzagrv]

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.

[wildtoad]

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..

[wildtoad]

Sounds like “Nobody ever goes there anymore. It’s too crowded” attributed to Yogi Berra

[camperdave]

westernrvparkowner wrote:
We hear that complaint all the time. Funny thing is, the people who complain the most are long time repeat visitors who often stay at the parks for weeks at a time nearly every year. They don't like the most obvious solution of limits on visitation length and limitations on frequency of visitor passes administered either by lottery or by you falling to the bottom of the list if you have visited in the past. I haven't heard of any cures for overcrowding that aren't worse than the disease.

That was us! We used to do a week in Yosemite every summer (my wife's family started the tradition in the early 70's, we kept it going until maybe 2010). At first we were extremely upset about not being able to get reservations anymore, it's hard to let go of what you are used to.

Due to the overcrowding, our week long summer trips are now moved to another location. Not a NP, but still beautiful and frankly better for camping anyway.

I still get up to Yosemite every year, but visit in winter now because of the crowds.

[gbopp]

In October we visited Death Valley. When we were at Badwater Basin no one spoke english.
There were lots of visitors from other countries.

[Old_Days]

We visit National Parks but only in the spring and fall, when the kids are in school. We like cold weather camping so it works out good for us.

[westernrvparkow]

We hear that complaint all the time. Funny thing is, the people who complain the most are long time repeat visitors who often stay at the parks for weeks at a time nearly every year. They don't like the most obvious solution of limits on visitation length and limitations on frequency of visitor passes administered either by lottery or by you falling to the bottom of the list if you have visited in the past. I haven't heard of any cures for overcrowding that aren't worse than the disease.

[Crowe]

Makes you wonder if it is worth the hassle any more.

It definitely is. You just need to know how to work the crowd. I do agree, though, that capping visitors may be a solution. No one will like it but sometimes you just have to do something.

[BB_TX]

Been a number of years since we have been to a NP. Makes you wonder if it is worth the hassle any more.

[missnmountains]

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

[Beentherefixedt]

Since many of us remember going on those summer road trips to the National Parks around 1960 I'll use that for a start...

Tourist Arrivals to the US(from overseas) for 2016 was 75.6 MILLION people (UNWTO)This is for the USA ONLY.

Tourist arrivals in 1960: 16.7 Million (This is for ALL of the AMERICAS including North America, Caribbean and South America!

US Population in 1960 was 180.7 Million

US Population in 2017 325.7 Million

Given the above, overcrowding should be no surprise to anyone.