National parks are overwhelmed with visitors and it’s not just affecting the parks!
- NPG
- June 21, 2021
- NPG Commentary
- 6 Comments
June 22, 2021
National Parks and Many Small Towns Struggle with Huge Numbers of Visitors
Officially organized under one umbrella with the passage of the National Park Service Organic Act, the U.S. National Park System is made up of hundreds of National Historic Sites, National Lakeshores, National Scenic Trails, and National Monuments. Included in this system, and likely among the most popular, are the 63 National Parks spread across the United States. Most of us have fond memories of visiting such places with our families when we were younger. For the environmental crowd these were life-changing experiences.
Today, unfortunately, we may be loving them to death. A recent article in The Wall Street Journal tells of the serious trouble associated with ever-larger crowds attempting to visit the national treasures. As pandemic-weary travelers begin to venture out, the National Parks seem like a great option as we can remain outdoors and maintain some distance from others. Unfortunately, many hopeful visitors are turned away as early as 9 AM because the parks are already at full capacity. In addition to overwhelming the parks, visitors are parking along access roads and camping in restricted areas – and leaving behind the waste that results from it. Some are venturing off the main roads and getting stuck as their vehicles are not equipped for such rugged terrain.
The small towns near the parks are also struggling as huge numbers of visitors are frequenting smaller shops and restaurants that are not equipped for the increase in patrons.
According to the article, “Some tourists say their visits are less enjoyable, as they spend their days in hours-long lines and, when they finally get to popular attractions like the free-standing Delicate Arch in Arches, are surrounded by Disneyland-caliber crowds.”
At NPG, we recognize that many people desire to visit parks of all types and sizes, including the ultimate experience of visiting one of our country’s National Parks. We also recognize, however, that the parks rarely increase in size or number but the population of the U.S. has increased by more than 230 million since the creation of the National Park Service back in 1916. 
NPG recently published an advertisement in the USA Today National Parks special edition in hopes of conveying our message to the millions of Americans who love these special places. We encourage you to forward this email to all of your park-loving friends and ask them to think about population size and growth the next time they visit a park.
Our nation’s treasured areas were designated as such to be protected from development and environmental ruin. Let’s be sure the massive numbers of visitors do not lead to their decay.
