America’s world-famous national parks are getting crowded.
Last year there were nearly 312 million recreational visits to the national parks, according to the U.S. National Parks Service. That number is up from more than 237 million visits reported in 2020, when visits oddly dropped during pandemic lockdowns. More than 327 million visits occurred in 2019.
The parks have become so popular that some have implemented summer reservation systems to avoid overcrowding and preserve the delicate ecosystems that are prone to overuse. While Yosemite dropped its reservation program this year, at least seven of the nation’s 63 parks still require reservations in one form or another. Parks maintaining reservations include Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Haleakala National Park in Hawaii, Acadia National Park in Maine, Glacier National Park in Montana, Arches National Park in Utah, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and Olympic National Park in Washington.
Overcrowding has become so problematic that The Wall Street Journal ran a feature two years ago outlining the problem. “National Parks are Overcrowded and Closing Their Gates,” read the headline.
Once parks reach capacity, officials shut down entrances, forcing people who drove for hours to get there to find somewhere else to go.
“Visitors are increasingly spending more time sitting in their cars as they wait to access the vast outdoors,” the Journal reported.
Even once inside, tourists are finding their experience is far different than the serene paradise they imagined.
“Some tourists say their visits are less enjoyable
