Posted on 05/25/2021 8:24:16 AM PDT by SJackson
After a year of isolation and limited travel possibilities due to the coronavirus pandemic, travelers are coming out in record numbers to the nation’s national parks.
Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park both recorded major increases in visits during April, setting records for the number of visitors in the month.
“I predicted a record season, and I think we’re on track for that,” Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly told the Billings Gazette.
In April, Yellowstone had 67,000 visitors enter the park from the two entrances that are open — 34,000 from the north and 33,000 from the west. The previous high for April was 59,000 visitors in 2016.
Likewise, Grand Teton had a 48 percent increase in April visitors over 2019 with 87,700 visitors, shattering the old mark of 60,500 set in April 2018.
Glacier National Park also came close to an April record with more than 53,000 visitors, just shy of the 55,000 mark set in 2016.
All three parks were closed last April as the National Park Service dealt with the start of the pandemic. As parks across the country began to reopen in 2020, visitors flocked to them as a source of outdoor recreation with so many other options limited.
Sholly expects the trend to continue as more residents get vaccinated and are ready to go out in the world. But the Parks Service is concerned about overwhelming the parks. There have been discussions about limiting entry to protect the natural beauty and wildlife.
“We’ve got a solid amount of data, now we need to translate it into what actually makes the most sense … and improve the visitor experience,” Sholly said. “At some point you have got to look at what the capacity of your staff is. It can’t be a free for all.”
For those hoping to go to Yellowstone, most of the campgrounds have gone to a reservation system. Normally five of the 12 campgrounds require reservations, but this year that number is eight, with two to remain closed for 2021. Only Indian Creek Campground and Lewis Lake Campground are available without reservations.
Like Yellowstone, its sister park to the south is also preparing for an extremely busy summer, Grand Teton Superintendent Chip Jenkins said.
“National parks and public lands were extremely important to everyone this past year, providing fresh air, open space and respite from the pandemic,” Jenkins said. “We anticipate that we will see continued high interest in visiting Grand Teton National Park.”
Enjoy it now, it will be a more difficult trip for most of us in an electric car.
No one I know is traveling overseas for pleasure. Right now I am working on an RV and we plan to travel all over America and Canada when they stop being stupid.
But are the Parks being visited by ‘people of color’? That should be the top priority of the Park Service.
/s
And don’t forget to pet the grizzlies!
Fun!! Great idea!
The systemically racist system created by the bison that roam the park must be dismantled. As must the overt racism by the geysers. Why, just last week, a beautiful black couple went up to Old Faithful and it didn’t do a darn thing. They even gave it a few minutes before walking away. But it did perform for white tourists before and after the black couple’s visit. Ugh. Can you imagine a geyser still acting like that in 2021? Such despicable racism.
Don’t forget the perverts. The National Park Service has been derelict in not reaching out to perverts...
surprised the count wasn’t broken down by race...
“The systemically racist system created by the bison that roam the park must be dismantled”
Really. We are having a devil of a time trying to get campground space anywhere. Fortunately we have millions of square miles of BLM land in the intermountain west.
One of the best trips I’ve ever taken was my Yellowstone/Grand Teton vacation. Flew into Salt Lake City and drove up. Unbelievable scenery in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
I was lucky to be stationed in Utah for several years, made that road trip several times up Rt 89, fond memories with my wife.
If you think about it, a lot of people who are retired and planned to travel overseas have not been able to do so.
We had a trip planned to the Bahamas this last February and all the resorts have been working with skeleton crews. Who wants to go on vacation when you have to put a mask on when you leave your hotel room and walk to the beach?
This covid crap has been absolutely devastating to the travel industry.
Since I am not getting the jab I will not be able to do any cruises. I hope those companies are investing in bigger onboard health facilities, cuz they are going to need them.
So happy I saw all of this long ago without the crowds.
I do recall Yosemite being so crowded in the valley that we camped up near the falls. That was in the early 60’s.
No substitute for being there and experiencing the feel and grandeur of it all but I’ll just watch the videos now.
It’s a wonderful place. My descendents will need two or three battery charges to visit just driving from Salt Lake.
The destinations are learning. I've been to Mexico a couple times this year, the mask requirements aren't enforced on tourists, only locals. How silly, masked riders on scooters. Masked walkers with no one around. Like parts of Asia where the air is unbreathable.
A trip like that is definitely in my future.
There are sites at less visited parks. And as you note plenty of land outside many parks.
——Who wants to go on vacation when you have to put a mask on when you leave your hotel room and walk to the beach?——
We recently spent several days in Fernandina Beach Florida.
There were no masks on the beach and even eateries were mask free. The place is great for shrimp and oyster lovers
Fernandina is barely in Florida but our accidental visit will be repeated
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