Avoid Popular National Parks

[turbopilot]

Just returned from an extended trip that included a visit to Yellowstone National Park. It is no longer a national park, it is a zoo. What a mess. Many closures with COVID as an excuse and construction road delays that in some cases have been going on for years. Visits are 10% higher than record year of 2019 in May. Many of the bigger campgrounds inside the park were closed.

Between the hours of 8 am and noon there is bumper to bumper traffic starting in the city of West Yellowstone through the park entrance all the way to the Madison campground at the West entrance. Once those people get into the park there is no parking available at any of the popular destinations after 11 am. Normal civility was breaking down as people discovered they could not get into the park after making the long trip to Yellowstone.

Our national parks are a great idea but the infrastructure has not kept up with the population. Much of the transportation infrastructure has not changed since the 1930's.

The only short term work around is to stay outside the park and get into the park at dawn and get out of the park by 10:30 am.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

As a hobbyist photographer, my wife and I usually are in the NP before dawn so we can take advantage of the dawn lighting for photos. Also love the lack of crowds in the early morning hours.

By the time it is hot and then busy in the parks, we are back at our “home base” chillin out.

 

["EZ"]

Just returned from an extended trip that included a visit to Yellowstone National Park. It is no longer a national park, it is a zoo. What a mess. Many closures with COVID as an excuse and construction road delays that in some cases have been going on for years. Visits are 10% higher than record year of 2019 in May. Many of the bigger campgrounds inside the park were closed.

Between the hours of 8 am and noon there is bumper to bumper traffic starting in the city of West Yellowstone through the park entrance all the way to the Madison campground at the West entrance. Once those people get into the park there is no parking available at any of the popular destinations after 11 am. Normal civility was breaking down as people discovered they could not get into the park after making the long trip to Yellowstone.

Our national parks are a great idea but the infrastructure has not kept up with the population. Much of the transportation infrastructure has not changed since the 1930's.

The only short term work around is to stay outside the park and get into the park at dawn and get out of the park by 10:30 am.
View attachment 7381

Count me OUT!!!!

 

[DONMC]

I'm assuming all the campgrounds are already booked for the summer.

 

[High Desert]

On my last visit to Rocky Mountain NP - same thing. Traffic backed up to get through the entrance. Roads to popular areas being closed by 8:30 in the mo as there was no more parking and park service emp,yet standing by the closed sign downing 1 out, 1 in. Way too people overwhelming NPS. In a year or two, this will change as people go back to their normal travel modes, I believe, along with a glut of used RV’s on the market.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

Regardless of a wave of used RVs hitting the market, we now have more RVs out here. Unless these RVs are destroyed or never get used - this is our new normal. Until new campgrounds are built, park infrastructure updated and new rules are out into place we will go through a time of change, adjusting to the new way.

?

 

[Joe Hogan]

It will be interesting how many Newbees make it past their first or second camping trip. If my initial trips were any where near normal, the first few trips have a very steep learning curve and you must be handy and reasonably hands on to get through these trips with even something close to a smile on your face. Add a spouse and couple of kids and life gets real hard, real fast.

The most notable trip, we were boondocking in a parking lot at a huge event, sparks started to fly out from under the bed in the middle of the night. Thankfully fellow campers came to our rescue to help solve the issue.

 

[redbaron]

YNP has been too busy for years. We are at Glacier and have found no crowds, and lots of amazing scenery. Of course once the G2S is open, there are going to be crowds on that road but there are far more places without crowds within the park than there are crowded.

That being said...avoid Glacier NP, so that what I have stated remains true

 

[Jim]

OMG!

 

[turbopilot]

Here is the line up on June 8 captured on my Jeep dash cam. The line snaked through the entire city of West Yellowstone on two different paths converging on the entrance road. Civil behavior was breaking down as the delay got longer and longer.