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.

 

[redbaron]

Not worth it. Wait 2 months then visit ynp. Better weather, no crowds, rangers without an attitude (stress)....and the animals are more active. June and July are the worst months for YNP


July is the worst for GNP. As soon as G2S opens, we Will see similar issues. The ticket system may help. So far the ticket system feels like am exclusive vip all access pass. I am fortunate to have a ticket covering every day so far.

 

[Jim]

There is nothing that I want to see or do that justifies that kind of nonsense.

 

[Brian H.]

In 1990, I took a long driving trip with three friends to see a variety of places in the West. One of them was YNP. Even back then, the tales of the horrendous lines at YNP were the stuff of (bad) legend. We intentionally targeted getting into YNP in the wee hours of the morning, and arrived at the Old Faithful visitor's center around 7 a.m. The drive in was easy, and the parking lot was nearly empty. We got to hike around with minimal people around and it was a great experience. By late morning when we were ready to move on, the parking lot was an absolute mad house.

In 2018, I took my family to YNP. We couldn't avoid arriving at a bad time, and by the time we arrived at the same parking lot, it was extremely difficult to find a parking spot. It was a mad house again.

YNP has always been a mad house in June - August. It will always be so. Plan accordingly

 

[redbaron]

and as @Brian H. said, arrive early, and you avoid all the crowds. The Avalanche Trail is another very popular trail @ GNP. Even with ticketed Entry, this fills up quickly. We plan on being thru the gate before 6am, and parking before 7, and have no troubles parking. Once the G2S opens, the parking at major trail heads is impossible to plan on unless you arrive *before* 6am. Arriving early lets you have the pick of sites, and then you can be at your favorite restaurant before 6p, when all the park moves out and fills the restaurants.