Overcrowding Issues in US National Parks

Americans are still flocking to many of the country’s national parks at alarming rates. The increased visitor numbers have led to traffic jams, trash, and vandalism, threatening to disrupt the very environment drawing people to the outdoors in the first place.

In response to the overcrowding problem, the USA Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a meeting on Wednesday, July 28, in hopes of finding solutions to curb overtourism at national parks.

“It’s great to see so many Americans take advantage of these parks; that is, after all, why we protect these lands in the first place,” Chairman Angus King (I-ME) stated at the committee hearing, according to The Spectrum. “However, at the same time, we must recognize that overcrowding in the parks can degrade the natural resources and wildlife that these units are designed to protect. We can accidentally love our parks to death.”

In July alone, over 32 million people visited national parks, according to the National Parks Service. Although this is slightly below the 33 million visitors parks saw in 2020, these numbers often prove overwhelming for the limited staff available to manage the influx.

“The growth in visitation poses one of the greatest challenges that the National Park Service has ever faced,” Kristen Brengel, senior vice president at the National Parks Conservation Association, told the subcommittee via Bloomberg.

Several parks around the country have instituted timed entry to alleviate the influx of arrivals. Moreover, other parks are expanding or considering shuttle bus services to reduce the number of cars entering. However, even this approach has its drawbacks. As reported by The Press Herald, waiting times for Zion’s shuttle service ballooned to four hours this summer.

Furthermore, President Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill includes a $3.5 billion allotment aimed at enhancing the parks’ infrastructure, creating jobs, and funding conservation efforts across the nation.