[ad_1]
(CNN) – With health professionals guiding travelers to outdoor destinations and activities during the pandemic, U.S. national parks are a natural magnet. Further evidence of this came on Tuesday.
Yellowstone National Park set a record attendance in August, the National Park Service said in a press release.
The park hosted 921,844 recreational visits last month – that’s almost the entire Austin, Texas population who visits it. And it was a 4.5% increase from August 2020.
Park officials say the previous record was set for August 2017, when people flocked to Yellowstone to witness this year’s epic solar eclipse.
By the end of August this year, Yellowstone had 3,590,904 visits.
That’s on track for an annual record and a 40% increase from 2020 when the park was hit by pandemic travel restrictions and closed temporarily.
Busy all summer
An influx of visitors is forcing Utah’s Arches National Park to temporarily close its gates almost every day. And disappointed visitors aren’t the only consequence of overcrowding. The National Park Service anticipates one of the busiest summers on record, so Arches won’t be the only popular park where crowds could be an issue. CNN’s Lucy Kafanov reports.
This news comes as no surprise to people who have been part of the giant waves all summer trying to gain access to popular national parks.
In fact, Arches is still warning potential visitors that “parking lots at trailheads can be full before 9 a.m., causing the park to temporarily restrict access until the congestion subsides.” The website states that restricted access can take three to five hours.
Outlook for autumn
The National Park Service says that even in the fall, you shouldn’t expect the crowds to thin out too much.
According to the NPS, if you want to enjoy Yellowstone this fall, make plans well in advance and be ready to share the space with fellow travelers. A few things to keep in mind when planning a trip to Yellowstone or other national parks:
– Most camping and lodging reservations are already taken and motel spots could be hours away.
– It was also a very dry season in the west. As you plan your trip, stay alert for forest fire news. Also, be a vigilant keeper of your campfires.
– More people mean more potential wildlife encounters that go wrong. The NPS says keep at least 25 yards (23 meters) from all wildlife and 100 yards (91 meters) from bears and wolves.
Above: Tourists watch the Old Faithful erupt last spring in Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park. (Kayla Renie / Jackson Hole News & Guide via AP)
[ad_2]
