California condor nestling fledges at Zion National Park
SPRINGDALE — Zion National Park biologists confirmed the first flight of California Condor nestling #1111 from its nest cave on the cliff just north of Angels Landing. The flight occurred on Aug. 28, making Condor #1111 the second wild-hatched nestling to successfully fledge in Zion National Park...
Re: The Great Outdoors
Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 5:07 pm
by Deleted User 89
Harrison Ford doin big things on the first day of the IUCN World Conservation Congress meeting in Marseille
‘It’s not sustainable’: overcrowding is changing the soul of US national parks
...Visitors have flooded national parks this summer as Covid-19 regulations eased throughout the US. The National Park Service reported that half of recreation visits are occurring within just 5% of all parks, with significant congestion concentrated in the most popular 12 to 15 high-profile destinations...
i can recall a few days this past summer where entrance passes to Arches were sold out by 8am
Re: The Great Outdoors
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:52 am
by pdub
"On a two-lane road leading to Acadia national park’s picturesque Bass Harbor head lighthouse, traffic has come to a standstill. A row of cars wait to enter the parking lot, with one local turning around altogether to try again on a less crowded day."
Can confirm Acadia has gotten out of control.
I wish there was one locals weekend ( could even be off peak ) where only people with Maine id's could enter.
They are adding fees to parts of the park - which I at first was pretty adamantly against since it should be covered by our taxes - but now, because of the crowds, i'd be willing to pay a heavier entrance fee if it meant fewer people ( sorry, generally i'm all about power to the populous, but this shit is out of control ).
Re: The Great Outdoors
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:37 am
by Deleted User 89
pdub wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:52 am
"On a two-lane road leading to Acadia national park’s picturesque Bass Harbor head lighthouse, traffic has come to a standstill. A row of cars wait to enter the parking lot, with one local turning around altogether to try again on a less crowded day."
Can confirm Acadia has gotten out of control.
I wish there was one locals weekend ( could even be off peak ) where only people with Maine id's could enter.
They are adding fees to parts of the park - which I at first was pretty adamantly against since it should be covered by our taxes - but now, because of the crowds, i'd be willing to pay a heavier entrance fee if it meant fewer people ( sorry, generally i'm all about power to the populous, but this shit is out of control ).
last year, at least for a while, Utah was only allowing state residents into some parks...but i don’t recall if those were stare or national
and i concur on both parts about the fees. it’s tough though, because i’m all for more people experiencing such things, but too many are assholes and fuck it up for the rest of us by desecrating such areas - destroying natural/geological features, graffiti, trash
the crowding, at least for our “Big 5” national parks (Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce, Zion and Capitol Reef) was a thing prior to covid, though it’s definitely been worse the last two summers
Re: The Great Outdoors
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:42 am
by pdub
I don't think national parks would be able to only allow state residences unless they worked something out with the 'big boys' in charge.
Assholes could still be the ones paying the higher fees though ( though i'd argue, if you were going to pay, oh, 200 dollars to enter a park, you might be of the mind set it's worth it to keep it clean ) -- but the crowding problem would be fixed.
Re: The Great Outdoors
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:45 am
by Deleted User 89
pdub wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:42 am
I don't think national parks would be able to only allow state residences unless they worked something out with the 'big boys' in charge.
Assholes could still be the ones paying the higher fees though ( though i'd argue, if you were going to pay, oh, 200 dollars to enter a park, you might be of the mind set it's worth it to keep it clean ) -- but the crowding problem would be fixed.
i just went back and checked...it was state parks and only county residents
Re: The Great Outdoors
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:48 am
by pdub
Yes.
( though I remember, at the height of the pandemic, Acadia was only allowing in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire residents )
The state parks up here the Maine residents get discounts.
But the fees are so low it doesn't really matter.
Re: The Great Outdoors
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 4:07 pm
by jhawks99
Just got back from hiking in Joe Cooke State Park just South of Duluth. Super cool. Due to the drought, the river was way down and you could see the rock formations that are usually underwater.
Later we headed up to Duluth and took a walk along Lake Superior before grabbing lunch and heading back to Minneapolis.