We're halfway through summer vacation season, with Labor Day on the horizon, which brings up the question: How crowded, or uncrowded, are the national parks?
Some parks might be construed to be at the breaking point -- Yellowstone National Park had a record year last year, and is ahead of that pace -- while others might have lots of elbow room to enjoy. So what has your experience been like this summer? Too crowded to unwind and relax, or perfect? Tell us, travelers.
Story Categories:
A copy of National Parks Traveler's financial statements may be obtained by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: National Parks Traveler, P.O. Box 980452, Park City, Utah 84098. National Parks Traveler was formed in the state of Utah for the purpose of informing and educating about national parks and protected areas.
Residents of the following states may obtain a copy of our financial and additional information as stated below:
- Florida: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR NATIONAL PARKS TRAVELER, (REGISTRATION NO. CH 51659), MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING 800-435-7352 OR VISITING THEIR WEBSITE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
- Georgia: A full and fair description of the programs and financial statement summary of National Parks Traveler is available upon request at the office and phone number indicated above.
- Maryland: Documents and information submitted under the Maryland Solicitations Act are also available, for the cost of postage and copies, from the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401 (410-974-5534).
- North Carolina: Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 888-830-4989 or 919-807-2214. The license is not an endorsement by the State.
- Pennsylvania: The official registration and financial information of National Parks Traveler may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling 800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
- Virginia: Financial statements are available from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 102 Governor Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219.
- Washington: National Parks Traveler is registered with Washington State’s Charities Program as required by law and additional information is available by calling 800-332-4483 or visiting www.sos.wa.gov/charities, or on file at Charities Division, Office of the Secretary of State, State of Washington, Olympia, WA 98504.
National parks and their natural resources belong to you. The National Parks Traveler works to ensure you know how these essential places are being cared for.
Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter
Unsubscribe at any time.
INN Member
The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.
Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.
Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.
You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.
Comments
Acadia National Park was extremely crowded in July and had I not been willing to do sight seeing very early in the morning, it would have seriously detracted from my experience. Cadillac Mtn sunrise had hundreds of visitors at 5 AM, each trying to one up each other, and move in front for pictures without other people in view. It was extremely upsetting and soured a moment that should have been magical.
As with my previous visits to other parks, the more willing you are to do physical activities, the less crowded it is. I honestly can't imagine visiting and just sticking to the well traveled sights.
Overall I loved it though, and will definitely go back!
We are in Acadia NP now. Luckily, we have a site in Schoodic Woods Campground, away from the chaos on MDI. It is packed there and at every parking lot for hikes or carriage roads or views, the traffic is like bear jams in Yellowstone. Over here on Schoodic, we might see five or six people at any given time, though there may have been twenty at Frazer Point for sunset. I'd love to do some hikes and walks over on MDI but I fear it would be more akin to being on the national mall for Fourth of July than a nice walk in the woods.
Great point, schoodic was wonderful with absolutely no crowds! But if you don't mind getting up early, mdi works too. I did bee hive and sand beach at 6.30 and saw literally 3 people
Glacier's ridiculously crowded! ALL campgrounds are constantly filled by 8-10am. Often at 6:30am cars are driving through waiting to pounce like vultures on someone leaving. Parking is non-existant. Over the past 2 years they added more/extended parking areas for the crowds. Not much help: people still have to park along the sides of the road a mile way, then walk on the road to the trailheads. And forget Logan Pass: might find a parking place 4pm or later. Take the shuttle, you say? Some have waited 2-3 hours to get a seat on the shuttles. Maybe it's time to give the parks "breathing room" and shut them down for a summer.
We were in Glacier in July and totally agree with your experience. Ridiculously crowded everywhere. Maybe it's time to set a limit to the number of daily visitors. Wish the Park Service would stop advertising to encourage more visitation.
We currently live just outside the Highway 20 entrance to North Cascades NP. Traffic in, in particular the motorcycles who love the windy roads as well as a lot of the oversized houses-on-wheels who shouldn't, is steady. A visit to the New Halem visitor center last weekend showed a nearly full, but not overflowing, parking lot.
We have been to 17 national parks this year starting in January in Hawaii and just finishing with the badlands and they all have been busy, with cheap gas prices and the fact that people just want to get away from the real world for a while and enjoy life makes for very busy parks......
I'll second mtgnppics comments regarding Glacier. June set an all-time record of nearly 430,000 visitors; overall visitation to Glacier is up 8.7%. Logan Pass fills by 9am and even the illegal parking spots are full at Avalanche Creek during the day. Many Glacier, however, is respectably busy but not overwhelmed like the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor is. Yellowstone visitation is up 10% so far this year. Mount Rainier -- forget going there on a sunny weekend -- schedule your trip mid-week, though still expect crowds at Paradise and Sunrise. As Kurt's photo above shows, going to the lesser-visited national parks is still a great option as the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt NP in late June the campground never filled and very few people were on the trails. If you want to get away from the crowds head to Canada: Riding Mountain NP (Manitoba), Prince Albert NP (Saskatchewan), and Elk Island NP (Alberta) each average only 250,000 visitors for the entire year (though campgrounds do tend to fill up in July/August, so reservations are recommended), but these are great places to get away from the crowds of the U.S. National Parks.
There are a higher number of windshield NPS tourists here in the Smokies this summer. By that I mean folks who drive from Cherokee to Gatlinburg and get out of their car at Newfound Gap to punch a ticket on "visiting the Smokies". And the NPS is very happy to count them coming and going.
However, the backcountry remains empty. Spent a lot of time there this summer. And the NPS is lying about the numbers back there. As proven by this link. http://www.smokymountainnews.com/outdoors/item/17708-a-strained-relation...
Wednesday and Friday 2 weeks ago, there were cars parked along Tioga Pass Road in Yosemite like I've never seen before. It was so bad, I didn't even think of stopping to look for a place to try to park for a short walk at Tuolumne Meadows, Tenaya Lake, or even May Lake. I finally stopped at the Yosemite Creek picnic area and sat for an hour, reading Terry Tmpest Williams's "The Hour of Land."
I love all of the national parks, national monuments and national forests - everyone should see as many as possible. However, my advice is to go to the most popular parks off season. Arches in mid-May was not crowded; neither was Canyonlands; even Zion was not crowded in May. In the height of the season, people should be smart and go to see those places that are less well known. National Wildlife Refuges often have wonderful visitor centers and scenic drives and trails. It's like going to any popular place - go mid-week and off season!!!!
I just got back from four days in Great Basin National Park and it was great! Although campsites were full, we never felt like it was crowded. There were some very beautiful and pleasant hikes, in addition to some of the most amazing stargazing in the US.
My favorite National Park is Channel Islands and it never feels crowded because it's only accessible by boat.
If you're willing to go off the beaten path, you can find solitude this summer!
i have been to a number of parks this year and last. The experience of gaining acces and particularly of being able to stay in the parks has become dreadful. it seems the parks are content with achieving their mission of protecting the environment but has abandoned any concern for protecting quality experiences. Sad to see the quest for quantity given priority over quality. The parks should take seriously their legislated obligation to address carrying capacity and at least honestly discuss and debate the pros and cons of the path they are on, whether there are any limits and, if so, the basis for those limits.
We were in Acadia NP this summer, end of June, and it was just as others have said it was...busy during the day and at highlighted stops and sites, but very quiet on the unbeaten path. Getting up early helps, but the best was going to other parts of the park to enjoy without the big crowds. I recall driving through Jordan Pond House parking a few times before I gave up because there was no parking and it seemed like everyone was trying to get in there without seeing anyone leaving. Last year in Yellowstone and Grand Teton, parking was filled up quickly and people were parking along the roads outside of the parking areas.
I will say, that it is nice to see so many people interested in our National Parks, but to get the most of it would mean finding the places that really allow one to fully experience the wilderness. And that's typically not the places that each park really advertises.
The highest visitation in two decades at Mount Rainier has resulted in miles-long, hours-long entrance station backups this summer.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/outdoors/article94621907.html
https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/congestion.htm
At least the Paradise road project shuts down on weekends.
https://www.nps.gov/mora/getinvolved/nisqually-paradise-road.htm
Wonderland Trail demand is at a record high level, with dates when every backcountry site in the park is taken. There are eight short Wonderland video clips at the first link above.
https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/wilderness-camping-and-hiking.htm