Having a better national park vacation
words & photography by David & Kay Scott
During the summer of 2021 travelers who chose to visit a national park likely wondered if the rest of the country had decided to arrive at about the same time , with many parks jammed to the brim . The result in a number of parks was overflowing parking lots , long waiting lines for food service , and , in some , a full sign at the entrance .
Yellowstone for the first time surpassed 4 million visitors in 2021 , a milestone that occurred in mid-September . Other well-known parks set visitation records as a coronavirus-weary citizenry sought relief in America ’ s national parks . The overcrowding was made worse at many parks by staffing shortages .
Depending upon the severity of the virus during the upcoming spring and summer , park visitation in 2022 may equal or surpass that of 2021 . Planning for a national park trip has always been important , but this year introduces more uncertainty . Here some ideas that may help with your planning .
1If possible , visit during a park ’ s off season . The majority of national parks welcome a high percentage of visitors during three or four months of summer . Although California ’ s Yosemite National Park is open all year , a little less than half of the visitors arrive during the four months from June through September . Acadia , a popular national park in
Maine , experiences 62 percent of annual visitation from July through September . Because summer is high season for many national parks , spring and fall can be ideal times to visit and avoid the biggest crowds . Another benefit is lodging park lodging is easier to reserve with prices that are sometimes reduced .
2Choose one or more of the lesspopular parks . Many travelers place a high priority on visiting only the betterknown parks including Yellowstone , Grand Teton , Glacier , Rocky Mountain , Great Smoky Mountains and Zion . The National Park Service administers 423 sites , including 63 that are classified as national parks . Each is a special place and worth a visit . Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada is a large scenic park that in 2019 recorded 132,000 visits as compared to 2.5 million visits to Zion National Park . We ’ re using 2019 here because visitation to most parks was negatively impacted in 2020 by COVID . Big Bend National Park in southern Texas recorded 460,000 visits in 2019 , about a tenth of the visitors to Yosemite the same year . Busier doesn ’ t necessarily mean better .
3Try to book lodging inside rather than outside a park . The best time for exploring most parks is the early morning before day visitors arrive and late afternoon when most visitors have hit the road . The experience of
52 April | May 2022 Thomasville Scene