Dear EarthTalk: Are some of the newfangled entrance restriction tactics to reduce overcrowding at U.S. national parks having the desired effect? The U.S. has seen this newfound appreciation in the form of a high influx in visitors to national parks across the country. In 2022, two of the busiest national parks — Yellowstone and Yosemite — began to require reservations for entry for the first time in the history of the National Park Service (NPS). To wit, some 312 million trips were made to national parks in the last year, with 12 parks breaking previous attendance numbers. Making matters worse is that national parks weren’t initially developed to accommodate massive crowds.

Source: Daily Sun September 19, 2023 12:17 UTC