Our national parks were conceived of as a fundamentally democratic idea. These citadels of beauty were intended for everyone to experience and enjoy. Today, however, we are governed by an administration which believes America is comprised of two groups - the rich and the rest. And their policies are designed for the benefit of the rich so the rest be damned. It’s pay to play! Thomas Jefferson, however, secure in his understanding of the core principles of democracy, once wrote, “I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves.” Through your tireless advocacy, More Than Just Parks has educated the people regarding the existential threat posed to our democracy by an administration which does not recognize the rule of law. It was another of our Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, who - emerging from the Constitutional Convention of 1787 - was asked by a lady, “Well Doctor, what have we got - a republic or a monarchy?” His astute reply was, “A republic - if you can keep it.” Today, that republic is under assault by the man who would be king. It’s up to us to act on this clear and present danger. Either our elected representatives uphold the Constitution of the United States and faithfully safeguard the interests of the vast majority of Americans who aren’t billionaires or, in the words of that former host of NBC’s ‘The Apprentice,’ “you’re fired!”
You are right about the current administration. But the pricing of the National Parks started long before them. I like the idea of getting the NPS back in control over everything, as Will suggested. We just have to get Congress to do something about it! If the parks keep most of that revenue, it should help the lack of funding for maintenance, staff, facilities, etc.
Another commenter mentioned the population increase, and the increase in foreign visitors. That overcrowding has forced there to be some measure to limit traffic, whether it be pricing, lottery, First-come or go away, whatever.
And it’s not limited to National parks. The NY State’s Adirondack Park now has parking fees at some trailheads, and they are discussing a trail access lottery system. NJ beaches are also overcrowded, most have fees, limited parking, etc. I suspect the same is true everywhere. I don’t know of any good, equitable solution to “too many people”.
Thanks John. Great points per usual. We need this stuff to be legislated. It is bipartisan and the public wants it. We need someone to lead the charge on this and in the current gridlock up there it's increasingly tough. We just got the EXPLORE Act through which was great. It will be a year or two most likely before we get another big outdoors/public lands oriented bill through congress. We will be working our contacts to make some of this happen.
The Trump regime will destroy the national parks, not preserve them. And NY state parks have been charging for parking since forever. That's only during the summer; the rest of the year you can enter and park for free.
Btw, the “rich” used to be the top 5%. Then it was the top 1%. Now it’s the top 0.1%. This neo-liberal bs economics we’ve been operating under since 1980 is a load of horse manure.
Per the OP, "...administration which believes America is comprised of two groups - the rich and the rest." I'm saying that the group that is considered "rich" is getting smaller and smaller, meaning that the number of people who can enjoy our national parks is also getting smaller and smaller.
One of the sad parts of rangering in YNP was telling people (mostly, though not all, young) that there was no longer any realistic chance of finding a free place to camp anywhere near the park. I hasten to add that what we told them was necessary; overuse has been destroying the roadside landscapes in the surrounding National Forests.
It is worth noting that there are 84 million more Americans now than there were in 1995. This dates me, but there are 124 million more than when I was young and roaming (camping free with a view of the Tetons, no problem in 1975). There is no going back to those times.
We could manage the parks differently. But we won't until deeper stories are changed.
💯 agree. I camped in Teton Natl Park in 1976 - and was a NP backcountry ranger in a different park in 1980. Even then a permit system (no charge) was needed just to try and manage impact to popular but sensitive areas. There is no going back to those times. And I am amazed when I return to some areas in national parks and they are as natural and beautiful as I remember - that’s a lot of work and care by the park service to make that happen given the number of people visiting the parks.
The national parks and national monuments are our jewels - the champagne to enjoy on special occasions. There are plenty of places with almost the same specialness in national forests, national recreation areas, wilderness areas, BLM lands, and state parks. They offer camping/ wilderness experience pretty close to what it used to be. But I’m waiting to see how it’ll be now given budget cuts. For the past 2 months I’ve found access/ road gates closed in forest service areas, info stations closed due to no staff, no hosts at campgrounds, garbage at campsites from previous campers, vault toilets not maintained and, ironically enough, campgrounds never more than half full.
If camping in an area served by a concessionaire make a point to find out where you can give “feedback” and give it - hold them accountable. Maybe copy your MOCs (members of congress).
Love this Patty. Very well said and thanks so much for sharing your firsthand experience here! I'm sure others will enjoy it as well.
I totally agree about branching out into USFS & BLM lands. Many are more beautiful than nearby parks with no visitors but alas the funding is a national disgrace. I too have seen the abandoned posts. It's heartbreaking.
We did a National Park swing in 1995. Very serendipitously - Grand Canyon (camped off a logging road on the east rim), Arches, Yellowstone (stayed in Cody-Pawhuska Teepee 50.00/ night) and Mount Rushmore, Needles, and Green River Canyon, No reservations- just showed up. Finding out you can no longer do this makes me extremely sad.
I’ve just returned home from a 6-month road trip in which I visited 15 national parks, two national monuments, and a national preserve. I was able to travel cheaply in my 1999 camper van, purchasing an annual parks pass for $80, scoring some sweet campsites thanks to last-minute cancellations, and cooking all my own food. I’m privileged to have the freedom and flexibility to travel like this, though; I can’t imagine trying to plan and pay for a peak-season trip for a family, for all the reasons you described. A large proportion of parks visitors nowadays seem to be foreign tourists. I’m grateful that the camping and entrance fees are still relatively affordable, but they have been climbing steadily. I try to visit during the off-season and off-hours to avoid the massive crowds, but I am privileged with time and flexibility. It must be a huge challenge for a working family with fixed vacation time. I’m afraid of all the ways this administration could erode the park experience even further in the next four years. You are inspiring me to write more about my experiences and take up this cause!
Thanks so much for sharing this, Liz! Super helpful to read your firsthand experience here. Sounds like an amazing trip.
That time and flexibility is everything these days (sadly). They desperately need to preserve a percentage of campsites as first come, first served for spontaneous visitors. I remember being able to go to popular campgrounds in popular parks and if you showed up at the right time you could score a great site. There was always at least a chance. No more. Something sacred is being lost with that which is hard to put into words or quantify. A part of our national spirit.
I look forward to reading more about your experiences - sounds amazing!
Awesome Will, thanks for subscribing! The parks are so overcrowded nowadays, I can see why some of them have moved to a reservation-only policy in the peak seasons. It would create a problem if hundreds of people are showing up trying to snag a handful of spots and they don’t have anywhere to go when they are turned away. Whenever I see a few “FF” sites at a campground on recreation.gov, I assume I won’t be able to get a spot, so I prefer to reserve if I can (usually snagging a last-minute cancellation from someone who reserved 6 months ago). But it does take away the magic and spontaneity of a road trip; I remember touring the parks two decades ago without a single reservation. The way I’ve seen it work best is when a park has an entire campground dedicated to first-come first-served visitors, so there is plenty of capacity. That way, the people who need to plan ahead can reserve at one campground, and people who just show up can be reasonably sure they will find a place to stay without having to run around checking different campgrounds for availability. Thanks for all the good work you’re doing to bring these issues to light and raise awareness about threats to our parks!
This is incredibly heartbreaking. I just got back from a month and a half driving trip through 7 states, going to National Parks, Public Lands, National Forests and State Parks. With so many horrific proposals being spewed, Corporate takeovers, funding and staffing being cut, I wanted to go before my end as I treasure these lands which should for all to enjoy and experience.
Every year my wife and I spend two to three weeks in Yellowstone. Over a forty year time span we've seen the costs of our trip steadily climb. Lodging costs are the biggest component of our trip expenses with food and fuel the next. It is quite expensive for most families to stay as long as we do. The parks are popular, justly so and regrettably so. I see no ready solution to the lodging costs because Yellowstone is pretty empty five months of the year and the hoteliers must make their overhead in a shortened time window, ditto the merchants and restaurants . What has improved the economy has been the big tour bus and coach trade. All of the big inns absolutely depend on them since each bus represents 20 or more rooms booking. This is why at YNP at least if you stay in West Yellowstone you need to book months in advance if you want to stay a couple of nights. We book a year in advance, making next year's bookings the day we check out. During the peak season, the tour buses roll in to the lodges every day. In the last fifteen years or so, YNP has seen a large increase in the number of foreign visitors, the biggest jump being from Asia as economic conditions improve over there. The mainland Chinese tour buses have become very evident but I suspect with the political situation being what it is, that number will crash as will the tour buses coming from Europe. Interestingly and sadly, almost no tourists from global south.
I have already written at too great a length and will wrap it up by saying that visiting YNP for a multi-day stay is a pretty expensive proposition and you should be sure to get your reservations nailed down well in advance.
Appreciate you sharing this, Michael. You’re right, the costs have crept up slowly over time, and it’s easy to see how the lodging market got there. Short season, limited rooms, big tour groups locking up blocks. But what used to be a budget-friendly week in the park now feels more like a mid-tier cruise. That shift might make sense for the businesses, but it comes at a real cost to access.
When the only viable way to stay near a park is booking a year out or paying $400 a night, we’ve already lost something beyond affordability but the ability to decide on a whim to go see your own country. The idea that you could just show up, pitch a tent, and find wonder – that’s what’s quietly disappearing.
And you're absolutely right about the need to plan ahead now. But I don’t think the solution can be “book earlier” forever. At some point, we have to ask who this model really serves – and who it leaves behind.
I’m sick and tired of everything being so damned expensive. Privatization was supposed to make things cheaper because the government was supposedly too inept to operate efficiently. Turns out that was a bunch of hogwash. Privatization has made things far more expensive.
Without disputing anything here per se, it does seem that this is all about the most-visited "premium" parks. The bottom of the list is full of places with 90% fewer visitors than Yellowstone.
Agree somewhat. Yes, you can save more money by visiting some of those places but not too much. Hotels in and around national parks are very expensive during the times that average families have to go visit them (summer). They're still expensive during the off season but less so.
Here here. There’s nothing more pain-inducing than feeling like I’m trying to buy Taylor Swift tickets to get into a park or site…
It also pains me to hear about the privatization of the component parts. But as someone who fell in love with the parks as an adult, curious if overall visitor numbers are just way up, and if this is a greedy/inelegant/cash grab means to manage it. Social media has its own cottage industry that promotes all the gorgeous scenery, and I can feel the FOMO effect when I’m in a park. Basically I’m all for more people having access and falling in love with our crown jewels and hopefully becoming defenders of our parks — but I certainly agree that there has to be a better way than wringing the experience for maximum profit.
Yes! That's what it is. The privatization part is the worst and must be stopped. The profit motive must be eradicated from these sacred parts of our national inheritance.
65 years ago, we had a mom with some health problems who suddenly realized she hadn’t been anywhere yet. She spent the year shopping sales and coupon deals for m perishable food. My father came home from work Saturday night, packed the car with all our food, a camping stove and suitcases. Early Sunday am we headed out for a three week run through the part of the country my mother had meticulously mapped and measured and calculated and planned for. We might eat out once, maybe two or three times stop at a grocery store for fresh meat rather than canned. We hit as many national parks as humanly possible. The first time I saw RMNP, all this planning resulted in “this is Wednesday. It must be RMNP!” The most grueling part of these trips was the “finding a motel” experience, where my father would travel from motel to motel, finally picking one with the best price and cleanliness.
I have been back to RMNP with my family many times. I know when it’s time to go because I can smell it by just thinking about it! We tend to travel the way my mother taught me, only staying inside the parks when I got us an inexpensive camper so that we never had to leave! I can see how 20 years later, that would be an iffy and expensive thing to do.
I absolutely hate privatization of things. That always seems to make everything more expensive and less enjoyable.
I hope we are able to save our national parks and our national monuments, reimagining them to consider both ecology and the human experience at the best cost for us, the landowners!
Wow! I feel like I was just assaulted and my wallet was stolen. I just reserved a room at Many Glacier hotel for $800 one night. And it was the last and only room available that week! Just tragic but I live in Alabama and I have never been to Montana.
My dad was a teacher. We had little extra. We had glorious summers off and traveling through parks. I’m so grateful. This saddens me immeasurably
As was mine! It’s tragic
Our national parks were conceived of as a fundamentally democratic idea. These citadels of beauty were intended for everyone to experience and enjoy. Today, however, we are governed by an administration which believes America is comprised of two groups - the rich and the rest. And their policies are designed for the benefit of the rich so the rest be damned. It’s pay to play! Thomas Jefferson, however, secure in his understanding of the core principles of democracy, once wrote, “I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves.” Through your tireless advocacy, More Than Just Parks has educated the people regarding the existential threat posed to our democracy by an administration which does not recognize the rule of law. It was another of our Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, who - emerging from the Constitutional Convention of 1787 - was asked by a lady, “Well Doctor, what have we got - a republic or a monarchy?” His astute reply was, “A republic - if you can keep it.” Today, that republic is under assault by the man who would be king. It’s up to us to act on this clear and present danger. Either our elected representatives uphold the Constitution of the United States and faithfully safeguard the interests of the vast majority of Americans who aren’t billionaires or, in the words of that former host of NBC’s ‘The Apprentice,’ “you’re fired!”
Thank you so much Anthony! Totally agree. It’s pay to play - literally. Great quote - appreciate the history lesson and the kind words.
You are right about the current administration. But the pricing of the National Parks started long before them. I like the idea of getting the NPS back in control over everything, as Will suggested. We just have to get Congress to do something about it! If the parks keep most of that revenue, it should help the lack of funding for maintenance, staff, facilities, etc.
Another commenter mentioned the population increase, and the increase in foreign visitors. That overcrowding has forced there to be some measure to limit traffic, whether it be pricing, lottery, First-come or go away, whatever.
And it’s not limited to National parks. The NY State’s Adirondack Park now has parking fees at some trailheads, and they are discussing a trail access lottery system. NJ beaches are also overcrowded, most have fees, limited parking, etc. I suspect the same is true everywhere. I don’t know of any good, equitable solution to “too many people”.
Thanks John. Great points per usual. We need this stuff to be legislated. It is bipartisan and the public wants it. We need someone to lead the charge on this and in the current gridlock up there it's increasingly tough. We just got the EXPLORE Act through which was great. It will be a year or two most likely before we get another big outdoors/public lands oriented bill through congress. We will be working our contacts to make some of this happen.
The Trump regime will destroy the national parks, not preserve them. And NY state parks have been charging for parking since forever. That's only during the summer; the rest of the year you can enter and park for free.
Btw, the “rich” used to be the top 5%. Then it was the top 1%. Now it’s the top 0.1%. This neo-liberal bs economics we’ve been operating under since 1980 is a load of horse manure.
Agreed.
So, how is this relevant to the article?
Per the OP, "...administration which believes America is comprised of two groups - the rich and the rest." I'm saying that the group that is considered "rich" is getting smaller and smaller, meaning that the number of people who can enjoy our national parks is also getting smaller and smaller.
One of the sad parts of rangering in YNP was telling people (mostly, though not all, young) that there was no longer any realistic chance of finding a free place to camp anywhere near the park. I hasten to add that what we told them was necessary; overuse has been destroying the roadside landscapes in the surrounding National Forests.
It is worth noting that there are 84 million more Americans now than there were in 1995. This dates me, but there are 124 million more than when I was young and roaming (camping free with a view of the Tetons, no problem in 1975). There is no going back to those times.
We could manage the parks differently. But we won't until deeper stories are changed.
Thanks for the context here, Lee. Great points which I agree with 100%.
That being said, a few things that would help immediately:
– Bring back a guaranteed percentage of first-come, first-served campsites
– Kill the junk fees and stop paying Booz Allen Hamilton to run reservations
– Cap pricing on in-park lodging and hold contractors accountable to public access goals
– Fully fund the Park Service so privatization stops being the fallback
💯 agree. I camped in Teton Natl Park in 1976 - and was a NP backcountry ranger in a different park in 1980. Even then a permit system (no charge) was needed just to try and manage impact to popular but sensitive areas. There is no going back to those times. And I am amazed when I return to some areas in national parks and they are as natural and beautiful as I remember - that’s a lot of work and care by the park service to make that happen given the number of people visiting the parks.
The national parks and national monuments are our jewels - the champagne to enjoy on special occasions. There are plenty of places with almost the same specialness in national forests, national recreation areas, wilderness areas, BLM lands, and state parks. They offer camping/ wilderness experience pretty close to what it used to be. But I’m waiting to see how it’ll be now given budget cuts. For the past 2 months I’ve found access/ road gates closed in forest service areas, info stations closed due to no staff, no hosts at campgrounds, garbage at campsites from previous campers, vault toilets not maintained and, ironically enough, campgrounds never more than half full.
If camping in an area served by a concessionaire make a point to find out where you can give “feedback” and give it - hold them accountable. Maybe copy your MOCs (members of congress).
Love this Patty. Very well said and thanks so much for sharing your firsthand experience here! I'm sure others will enjoy it as well.
I totally agree about branching out into USFS & BLM lands. Many are more beautiful than nearby parks with no visitors but alas the funding is a national disgrace. I too have seen the abandoned posts. It's heartbreaking.
We did a National Park swing in 1995. Very serendipitously - Grand Canyon (camped off a logging road on the east rim), Arches, Yellowstone (stayed in Cody-Pawhuska Teepee 50.00/ night) and Mount Rushmore, Needles, and Green River Canyon, No reservations- just showed up. Finding out you can no longer do this makes me extremely sad.
What a time to be alive!
I’ve just returned home from a 6-month road trip in which I visited 15 national parks, two national monuments, and a national preserve. I was able to travel cheaply in my 1999 camper van, purchasing an annual parks pass for $80, scoring some sweet campsites thanks to last-minute cancellations, and cooking all my own food. I’m privileged to have the freedom and flexibility to travel like this, though; I can’t imagine trying to plan and pay for a peak-season trip for a family, for all the reasons you described. A large proportion of parks visitors nowadays seem to be foreign tourists. I’m grateful that the camping and entrance fees are still relatively affordable, but they have been climbing steadily. I try to visit during the off-season and off-hours to avoid the massive crowds, but I am privileged with time and flexibility. It must be a huge challenge for a working family with fixed vacation time. I’m afraid of all the ways this administration could erode the park experience even further in the next four years. You are inspiring me to write more about my experiences and take up this cause!
Thanks so much for sharing this, Liz! Super helpful to read your firsthand experience here. Sounds like an amazing trip.
That time and flexibility is everything these days (sadly). They desperately need to preserve a percentage of campsites as first come, first served for spontaneous visitors. I remember being able to go to popular campgrounds in popular parks and if you showed up at the right time you could score a great site. There was always at least a chance. No more. Something sacred is being lost with that which is hard to put into words or quantify. A part of our national spirit.
I look forward to reading more about your experiences - sounds amazing!
Awesome Will, thanks for subscribing! The parks are so overcrowded nowadays, I can see why some of them have moved to a reservation-only policy in the peak seasons. It would create a problem if hundreds of people are showing up trying to snag a handful of spots and they don’t have anywhere to go when they are turned away. Whenever I see a few “FF” sites at a campground on recreation.gov, I assume I won’t be able to get a spot, so I prefer to reserve if I can (usually snagging a last-minute cancellation from someone who reserved 6 months ago). But it does take away the magic and spontaneity of a road trip; I remember touring the parks two decades ago without a single reservation. The way I’ve seen it work best is when a park has an entire campground dedicated to first-come first-served visitors, so there is plenty of capacity. That way, the people who need to plan ahead can reserve at one campground, and people who just show up can be reasonably sure they will find a place to stay without having to run around checking different campgrounds for availability. Thanks for all the good work you’re doing to bring these issues to light and raise awareness about threats to our parks!
This is incredibly heartbreaking. I just got back from a month and a half driving trip through 7 states, going to National Parks, Public Lands, National Forests and State Parks. With so many horrific proposals being spewed, Corporate takeovers, funding and staffing being cut, I wanted to go before my end as I treasure these lands which should for all to enjoy and experience.
Thanks for sharing Melissa - sounds like a wonderful trip! It's heartbreaking absolutely.
Every year my wife and I spend two to three weeks in Yellowstone. Over a forty year time span we've seen the costs of our trip steadily climb. Lodging costs are the biggest component of our trip expenses with food and fuel the next. It is quite expensive for most families to stay as long as we do. The parks are popular, justly so and regrettably so. I see no ready solution to the lodging costs because Yellowstone is pretty empty five months of the year and the hoteliers must make their overhead in a shortened time window, ditto the merchants and restaurants . What has improved the economy has been the big tour bus and coach trade. All of the big inns absolutely depend on them since each bus represents 20 or more rooms booking. This is why at YNP at least if you stay in West Yellowstone you need to book months in advance if you want to stay a couple of nights. We book a year in advance, making next year's bookings the day we check out. During the peak season, the tour buses roll in to the lodges every day. In the last fifteen years or so, YNP has seen a large increase in the number of foreign visitors, the biggest jump being from Asia as economic conditions improve over there. The mainland Chinese tour buses have become very evident but I suspect with the political situation being what it is, that number will crash as will the tour buses coming from Europe. Interestingly and sadly, almost no tourists from global south.
I have already written at too great a length and will wrap it up by saying that visiting YNP for a multi-day stay is a pretty expensive proposition and you should be sure to get your reservations nailed down well in advance.
Appreciate you sharing this, Michael. You’re right, the costs have crept up slowly over time, and it’s easy to see how the lodging market got there. Short season, limited rooms, big tour groups locking up blocks. But what used to be a budget-friendly week in the park now feels more like a mid-tier cruise. That shift might make sense for the businesses, but it comes at a real cost to access.
When the only viable way to stay near a park is booking a year out or paying $400 a night, we’ve already lost something beyond affordability but the ability to decide on a whim to go see your own country. The idea that you could just show up, pitch a tent, and find wonder – that’s what’s quietly disappearing.
And you're absolutely right about the need to plan ahead now. But I don’t think the solution can be “book earlier” forever. At some point, we have to ask who this model really serves – and who it leaves behind.
I’m sick and tired of everything being so damned expensive. Privatization was supposed to make things cheaper because the government was supposedly too inept to operate efficiently. Turns out that was a bunch of hogwash. Privatization has made things far more expensive.
Amen, Edward! It is having the opposite effect. Prices are going up. It's too much.
can’t afford to live in larger cities either
Yep!
Without disputing anything here per se, it does seem that this is all about the most-visited "premium" parks. The bottom of the list is full of places with 90% fewer visitors than Yellowstone.
Agree somewhat. Yes, you can save more money by visiting some of those places but not too much. Hotels in and around national parks are very expensive during the times that average families have to go visit them (summer). They're still expensive during the off season but less so.
This is a disgrace.
Amen!
Here here. There’s nothing more pain-inducing than feeling like I’m trying to buy Taylor Swift tickets to get into a park or site…
It also pains me to hear about the privatization of the component parts. But as someone who fell in love with the parks as an adult, curious if overall visitor numbers are just way up, and if this is a greedy/inelegant/cash grab means to manage it. Social media has its own cottage industry that promotes all the gorgeous scenery, and I can feel the FOMO effect when I’m in a park. Basically I’m all for more people having access and falling in love with our crown jewels and hopefully becoming defenders of our parks — but I certainly agree that there has to be a better way than wringing the experience for maximum profit.
Yes! That's what it is. The privatization part is the worst and must be stopped. The profit motive must be eradicated from these sacred parts of our national inheritance.
Sold off for parts. Sigh.
Yep - sick.
65 years ago, we had a mom with some health problems who suddenly realized she hadn’t been anywhere yet. She spent the year shopping sales and coupon deals for m perishable food. My father came home from work Saturday night, packed the car with all our food, a camping stove and suitcases. Early Sunday am we headed out for a three week run through the part of the country my mother had meticulously mapped and measured and calculated and planned for. We might eat out once, maybe two or three times stop at a grocery store for fresh meat rather than canned. We hit as many national parks as humanly possible. The first time I saw RMNP, all this planning resulted in “this is Wednesday. It must be RMNP!” The most grueling part of these trips was the “finding a motel” experience, where my father would travel from motel to motel, finally picking one with the best price and cleanliness.
I have been back to RMNP with my family many times. I know when it’s time to go because I can smell it by just thinking about it! We tend to travel the way my mother taught me, only staying inside the parks when I got us an inexpensive camper so that we never had to leave! I can see how 20 years later, that would be an iffy and expensive thing to do.
I absolutely hate privatization of things. That always seems to make everything more expensive and less enjoyable.
I hope we are able to save our national parks and our national monuments, reimagining them to consider both ecology and the human experience at the best cost for us, the landowners!
Wow! I feel like I was just assaulted and my wallet was stolen. I just reserved a room at Many Glacier hotel for $800 one night. And it was the last and only room available that week! Just tragic but I live in Alabama and I have never been to Montana.
Park Rangers are paid doodly squat. Where does all that 💰 go?