USA/Travel—
By Suzanne Potter, producer, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.
Visitors reported long lines, crowded trails, and parking problems at Yosemite National Park over Memorial Day weekend after the National Park Service ended its reservation system.
Staff are having a hard time keeping up with the crowds after the Trump administration cut almost 25% of permanent jobs at the National Park Service since January of last year.
Mark Rose, Sierra Nevada senior program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, said the chaos is hurting the visitor experience and the environment.
“One- to two-hour-long lines to get into the parks and long lines to get on shuttle buses,” Rose said. “A lot of people park in meadows, on roadsides, on tree roots, causing significant resource damage.”
Rose said morale is down among park staff. He also worries the crush of vehicles could affect emergency response times.
Visitors reported overcrowding on trails, leading some people to hike off-trail.
In February, the Department of the Interior announced it was eliminating reservation systems at Yosemite, Arches, and Glacier national parks to increase recreational access.
Rose said he suspects the administration is ignoring environmental concerns to boost the tourism industry.
“Here under this administration,” Rose said, “they’re placing private interests of hotel owners who run the hotels outside of the park and letting them really dictate the management of parks like Yosemite.”
The Yosemite Conservancy advises people to consider visiting during the week and arriving early in the day. It also suggests parking only once and using the shuttle afterward, and visiting areas outside Yosemite Valley, including Wawona and Hetch Hetchy.
July and August are Yosemite’s busiest months, with an average of 600,000 visitors.
