National Parks Visitation Drops 28% in 2020

Outdoor experiences provided refuge from the pandemic for 237 million visitors to America’s national parks in 2020. The number represents a 28% decrease from the previous year due largely to temporary park closures and restrictions implemented in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Although overall visitation dropped, a number of parks experienced record crowds and welcomed new visitors. Trails, overlooks and open spaces provided safe ways for visitors to recreate responsibly, get some fresh air and stay active.

” The coronavirus pandemic has affected nearly every National Park Service operation, and parks continue to work with public health officials to navigate changing conditions. A maximum 66 of the 423 parks of the National Park System were fully closed for two months or more. The majority of parks – particularly those with outdoor spaces – remained accessible to the public. Just a handful of historic and cultural parks, primarily historic homes with limited indoor space, remain closed.

To protect the health of those who live, work and visit America’s national parks, face masks are required in all NPS buildings and facilities. Masks are also required on federally managed lands when physical distancing cannot be maintained, including narrow or busy trails, overlooks, and parking lots. Additional public health measures remain in effect, and visitors should check with individual parks for details on operations before visiting.

Additional information from the 2020 visitation report includes:

* Recreation visitor hours dipped from 1.4 billion in 2019 to 1.05 billion in 2020, a 26% decrease.

* 15 parks set a new recreation visitation record in 2020.

* Five parks broke visitation records they set in 2019.

* Blue Ridge Parkway claimed the title of most-visited site in the National Park System.

* Great Smoky Mountains National Park maintained its long-running position as the most visited National Park in 2020 – a position it has held since 1944. Grand Canyon National Park dropped from the second-most visited national park – a position it held for 30 years – to the sixth most-visited. Yellowstone National Park moved from the sixth most-visited national park in 2019 to second most-visited – a position it has not held since 1947.

* Four parks began reporting official visitor statistics for the first time: Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and Valles Caldera National Preserve.

For an in-depth look at 2020 visitation statistics, please visit the National Park Service Social Science website. For national summaries and individual park figures, please visit the National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics website.

Here are the Top Ten Most Visited National Parks in 2020:

1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park 12.1 million.

2. Yellowstone National Park 3.8 million.

3. Zion National Park 3.6 million.

4. Rocky Mountain National Park 3.3 million.

5. Grand Teton National Park 3.3 million.

6. Grand Canyon National Park 2.9 million.

7. Cuyahoga Valley National Park 2.8 million.

8. Acadia National Park 2.7 million.

9. Olympic National Park 2.5 million.

10. Joshua Tree National Park 2.4 million.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Headed to Glacier National Park This Year?

Are you planning to visit Glacier National Park this summer - or anytime down the road? I wanted to let you know about an eBook we published last year that provides hikers with access to detailed trail information while hiking in the park.

Exploring Glacier National Park is the mobile version of HikinginGlacier.com, the most comprehensive website on the internet for hiking trail information in Glacier National Park. This book was published to provide readers with convenient access to the information contained on HikinginGlacier.com while in the park, or on the trail, where internet access is most likely not available. Additionally, the format of this book will provide a much better experience for smartphone users.

Exploring Glacier National Park covers 68 hikes. Like the website, the book includes driving directions to each trailhead, detailed trail descriptions, key features along the route, difficulty ratings, photographs, maps and elevation profiles, which provide readers with a visual representation of the change in elevation they’ll encounter on each hike. Some hikes will also include historical tidbits related to the trail. Whether you're looking for an easy stroll in the park, or an epic hike deep into Glacier's backcountry, this book provides all the tools you'll need to make your hiking trip as enjoyable as possible.

As with our four websites, this book also contains several directories that will help you choose the best hikes suited to your preferences and abilities. This includes hikes listed by location within the park, hikes listed by key trail feature, and hikes sorted by difficulty rating. I’ve also included lists of our top 10 hikes, the best easy hikes, the top fall hikes, and the top early season hikes.

The book is now available on Amazon.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Additional Areas Impacted by Cameron Peak Fire Are Now Open

The Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest is happy to announce a few more areas impacted by the Cameron Peak Fire have reopened for winter recreation. Newly opened areas include the Lower Dadd Gulch Trail, Chambers Lake and Access Road, Long Draw Road (for over-snow use only and no overnight use), Long Draw Reservoir, the Neota Wilderness and the Joe Wright Ski Trail. For these open trails and roads, the area opened is 50 feet on either side of the trail or road.

Areas previously opened include the Zimmerman Lake Trailhead and restroom (which opens Zimmerman Lake, Zimmerman Loop, upper portion of the Meadows Trail and Montgomery Pass trails); Cameron Pass Trailhead and restroom (which opens the Cameron Connection Trail); and Joe Wright Trailhead and restroom (reservoir is open for ice fishing when appropriate). The Long Draw ski route and the lower portion of Meadows Trail are also open.

Most areas impacted by the fire remain closed for safety and natural resource protection. The general area that remains closed is all National Forest System lands east of the Laramie River Road north of the West Branch Trailhead and east of Colorado State Forest State Park south of the trailhead; west of County Roads 69, 63E, and 27; south of County Road 86; and north of Rocky Mountain Park and County Road 43. Details of the latest closure and map are available on the N.F. website.

Crews continue to evaluate other recreation areas as conditions allow. Forest Service staff and volunteer trail crews from the Cameron Peak Nordic Rangers and Poudre Wilderness Volunteers have worked hard to get these new areas open to the public. There are more than 120 miles of Forest Service trails within the Cameron Peak Fire perimeter and over 350 miles of Forest Service Roads. Some areas will not be safely accessible for evaluation until after the snow melts. Many factors come into play when determining when an area can reopen. Beyond the immediate risk of hazard trees, considerations have to be made for trail markers, erosion control and trail stabilization issues, damaged infrastructure like bridges, and safety signage.

Many people would like to help with recovery efforts on the Forest. The District is fortunate to have many wonderful organizations we work with regularly and will be integral to our recovery efforts. The Wildlands Restoration Volunteers and Poudre Wilderness Volunteers may help in hosting some public events that will be available on their websites, depending on COVID-19 protocols this upcoming season.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Online Reservations For Wilderness Camping Begin March 1

In a typical year, beginning on March 1, visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park could make their wilderness campsite reservation request in person through a lottery system or online. Due to current public health guidance related to Covid-19, there will not be any in-person Wilderness Campsite Reservation requests taken at Wilderness Offices in Rocky Mountain National Park from March 1 through March 15, 2021. Wilderness Campsite Reservation requests will only be processed online during that period, starting March 1, at 8 a.m. Mountain Standard Time for a permit for the current calendar year. Phone, mail, email and fax reservations will not be accepted. On March 1 at 8 a.m., the link for reservations will be found at www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/wilderness-camping.htm 

The link to the reservation system will not be available prior to that date and time.

Park staff will continue to assess wilderness backcountry site availability this year due to fire impacts from 2020. There will be less campsite availability this year in areas that were burned or sites that are accessed through burn areas.

Wilderness camping permits help provide a quality experience, minimize impacts to resources, and ensure that sites are available for those who plan ahead and reserve a permit in advance. An overnight permit is required for backcountry camping year-round, and from May through October demand typically exceeds availability in many areas of the park’s backcountry. Staff and volunteers in the park’s wilderness office provide trip planning advice and information for a safe and enjoyable trip into the wilderness. Requirements for food storage necessary to protect bears and other wildlife, mountain weather, hazards, and Leave No Trace ethics are among the information received during the permitting process.




Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Temporary Closures In Lumpy Ridge And Loch Vale Areas Begin February 15 To Protect Nesting Raptors In Rocky Mountain National Park

Each year to protect raptor nesting sites, Rocky Mountain National Park officials initiate temporary closures in areas of the park. To ensure that these birds of prey can nest undisturbed, specific areas within the park are closed temporarily to public use during nesting season and monitored by wildlife managers. Due to high nesting activity last year closures will begin earlier this year on February 15 rather than March 1. These closures will continue through July 31, if appropriate. These closures may be extended longer or rescinded at an earlier date depending on nesting activity.

A new closure is being implemented in the Loch Vale area which includes Cathedral Wall. The areas above the Loch Vale / Sky Pond Trail are closed to off trail travel. In the Lumpy Ridge area closures include Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Sundance, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, The Book, and Twin Owls, Rock One. These closures include the named formations. Closures include all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes and climber access trails to the named rock formations. Check the park’s website at www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/area_closures.htm for updated information on raptor closures.

The National Park Service is committed to preserving birds of prey. If nest sites are located or territorial behaviors such as aggressive divebombing/vocalizing or birds fleeing nest sites due to human disturbance are observed, please report the general location to ROMO_Information@nps.gov.

The same cliffs that are critical for raptors also appeal to climbers. The cooperation of climbing organizations and individuals continues to be essential to the successful nesting of raptors in the park.




Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Rescue Conducted Near Emerald Lake In Rocky Mountain National Park

On Tuesday, February 9, park rangers were notified that a 21-year-old female from Texas had suffered serious injuries near Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. The woman slid down a snow-covered slope approximately 70 to 100 feet into a talus slope on the south side of Emerald Lake. Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team members provided advanced medical care.

Team members used a Rescue Toboggan to transport the patient from Emerald Lake to the Bear Lake Trailhead where she was transported by ambulance to Estes Park Health and then taken to a nearby trauma center.

No further information will be released at this time.




Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

CPW finds elk herds mainly unaffected by Cameron Peak Fire

Despite burning 208,913 acres across Larimer County from August through December, it does not appear the Cameron Peak Fire had short-term impacts on the elk herds in Larimer County.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologist Angelique Curtis took flight in a Bell 407 helicopter to survey the elk herds for the first time since the fire, which is the largest ever to burn in Colorado. She classified roughly 4,200 elk in the seven hour flight on Thursday, Jan. 7.

Curtis used satellite GPS collars as a part of a new study launched one year ago to help locate the herds across the Laramie River Valley, Red Feather Lakes and the Cherokee State Wildlife Area.

“The elk that we saw today actually summered up where the Cameron Peak Fire burned in the Comanche Peak Wilderness, Long Draw area and up in Dead Man,” Curtis said. “What we saw today is that the fire didn’t inhibit them from actually getting to their wintering ground and we saw some pretty good calf recruitment.

Depending on how hot the fire may have burned across the region, the possibility exists that productive habitat will be there for wildlife as early as this spring. The amount of moisture we receive over winter will help play a role in that. As we progress through winter and into spring, biologists and forest ecologists will have a better understanding of the outlook of the post-fire burn area.

Some of these herds numbered in the thousands, making it difficult to count the animals and record their sex and age class. Curtis relies on the pilot to not only maintain human safety while in the air, but also keep in mind the well-being of the wildlife down below.

“In order for us to properly classify them, the pilot has to go in there and actually carve off a group of 35 to 40 elk at a time and then his job is to keep those elk separated from the main herd,” Curtis said. “So when we are doing this it is definitely the pilot and his skills that get us the data we need.”

When approaching from the sky, the pilot first circles the herd to look for hazards before lowering in closer to break them up into smaller groups.

“A lot of animal welfare goes into it,” said Cameron Stallings, Chief Pilot from Aero Tech, Inc. “You don’t want to run them through fences or over cliffs or run them too long, things like that. Flying in the mountains when it is windy is difficult and there are things you have to consider there.”

This herd is classified by CPW in its Data Analysis Unit (DAU) E-4. The last time biologists surveyed this herd from the sky was in 2006.

“The purpose of these flights is to get a classification,” Curtis said. “Classification is the cow, calf and bulls that we see on the ground and that is entered into a model and then from there we use the model to produce population estimates and to decide how many licenses we need to give out each year.”

This particular herd does not have a model. Population models are used to help CPW manage populations within the objective ranges, which include setting annual hunting license allocations. The Habitat Partnership Program (HPP), funded by revenue from the sale of big game licenses, assists CPW to meet game management objectives for deer, elk, pronghorn and moose.

It was Larimer County HPP funds that paid for the GPS satellite collars for this elk study. Funds from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation were used towards the aerial capture efforts to get the collars deployed on the elk.

Now those collars are playing a crucial role in obtaining the data wildlife managers need. They not only assist biologists in helping locate the herds to classify them, but document movement patterns, habitat use, reproduction success and can help identify mortality causes.

“This is the first year of data and I’ll probably need another three or four years of data in order to build the model properly, but I’m getting an idea of how many elk are out on the landscape and how the elk are moving through the landscape,” Curtis said.

Potential long term effects from the fire are not yet known. It is a good sign the elk were able to make it down to their wintering grounds, but biologists are curious what next summer will bring for the herds.

“It is going to be interesting to see when they migrate back to their summer range, how that is going to affect their movement patterns and if they are going to go to the same locations as they did the previous year,” Curtis said.




Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Ranking the Most Dangerous National Parks

An online guide for outdoor travel called Outforia.com recently published a list of fatality figures for America's national parks. The data was derived from the National Park Service through a Freedom of Information Act. The numbers were compiled from 2010 to 2020, with deaths tallied in several separate categories, including drowning, falls, wildlife, motor vehicle accidents, medical/natural deaths, poisoning, boats, bicycles, homicides, environmental, and undetermined deaths.

According to the data, the Grand Canyon ranks as the most dangerous national park, with 134 deaths recorded in the park during that time period. Yosemite saw 126 deaths, while the Great Smoky Mountains reported 92 deaths. Rocky Mountain ranks 8th with 49 deaths during the study period.

Because the Great Smoky Mountains has by far the highest number of visitors per year, it's a bit disingenuous to say that they are the third most dangerous national park. As a result, I decided to see what the data would look like if we reviewed fatality rates on a per one million visitor basis. The results, as you might expect, were quite different. Using this method the Virgin Islands is actually the most dangerous national park in the system. During the 2010 to 2020 study period the park recorded almost 165 deaths per one million visitors. Denali ranked second with 84.8 deaths per one million visitors, while Big Bend finished a distant third with 47.4 deaths per one million visitors. Among the top 20 parks on Outforia.com's list, the Great Smoky Mountains actually ranks as the 19th most dangerous park, with just 7.3 deaths per one million visitors.

I then decided to look at this same data from a slightly different angle. All of the numbers discussed so far include medical and natural deaths, which really have no bearing on how dangerous a park really is. As a result, I removed these deaths from the total number of deaths to see if there were any substantial differences. The Virgin Islands and Denali were still ranked as the two most dangerous parks, with Redwoods coming in at third. Although the Grand Canyon had the highest number of total deaths, the park actually ranks 9th on a per million visitor basis, with medical and natural deaths stripped out of the total counts. Yosemite ranked 7th using this methodology, while Rocky Mountain ranked 14th with 9.2 deaths.

A few other statistics shed some additional light on why parks report so many deaths. For example, the Smokies reported 37 motor vehicle deaths - by far the most of any park. This represents 40% of all deaths recorded in that park during the study period. Yosemite recorded 45 deaths from falls, which represents almost 36% of all deaths in that park. Surprisingly, there were only 6 deaths recorded as a result of wildlife throughout the entire National Park System. Yellowstone recorded 3 of those deaths during the study period. The Grand Canyon had the highest number of "undetermined" deaths (17), with Yosemite, the Great Smoky Mountains and Sequoia-Kings Canyon each reporting 13. My assumption is that this category includes disappearances and suicides.

To review the article and the data, please click here.




Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Headed to Grand Teton National Park This Year?

Are you planning to visit Grand Teton National Park this summer - or anytime down the road? I wanted to let you know about an eBook we published last year that provides hikers with access to trail information while hiking in the park.

Exploring Grand Teton National Park is the mobile version of TetonHikingTrails.com, the most comprehensive website on the internet for hiking trail information in Grand Teton National Park. This book was published to provide readers with convenient access to the information contained on TetonHikingTrails.com while in the park, or on the trail, where internet access is most likely unavailable. Additionally, the format of this book will provide a much better experience for smartphone users.

Exploring Grand Teton National Park covers 44 hikes. This includes 41 hikes within Grand Teton National Park, as well as 3 hikes in the Teton Pass area, located just south of the park boundary. Like the website, the book includes driving directions to each trailhead, detailed trail descriptions, key features along the route, difficulty ratings, photographs, maps and elevation profiles, which provide readers with a visual representation of the change in elevation they’ll encounter on each hike. Some hikes will also include historical tidbits related to the trail. Whether you're looking for an easy stroll in the park, or an epic hike deep into Grand Teton's backcountry, this book provides all the tools you'll need to make your hiking trip as enjoyable as possible.

As with our four websites, this book also contains several directories that will help you choose the best hikes suited to your preferences and abilities. This includes hikes listed by location within the park, hikes listed by key trail feature, and hikes sorted by difficulty rating. I’ve also included lists of our top 10 hikes, the best easy hikes, the top fall hikes, and the top early season hikes.

The book is now available at Amazon.




Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park