National park visits dropped precipitously last year amid pandemic-related park closures and restrictions. But the drop followed years of high use and crowds are expected back in force this year.
“We expect that there will be significant increases in visitation at many parks as COVID mitigation measures are reduced, vaccination rates rise, and Americans increase their travel,” National Parks Service deputy director for operations Shawn Benge told a Senate committee Wednesday.
The parks service on Thursday launched its #PlanLikeARanger campaign, which encourages advanced planning.
In New York’s Adirondacks, popular trailhead parking lots are typically filled before dawn on summer weekends. Summits like Cascade Mountain are packed.
At the private Adirondack Mountain Reserve, the number registered hikers surged from 16,500 in 2014 to 29,100 last year, general manager John Schuler said.
The 7,000-acre reserve, exclusive Ausable Club, is private land accessible to the public under a longstanding easement.
The three-year pilot reservation system, announced by the reserve and the state in March, is designed both to protect natural resources and for public safety. State officials hope the managed entry will reduce illegal roadside parking.
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