Close the roads to National Parks?

[HCRiceBoy21]

Your point is totally valid, but I'm gonna throw out a big 'what if' here; what if more people enjoyed backpacking into wild places... Then would the government be able to justify funding to preserve a natural area with little or no access? I know it's a long shot, but I do think the idea is gaining popularity as of late. Perhaps someday enough people will share the views expressed here to make our perspective worth pandering to.

Then the world would be a wonderful place! I guess we could all dream...

But with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) the areas would have to be accessible if anything is built. Just look at the privies in NY/NJ. They have a ramp and handicapped railings (the ones on the wall in handicapped stalls in public restrooms ) in them! I agree with ADA, but sometimes good things can go too far.

[Ileah7]

I think closing some of the road to national parks would be great. More of the parks should follow the model created for Zion... Park at the visitor center and get on the bus system for access to most of the popular sites. At the same time there is a huge back country area which is beautiful and not very populated, mostly accessed by miles of dirt road to trail heads. I think this would be a wonderful fix for Cades Cove and other popular areas within national parks.

[Dogwood]

The NPS MAY close some roads in NPs to tourons for various reasons including traffic congestion but they aren't going to close all road access in the parks... too lucrative and many profiteers would be opposed. You are also fighting a powerful allied sector, the Forestry Dept, who wants access as well as NPS who also wants road access.

[Dogwood]

Just because something is there doesnt mean we must accommodate everyone that wants to explore it. - RCBear

Well said.

And, for the poster that said closing roads would be discrimanating agiast the handicapped. PHOOEY. RIDICULOUS. NOT EVERY PLACE has handicapped access; are these places all discriminating too? Roads are meant for quick access even by those who are too damn lazy, obese, or want to get someplace convenioently even if it means destroying or negatively impacting the experience for others.

[Dogwood]

As far as human turd piles be careful where you sit or step atop Mt Whitney in late summer! Turds, TP, and turd doggy bags in abundance. I can only imagine what it's like at Base Camp or at some of the other places where Mt Everest summiters amass in numbers.

[Dogwood]

All right; just stop with this. Wilderness types are not the only ones who should be able to access the beauty of our country in the National Parks that are supported by all taxpayers monies. So, what you seem to be advocating also is discrimination against the handicapped. That's not solving the problem at all. The problem is people who don't have respect for the environment; not people who just aren't in the kind of shape it would take to reach these spots. I don't know what the answer is but banning people who aren't physically able to access some of these spots or don't have the time to hike in is not the answer.

I think closing some of the road to national parks would be great. More of the parks should follow the model created for Zion... Park at the visitor center and get on the bus system for access to most of the popular sites. At the same time there is a huge back country area which is beautiful and not very populated, mostly accessed by miles of dirt road to trail heads. I think this would be a wonderful fix for Cades Cove and other popular areas within national parks.

I suspect we're going to see more of this type of thing in the near future. Would help ease congestion in places like Yellowstone NP for sure plus this NP could use a bus/shuttle system for those trying to get around the park that don't have access to their own vehicles. The bus system in Zion NP is definietly an improvement from a congestion and pollution perspective than allowing all the cars and RVs to clog the roads and roadsides.

[Odd Man Out]

Just because something is there doesnt mean we must accommodate everyone that wants to explore it. - RCBear

Well said.

And, for the poster that said closing roads would be discrimanating agiast the handicapped. PHOOEY. RIDICULOUS. NOT EVERY PLACE has handicapped access; are these places all discriminating too? Roads are meant for quick access even by those who are too damn lazy, obese, or want to get someplace convenioently even if it means destroying or negatively impacting the experience for others.

Public transportation need not be discriminatory. As I recall, the wording in the ADA calls for "reasonable accommodation". Here is the Zion policy from the web page:

"Zion Canyon Transportation
From April through October access into Zion Canyon is by shuttle bus only. All shuttle buses are wheelchair accessible. Use of personal vehicles is restricted to those individuals requiring additional vehicle supported medical devices or when the shuttle bus cannot accommodate the individual due to weight or size restrictions. A special permit for personal vehicle use can be obtained from the visitor center or museum information desks by providing documentation of the medical condition."

[Swordpen]

Why cant people respect land and property that they do not own. Would you go over your friends house and write on his walls, leave trash in his house, or not clean up your own crap?

+1 (it's so simple, why not respect things?) Answer: because a lot of people are, yes, pigs.

[wnderer]

I don't think they need to get rid of all roads but I do think they need to strike a better balance between access and wilderness. And I don't think it is all parks. I think the White Mountains do a good job. I really hate Skyline Drive. I was there last fall and I had to drive around forever looking for a parking space. The picnic areas were mobbed. There were kids playing football in the parking lot. I finally park my car and start hiking in the trails and I'm all alone. All these people were there to use the barbecues and the picnic tables in what amounts to an urban park. I mean don't they have parking lots to play football in where these kid come from? They can put this stuff anywhere. If their aim was to provide access and education about the wilderness they failed. The conveniences they provided have become the attraction.

And as for Cades Cove, my thought is they should get rid of that road and put in an old fashioned five mile an hour steam train. That would get rid of all the idling cars which would better for the environment. They could also charge a fee and make more money than they get sticking it the back packers.