That trend intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns and social distancing protocols motivated people to get outside wherever they could. Many people who love hiking, fishing, backpacking or other outdoor activities know that national parks are crowded, and they often seek other places to enjoy nature, including public lands. Many are remote, but others are near or within major metropolitan areas. They also include battlefields, rivers, trails and monuments. They include all kinds of ecosystems, from forests to grasslands, coastlines, red rock canyons, deserts and ranges covered with sagebrush. Some are scenic others are just open space. Public lands are more diverse than national parks. Other areas that are mountainous or forested were not initially viewed as valuable when they came under U.S. That’s largely because much of this land is arid, and lack of water makes farming difficult. In Western states like Nevada, the federal footprint can be as large as 80% of the land. Federal property makes up 28% of surface land area across the 50 states. government is our nation’s largest land manager by far. public lands are managed for many different purposes by an alphabet soup of federal agencies. Finding solutions requires visitors, gateway communities, state agencies and the outdoor industry to collaborate.U.S. Many public lands are prime recreational territory and are also becoming increasingly crowded. In my work as a historian and researcher, I’ve explored the history of public land management and the role of national parks in shaping landscapes across the Americas.
In contrast, national parks exist solely to protect some of the most important places for public enjoyment. Depending on each site’s mission, its uses may include logging, livestock grazing, mining, oil and gas production, wildlife habitat or recreation – often, several of these at once. Across the nation, the federal government owns more than 640 million acres (2.6 million square kilometers) of land. To manage the crowds, some parks are experimenting with timed-entry vehicle reservation systems and permits for popular trails.įor all of their popularity, national parks are just one subset of U.S. Crowding also makes it harder for park staff to protect wildlife and fragile lands and respond to emergencies. While research shows that spending time outside is good for physical and mental health, long lines and gridlocked roads can make the experience a lot less fun. national parks logged more than 300 million visits – and that means a lot more people on roads and trails. ( The Conversation) – Outdoor recreation is on track for another record-setting year.
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