Looks like I hit a nerve. So, yeah, just one man's opinion after 40+ years of backpacking all over the world. Yes, even an occasional national park. Of course our parks are for all our people. But the sad fact is that 90% of our people don't understand, don't value, can't cherish and will not protect them. So it falls to the rest of us to do that for them, in ways that might reach more of them, to educate them by explaining that these wild places do not and cannot exist if not for our efforts and our care. My proposal is meant to increase access, not decrease it. It's meant for everyone who wants to experience those lands, to learn about them. We need to have meadows free from the noise, fumes and mayhem of vehicular traffic, where people can actually hear nothing but nature. We need to divert people's attentions away from the soft serve ice cream and the imax theaters and pizza joints so they can focus on the pure magic of a sunrise creeping up the slope, or watching the mist rise from a lake. Some people will want to walk, or bike, or hike, or backpack, or run through the landscape. Others will want to just sit in the meadow and enjoy the air. The campgrounds should welcome all who are willing to leave behind their music, their TVs, their generators and all the other stuff that gets in the way of experiencing the park. Instead of rangers who would really prefer you stick to the road, to the developed sites, and stay out of trouble, we should have educators who are encouraging people to get out there. Banning cars is just a start, not an end but a means to an end. We can't stop with the parks, either - we need to use the parks as attractions to get the education process started. One man's opinion. That's all. Thanks for reading!
