Videophilia

[Pangloss62]

People always conflate local, county, state, national, Forest Service, parks.

http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/hisnps...y/npshisto.htm

Hey rage; why you think NPS ruined Death Valley?

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

People always conflate local, county, state, national, Forest Service, parks.

http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/hisnps...y/npshisto.htm

Hey rage; why you think NPS ruined Death Valley?

When visiting it before, the trash was picked-up, the rangers were friendly, there was a steady but manageable flow of people through the park, few people broke the rules (going off-trail, etc) and the people were those who were out-door regulars who respected the park, wildlife and surroundings.

After the park went National, every single thing I mentioned above changed 100%.

[Pangloss62]

I don't know how old you are, but Death Valley "went National" in 1933. I suppose you've noted cultural/behavioral change over time. I would hope the rangers are still nice. Our new Secretery of The Interior is more to our liking than Gale Norton.

[barefoot serpent]

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

I don't know how old you are, but Death Valley "went National" in 1933. I suppose you've noted cultural/behavioral change over time. I would hope the rangers are still nice. Our new Secretery of The Interior is more to our liking than Gale Norton.

Death Valley was originally a National Monument and not a National Park. As a NM it was still open to mining -- both corporate and individual prospecting. And to livestock. As a NP (~1990) it is now offlimits to mining but also offlimits to 'open' camping. I used to go there alot and camp -- zero impact camping (no fires, no offroading) -- off any established road. You can't do that any more. You must camp in established, parkinglot campgrounds (ugh).

But, on the other hand, it is now more protected from the 'maximum' impact offroading types. So, fo me it's a mixed blessing.

[Pangloss62]

Good point, serpent. Whether Monument or Park, so many things have changed in terms of what you can and cannot do. They used to make a fire waterfall at Yosemite; after the ranger did his spiel at the fire ring on top of the cliff, he would dump all the coals over the edge, creating a cool pyro effect. In Mammoth cave in KY, they would go into this big "room," turn off the lights, and then the ranger would throw a flaming oilly rag thing through the air. They even had lunch service in a special cave room. That was before radon was a concern.

[xoxoxoBruce]

National park visitation data starting in 1930 peaked in 1987 at 1.2 visits per person per year. But by 2003 it had declined by about 25 percent to 0.9 visits per person per year, said Oliver Pergams, an ecologist at the University of Illinois who analyzed the data for the study.

The per person visits are down but what about attendance? It seems anytime I get near a national Park, in the last few years, it's thronged with people.

Personally, a park like a Civil or Revolutionary War battlefield isn't somewhere I'd go to commune with nature. They're for learning and putting into perspective the history that happened there. They usually don't require repeat visits to do that.

I've been to all the major and a majority of the minor National Parks, except Hawaii. Favorite is probably Glacier, with Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Yosemite tied for second. Climbing Mt. Katadin, air boating through the everglades, watching the bears in Denali, and feeling the ghosts at Alcatraz were fun but the isn't the boggle the mind experience of the top 4 on my list.
This is all a strictly personal thing, different strokes for different folks.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

TI've been to all the major and a majority of the minor National Parks, except Hawaii.

On our honeymoon to Hawaii, my wife and I knew we were going to visit Volcano National Park (or whatever it's called) so we packed our Golden Eagle Pass for the trip. As we approached the park gate, we were one of a long line of white rental cars. Pulling up to the booth, I handed the attendant my Golden Eagle Pass. He still asked me for the entrance fee. I had to tell him that it was a Golden Eagle Pass and that it covered my admittance. He looked really confused. I think he had never seen one in all his time there and was used to simply requesting $5 (or whatever the fee was) from each rental car.

[Pangloss62]

Personally, a park like a Civil or Revolutionary War battlefield isn't somewhere I'd go to commune with nature.

I can understand that, but after about 10 years working for the NPS, I've come to really appreciate those military parks. Those were originally managed by the War Department, but were absorbed into the NPS in 1933. Today they are located in the midst of American sprawl, and exist as little utopias within the more disorganized urban landscape. Orderly and well-layed-out, they are nice places to walk, think (not just about history), and enjoy the outdoors. They are quiet, peaceful places, designed landscapes that please the eye. And many of the monuments and sculpture represent a unique period of public art in American history.



Any land that is not given over to unplanned commercialism is OK with me.