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90 Percent of National Park Visitors Never Leave the Road — 17 Comments

  1. On the one hand, it’s a shame that not more people are willing to get off “the beaten path”, but if everyone did, who knows what destruction, abuse or trouble would ensue. I just hope these beautiful parks and their inhabitants will survive. I hope that we too, survive.

  2. We are not surprised most people stay on the road. The average American is not at all in touch with nature and it might be a good thing they don’t get out and try to “catch” a bear or moose. Common sense may lack if they are out in the wild. We would definitely want to be out there looking for some of the beauty nature has to offer.

    • I see a lack of common sense from the road. People think the animals are tame, and this is a zoo for their pleasure. I have no compunction telling people they are too close to an animal.

  3. Hello, what an awesome post. So many beautiful animals and photos. I love the Grizzly and cubs. The moose are a favorite too. Hubby and I have hiked many trails IN the Tetons and Yellowstone, we love both of those parks. Stunning photos. Have a happy day and week ahead.

  4. I have to echo Emma’s sentiments. And I am so glad you share your photos with us. We don’t have moose and elk around here, but I’ve heard that an occasional brown bear strays out of the forests of the state parks – and an occasional fox – but have never personally seen them. These days, though, I don’t do much “recreational” driving because it involves driving on busy highways as well, which I truly despise.

  5. Very well said! I love nature so much and couldn’t imagine not getting out there as much as possible to enjoy it, and not from the road. It’s kind of like what my hubby and I often talk about – we can’t understand how people live in congested cities and not the country. Yet, on the other hand, I always remind him that it’s a good thing they do, since it keeps our country home quieter.

  6. Such amazing photos Mary! I loved all of them!

    I also think it’s okay that 90% don’t leave their car and see only 5% of the park because then I get to see more and not run into people. But, it’s kind of sad that this is the statistic because if ore people explored our national parks they might fight harder for them.

  7. I love all your photos! I can’t pick a favorite. But I did be-friend a gray jay while we camped this summer. I shared my lunchtime peach with him. Soon, I had a whole family of Gray Jays around me. It was really cool.

    I love your yellow bird. Wow, what a color! And I adore the elk with the huge antlers and the gold behind him.

    You know, we rarely leave the roads in parks. The reason is that dogs can’t leave the roads. So we go just outside the park boundaries to find places to hike. We drive around the parks for those “wildlife jams” you talked about. We were just at Rocky Mountain last night watching the elk rut. Wow!

    We are determined to get ourselves to the Grand Teton area next summer or September so I’ll probably be asking your advice about boondocking locations again. You were SO helpful for the eclipse. We thank you regularly (without you hearing it) for giving us a clue about where to find a nice spot!

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