Donald I, emperor of the world.

[Pblakeney]

In the US the national parks allow people to see all the world's wonders via a 100m long board walk from a convenient parking space.

It’s that convenience that leads to the congestion which leads to not being worth the hassle.
I’d rather have a peaceful 5 mile trek for the scenery than a 2 minute pit stop. An hour if you have to wait for all the Insta shots. Personal preference only.

 

[Blazing Saddles]

In fairness in Canada a national park has essentially no facilities. It is just somewhere you can go to get hypothermia, lost and/or eaten. In the US the national parks allow people to see all the world's wonders via a 100m long board walk from a convenient parking space. That has to be paid for.

Many of the US ones are also heavily overly used (within a few hundred metres of all of the roads obviously). Getting into Yellowstone by car used to involve driving. Now it involves booking years in advance. I was in Yosemite Valley on labour day weekend in 2015 and enjoyed some of theongest most picturesque traffic jams of my life. I would need to book in advance to go there as well now. There are queues for the Instagram shot at Delicate Arch. I could go on. Were I American I might feel justified in thinking I should get some sort of priority to my own national parks.

Typical of the Americans to turn their national parks into theme parks, to they can charge a family a grand.

Another vote from me for “Free” Canada.

 

[secretsqirrel]

They took all the trees and put 'em in a tree museum
And they charged the people a dollar and a half to see them
No, no, no
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone?
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Ooh, bop-bop-bop
Ooh, bop-bop-bop (oh-oh, na-na-na-na-na)

Joni Mitchell

 

[Rusty Nails]

In the US the national parks allow people to see all the world's wonders via a 100m long board walk from a convenient parking space

And do not like it if you move away from the designated paths and commercial opportunities. DAMHIK.

 

[Pross]

They took all the trees and put 'em in a tree museum
And they charged the people a dollar and a half to see them
No, no, no
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone?
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Ooh, bop-bop-bop
Ooh, bop-bop-bop (oh-oh, na-na-na-na-na)

Joni Mitchell

Exactly what come into my head too.

 

[CXRAndy]

Typical of the Americans to turn their national parks into theme parks, to they can charge a family a grand.

Another vote from me for “Free” Canada.

You have to pay to go and see landmarks and historical sites in the UK. The English Heritage and the National Trust being the main two. They also rely heavily on donations.

What's the difference in the USA charging to access their beautiful natural sites, I mean, apart from leftie whining outrage?

I doubt they Americans are gonna worry about a few Brits not turning up

 

[Rusty Nails]

What's the difference in the USA charging to access their beautiful natural sites

The important word here is natural.

 

[Ian H]

I'm within cycling distance of two national parks and live squeezed between two AONBs. They're all free to visit and wander around.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Luckily, I went to the western US States on many road trips including hiking trips in many of the National Parks before they became too crowded and restricted/monetised access. I went to Yosemite and Yellowstone again fifteen years ago and it was far less pleasant with all the queuing.

 

[CXRAndy]

The important word here is natural.

They need upkeep if thousands upon thousands turn up.

Humans generally have little respect for nature and will leave their crap everywhere they go. Of course it takes money to clean up.

It was the same when I went to Uluru . We had go pay the aboriginal elders who managed the whole area. The management asked people not to walk up the rock because of its historical significance to the people. Tourists piled up it in their hundreds ignoring the guides. Now all people are banned from climbing the rock

Daily tours per person are from £100 to go into the region around Uluru

Its no different, except it's the USA, thats where some on here are outraged

 

[briantrumpet]

I'm within cycling distance of two national parks and live squeezed between two AONBs. They're all free to visit and wander around.

Maybe I won't mention again where I ate my Christmas Day lunch last year. Mind you, I was slightly disappointed that I saw *two* other people that day after I had dined. I should have asked to see their tickets.

 

[Rusty Nails]

They need upkeep if thousands upon thousands turn up.

Humans generally have little respect for nature and will leave their crap everywhere they go. Of course it takes money to clean up.

It was the same when I went to Uluru . We had go pay the aboriginal elders who managed the whole area. The management asked people not to walk up the rock because of its historical significance to the people. Tourists piled up it in their hundreds ignoring the guides. Now all people are banned from climbing the rock

Daily tours per person are from £100 to go into the region around Uluru

Its no different, except it's the USA, thats where some on here are outraged

Of course they do but so do the National Parks in the UK.

The difference between here and there is the level of monetisation and commercialism, which probably is a metaphor for the overall differences including health provision between the US and UK.

 

[CXRAndy]

Of course they do but so do the National Parks in the UK.

The difference between here and there is the level of monetisation and commercialism, which probably is a metaphor for the overall differences including health provision between the US and UK.

Uluru is a natural site, they charge each person for every trip. What's wrong with that?


If you want to go and see beautiful sites around the world , you have to expect to pay.

Our natural sites are littered with rubbish

 

[First Aspect]

It’s that convenience that leads to the congestion which leads to not being worth the hassle.
I’d rather have a peaceful 5 mile trek for the scenery than a 2 minute pit stop. An hour if you have to wait for all the Insta shots. Personal preference only.

They aren't mutually exclusive. Great Prismatic Spring is astonishing full stop. But busy for that reason. But my fondest memories of the national parks are the less well trodden ones far closer to the main sites that you might think.

 

[Ian H]

Littered