How We Killed America's Best Idea-The National Parks

Come on a hike with us on some of the best National Park trails while we discuss 8 ways we’re killing the National Parks. They were once called America’s best idea — vast, wild places meant to be protected forever. But millions visit every year, searching for peace, beauty, adventure while quietly destroying the land we sought to protect. Let’s get Started. to watch the video version of this post click here or continue reading below

While we hike Highline Trail in Glacier National Park let’s tackle

What Happens When Too Many People Love the Same National Park at the Same Time?

Once considered remote and untamed, many national parks are now facing a crisis of popularity. Places like Zion, Glacier, and Arches routinely reach full capacity — not just during summer, but even shoulder seasons. Parking lots fill by 7 a.m. Trails that once promised solitude now feel like urban sidewalks. But, traffic jams in Yellowstone or Yosemite can stretch for miles, turning natural sanctuaries into chaotic stress zones for humans and wildlife alike. Campgrounds book out a year in advance, and fragile areas are trampled under excessive foot traffic. The infrastructure — restrooms, roads, and water systems were never designed for this many people. But, yet the crowds keep growing, year after year, overwhelming the man made systems meant to protect these natural places. The sheer volume of visitors is degrading the very experience people come to find. But, here you are thinking of planning another trip for the social status we will discuss next and later we will address the stress to wildlife.

Could Sharing Your Favorite National Park Photo Actually be Killing America's Best Idea?

What started as a way to share beautiful experiences has morphed into one of the greatest threats to public lands. Social media apps have turned quiet, remote locations into viral hotspots. A single TikTok or Instagram post can send thousands of people to a once-unknown spot, like The Wave in Arizona or the picturesque alpine gardens like here in Glacier. But the infrastructure often doesn’t exist to handle that influx. People arrive unprepared, unaware of regulations or fragile conditions. But, many prioritize the perfect photo over following the rules — stepping off-trail, getting too close to wildlife, or leaving trash behind. Some even vandalize or deface iconic locations just to leave their “mark.” In chasing likes and followers, we’ve unintentionally created a cycle that rewards behavior that damages the very places we claim to love.

Now as we hike in Grand Canyon National Park Have you ever wondered

What does it really take to keep a national park running — and

What Happens When We Stop Funding the National Parks - America's Best Idea?

Behind the scenes of every stunning overlook and scenic trail is a complex system of people and infrastructure — and it’s falling apart. The National Park Service has been chronically underfunded for decades and it continues as you can tell with a simple Google Search. But, our own Congress is stating the maintenance backlog has exceeded $22 billion, covering everything from crumbling roads to broken bathrooms and aging water systems. Many parks operate understaffed with too few rangers to monitor trails, educate visitors, or enforce rules. But, Congress is currently evaluating more cuts to parks. Interpretive programs are cut. Visitor centers reduce hours. Trails go unmaintained. When the number of visitors continues to rise but funding and staffing don’t keep up, the result is simple: things break, and no oane’s there to fix them. The parks begin to rot from the inside out — not from neglect, but from a lack of resources. But even worse,

What Happens When People Treat America's Best Idea Like Theme Parks Instead of National Parks?

Every year, rangers report more incidents of disrespectful — and sometimes dangerous — visitor behavior compounding the problem. People feeding bears from their cars. Hikers blaring Bluetooth speakers in wildlife-rich areas. Tourists getting too close to elk or bison, only to get injured or cause harm. Dogs run off-leash in sensitive habitats. Visitors carve names into rocks, spray graffiti in slot canyons, or deface ancient petroglyphs. Trash piles up on trails. Human waste appears just steps off busy paths. What’s worse: most of this isn’t malicious. It’s ignorance, entitlement, or a lack of awareness. People treat national parks like amusement parks not understanding that the parks' other mandate, protecting wildlife and habitat is the more important responsibility. But, when even a small percentage of visitors behave this way, the collective impact is devastating. But, these places are not invincible. They can be, and are being, loved to death.

Let’s head East to Shenandoah National Park and ask the question

Can a national park truly stay wild if everything around America's Best Idea is being developed?

The threats to national parks don’t end at the entrance sign. Just outside park boundaries, development is exploding. Gateway communities — once quiet towns — are now filled with short-term rentals, fast food chains, and luxury resorts catering to tourism demand. This seems like progress but with that comes a cost: light pollution, traffic, and rising housing prices that push out local workers, including park staff. Wildlife suffers too. Migration routes are cut off by new roads, fences, and sprawling neighborhoods. Natural buffers disappear as private land is sold and developed. National parks may be protected, but the ecosystems surrounding them often aren’t — and those ecosystems are vital to the health of the entire region. Without thoughtful planning, the areas just outside the parks become ground zero for unchecked sprawl, undermining everything the parks stand for and this close to DC Shenandoah is no exception.

We’ll talk more about the disappearance of National Parks next but

Do you like this walk and talk format? Join today for free to become a part of our community. While hiking to Grinnell glacier in Glacier National Park Do you wonder…

What If The Most Iconic Parts of our National Parks Disappear in our Lifetime?

Perhaps the most sobering threat to the National Parks is also the most difficult to reverse. Climate change is already reshaping these landscapes — and not slowly. Glaciers are disappearing in Glacier National Park. Believe it or not we’re losing glaciers at an alarming rate. Between 1850 and 2015 we’ve lost 54 of the 80 glaciers in the park with 26 remaining. All of these glaciers are smaller than they were in 1966. But, Wildfires are more intense and frequent in Sequoia and Yosemite, too. Coral reefs in Biscayne are bleaching. Alpine meadows are drying out. Some tree species are dying off completely. Rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns are changing where animals can live, when plants bloom, and how water flows. The parks were created to preserve specific natural features and ecosystems — but those ecosystems are moving, or vanishing. A park like Joshua Tree could lose the very trees it’s named after by the end of the century. Without better conservation and respect for the landscape we risk losing not just the beauty of the parks, but their actual existence.

Now, while hiking Badlands National Park have you noticed a change in the national parks and the people that visit? Join the conversation and leave a comment with your thoughts.

When did our National Parks stop being wild and start becoming entertainment venues?

In an effort to cater to visitor expectations, some parks have become overly commercialized while sacrificing nature. Instead of rugged wilderness, visitors are greeted with trams, gift shops, gourmet cafes, and curated experiences that feel more like a theme park than a national treasure. Did you know private companies now control lodging, tours, or dining at many National Parks, prioritizing profits over preservation. The experience becomes transactional. Visitors experience convenience, instant gratification, and “Instagrammable” moments. But the soul of the national parks was never meant to be about comfort or ease. It was about wonder, humility, and connection to something bigger than yourself. When we package the parks into a product, we strip away that soul and reduce the wilderness to a selfish amusement.

How can we expect people to protect America's Best Idea, the National Parks, they were never taught to respect?

One of the most preventable problems is simply a lack of education. Many visitors have never heard of Leave No Trace. They don’t know how to hike responsibly, pitch a tent, basic survival and hiking skills or avoid wildlife encounters. And it’s not their fault — they were never taught. Schools rarely teach outdoor ethics. But, National Park Service signs are often outdated, underfunded, or easy to ignore. As a result, people don’t know why they shouldn't feed a chipmunk, carve initials into bark, or wear sunscreen in a fragile alpine lake. Education is the key to stewardship, but when budgets are tight, interpretive programs are the first to go. Without understanding the “why” behind the rules, it’s easy to break them — even with good intentions.

To learn better ways to view and experience the National Parks read this post next!