Yosemite Traffic Nightmare, Slew of Deaths in National Parks

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I'm Jason Epperson coming to you from the absolutely stunning Denali National Park and

Preserve and it's time for this month's National Park News Roundup.

The summer crowds at Yosemite National Park have surged as the park entered its peak tourist

season without a reservation system in place.

The combination of increased visitation, road closures, and limited parking has led to clogged

traffic, long waits, and other challenges for visitors.

At points, the line at the entrance station has exceeded 8 miles with a 4-hour wait to

get in.

Many factors have contributed to the current situation, including the rescheduling of trips

postponed due to record rainfall and snowfall earlier this year.

The park closed several areas briefly due to flooding concerns.

These flooding concerns were mostly alleviated as the record snowpack melted fairly evenly,

but it's led to an unprecedented spectacle in the park.

The waterfalls in Yosemite, including Bridal Veil Fall, are experiencing unusually powerful

flow when in a normal year many waterfalls would be gone by now.

Officials advise visitors to be prepared for multi-hour delays and to consider alternative

transportation options like the park's bus system.

Road closures are also in effect due to the water flow.

Social media posts from the park staff have been updating visitors about traffic conditions

and parking availability.

This is the first year since 2019 that the park has not had a timed entry reservation

system in place, and the park is seeking comment on reservations and visitor access through

September 6th on a new plan to address congestion, which will likely involve a more permanent

reservation system.

In 2020 and 2021, the park's reservation system was mainly to stop the spread of COVID-19.

In 2022, officials implemented a peak hours reservation system due to extensive construction

that was going on throughout the park to reconfigure parking lots and roadways.

The lack of an entry reservation system in 2023 is allowing the Park Service to observe

and test the efficacy of those changes and document what issues persist.

I'll put a link in the description for the visitor access management plan and where you

can comment.

The Park Service is also seeking comment on the use of electric bikes within parks through

July 21st.

E-bikes can have many benefits for parks and visitors, including making travel easier,

expanding access for those with physical limitations, and providing healthy recreation opportunities.

At the same time, the Park Service says it must manage these emerging forms of access

and recreation just like others that occur in park areas, in a manner that protects park

resources, values, and visitors.

Officials have evaluated those impacts, including the ones on wildlife, on a national scale,

and that information is now available for your viewing pleasure.

Currently, National Park Service regulations authorize park superintendents to allow e-bikes,

where appropriate, on roads and trails where traditional bicycles are allowed.

Public lands designated by Congress as wilderness areas remain off-limits for both traditional

bicycles and e-bikes.

Again, I'll put a link to that information and where to comment in the description.

As the parks continue to be very busy throughout the summer season, several tragic deaths have

taken place.

On June 23rd, a distress call was received by Big Bend National Park's Communications

Center requesting emergency assistance along the Ruru-Fovega Trail.

A father and his two step-sons from Florida were hiking in extreme heat with temperatures

reaching 119 degrees Fahrenheit.

The youngest, a 14-year-old, fell ill and lost consciousness, prompting the father to

hike back to their vehicle for help.

Meanwhile, the 21-year-old brother attempted to carry his younger brother back to the trailhead.

Park rangers and U.S. Border Patrol agents swiftly responded to the scene, reaching it

at approximately 7.30 p.m.

Tragically, they discovered the young victim deceased along the trail.

A search was initiated for the father, and his crashed vehicle was found over the embankment

at Boquillas Overlook around 8 p.m.

He was also pronounced deceased at the scene.

A 65-year-old man from San Diego was found dead in his vehicle in Death Valley National

Park on the morning of July 3rd.

Extreme heat also appears to have caused his death.

His car was found 30 feet off-road.

The vehicle did not crash, but it had two flat tires.

The initial investigation suggests that heat-related illness may have caused the driver to run

off-road.

The high temperature that day was 126 degrees.

The overnight low was 98.

The vehicle was found to be operational and was not stuck, but the air conditioning was

not working.

On July 2nd, a 57-year-old woman embarked on an eight-mile hike in temps over 100 degrees

in Grand Canyon National Park and became unconscious during the journey.

She called for help, but despite the arrival of a ranger at 1 a.m., she was also pronounced

deceased.

Also on July 2nd, a 25-year-old died after falling and being pulled underwater at West

Creek Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park.

This year is incredibly hot in many places, and heatstroke and dehydration are of extreme

concern, along with many mountain rivers, streams, and waterfalls running very cold

and very fast after all that record snowfall.

The depth and current of waterways can be deceiving and swift.

Three Peregrine Falcon chicks successfully took their first flights from the cliffs at

Maryland Heights at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park this spring.

This is the third consecutive documented fledging of Peregrine Falcons since the 1950s from

this historic breeding site.

This is also the first time in over 70 years that each chick has survived to this milestone.

The adult falcons will continue to feed their fledglings for several months while the young

birds gain strength and hunting skills.

The fledgling stage through the first year is one of the most dangerous times for young

falcons.

The Peregrine Falcon Management Program at Harpers Ferry is a cooperative effort that

includes the National Park Service, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, and a team of dedicated park volunteers.

Peregrine Falcons historically nested at Maryland Heights, but the impacts of pesticides like

DDT during the 1940s through the 1960s decimated the population worldwide.

DDT caused eggshell thinning, resulting in the eggshell breaking while being incubated.

This resulted in the near extinction of the species.

DDT was banned in the U.S. in 1972, and the birds have made a slow recovery since.

The first successful nest at Maryland Heights since the 1950s was in 2021.

National Park Service contractors on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina have removed

the remaining wreckage of a Cessna 414A plane that crashed near Water Rock Knob in November

of 1983.

The crashed site is on land that was donated to the parkway in 2016.

Since that time, the site has seen a high volume of visitors accessing the wreckage

via unauthorized social trails, causing concerns for the safety of the hikers who can get lost

and injured, as well as severe damage to rare and sensitive species from trampling, erosion,

soil compaction, and vegetation removal.

In recent years, traffic to the site has increased in large part due to greater visibility on

social media.

The Water Rock Knob area is one of four high-elevation sites in the park with a concentration of

rare and sensitive species, including pink-shell azaleas.

In recent years, this area has also been the focus of large-scale land conservation initiatives.

Removing the debris required a helicopter to airlift the remaining sections of the plane.

At the time of the 1983 crash, the engines were salvaged from the site, but the fuselage,

wings, and other debris were left behind.

Both passengers aboard the plane perished.

Finally, Independence National Historical Park celebrated its 75th birthday over the

Independence Day holiday.

On June 28, 1948, Congress authorized the creation of Independence National Historical

Park.

Today, the park covers over 54 acres in Philadelphia's Old City and includes Independence Hall, the

Liberty Bell, Congress Hall, and other historic buildings associated with the founding of

the United States.

It also preserves over one million artifacts.

The park's creation had a tremendous impact on the revitalization of the surrounding neighborhoods,

and the park continues to drive the tourism industry in the city today.

That's it for this episode.

We'll see you next time.