3 ms·

Read "Industrial Tourism and the National Parks" by Edward Abbey in Desert Solitaire. His solution is as simple as making people get off their asses and walk or

Read "Industrial Tourism and the National Parks" by Edward Abbey in Desert Solitaire. His solution is as simple as making people get off their asses and walk or bike, etc, rather than the then-current trend of building paved roads and parking lots ever closer to the "attractions". There is, believe it or not, an IMAX theater right outside of Zion that shows movies of the park. My first reaction was to be appalled by the brazen crassness of such a thing. In time, my opinion has softened: if it diverts people from coming into the park for nothing more than a look around, great. Let them stay the hell out of the park and move on to the next checkbox on their vacation. It'll be less crowded for those of us who do like to hike. Abridged version here: https://lvk104.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/polemic-industrial-tourism-the-national-parks-by-edward-abbey/ https://lvk104.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/polemic-industrial-t...

JasonFruit 4y ago
This is the solution: not only does it manage demand, it reduces initial and maintenance costs and decreases destruction of natural lands. I couldn't come up with as good and natural a response to this problem.
goplayoutside 4y ago
>There is, believe it or not, an IMAX theater right outside of Zion that shows movies of the park. There's one in Tusayan on the way to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, as well.
stinkytaco 4y ago
Though I like this idea, as I age, I sympathize with people who are unable to do this for a variety of reasons. I'm sure those people can be accommodated, but that opens the door to abuse, putting us right back in this position.
mateo1 4y ago
I totally agree. In my country as soon as some natural reserves got paved roads, they also got restaurants and coffee shops, souvenir shops and an annoying crowd that could be equally entertained by having a coffee at the outskirts of their hometown, but instead they are now polluting a scenic landscape with their presence.

JasonFruit 4y ago

This is the solution: not only does it manage demand, it reduces initial and maintenance costs and decreases destruction of natural lands. I couldn't come up with as good and natural a response to this problem.

goplayoutside 4y ago

>There is, believe it or not, an IMAX theater right outside of Zion that shows movies of the park. There's one in Tusayan on the way to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, as well.

stinkytaco 4y ago

Though I like this idea, as I age, I sympathize with people who are unable to do this for a variety of reasons. I'm sure those people can be accommodated, but that opens the door to abuse, putting us right back in this position.

mateo1 4y ago

I totally agree. In my country as soon as some natural reserves got paved roads, they also got restaurants and coffee shops, souvenir shops and an annoying crowd that could be equally entertained by having a coffee at the outskirts of their hometown, but instead they are now polluting a scenic landscape with their presence.