Yellowstone Visits Down – Is That Good?

The number of visitors to Yellowstone National Park’s dropped a little so far this year, but not by much. This past June was the Second busiest June on record for the Park. It hosted 803,298 visitors, down 4.8 percent from June 2016, which saw 838,316 visits.

Last year, tourism brought in $3.4 billion and is an important part of the Wyoming economy. But I can’t help but be a little thankful for the pressure relief on the park.

In this country that I love so much, sometimes it seems we love it to death. Man and machine against nature needs to be more man nurturing nature. We have seen the damage of the tourons to the physical features and the animals in the park last year. This year, it began on June 28^th with two visitors injured by bison at Mud Volcano when a married couple received injuries after being “butted” by a bison at Mud Volcano, just north of Lake Village in Yellowstone National Park.

With cell phone and wireless upgrades, more parking, boating that brings in unwanted life forms, noise pollution and many other factors that can upset the wildlife, am I wrong in thinking a drop in visitors is a good thing?

I am very sensitive to the thousands who depend on tourists for their livelihood, but I hope we can address and fix the problems of overcrowding. I refer you to my previous article about a Wyoming woman, Deby Dixon, who is trying her best to help relieve some pressure on these incredible animals.

Having said all of this, the August 21^st total eclipse of the sun will draw tens of thousands of people to Wyoming and, with Casper a prime destination for that event, its proximity to Yellowstone will likely see a bump in visitation for the park. But overall, I wouldn't be surprised if we surpass our profits to more than the $3.4 billion of last year.

I believe we are stewards of this planet, but I have no answers, just concerns. What do you think?

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