Idaho Matters

How overcrowding is impacting our outdoor spaces

For years national parks have been running into the same issue, overcrowding. Now many other places, like wildlife refuges, state parks and shorelines are also experiencing this problem.

Broadcast on:: 14 Aug 2023

A line of cars waiting to get into Yellowstone National Park — Opening day at the Yellowstone National Park northern entrance on June 1, 2020. (Jacob W. Frank / National Park Service)

For years, national parks have been running into the same issue: overcrowding.

Now many other places, like wildlife refuges, state parks and shorelines are also experiencing this problem. And as people gear up for the last few weeks of summer recreation we wanted to find out more about the impacts of overcrowding and what can be done to help protect the spaces we love being in.

Emily Wakild, the Cecil D. Andrus Endowed Chair for the Environment and Public Lands at Boise State University, joined Idaho Matters to help some of these questions.