I cannot remember which major holiday (or weekend) it was, but I remember sitting atop Eagle Peak and looking down at the Vally loop drive and seeing all of the cars just gridlocked the whole way. It was amazing.
Has there been any real discussion on banning private autos in the valley and using only the shuttle system? Zion and Grand Canyon (south rim) have done this for years. To do that, though, I suppose there'd have to be one helluva big parking lot located somewhere.
I'm also curious to see if Ken Burns' National Parks series that aired on PBS late last year will impact visitation this summer. Some select parks see heavy visitation, but the trend nationwide per capita has been declining for years. While places like Yosemite, the Smokies, Grand Canyon South, Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone may seem like Grand Central Station in the summer, other parks - just as stunning in their own right - are virtual ghost towns. People flock to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota (with a huge multi-level parking garage), but not that far away you can cruise through Badlands or Roosevelt NPs and barely see another soul.
I suppose the parks that offer an all-in-one day visit (big gift shops, eateries, an easy auto tour and short nature trails) will continue to see huge crowds. Personally, I won't complain loudly since that gives me the opportunity to hike their trails in relative solitude, but it does not bode well for the future of the park system.
