How To Travel Sustainably in a National Park

There is nothing quite as enjoyable as visiting one of our country’s many gorgeous national parks. There is a sense of wonder when you look at nature and how the world used to look before skyscrapers and roadways. The good news is that visitation to national parks has been increasing over the years. However, while it is great that people want to learn about nature, this bump in visitation is also putting our parks in danger of increased levels of pollution and ecosystem destruction.

If you are planning to explore a national park in the near future, then it is important that you do so sustainably. You’ll want to think of ways that you can visit without causing harm to the environment, so the parks can continue to exist. Let’s talk a bit about the threat facing these tourist destinations and how you can make a difference during your next visit to a national park.

National Parks May Be Getting Too Much Love

The whole idea of having national parks is to create a space where nature can thrive and visitors can sit in awe of the glory of the natural world. However, while tourism is on the rise and people are excited to enjoy the splendor, the increased traffic in national parks is causing issues. 

When millions of visitors make their way to national parks, they clog up the roadways and their cars create pollution. Vehicle emissions contain harmful greenhouse gases that lead to climate change. Air pollution damages the living tissues of the plants and trees in our parks, which also makes it difficult for new plant life to spawn.

Related: Visit California & Kind Traveler Launch Regenerative Tourism Program: 38 New Opportunities for Positive Impact

Take the Steps To Keep Our Parks Clean

If you are planning a trip to one or several of our country's national parks, then you need to prepare accordingly so you can follow the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace. Among them are packing accordingly, understanding how to properly dispose of waste, leaving the area as you found it, and respecting wildlife.

There is a lot to consider in those seven principles, but one of the most important is to leave what you find. That essentially means that we should disturb the park as little as possible, even when just spending the night. If you camp, then don’t dig your tents too deep into the ground or damage trees with knives or by ripping off the bark. From a sustainability standpoint, you should also leave the land as it was when you first arrived. The chances are that it was not littered with garbage and food wrappers, so clean up whatever might disturb the environment. 

One way that you can eliminate the possibility of unnecessary waste is to pack sustainable items that you can use time and time again. For instance, in order to avoid the risk of leaving disposable trash behind, you can pack a reusable plastic cup, reusable metal straws, and a reusable silverware kit.

Keep in mind that while you need to ensure that you clean up after yourself, you should take responsibility for making the area better whenever possible. Even if you didn’t drop it, pick up the trash that you see or remove the brush from park trails so other visitors can get through with ease. You can do wonders when you have pride in yourself and the beauty of nature.

Related: Travel Kindly in Coastal Oregon & Washington with Adrift Hospitality
 

Traveling in and Around National Parks

You can also make a major difference by thinking about how you get to and travel around our national parks. If you don’t live within walking distance of a park, you will likely have to drive, and that is not always a bad thing. In fact, there are many awesome national parks that are worth driving to, including Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, where you can drive through thousands of natural arches. There is also Sequoia National Park in Three Rivers, California, which is home to some of the largest trees in the world.

However, once you arrive at these or any of the other amazing parks, you should consider getting out of the car and traveling in a more sustainable way by walking or riding a bike. Many parks also offer shuttle systems to mitigate road congestion and keep pollution down. 

Plus, while you are helping the environment, you can also help yourself. There are numerous health benefits to being sustainable, walking, and eliminating waste. When you get outside and breathe fresh air, you improve your oxygen intake so you feel more energetic and less stressed. Also, when you strive to eat healthier, cleaner foods, you also prevent the use of pesticides on our farms which can be bad for the plants and our health.

The other problem that our national parks face is that everyone visits at the same time every year, so the environment takes a major hit. If you want to give the parks a bit of a break, then consider visiting during the offseason or even taking hikes at night. No matter what time of year you visit, you are sure to be amazed.

In the end, it is imperative that we protect our national parks. By visiting your local park with sustainability in mind, you can enjoy nature and ensure that it will thrive for many years to come.
 

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Amanda Winstead is a writer from the Portland area with a background in communications and a passion for telling stories. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.