Utah

In college I took a class entitled, “Introduction to Parks and Society.” I do not remember the name of the author, but the professor read us a passage written by a national parks worker who was stationed near Moab.

​

The writer complained about humans destroying the natural environment. He discussed littering, defacing ancient petroglyphs, and the large amount of off-road driving in protected areas.

​

The professor ended with his quote, “I would rather kill a human than a snake.”

​

I visited the Moab area in 2016, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks specifically.

​

Humans everywhere.

​

Crowded.

​

Stuffy.

​

No peace.

​

Same for Timpanogos Cave National Monument when I visited there in 2017.

​

Same for Cedar Breaks National Monument and Zion National Park when I visited there in 2018.

​

The line of humanity to board a bus into Zion Canyon at 7 a.m. was thoroughly frustrating.

​

Perhaps we need to limit visitations to our federally protected areas…or start a lottery system.