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Why Are Young Adults Shunning The National Parks?
For decades America's national parks have been popular destinations for travelers of all ages and attendance numbers have been at near record highs even in recent years. But the National Park Service has begun to see a disturbing shift in the demographic of its visitors over the past decade or so, as young adults appear to have fled the parks en masse.According to a recent story from MSNBC, the average age of visitors to the national parks has risen steadily since 1996. Part of that increase is due to a continued interested in the parks by aging baby boomers, but the twenty-something crowd, who were once a mainstay in the parks, seem to have nearly disappeared. According to the story, young adults between the ages of 20 and 29 now make up just 11 percent of the visitors to Yosemite and a stunning six percent at Yellowstone.
Exactly why young people are no longer visiting the national parks is a bit of a mystery, but if the trend continues it could be a major problem for the Park Service down the line. Finding funding for the parks in these challenging economic times is already a tough task, but if attendance falls dramatically in the future it could prove to be herculean.
In an attempt to reverse the trend, the National Parks Conservation Association has launched an initiative to connect people with the parks. The goal is to deliver a personal connection with these iconic landscapes and inspire more people to visit. This ambitious project hopes to not only get young people into the parks, but diverse ethnic groups as well. Only time will tell if the plan will be successful.
As a big fan of the national parks, these statistics are very disheartening. The parks represent some of the most breathtaking landscapes on the planet and it is a shame that more young people aren't showing an interest in experiencing them. Additionally, the parks are great places to hike, camp, climb or do just about anything else outdoors. My fear is that as many young adults turn away from those activities they are also turning away from the parks themselves. Hopefully this trend won't continue into the future and America's wild places will continue to receive the support they deserve.
As a big fan of the national parks, these statistics are very disheartening. The parks represent some of the most breathtaking landscapes on the planet and it is a shame that more young people aren't showing an interest in experiencing them. Additionally, the parks are great places to hike, camp, climb or do just about anything else outdoors. My fear is that as many young adults turn away from those activities they are also turning away from the parks themselves. Hopefully this trend won't continue into the future and America's wild places will continue to receive the support they deserve.
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Filed under: History, Learning, North America, United States, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Laura Jun 7th 2012 11:47AM
Speaking as a young person (23) I think I can speak to the mystery of why the people of my generation do not frequent the national parks. Personally, since graduating from college I have not had one ounce of leisure time. I work in a part time, low paying, job with NO vacation days. My friends and I speak regularly about taking road trips across the country to the national parks, but unfortunately most of them are in the same situation as I am; they are stuck in unpaid internships, part-time jobs, and without the extra money to trek to Yellowstone, and even a short trip would mean losing out on hours of work and subsequent paychecks needed for student loan payments and living expenses.
Renee Jun 7th 2012 5:27PM
I was going to say the exact same thing as Laura. I'm currently attending a private, 4-year college and, despite making many sacrifices and cutting corners I will be about $36,000 in debt when I graduate. Most of my peers will have at lease twice that much. Once I graduate, I will face the obstacle of getting a low paying job with minimum benefits, probably move back in with my parents because I won't be able to afford my own place, and attempt to pay back my student loans. What will I do with my free time you ask? Anything that's free/costs very little money. And with gas prices nowadays, driving to a National Park to go camping is just not a feasible option for me.
Joe Zarki Jun 8th 2012 5:40PM
We have to be careful about how we look at this issue. At Joshua Tree National Park, a recent visitor survey showed that 14% of park visitors were 21-30 in age. U.S. Census data shows that this age group makes up 13.8% of the U.S. population. While Yellowstone may be only getting 6% of its visitors from this age group, we have to remember Yellowstone is remote from nearly all U.S. urban populations so it's harder, and more costly, to get to than many parks. I do think that Laura and Renee have hit the nail on the head. National parks have historically been a middle class phenomenon. When American feel economically secure they travel, often to the national parks. Young adults are less economically established, especially in this economy, and so a visit to a national park may be a luxury for them. Gas was 69¢ a gallon when I was in my 20s so a visit to a park is a bigger investment today for a young person. Young people enjoy parks just as much as anyone; getting them there today is the real challenge. There are other factors at play here, but time and money are perhaps the biggest reasons why young people are visiting parks less frequently.
Tim Jun 8th 2012 3:34PM
I just turned 30 but my wife & I love getting out in the parks every spare moment we can. We have our own business and have lots of flexibility thankfully. I think many young people today are afraid of the wild places... or worse, bored. They're afraid of being alone with their own thoughts, alone without the internet... they can't take the earbuds out of ears long enough to hear the quiet... the parks are almost like an inheritance that get handed down from our parents generation to ours and if our parents don't take us out to experience these wonderful places, I'm afraid few will discover them.
Orlenda Jun 13th 2012 12:22PM
I am 25 and my boyfriend and I frequesnt parks often-HOWEVER, they are state or local parks as we cannot afford to travel to any national parks (we live in PA)-if its more than a day trip-we cant go....cause my boyfriend has very few vacation days and could loose his job....
The parks we visit are all free also-which is a plus (they run on gov't funding)....why dont they get more federal funding for the national parks? thats something worth investing in!
Cole Jun 18th 2012 9:33PM
My wife and I are 31 and love to backpack and camp. We usually stay away from the National Parks because we only takes days off around the 3 day weekend/nationals holidays. Whenever we looked online at places like Yosemite, it always seemed like it was completely booked out for a year or first come first serve. It always seemed like a gamble to drive 5 hours and then maybe get a campsite. We would always settle for something less structured (and crowded). Don't know what the solution is but young families and couples don't book out their camping a year in advance, would be great if there was a way to have areas in the park where 8 permits and three reservations were not required.