Yosemite Park Attendance On Declining Trend

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copeg
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Yosemite Park Attendance On Declining Trend

Post by copeg »

omg, 4,190,557 in single year!

http://www.mymotherlode.com/News/articl ... 1164899613
Yosemite Park Attendance On Declining Trend

Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 07:10 AM
Bill Johnson
MML News Director

Yosemite National Park, CA -- Attendance at Yosemite National Park is on a declining trend.

The all-time record for a single year is 4,190,557 in 1996. 1994 and 1995 are the only other years that Yosemite surpassed the four million mark.



Only five times out of the last 22 years has August not been the most popular month for Yosemite visitors. And the all-time record for a single month? In August of 1997, 721,711 visitors spent a portion of their summer at Yosemite. This year August was the top month with 547,701 visitors.

Nine of the last 10 years has shown a decline in attendance from the prior year. The only exception; there was an increase of 7,141 in attendance from 2002 to 2003.
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Post by markskor »

I view this news as a mixed blessing. After visiting Yosemite each year for the last 35 or so, it is evident that yes the numbers are definitely declining...both in the Valley, and in the backcountry.
One possible explanation:
With today's emphasis on pre-reservations..."up to 6 months in advance", many sites for the good months are immediately …wishfully... filled (snapped up) by March...however, with cancellations (more than you think), many of these folk are never to be actually ever seen. The park service (unknowing until the last minute as to who is actually coming), then releases the "now open" sites only in the park and only on the last day… the day they are not picked up...and keeps the money from the no-show reservations: (Nice policy?). The net result is that there are always spots actually open in the park, but not when you call up...always says full there. Thus, there are fewer patrons in the park (read $$$), it still remains "full", but this is misleading: the ALL FULL internet or telephone reservation process dissuades anyone wanting to go last minute.

I happen to like it this way...the campsites and the wilderness permits (the reserved percentage) all sell out..., and many re-sold again that specific day. There are less people in the park...less people in the backcountry...better for me. Being as I live so close, I still go often...always without reservations...always finding an available space too...no sweat.

I think the statistics here…using only “people visiting”… can be deceiving. Instead, what about using “sold-out days” as a true indicator?

Mark
Mountainman who swims with trout
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