Dear Mr. Sams,

I’m sure that you are well aware of the current state of your national parks. As you know, many of the parks under your protection are currently in jeopardy of destruction – the very thing the National Park Service seeks to protect against.

While a large influx of tourists has been an issue since even the 1980s, it has never reached the capacity which parks like Arches National Park face today in 2024. This letter serves as a desperate call for help. Help for every animal and plant which doesn’t have a voice to speak on this matter; help for our earth which is being attacked all around the globe. 

My home state, Utah, has some of America’s most treasured national parks. Southern Utah’s unique geological formations make it easy to be curious and explorative. As a child, my family would take long weekends to explore the Utah desert in parks like Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Zion. Some of my favorite memories take place hiking through these canyons, observing their beautiful astronomy, and camping out with my family, even when it was below 30 degrees outside.

However, the allure these parks hold also happens to be their downfall.

As people swarm to see the arches and mesas, they also run the risk of disturbing the natural ecosystem. At Zion National Park, “visitors and staff alike complain of an increase in litter, toilet paper and human feces on trails.” As people explore deeper into these parks, delicate flora and fauna are no longer in their natural ecosystem, but one tainted with human touch. As humans continue to develop earth’s land and further global warming, there are few places on earth reserved for nature in all of its beauty, which only furthers the need and importance of the National Park Service. 

Some of the busiest parks, like Arches, have implemented a reservation system. I find this to be a good placeholder while a better solution is found, but it is unreasonable that someone looking to enjoy the beauty of Arches National Park must reserve their spot three months in advance.

In an effort to calm the flow of visitors to the busiest parks, I propose that the Park Service promote the beautiful national monuments and national forests  in our country. These are much less visited natural areas which could be used to alleviate the flow of visitors.

One such example of this would be Natural Bridges National Monument. This natural area features unique natural bridges in the midst of Utah’s red rocks, but it receives barely more than 100,000 visitors per year as opposed to the 1.8 million visitors Arches National Park had in 2021. Further, Natural Bridges National Monument was the world’s first dark sky park. If the Parks Service promoted these National Monuments more often, they could spread the flow of visitors in Southern Utah. When someone might choose to go to Arches or Zion, they could instead choose one of many national monuments in the area. 

As natural areas designated as safe spaces from human activity dwindle, it is more important than ever to protect our national parks, even to the detriment of tourism. I urge you to take action on this issue as the current state of our parks cannot continue.

To anyone else reading this, continue to explore the outdoors – even the areas that seem mundane hide beauty. 

Sincerely, 

Katie Valentine