red-mekanik t1_ja0ijkh wrote on February 25, 2023 at 10:48 PM

Reply to comment by teabagalomaniac in Difficulty of Reserving a Campsite by _kurtvon

I don't think it's about building new sites. If anything, the NPS is closing stuff down because they can't maintain what they have. I know of two car campgrounds in Washington state that are now hike in only because the road washed out, and the NPS decided not to rebuild.

Also, if preservation is the goal, why would they build new stuff? Building a bunch of new roads and sites, toilets, power, etc., that doesn't really preserve the natural environment. This is part of why I like the Olympics and North cascades: there are parts available to those who just want to drive up, but the majority of the park is well preserved and has no road access. But I also accept I'm biased as a hiker

teabagalomaniac t1_ja0w2uu wrote on February 26, 2023 at 12:30 AM

I gave up car camping years ago. These days I only backpack. What you said about preservation is exactly right. They are prioritizing preservation over hiker and camper experience. That's my whole gripe with their method of operations. I don't buy the argument that hikers and backpackers are the greatest threat to the wilderness, it's clearly development. I also don't buy the argument that there is a positive correlation between the number of visitors that a trail can handle and the budget for the forest service. I think the forest service spends more on enforcement than they do on managing trails.