America’s outdoor permits are not solving overcrowding
Controlling access to fragile areas of natural beauty is not as simple as it sounds
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK is almost always brimming with visitors. For two weeks each February, however, the crowd intensifies. For just a few minutes each day, the setting sun lines up with Horsetail Fall, lighting the waterfall so that it appears to be lava. “Firefall” has become a tourist spectacle: it drew over 2,000 visitors on a single day. Big crowds have big drawbacks, though, risking environmental degradation, unsafe conditions and wildlife disruption.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Firefall and footfall”
United States February 26th 2022
- How states are using, and misusing, funds from the American Rescue Plan
- New York’s new governor is proving to be adept at the power game
- America’s outdoor permits are not solving overcrowding
- Child marriage in America has fallen sharply—but not far enough
- Pushback at cancel culture is leading to new educational initiatives
- Deploying reality against Putin
From the February 26th 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from United States
America’s bet on industrial policy starts to pay off for semiconductors
Trump will not reverse the chip subsidies, but will he reinforce them?
Most Americans think moderate drinking is fine
They are unaware of the cancer risk
Mike Johnson has his old job back, for now
But the GOP has the tightest House majority in nearly a century
When treating snakebites, American hospitals turn to zoos
The zookeeper will see you now
Los Angeles against the flames
Always vulnerable, the city is increasingly susceptible to fire
The US Army needs less good, cheaper drones to compete
It seems obvious. So what is stopping it from happening?