To combat the spread of coronavirus and encourage social distancing, many national parks are closing to the public or modifying their operations, including Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Although, thanks to their sizes, parks might seem somewhat safer than other public gathering places, they attract large numbers of visitors, which poses a health risk.
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In lieu of visiting the parks, the NPS is offering some virtual alternatives like photo galleries, apps, videos, and virtual tours. These are obviously poor substitutes for the real thing, but they’ll just have to suffice to tide us over until the parks reopen.
The decision to close the parks comes shortly after President Trump waived all national park entrance fees — a move designed to make social distancing less painful by encouraging safe outdoor recreation. The gesture, however, triggered fear of crowds and risks for NPS visitors and employees. The UK made a similar reversal with the National Trust opting to close parklands, coast, countryside, and gardens shortly after offering free entry.
A list of the closed parks and their modified operations is available on the National Parks Services Public Health Update page.
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