seano wrote:Higher fees are a terrible way to control the number of visitors. I would much rather see a quota system like they have for Mount Whitney, with a reservation fee and a limited number of walk-in permits each day. If you're concerned about a secondary market and scalpers, you can always tie reserved permits to IDs.
OK seano, but I don't see that as a realistic solution. We're not talking apples to apples here. In 2016 Inyo NF reported-13,638 applications requesting space for 64,939 people to climb the mountain in 2016.
Rocky Mountain NP had 3,430,000 visitors in 2014. That number jumped to 4,520,000 in 2016.
Grand Canyon had 4,760,000 in 2014, 5,970,000 in 2016.
Yosemite had 3,880,000 in 2014, 5,030,000 in 2016.
These are not insignificant increases and there is no end in sight.
Where does it end? Where do you set your quota??
Perhaps a quota for commercial tour groups/outfitters would ease some of the overcrowding, especially at places like the Grand Canyon & Yellowstone but there would be such a hue and cry from those businesses and from the nearby towns like Estes Park and West Yellowstone that it probably would not fly.
So, where does that leave us???