Summer is here. Americas are hitting the road for the national parks by the tens of thousands. People from all over the country are tired of coronavirus lockdown and they are breaking free to public lands like national parks. Totally understandable, but should YOU join the rush to the national parks? For many reasons, the answer is a firm no!

Unseasonably warm weather and ongoing drought have created dangerous fire conditions in parks in the West, including Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado and Zion National Park in Utah.

Memorial Day Weekend traditionally is a busy three-day period for Zion National Park, and that's why the park superintendent warned Thursday that visitors heading to Zion this weekend should be prepared for crowds.

Leading up to the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service back in 2016, there was much discussion about the future of the parks. Perhaps the hallmark was the Second Century Commission's report, prepared following a year of listening sessions, professional input, and discussion. Within its outline for strengthening the Park Service and the national parks in the 21st century were recommendations for better conservation of park resources, both natural and cultural. A decade later, the Park Service remains strapped for funds, overworked, and struggling in some places to manage crowds that impact natural resources and stress staff.