Today is the opening day for the US National Parks system, ushering in its busiest season.
Last year, the parks welcomed nearly 312 million visitors, hiked through the Grand Canyon, posted Instagram stories from Joshua Tree and awaited Old Faithful by Yellowstone’s rainbow lake. (Reminder: Don’t touch the bison!) On Memorial Day last year, a lot of people went to places where many their parking lot was full by mid-morning.
At Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, home to 50-million-year-old rock formations, park rangers begin clearing the way for visitors weeks before peak season. They restored dozens of miles of trails — removing debris and walking over steep cliffs before the snow melted, as my colleague Linda Qiu reported in a photo story by Erin Schaff. Similar preparations are taking place at the system’s parks around the country.
Erosion cleaning
Over millions of years, wind and rain have turned the limestone in Bryce Canyon into a labyrinth of pyramidal rocks that shoot up into the air at 8,000 feet. This process is responsible for the park’s dramatic beauty. But it’s also a pain for the rangers.
Every winter, rain and snow coat the rock and degrade the trails. Every spring, teams clear debris from the hiking trail, mostly by hand to limit the damage to natural habitats.
“The amount of physical labor used to erase tracesS was very surprising to me,” Erin said. “The rocks they lifted were very heavy. Like, how can you do this over and over again all summer?”
Unusually violent storms and wet winters this past year have caused severe damage, delaying trail opening and complicating cleanup. One side of the trail remained closed as crews continued to repair, excavating the route’s surface and installing wire baskets filled with large rocks along the perimeter to divert water and facilitate drainage.
Training for emergencies
Rocky slides and heights also pose a risk to visitors.
Bryce performs an average of about 40 search and rescue operations each year, often to help people who have fallen. Local rangers and volunteers undergo basic rescue techniques training, learning how to use ropes and high-angle equipment for more complex rescues.
Here’s an example: Last summer, a traveler was unable to complete a strenuous eight-mile hike. She tries to take a shortcut back to where she started and becomes distant from her grandchildren. Hours later, rangers found her clinging to a slope, unable to move. Fastening the ropes, they lowered her and lifted her to safety.
Make sure the sky is dark
Rangers must complete all of their cleanup and prep work during the day. At night, their job is to turn off the lights, preserving Bryce’s status as a dark-sky park: After sunset, less than 1 percent of Bryce Canyon is lit with artificial light.
“Obviously they pride themselves on the uniqueness of the Bryce night sky,” says Linda. “They’re preserving the park, but they’re also preserving the view of the Milky Way.”
Read Linda and ‘s story See more photos of Erin from Bryce Canyon here.
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