We have really enjoyed our visits at National Parks in both the Canadian and USA Rockies – in large part due to the accessibility of park exhibits and views. The Icefield Parkway in Canada and the Highway to the Sun in Glacier were both excellent examples of providing opportunities for people of all abilities to explore the parks at their own speed.Glacier even provided free small buses for visitors to use to eliminate traffic congestion. In contrast, Denali required use of their expensive buses to see even a small portion of the park. Glacier visitors can use their own vehicles — stopping for short or long  hikes, backpacking, taking in the vistas along the way — or hop on one of the free buses that come along about every 30 minutes. Yellowstone, although it doesn’t have a bus system,  has decent roads with lots of parking spots at wonderful viewpoints. We appreciate how much more accessible these parks are than Denali or Wrangell in Alaska.

On the other hand, the impact of vehicles and people in these parks is very significant. Global warming issues are a major part of all the parks educational programming. So here’s the rub –  even as we’ve enjoyed our travels, we cringe at the impact that traveling in this RV for the past 4 1/2  months has made on the environmental problems these parks struggle with.