I find this interesting and troubling at the same time.

[johnnybgood]

In my daughter's Political Science class at a local college the question was asked to a room of 26 young adults whether anyone had ever visited a National Park before. Only my daughter and another student raised their hand .
The instuctor asked the other student where she had been and without hesitation she mentioned a local state park instead. I cannot believe that adults in their 20's, 30's and even 40's have never visited a national park before.
You would thought having Shenandoah National Park within our states border and a mere 2 hours drive from the metro Richmond area that surely there would be others who had visited.
What's even more surprising I find is the total lack of understanding of what constitutes a national park and how it is funded by the federal government.

The discussion was initially about the Department of Interior and its role in our national parks.

[rocketsocks]

One of the best best things Teddy,and John ever did.JB good,the floor is yours I'm up for a history refresher,go for it ...I'm all ears.

[strollingalong]

i bet a lot of them don't know they ever went to a national park.... the same response would be received in the UK, but when you let them know where the national parks were people would quickly realise... they're pretty massive places.

[fiddlehead]

You can bet the foreigners know.
It is a shame, you are right.
Priorities is everything and is seems they've changed for so many.

I don't even see kids playing outside much in America anymore.
Turn the TV's off (and computers) and get out there folks (but of course, it won't happen)

[Wise Old Owl]

Ahh too much time on xbox - nothing troubling about that.... (sarcastic)

[hikerboy57]

You can bet the foreigners know.
It is a shame, you are right.
Priorities is everything and is seems they've changed for so many.

I don't even see kids playing outside much in America anymore.
Turn the TV's off (and computers) and get out there folks (but of course, it won't happen)

apparently mortal kombat trumps life and living. teach your children well.feed them on your dreams.

[Different Socks]

Living out west now, I've run into people that have actually said they have never been east of the Rockies! While living out east, i've also met people that have never been west of the Mississippi!! But the really unbelievable thing? I've met people that have never even been out of the state they have lived in for decades!!(Yet were capable of doing so).
Nat'l Parks I've been to and actually experienced more than the "front country": Acadia, Rocky Mtn, Grand Canyon(north and south rims), Glacier, Y-stone, Tetons, Bryce, Zion, Smokies, Shenandoah, Apostle Islands, Sequoia/Kings Canyon, Joshua Tree, Arches, Yosemite, Badlands and a think a few others. Damn proud of it too!!

[JAK]

I love National Parks. They should be free so that more people will visit, except where you need to limit impact. Even then I think certain weekends should be free, and I think kids should always be free, as it is an essential part of their education. It's not about revenue. It's about conservation, research, and education. Getting more people out to the parks is an end in itself, but also is vital to conservation. People that don't visit, they should pay for those that do. :-)

[hikerboy57]

unfortunately our priorities have shifted away from sustaining our future in lieu of sports and entertainment spending.If we spent 10% of what we spend on sports(not including backpacking, of course), its related gambling, and entertainment, college education would be available completely free on a merit basis, the parks would be funded indefinitely, and we'd probably be able to have universal health care as well.
My friend just spent $130/seat to see neil diamond!!!
we need to invest in our countrys future, protect our grandchildrens future, and educate our kids to do the same.

[Different Socks]

unfortunately our priorities have shifted away from sustaining our future in lieu of sports and entertainment spending.If we spent 10% of what we spend on sports(not including backpacking, of course), its related gambling, and entertainment, college education would be available completely free on a merit basis, the parks would be funded indefinitely, and we'd probably be able to have universal health care as well.
My friend just spent $130/seat to see neil diamond!!!
we need to invest in our countrys future, protect our grandchildrens future, and educate our kids to do the same.

Just out of curiosity, was that a male or female Diamond fan?

[dink]

wow, my grandkids (age 5 and 2) have been in loads of national parks both just visting for the day and camping since they were each just 3 months old...the 5 year old has even done some AT hiking with me!

[johnnybgood]

unfortunately our priorities have shifted away from sustaining our future in lieu of sports and entertainment spending.If we spent 10% of what we spend on sports(not including backpacking, of course), its related gambling, and entertainment, college education would be available completely free on a merit basis, the parks would be funded indefinitely, and we'd probably be able to have universal health care as well.
My friend just spent $130/seat to see neil diamond!!!
we need to invest in our countrys future, protect our grandchildrens future, and educate our kids to do the same.

Great post Hikerboy- I couldn't agree more. One of the greatest assets are our chidren.

The values of our generation and past generations are eroding away.

[RichardD]

While I was a high school teacher I had a club where I took students on weekend trips to State Parks and one National Park. We were self funded most of the time so we always camped to keep cost low, the school let me use a school bus which I drove and they did provide the Diesel. We cooked our own food, I purchased it students cooked it. For most of these students this was the only time they left their home town, for the few that had travelled outside of the town it was always to family in another Texas town, never out in the country.
To see these students experience the beautiful scenery in Texas and New Mexico was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.
One student said "this must be what heaven is like" as we walked up a trail in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
Years later I still get e mails from past students saying that these trips were the best part of High School.
Perhaps it instilled a love of the outdoors in a few more of our young people.

[BlackCloud]

I love National Parks. They should be free so that more people will visit, except where you need to limit impact.

In a world where a single movie ticket is $10+, a $20 weekly admission fee isn't keeping anyone out of any unit of the NPS. Please, it's $50+ to fill up a small car's gas tank now.

[BlackCloud]

While I was a high school teacher I had a club where I took students on weekend trips to State Parks and one National Park. We were self funded most of the time so we always camped to keep cost low, the school let me use a school bus which I drove and they did provide the Diesel. We cooked our own food, I purchased it students cooked it. For most of these students this was the only time they left their home town, for the few that had travelled outside of the town it was always to family in another Texas town, never out in the country.
To see these students experience the beautiful scenery in Texas and New Mexico was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.
One student said "this must be what heaven is like" as we walked up a trail in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
Years later I still get e mails from past students saying that these trips were the best part of High School.
Perhaps it instilled a love of the outdoors in a few more of our young people.

Good for you. it undoubtedly did. Scouting had that effect on me.

[rocketsocks]

In a world where a single movie ticket is $10+, a $20 weekly admission fee isn't keeping anyone out of any unit of the NPS. Please, it's $50+ to fill up a small car's gas tank now.

I now,how ridiculous is that a little sandwich sack of popcorn is $7 and then they sell you a bucket of soda $6 and that's the smallest they have,I don't want a gal.of anything to drink.I know some people who have recently taken up camping because it was a cheap way to spend some time together.pretty cool.

[bigcranky]

I would bet some of those kids in the class have been to National Parks, they just don't remember or realize it. Still a pretty good lesson.

[Cookerhiker]

Not only is SNP close-at-hand, VA also has many military and historic national parks - and those students hadn't visited Appomattox or Yorktown or the Civil War NPs either?

[Mrs Baggins]

Road tripped from Maryland to Alaska and back in 2007 - went to 16 National Parks. Didn't count how many Canadian National and Provincial Parks we visited..but it was a lot. Also didn't count the number of state parks that we visited and/or camped in. Many.

Lived in 11 states and two other countries. Here in Maryland I meet people all the time who haven't even been to DC let alone anywhere out of the state. They think that if they go to Ocean City every year that's a really big vacation. When I talk about our moves and travels they give me that "scared cow" stare - sort of rear back from me with huge fright-filled eyes - and then say something like "Oh no. I could never do that." So very sad. The minute we hit the ground in a new state we start traveling around it and usually know more about it than too many of it's life-long residents.

[coach lou]

Exploring is alot of work, you know! We have a joke in our family.....on a summer girl scout camp-out, one of my step-daughters friends kept sitting around saying.."ew, ew I'm sweating!!!