yellowstone national park-case study

Accessibility

 Getting to the national park is not a major problem. There are highways and it is easy to reach there by using private cars. Bus services are available easily but they do not take you all the way to the national park. Besides using the road, people could also fly there. However, the small airports are around 50 to 100 miles away from the Yellowstone National Park making it quite inconvenient for tourists. Some of these airports are also not opened throughout the year. The closest railway station is also quite far from the park. Within the Yellowstone National Park, there is no proper public transportation service provided by the park. Most visitors use private vehicles to get around inside Yellowstone National Park.

Attractions

On reaching the park, there are plenty of attractions for the tourists. Tourists generally visit the park for about five days in order to get more time to relax and enjoy as well as explore the place. There are several different activities for people of all ages and with varied interests. There is always something different to experience throughout the year in different seasons. Visitors to the park could hike up the trails. There are more than 1,100 miles of hiking trails in Yellowstone with some places having the most breath-taking sceneries. The park also offers gravel roads for the cyclists to enjoy and admire the beauty of nature. Hiring horsebacks is another way to discover the wildlife and magnificent landscapes. Several camping grounds have also already been provided for.

Conflicts

 One of the issues and controversies in the national park was about the use of snowmobiles during winter. Scientific data revealed that it could cause potential damage to wildlife, human and the ecosystem. A compromise was hence made in order to preserve the pristine air quality and at the same time allowing tourists to be able to use snowmobiles. All snowmobiles entering the park must have a minimum reduction in hydrocarbon emission of 90%. Only a limited number of snowmobiles can enter the park. Before 2000, another conflict arose on whether more bisons should be kept in the park. At that time there were some worries because some of these bisons were carrying diseases. Predators and scavengers that eat some of these bisons and cattle that come into contact with them may also catch the disease. In order to solve this problem, bisons were vaccinated and monitored in and restricted to specific areas.

Rules to be followed in the park

 Some rules and regulations have also been made by the national park in order to maintain the environment and not destroy the ecosystem. The law strictly forbids feeding wildlife and fishing is only allowed in certain areas of the Yellowstone national park. Fires are permitted only in certain designated camping areas. Littering at the park is strictly illegal and anyone caught doing so will be heavily fined. Pets are in fact allowed to come to the park but they must be leashed at all times and are prohibited from trails in the backcountry and in thermal basins. It is also illegal to view animals with an artificial light as it can damage the ecosystem and harm the animals.