I met while camping out in Yellowstone earlier this week said, "This is
the first national park in the world. While you're riding through the park
tomorrow think about that." I did think about that and it's huge, both
Yellowstone and the idea of national land set aside for the people.
The United States first established Yellowstone National Park in 1872. The
law stated, Yellowstone "is hereby reserved and withdrawn from settlement,
occupancy, or sale under the laws of the United States, and dedicated and
set apart as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and
enjoyment of the people."
see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_National_Park
As a common user of our public natural lands, I can say, the establishment
of public lands is one of the best features of the United States.
Back to the subject at hand, I recently rode from San Francisco to Crater
Lake, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, Lassen Volcanic National Park
and back, and camped out mostly the whole way. I stayed in state park,
national forest and national park campgrounds in California, Oregon,
Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Sitting now in the Summit Lake campground
located in Lassen Volcanic National Park, I can tell you I much prefer
the more remote national forest campsites.
Don't get me wrong, this place is beautiful, but the solo or small group
motorcycle trips come with a sense of solitude and remoteness that just
isn't matched by the well traveled parks during the height of summer
vacation season. I prefer the days be bookended by the same disconnected
feeling you have in your helmet on the road. The national parks have more
campsites closer together with kids running around screaming and babies
crying and that detracts a bit from the experience for me. Give me
a quiet setting, off the beaten path, any night and I'm a happier camper.
