U.S. National Parks Are Too Noisy?

Above, rock formation at Zion National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During my recent national park visits (Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks) have had varied amounts of people. It all depends upon the season.

Naturally, when one is near other people, there will be noise. Now, there's a study that says that there's too much noise in our national parks. Frankly, I don't see how noise can be avoided unless people are banned from the parks. (Maybe that's what their goal is? Or, more regulations?) 

ZME Science posted an article on the subject.

It begins with:

For many people, national parks are an oasis of calm, a way to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life. For animals too, parks are one of the last places where they can exist relatively undisturbed. However, protected areas are getting noisier. A new study found that more than half of the protected areas in the USA are twice as loud as they should be. Though noise may be overlooked as a pollution source, it can endanger animals and even plants, and reduce the beneficial effects that people get from being in nature reserves.

To read more, go here.