Isaac Navias
Submitted photo
By Isaac Navias | Scottsdale
It wasn’t until I was nearly 27 years old that I saw my first national park. I had lived in the U.S. my whole life — grown up in upstate New York, even traveled across Australia — but somehow, I had never set foot in a place that would so powerfully validate why I love my country.
After visiting 40 national parks in the U.S. and a few in Europe, I can confidently say that our National Park System is one of the greatest accomplishments any society has ever achieved.
Not only are our parks truly awe-inspiring bastions of natural wonders, they are essential to our economy, to our mental health, to our children’s futures and to what it means to be American.
National parks changed my life. They inspired a new way of living for me and my partner, Kim. Our first visit to the Grand Canyon was unforgettable. But it was Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah that really transformed us.
We hadn’t planned on going there. We were hoping to see The Wave, a world-class sandstone formation in the Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness near the Arizona-Utah border, but we didn’t win the entrance lottery. A ranger suggested Bryce instead.
All we could say was, “Wow.” As we drove in, it felt like entering a fantasy world. Giant spires of vibrant red and orange columns of rock, memorably called “hoodoos,” rose like the walls of a colossal sandcastle. The sheer beauty and uniqueness of that park lit a fire in us. From then on, we were hooked and launched a quest to see all 63 of our country’s national parks.
What we’ve learned along the way is that every national park is completely different and every one is epic.
From sea shores to slot canyons, and forests of ancient trees to mountains that scrape the clouds, national parks offer beauty, surprise, healing, inspiration and joy.
But lest you think they’re only good for fuzzy feelings, they are also an economic powerhouse.
Last year alone, a record 332 million visitors spent more than $26 billion in communities around these parks, supporting more than 415,000 jobs, according to a U.S. Department of the Interior report. That economic impact has nearly doubled in the past decade. With only $3.5 billion in annual tax revenue dedicated to the parks, it’s obvious they more than pay for themselves.
And yet, their future is uncertain.
Recently hundreds of national park employees were let go, bringing staffing to the lowest level in over 20 years, despite extensive proof of the positive impact parks create for our country. And the proposed 2026 budget includes a staggering $1 billion cut to the agency, the largest reduction in its history.
These cuts affect all Americans. We’ve seen first-hand in our travels that people from every walk of life enjoy our public lands. Whether you camp, hike, hunt, fish, photograph, stargaze or just want to get your kids off their screens for an afternoon, there’s something for everyone in our national parks. They are not a luxury. They are our legacy.
The great Republican President Theodore Rosevelt once said, “There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country.”
We owe it to ourselves and future generations to protect these places. So please, visit a park. Share your experience. And contact your elected officials.
Let’s make sure our greatest investment stays ours.
Editor’s note: Isaac Navias owns Scottsdale-based LocalFi SEO Digital Marketing Agency with his partner, Kim Coates. They spend six months each year traveling the U.S. and the world while sharing their experiences via their “Full Time To Travel Time” podcast. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here