How social media is influencing our interactions with public lands

This story was originally published by Stateline. 

Don’t pet the fluffy cows.

That’s the Instagram bio tagline for the National Park Service’s popular account, which showcases stunning photos of the diverse terrains of the United States’ 431 national parks.

The cheeky statement, followed by a buffalo emoji, is meant to make its 6 million followers laugh, NPS’ social media specialist Matthew Turner says, but it’s also a very real warning.

“We want you to be really prepared to stay this distance, and be aware of your surroundings at all times,” Turner said. “And to know that if you don’t, there are consequences where you can get hurt.”

Technology and the rise of social media has driven new people to visit public parks and lands, as the platforms make it easier to showcase the great outdoors. But outdoor enthusiasts and environmental conservationists say social media has also contributed to “selfie tourism” or the influx of visitation to specific landmarks that go viral on social media.

It also can describe the behavior of those that crowd a landmark or ignore safety protocol to get the perfect shot.

Every year, there are incidents of people having such dangerous interactions with wildlife, or getting lost in the parks, or even losing their lives. It’s hard to quantify how exactly social media influences the decision-making or behavior of park visitors, but several nearly fatal and fatal incidents have been connected to attempting to capture content.

In 2018, a couple fell to their deaths in Yosemite National Park in California while attempting to take a photo at Taft Point. Several people have been attacked by bison in Yellowstone National Park over the last three years — at least one was a tourist trying to touch a bison while recording with her phone.

“A selfie in and of itself can inspire others. Maybe you see a friend post from a great trip, and it inspires you to go,” said Philip Kilbridge, CEO of NatureBridge. “But you better do it thoughtfully. You better realize that when there’s a fence, it’s because there’s loose rock on the other side, or there’s a steep fall, or so many other unintended consequences.”

‘Loving Our Parks to Death’

Kilbridge runs NatureBridge, an organization that teaches young people how to explore the outdoors without technology. The organization was initially founded with the intention of exploring parks in their off-peak seasons, and teaching kids to learn more about themselves and the environment with low barriers to entry on cost and prior education.

The parks have seen a surge in visitors in the last few years, crossing more than 300 million visitors nearly each year since their centennial celebration in 2016.

NatureBridge has brought more than 1 million kids through the program over its tenure and operates in Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California, Olympic National Park in Washington, Prince William Forest National Park in Virginia and Yosemite. It makes a conscious effort to explore areas and trails that are outside the most popular ones, but high visitorship is putting strain on the hotels and areas surrounding the parks, and as a result, it’s more expensive to operate the program.

The social media effect on certain areas of the parks might be evident in some data from Yosemite National Park. Many drive in, take pictures at the iconic Half Dome and El Capitan rock formations, and then they head out, Kilbridge said. The focus is on “documenting the visit and putting it on their checklist or bucket list, to prove that they’ve done it.”

“You’ve probably heard the phrase, ‘we’re loving our parks to death,’” Kilbridge said. “But the truth is, we’re loving certain parts of certain parks to death.”

Cynthia Hernandez, the National Parks System’s public affairs specialist, said the agency uses social media to show examples of good environmental stewardship. Staff love and encourage new visitors to the parks, but they want them to be educated on preserving the trails, picking up trash, and learning the history and culture of where they’re visiting.

“We ask visitors to be adaptable and to listen to the park rangers,” Hernandez said. “You know, if the parking lot is full, don’t drive wherever. We like to say, ‘what is your plan B?’”

New Hampshire’s public and private lands are feeling the impact from some not-so respectful visitors this year, as its peak fall foliage season — a few-week stretch in late September and October — is bringing an estimated 3.7 million visitors this fall, The Washington Post reported. New Hampshirites, and their neighbors in Vermont, are dealing with clogged roads, crowded hiking trails, trespassing on private property and trash left behind by their visitors, many of whom are doing so in the pursuit of the perfect fall photo.

Some towns have closed roads to nonlocal traffic, while others have had to pay for extra patrols on routes leading to lookouts or popular spots. One group of neighbors in Pomfret, Vermont, has raised nearly $22,500 on GoFundMe to “save” their road from the surge of influencers, with the funds planned to go toward temporary closures and increased signage, The Post reported.

Wesley Littlefield is a Salt Lake City-based marketing manager and outdoor content creator. He said the effects Kilbridge described and New Englanders are experiencing are some of the many reasons he’s become mindful of not overexposing certain locations. Littlefield has been posting on social media and making YouTube videos about fishing, kayaking and other outdoor adventures for a few years, and focuses on educating people on “leave no trace” principles.

He loves exploring the Southwest, but some of his favorite trails and natural wonders have become overpopulated after gaining attention on social media. Horseshoe Bend in Arizona is a prime example, he said, as is Antelope Canyon, which sits on Navajo land.

“What was once a peaceful overlook is now packed with people looking to snap that perfect shot, often at the expense of the environment around them,” he said of Horseshoe Bend. “You’ll notice things like litter, soil erosion and even permanent damage to local ecosystems. In extreme cases, wildlife habitats can be disrupted or destroyed, which takes away from the natural beauty and balance of these areas.”

Responsible Exploration

Littlefield said he loves that technology has allowed people to discover new places and share experiences. But carelessness in certain areas has made him more conservative with geotagging certain areas or “fragile” locations. It’s his way of protecting them while still sharing his love for the outdoors, he said.

“We want these places to remain as beautiful and untouched as possible for future visitors,” Littlefield said.

Alice Ford is another content creator who is sharing her outdoor adventures online as a way to educate others about conservation. She hosts a show on PBS called “Alice’s Adventures on Earth,” has a master’s degree in environmental management, and has been making YouTube videos showcasing outdoor traveling, hiking and sustainable living for about a decade.

Her bread and butter is in longer-form content, where she gets to place the focus on education.

“I think there’s an issue with these three- to 10-second videos showcasing a place,” Ford said. “Where you’re just seeing the most beautiful part, and you’re not learning anything about it, and you’re then not doing any research. And you’re just showing up because you want to get the exact same shot.”

When Ford travels, she’s looking for those less-busy places, not just to discover somewhere new to her, but also to not contribute to the demand of places that don’t have infrastructure to support an onslaught of visitors. Pulling off the side of a road inundated with visitors may not just cause traffic chaos, but also could damage wildlife and road infrastructure, she said.

“I think also another thing that I’ve seen globally is just people wanting to see a place more than they have respect for the place,” Ford said.

There are very real physical dangers to jumping head-first into a hike or a trip without proper preparation, Ford said. She’s seen a rise in visitors to national parks and other places around the world attempting grueling hikes or exploring dangerous areas in extreme heat without the right footwear, food or water.

Two people died during this summer’s brutal heat waves in Death Valley National Park in California, including a 57-year-old man who attempted a short hike on a day when temperatures reached nearly 120 degrees, which can quickly cause serious dehydration and heat stroke.

In Michigan, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore — a state park featuring miles of sand and bluffs — has a dune climb that’s been well documented on social media. The hike includes 3.5 miles of sandy, steep terrain and can take three or four hours.

The Lakeshore gets an average of 1.5 million to 1.7 million visitors a year, and reached its peak visitorship in 2020 and 2021, Emily Sunblade, the park’s lead education ranger said. The climb has long been a rite of passage, but the park rangers said visitors have been recognizing the location because of social media posts of the famous sign outlining the $3,000 fee incurred for being rescued if you get stuck.

The park instituted a preventive search and rescue program in which volunteers stand at the top of the dune and check in with visitors before they attempt the hike in order to quell the strain on local rescue resources, which are performed by township emergency services. The volunteers ask visitors if they have enough water, and if they’re prepared for it to take two or more hours. It dramatically lowered the number of rescues needed, Sunblade said.

“The social media posts we are seeing are having a positive impact as people share their experience of what the hike was like, and what they wish they knew before starting,” Sunblade said.

As much as social media has the ability to overexpose and overwhelm one area with visitors, it remains an essential tool for the Parks Service and for content creators who aim to educate others on responsible visitorship.

It’s an important component of the “digital toolbox” for the Parks Service, Turner told States Newsroom. Their online profiles allow them to engage in real time with visitors and connect with people around the world. They use it as a forum to ask and answer questions, respond to outreach and share resources. And they do lean on memes and humor to get people’s attention and have people “learn without maybe realizing they’re learning,” Turner said.

There are ways to add a photo-worthy spot to your travels, if you do so responsibly, Ford said. She suggests trying to research what’s nearby those locations, and if the local community has been negatively affected by visitors. If there are not enough restaurants, stores and accommodations, tourism may hurt the community or put a strain on its resources.

Her hope is that folks are making informed decisions about their travel plans and considering the impact that social media may have on driving them to visit.

“I wish people would have more respect, not only for each other, but for the places that we visit,” Ford said. “And to just think a little bit more before we act in general, like whether that’s the time you’re taking to take a selfie at a popular destination, or the place in which we’re walking.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Phillip Kilbridge’s name and to correct where NatureBridge operates in California.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X.