Immune To COVID? New Study Suggests Why

Visitors are returning to national parks in droves - and in some cases record numbers - as coronavirus restrictions continue to ease.

But what will it be like this summer to visit parks, recreation areas, or any of the more than 400 sites run by the National Park Service?

Here's a list of must-knows and how-tos:

-For starters, masks are required in all buildings and other indoor facilities. They're also required in outdoor areas when social distancing isn't possible, such as along narrow, busy trails and on crowded overlooks.

-Prepare for crowds. Preliminary numbers show visits to Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the month of August jumped nearly 10 percent from 2019 to 2020, according to National Parks Foundation president Will Shafroth. Yellowstone, meanwhile, had its busiest September on record. Overall, more than 237 million people visited NPS sites in 2020, despite the coronavirus pandemic and extended lockdowns and closures. About 327 million visited in 2019.

-Consider visiting off-the-beaten-path sites. "With more than 420 national parks located across all 50 states and U.S. territories there is likely a lesser-known, less-crowded park closer to home than you might realize, including many parks in and around urban areas," Shafroth says. You can search for NPS sites in your region and do general research here.

-Plan ahead. Some parks have kept in place reservation systems or other crowd control measures rolled out during the pandemic or introduced new ones. Even in unrestricted times, popular park campgrounds and lodging can fill up surprisingly far in advance.

-Check for closures and any changes to park operations. This includes not just reasons related to COVID-19, but also weather and other circumstances. You can find general information here, but you'll have to check the website for the location you're visiting to get specifics. The NPS has a tool here that lets you search by state for official links. It's also a good idea to keep an eye on social media channels.

-Remember to also check for restrictions and conditions in surrounding areas or any you'll have to travel through to get to your destination.

-Make note of free entrance days. Each year, the NPS has several days when entrance fees are waived at locations that have them. This year, those dates are: Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 18, the first day of National Park Week on April 17, the one year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act on Aug. 4, the National Park Service Birthday on Aug. 25, National Public Lands Day on Sept. 25 and Veterans Day on Nov. 11.

For the latest coronavirus information in your county and a full list of important resources to help you make the smartest decisions regarding the disease, check out our dedicated COVID-19 page.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.