Thousands of visitors have made their way to Yellowstone National Park over the past two days as the park reopened for the first time in nearly two months, reports KQTV.
Yellowstone, which covers 3,472 square miles in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, has been closed since March 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The park reopened on a limited basis May 18, following a three-phased plan where just the South and East entrances in Wyoming are accessible.
"We have been cooped up for weeks," Jacob Willis of Florida told The Guardian. "When the parks opened, we jumped at the opportunity to travel."
"We wanted to get out and see the country," Amy, a 19-year-old from San Diego, told The Guardian.
Kristen Brengel, the senior vice-president of government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association, said it did not look as though social distancing was being practiced properly.
"We checked the webcam at Old Faithful at about 3:30 p.m. [Tuesday]," Brengel said. "Not much physical distancing happening and not a single mask in sight."
Cars started lining up at 5:30 a.m. at the Moran entrance station in Wyoming. Per The Guardian, vehicles from Washington State, New York, and Alaska sprawled along the park entrance.
Yellowstone, the nation's first national park, is only half open. Visitors are still allowed to visit Yellowstone Lake, Old Faithful, and Canyon Village as well as restrooms, self-service gas stations, trails and boardwalks in open parts of the park.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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