Some of us do not have the luxury of living in a rv and travelling most of the time, so we take the easy route and go to national parks in the limited time available. I went to yellowstone this independence day weekend, and it was terrific, despite the crowds. It doesn't matter to me that a noname place could have been better, because I had a great time anyway.
That's great, and I don't mean to sound demeaning of that kind of decision-making. I understand my lifestyle provides a tremendous amount of privilege in this area.
I just think of the times when I've had conversations with folks who live within an easy day trip of some amazing place, and I'll say, "I'm stocking up to camp at X place for the next week or two." And, they'll say, "Oh, yeah? I've heard of it. Never been." It's surprising. National Parks at least tend to have been visited by the folks who live nearby, often regularly.
