Shooting in Yellowstone National Park and geyser incident could be symbolic of national trends

Yellowstone National Park has been in the news a lot lately.

On July 4, there was an exchange of gunfire with police, followed by more threats of violence and finally a car driving into a geyser – all within ten days.

But according to some experts, such incidents are not uncommon in national parks.

“It was a little surprising, but I have to say, in some ways not surprising,” said Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers.

In fact, according to Park Service data, there have been more than 40 murders in national parks over the past decade amid rampant gun violence in the U.S. Wade said accidents are also a constant occurrence, especially in the water.

“So each park has its own situation that it is facing,” Wade said.

Parks like Yellowstone are currently experiencing an increase in visitor numbers. The park welcomed over 1.6 million visitors this year and is on track to have its busiest year ever.

At the same time, the parks are understaffed. Wade said managers have had to make tough decisions and lay off employees in the face of rising fixed costs. It can also be difficult to find new employees for the short seasons.

“The consequence of all this is that there is less ability to respond when something happens in the park,” he said. “And that probably increases the risk to visitors.”

The Fourth of July shooter injured a ranger before he was killed in a shootout.

During the recent heat wave, visitors to the Grand Canyon, Death Valley and Canyonlands national parks also died.

This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations throughout the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Society for Public Broadcasting.