Yellowstone Park Pristine Wilderness

As a kid growing up in Idaho I had the chance to take numerous visits to Yellowstone National Park. My father, making his living as a struggling artist, would use the road through the park to reach various western art galleries in Wyoming and Montana to deliver his paintings. Many times it seemed these trips to the revered park were on almost a weekly basis. At the time I remember the price to get in was only a few bucks. Now it costs around $20.00 to get into the park!

I just want to know how is this fee justified? Some would say to maintain the park. I ask; maintain what? The government has long held that Yellowstone should be kept pristine. It is illegal to remove anything, i.e. pine cones, stones etc. from the park. And back in 1988 when the park was practically burning down, at first officials refused to fight some of these destructive fires. "Let nature take its natural course". This was the policy, (even though some of the fires were caused by man, not nature)

Let me get to my beef. I agree with the general theory. This is a special area. It should be protected and preserved for people to enjoy. And yes it should remain (as much as possible) in its most pristine, natural condition. Then,would someone explain to me what is so natural and pristine about: Guard gates, paved roads, boardwalks, dumpsters, outhouses, inns, giftshops, offices, bumper to bumper traffic, and even a ...TRAILER PARK? Is that what my twenty bucks goes to maintain?

Go into Yellowstone Park and you will see all of this. On the flipside, go into Idaho's Frank Church Wilderness Area, the largest wilderness area in the lower 48, and you don't see any of this. Aside from the occasional camping area, or trail,this wilderness is a much better example of the pristine than Yellowstone can hope to be at this point.

I guess what I'm trying to say is look at all the money poured into Yellowstone in comparison in an effort to "preserve its beauty". If it were up to me, I'd rip out the board walks, the shops, guard gates, and out houses. I'd tear up the paved roadways. Truly return the area to its natural state. If people want to see amazing sights like Yellowstone Falls, let them earn it by hiking up to it. And then maybe they'd actually appreciate it enough not to throw their official Yellowstone Park bottled water container into the river as they head for their car.

I don't know....maybe I'm extreme. Maybe I'm being selfish. Maybe I should just grab my camera, head to Yellowstone, and take pictures of the majestic grizzlie in the heart of its pristine eco system foraging for food, in a dumpster.