Perseids viewers inundated Joshua Tree National Park, left trash, set illegal campfires

Droves of people eager to see the Perseid meteor shower at Joshua Tree National Park led to bumper-to-bumper traffic, left behind trash, set illegal campfires and got their cars stuck in the sand, among other problems, park officials say.

Saturday night "might have been the busiest night the park has ever seen," the park reported on Instagram.

Lines stretched for miles at every entrance and parking lots were crammed full as visitors jockeyed to see one one of the best-viewed meteor showers in the Northern Hemisphere. The Perseids are active from July 14 to Sept. 1, but peaked this year on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The park didn't say if similar problems cropped up on Friday or Sunday nights and park authorities did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on Tuesday.

More:It's the best time of year for shooting stars: What to know about the Perseid meteor shower

Best night for viewing

Joshua Tree National Park, listed as an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association, did not have an organized viewing event for the Perseid meteor shower. But multiple online outlets advised readers that Joshua Tree would be one of the best places to see the Perseids and that Saturday would be one of the best nights.

"Seeing news outlets and other social media accounts promoting the meteor shower in Joshua Tree, we expected a big crowd," the park said on the Instagram post. "The park chose not to advertise the event and staffed many additional rangers and volunteers to patrol and assist at entrance stations, campgrounds, and parking lots.

"However, the unprecedented volume of nighttime visitors quickly overwhelmed these areas," the post continued. "This might have been the biggest surge of nighttime visitors the park has ever seen."

Park staff encouraged people to stay home on Sunday and visit the park another time.

Problems

Among the traffic and parking woes that saw some stuck in traffic at 3 a.m. Sunday, the park reported that visitors were also illegally parking off road, illegally camping and violating a whole host of other park rules, including fire restrictions.

Photos on Instagram showed vehicles parked on top of plants or in undesignated areas on the side of the road, as well as overflowing trash bins and debris on pathways.

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It's not the first time that the national park has been overwhelmed by visitors.

During a lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic, some visitors were illegally off-roading, going to the bathroom out in the open and stringing Christmas lights in the twisting Joshua trees, many of which are hundreds of years old, according to reports.

Reminders

Joshua Tree National Park staff reminds visitors to keep these tips in mind on their next visit:

• Due to hot, dry weather conditions, high winds and increasing fire danger, Joshua Tree National Park has implemented fire restrictions for all campgrounds, backcountry sites and residential areas. Fire restrictions will be in place until Oct. 1 or until park managers have determined that fire danger levels have subsided. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/yrpa9fyy.
• To camp in the park, you must be registered in a designated campground or have a permit.
• Only park in designated parking spots and pullouts. Do not create a new spot, park on vegetation or drive over the curb.
• All vehicles must remain on designated roads. Driving off designated roads is illegal and can destroy vegetation, fragile soil crusts and animal burrows (including the federally-threatened desert tortoise). Vehicle tracks left behind last for years and can spoil the wilderness experience for others.
• Pack it in, pack it out. Do not leave behind any trash. If a trash receptacle is full, take your items with you.

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.