Electric bikes may soon be humming along national park trails

[William Seger]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/electric-bikes-may-soon-be-humming-along-national-park-trails-n1048771

Outdoor groups strongly oppose the Trump administration order that would allow e-bikes on every federal trail regular bikes can go.

WASHINGTON — Motorized electric bicycles may soon be humming along serene trails in national parks and other public lands nationwide under a new Trump administration order, strongly opposed by many outdoors groups, that will allow e-bikes on every federal trail where a regular bike can go.

Sales of the bikes, powered by both pedals and battery-driven small motors, are booming, and some aging or less fit people have sought the rule change. It will allow them to whirr up and down biking trails in the country's roughly 400 national parks and other federally managed backcountry areas.
...

But more than 50 hiking, horse-riding and other outdoor and conservation associations, including the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Pacific Crest Trail Association, objected in a July letter to the Interior Department. They say the administration is fundamentally changing the nature of national parks with little or no public notice or study.

"If you're hiking on a trail in Utah and you're rounding a bend and something's coming at you at 20 mph, that really changes the experience," said Kristen Brengel, a vice president of the National Parks Conservation Association, a nonprofit that advocates for the national park system.

I have to admit to bias on this one, because if this holds up, I'll definitely be getting an e-bike. I'd love to go biking in the National Parks, but at 70, I just don't have the stamina for it.

[ProudLib72]

1. I agree with you. I think we need to tolerate e-bikes on certain trails

I think part of the issue has been the speed people can carry on trails that would normally be slow. That could cause accidents. However, if it gets more people outside on bikes, then we need to be a little more lenient. FWIW, I see people using them mostly as commuters. I have seen one e-bike on an easy trail. I stopped and talked to the owner. He said he had had surgery and couldn't pedal a regular bike, but the e-bike had allowed him to get back out and get in shape.

[William Seger]

3. Not back trails; only trails where bikes are already allowed

... and e-bikes don't make any more noise than a regular bike.

[Duppers]

4. Thanks. My mistake.

[YOHABLO]

5. Yeah, let's make life so f..ing easy we don't have to physically challenge ourselves at all.

The Appalachian Trail is for HIKING not for riding bicycles let alone motorized bikes of any kind. Is there no end to this madness?

[Hoyt]

7. Bikes, electric or not, are not allowed on most of AT.

[eShirl]

9. They are to be allowed only where regular bikes are already allowed.

So hiking trails will remain hiking trails.

Some of us are disabled so life is already physically challenging, so excuse us for making life a little f...ing easier.

[USALiberal]

13. Read the article! Then self delete! Nt

[Maru Kitteh]

17. Spoken with the true passion of entitlement and privilege.

Lucky you.

[tinrobot]

65. Because getting off your rear end is a privilege?

Never knew that. Thanks for the education.

[Codeine]

21. Making life a little easier

for people who have mobility issues seems an entirely laudatory goal. I am lucky to still have a very high degree of fitness as I hit fifty but not everyone shares my circumstances, and even fewer as they get older.

These are trails where bikes are already allowed, so I fail to see why an electric bike is somehow worse. Many people haven’t had the opportunity to visit our national parks in their youth, but after retirement find they have the time but may have some issues with extended walking or pedaling.

[wasupaloopa]

29. It is because of their speed and the riders lack of respect for hiking and the trails.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

39. Other than slightly more speed, sounds just like regular bikers.

[YOHABLO]

43. I make no reference to people living with disabilities and those physically challenged.

So let me be clear. Of course people with disabilities and those who are older with physical challenges should be given opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. I would think it against the rules of the ADA, (Americans with Disabilities Act). It's a public space and therefore by law we should make accommodations. Just as you may see a young healthy person at the grocery store riding in an electric cart who is not physically challenged, the same I feel happens when we start allowing e-bikes on National Park trails. It's human nature to always be looking for an easy way out. We need to preserve nature and our environment where and when we can.

[GoCubsGo]

46. Yep, that's my problem with this, as well.

I don't see any issue with disabled people being able to hit national park bike trails on an electric assist bike. But, I agree that this rule is just going to be abused by people who don't need assistance.

[d_r]

52. I hate hiking on trails that allow bikes

I just don't get it.

That said, I don't mind that some trails allow bikes, I just don't like to hike them. Some trails will never be bikes.

[JohnnyRingo]

6. I can live with this

I don't expect gangs of e-bikers barreling down the trail knocking over hikers and bird watchers. It'll just open up nature trails to people with limited mobility. People who want to stay fit will still use conventional means.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

8. The battle in Denali National Park involves the snowmobilers.

During the winter the Park is peaceful. The few trails that exist are used by dog sledders and cross country skiers, both quiet and cognizant of the fragility of the nature about them. (Despite movie stereotypes, when a dog team is running the dogs don't bark.)

The snowmobilers see this untouched snow as a challenge -- how much of the pristine snow can they disturb with their machines, criss-crossing every field with snowmobile tracks, and polluting the air with the sound and exhaust of their engines.

During the Dubya years Yellowstone National Park temporarily banned snowmobiles because of the smog they put out, creating a dense brown cloud that covered the basin. Some of the more irresponsible riders chased the wildlife. After the ban, the air cleared, and the Park Service proposed making it permanent. During the public comment period there were hundreds of comments, running about 90% in favor of a permanent ban. In the end, it didn't matter what the public wanted. The snowmobile manufacturers teamed up with the businesses around the Park which sold and rented machines and killed the regulation.

The lesson was not lost on Alaskans, who fight to keep snowmobilers from despoiling Denali. They've got all the rest of the state -- which is HUGE -- in which to ride, but like the last virgin in high school this protected area is the one everyone wants to do.

Some of the younger snowmobilers especially want to engage in an activity called "high-marking." You pick an untouched steep hillside and run your machine straight up the side until it stalls out. Whoever gets the highest wins. To high-mark the untouched mountains in Denali -- especially its namesake mountain -- is a snowmobiler's dream.

High-marking is a Darwin activity, however, with three or four people being killed each year in Alaska by the avalanches they sometimes cause. When we lived there, one guy was dug out from an avalanche he had triggered, only to die when later the same day from a second avalanche he caused.

I don't have anything against snowmobilers per se. Done responsibly, it can be a satisfying winter activity for the whole family, or for sportsmen to pursue their activity, like ice-fishing. Alaska villagers use them like we who live Outside use cars. Like anything else, it just takes 10% to ruin it for the other 90%.

My wife and I now live right next to Joshua Tree National Park, which have marked bike lanes on the hard surface roads, and miles of narrow dirt roads that can be used to explore its wonderful scenery. The desert ecosystem is fragile, however, and riding any type of bike on some of the hiking trails can cause damage that may never heal.

BTW, Alaska has an event called "Arctic Man," which is like Burning Man without the nudity (it's minus 30 degrees!) and meditation, but about a thousand snowmobiles. It involves a 5 1/2 mile race where a skier goes all out until he meets up with his snowmobile partner, who then tows him at 90 mph to the edge of a cliff where he makes quick turn to fling the skier into space toward the finish line. Survivors say it's really fun. This is a snowmobile activity I could really get into. If I were 50 years younger I'd definitely want to...watch it.

[TeamPooka]

34. this is why I think it creates a slippery slope that will lose to all this over time and destroy

these natural resources.
They are for every citizen. Not just the ones who want to use them now, however.
There is a responsibility to preserve for future use too.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

10. Where are the bike trails in national parks?

I've never seen bikes on the trails in Shenandoah, or on the boardwalks in Yellowstone. None on the hiking trails in Teton, Kings Canyon, Sequoia. No bicycles down in the Grand Canyon. It's been a while since I was in a park in Utah, maybe they have bicycle trails around the big rocks?

[William Seger]

20. There aren't many

I just got back from a Chaco Canyon NM camping trip, and while most of the park trails are foot-traffic only, there are three bike trials to outlier ruins that I would have enjoyed. I believe there are bike trails on the Grand Canyon rim. One of my other favorite parks, Arches in Utah, has the more standard rule that bikes are only allowed on roads, not on any trails, and I'm okay with that. Yellowstone apparently allows bike access to certain trails for one month in the spring, before the heavy tourist traffic starts. I'm just not convinced there are any good reasons why e-bikes shouldn't be allowed anywhere regular bikes are allowed.

[kcr]

24. The carriage trails at Acadia National park allow bikes

Not sure about any other parks. That's the only park I've ever taken my bike.

[KPN]

49. The carriage trails at Acadia are a good example of trails that in fact should be considered

for e-bikes without question. There are trails in many National Parks that should be considered for such use. Especially trails that are already designated as "ADA accessible trails". I would also go so far as saying where there is a demand, e-bikes should be considered as an allowable use on trails where bicycles are currently allowed. But I wouldn't deem that all trails currently open to bicycles should be opened to e-bikes. I also wouldn't do that on "accessible trails". Congestion, terrain, other uses and resource conflicts could be a legitimate concern. Local managers are the folks who know these specifics. It should be there call -- not tRump's or his political appointee's.

[kpete]

40. Mammoth Lakes California

Bike trails in Mammoth Basin ROCK!

They are paved and follow along side the road. Great for families, Strollers, dogs, wheel chairs

You can take a trolley with bike trailer up to Horseshoe lake at the top and bike down, or if you have an electric bike, up and down is no problem.

At 67 (mr pete is 70) this has been a joy. We hike, bike, fish, meander and bask in the the glory of the Eastern Sierra

?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5

Bikes of any kind are not allowed on the back country trails which are numerous.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

44. That's a great bike path.

Shenandoah has nothing like that. Electric bikes should be no problem on that road. But they might be slightly annoying to someone pedaling and struggling to go up the hill. A little bell and a happy "passing on your left" should earn a sweat-stained grimace.

On the way down, all bikes are fast.

[Beringia]

11. This is wrong

There are plenty of places to ride e-bikes for elderly people. They don't need to be on serene hiking trails.


https://www.wilderness.org/articles/media-resources/letter-outdoor-groups-opposes-allowing-e-bikes-non-motorized-trails-public-lands

To: Chief Vicki Christiansen, USDA Forest Service
Deputy Director Dan Smith, National Parks Service
Acting Director(s) William Perry Pendley and Michael Nedd, Bureau Land Management

(Sent via electronic mail)

cc: Andy Tenney, Division Chief, Recreation and Visitor Services, Bureau of Land Management
Michiko Martin, Director, Recreation, Heritage and Volunteer Services USDA Forest Service
Bob Ratcliffe, Division Chief, Conservation and Outdoor Recreation National Park Service

Date: July 26th, 2019
Re: E-bike Management on Federal Public Lands

On behalf of our millions of members, supporters and public land users across the country we write to object to any attempt by public land management agencies to legalize electronic motor bikes (e-bikes) on non-motorized trails.

We oppose any effort that would allow any class of vehicle with a motor – including all classes of e-bikes, which by definition have a motor – to be allowed on non-motorized trails. A contrary interpretation would create an unmanageable slippery slope and threaten future management of all non-motorized trails and areas on public lands.

Non-motorized trails were created to ensure that the public could find recreational trail opportunities free from the ever-growing motorization and mechanization. Millions of public land users including hikers, backpackers, hunters, horse packers, climbers, mountain bikers and many more, value non-motorized trails for recreation. Opening non-motorized trails to motors would forever change the backcountry experience for these users.

We recognize that e-bikes have a place on public lands and generally should be allowed where motorized vehicles are permitted. The existing motorized trail system provides plentiful opportunities for e-bike use with tens of thousands of miles of trails currently open to their use.

The Bicycle Products Suppliers Association, international power equipment companies and e-bike user groups created a classification system for e-bikes, based on motor and battery sizes and engagement systems for the motor.[1] This classification system is confusing for land managers and lawmakers and the bikes themselves are often difficult to distinguish from one another. The fact remains that all e-bikes are motorized by definition, regardless of the size of the motor or how it is turned on.

We understand that federal land management agencies are currently considering policy changes to allow e-bikes on non-motorized trails. Such a policy is ill-advised and would undermine nearly a half century of management precedents and practices. First, allowing e-bikes on non-motorized trails would be un-manageable and send agencies down a slippery slope towards allowing further motorization of trails and potentially the entire backcountry. Federal land managers simply do not have the resources to police e-bikes on trails.

Second, permitting e-bikes on non-motorized trails is contrary to long-standing “travel management” laws and policies dating back to the Nixon administration that require all motorized recreational uses of our public lands to be confined to a system of designated roads, trails, and areas.[2] Among other requirements, motorized trails must be located to minimize conflicts with other recreational uses of the public lands, as well as damage to soil, water, and other public land resources and harassment of wildlife. Separately, agencies are required to manage certain wildlands – including Wilderness Study Areas, Forest Service recommended wilderness, and BLM lands managed for wilderness characteristics – to preserve and protect wilderness character. National Scenic Trails are also required by law to be managed as non-motorized trails. In short, current laws and policies require that non-motorized trails remain non-motorized, and any contrary interpretation could only be supported, if at all, through full notice and comment rulemaking processes.

Millions of public land users across the country enjoy both motorized and non-motorized recreational experiences. Opening non-motorized trails to motorized bikes would effectively eliminate the non-motorized, primitive recreational opportunities. We strongly oppose any effort to change existing trail management rules or policies and encourage all federal land management agencies to reject any effort to open non-motorized trails to e-bikes or other motorized vehicles.

Sincerely,

Addison Oaks Trail Riders
Allegan County Pleasure Riders
American Endurance Ride Conference
American Hiking Society
American Flyers
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Back Country Horsemen of America (and the 30 BCH states and 196 chapters, full listing at end)
Bay Area Barns and Trails
Blue Ridge Horsemen's Association
Brighton Trail Riders Association
Canalway Partners-Board Member
Carolina Mountain Club
Colorado Mountain Club
Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Assoc, Inc.
Conserving Carolina
Continental Divide Trail Coalition
County Line Riders of Catalina, Inc
Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association (DORBA)
East Mountain Regional Trails Council
Fort Custer Horse Friends Association
Grand Valley Trails Alliance
Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Highlands Plateau Greenway
Ice Age Trail Alliance
Idaho Trails Association
Indiana Trails Community
Ionia Horse Trails Association
Kensington Trail Riders
Maybury Trail Riders
Michigan Horse Council
Michigan Trail Riders Association
Montana Wilderness Association
Montana Backcountry Alliance
National Parks Conservation Association
Natural Resources Council of Maine
Nickel Plate Trail, Inc
North Carolina Horse Council
North Country Trail Association Incorporated
Oregon Equestrian Trails
Oregon Horse Council
Overmountain Victory Trail Association
Pacific Crest Trail Association
Partnership for the National Trails System
Pinckney Trail Riders Association
Pisgah Trailblazers
Pontiac Lake Horseman’s Association
Proud Lake Trail Riders
Quiet Trails Group
Rose Oaks Equine Adventurers
San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council
Tri-County Horse Association
The Wilderness Society
Winter Wildlands Alliance
Yankee Springs Trail Riders Association



More:

https://americanhiking.org/press-release/national-trail-and-conservation-groups-blast-new-doi-e-bike-order/

[William Seger]

12. That sounds like a purely emotional and reactionary response

Given that e-bikes are virtually indistinguishable from regular bikes unless you look closely, it seems to me that opponents are having a hard time coming up with a rational reason for banning them.

[Beringia]

15. They can scare people and animals

And noisier ones may be allowed. That is not emotional response.

Why can't you just use the authorized roads instead of going in the wild ones?

[William Seger]

16. What "noisier ones" might be allowed?

The question is, why shouldn't e-bikes be allowed the same access as regular bikes, and I'm still not seeing a rational reason.

[TeamPooka]

35. "virtually indistinguishable" ? Except for the motor, right? hahahahahahaha adorable

[fescuerescue]

37. No. They really DO look the same.

I have one. the motor is hidden in the hub of the wheel.

While the below one isn't the one I have, it's a good illustration.

Most people are very surprised when I tell them my bike is electric.

https://www.faradaybikes.com/electric-bikes/

[tinrobot]

62. They may look similar, but they ride more like motorcycles.

I've seen people going up hills at 25mph without pedaling.

[USALiberal]

14. You are wrong! Ebikes are not motorcycles! Nt

[tinrobot]

63. Let's see... it is a cycle... it has a motor...

Motor... cycle...

Hmmmm...

[kcr]

22. All kinds of wrong

Ableist privilege is shameful. This is a rule change for trails where bikes are already allowed. This allows more people to enjoy biking these trails who otherwise couldn't.

[Hoyt]

18. Doubt I will, but I'd sure like one of these. They only do 18 - 20 MPH.

I do think they should be limited to bike only trails, or trails wide enough to accommodate hikers and bikes.

Not sure this smoker is the best ambassador for e-bikes, but it shows how they help someone that might not otherwise ride:

[wasupaloopa]

31. We hike 3 mph and they come up On you at 20 and expect your to get out of their way.

[Hoyt]

33. Some do. I hike too, and have no problem hearing bikes and don't mind moving over a bit if necessary

If they tick you off, let'em know, I sure do. A lot of trails don't allow bicycles anyway.

[honest.abe]

60. Yeah, exactly. We also are starting to introduce our little toddler to hiking.

I fear he could be run over by some lunatic on a bike.

[tinrobot]

64. The problem isn't necessarily the bikes, it's riders who treat them like motorcycles

I encounter them a lot. The riders are mostly clueless and have no concept of "rules of the road" for cyclists. Sharing a bike lane with them can get downright scary.

And most go faster than 20mph - max speed in California is 28mph and I suspect some go even faster.

[pecosbob]

19. The issue has multiple layers...don't attack the tech

of course there is the ongoing concern of overuse on all our protected lands, but this is something that will always be an ongoing concern as long as we have parks. The same agument was made by many against the use of all bicycles on protected lands just a few years ago, particularly the bit about riders coming at you at twenty miles an hour, mostly from the horse owners IMO. The parks will survive the new technology. I think we should be a lot more concerned about who's running Interior at the moment.

[KPN]

28. Good post. There are some trails where electric bicycles are and will be perfectly acceptable,

but not necessarily all trails where bikes are currently allowed. As for National Parks, my sense is the Park Service has a good handle on where bicycles are and are not appropriate in terms of conflicts and settings. I have no problem with allowing electric-assisted peddle bikes in National Parks -- but let the Park Service decide where, when and under what circumstances. A blanket authorization issued by the White House to allow electric bikes on all trails currently open to bicycles in National Parks on the other hand is totally unacceptable. Leave the parks to the professionals!

[pecosbob]

36. Agreed!

[kcr]

23. Any outdoor group fighting the Trump admin on this, of all things

seriously has their priorities out of order. They're wasting time and energy fighting a rare, decent policy decision.

[KPN]

30. tRump should not be issuing orders that affect the ability of National Park managers and planners

to make decisions like this based on the specific conditions, uses and use levels, settings and potential consequences relevant to the trails they are specifically charged with managing.

So ... I completely disagree with you statement. The President should not be managing our National Parks -- and that is exactly what this order does! He's doing it because he or his family know someone who thinks it should be Park Service policy I'm sure.

Leave policy decisions to the professional managers and decision makers with appropriate public input. tRump has violated this long-standing basic operating construct with just about every political appointment he has made relative to parks/forests/monuments, federal lands and resources, fish and wildlife, etc., over the past three years. It's idiotic as is this order.

[kcr]

45. Trump himself didn't issue the order.

The Secretary of the Interior did. Are you anti-Federal government? If so, DU is an interesting choice for a place to hang out. Trump is awful, but he's not President for life.

[KPN]

48. tRump signed the order and yes, of course, the Secretary of Interior put it on his desk. I spent

my career in Interior. I'm fully aware of how things work.

Leave the decisions to professional managers and planners. An executive order emanating from the President (or as you pointed out his political appointee) instructing that all trails currently open to bicycle use shall also be open to e-bikes removes that responsibility from managers. Given the level of use at our national parks, NPS managers have done an exceptional job over the decades in balancing recreational uses in a in a manner that protects and preserves not oinly the important resource values and settings that the parks were established for in the first palec, but also the quality of the user experience.

PS -- WTF? Anti-federal government? Are you trying to be offensive or was that just a gaffe?

[smirkymonkey]

25. I am under the impression that these are not loud, obnoxious vehicles like

motorcycles or even motor scooters. I think they could be great for getting elderly or people who are less in shape outdoors. Especially if you can pedal like a regular bike as your stamina allows and then use the electric feature when you are tired or going up steep inclines.

I think a lot of people are being resistant without weighing all the pros and cons.

[luvs2sing]

26. That is correct.

I have a friend who recently bought one. He is in his early 70s, in shape and healthy, but has arthritis in his knees. How quiet are they? He usually passes me on his way to breakfast when I’m taking my morning walk. I hear nothing but his cheerful greeting.

[Mariana]

61. Electric motors are very quiet.

Seems some people here don't want any bicycles allowed on any trails anywhere ever.

[wasupaloopa]

27. I hate e-bikes and I hike and am 73. The riders have no sense of respect for the trails or hiking.

They are not bikers or hikers. Because they can go on trails without exerting any effort they do.

I am sorry but if you don’t have the stamina stay home and walk down your sidewalk.

As we get older many things we use to do are memories now. Don’t fuck it up for younger people.

[William Seger]

38. The question remains, why should they be treated differently from regular bikes?

If you go hiking on a bike trail, you already have to deal with bikes, so I'm not convinced that your disdain for e-bike riders constitutes "fuck(ing) it up for younger people." It sounds like you just resent the idea that unworthy people like myself might enjoy the bike trails "without exerting any effort."

[honest.abe]

54. I agree with the poster you replied to and he stated the difference.

From his post: "They are not bikers or hikers. Because they can go on trails without exerting any effort they do."

I can add that because of this they are more likely to do crazy things... like going too fast, being too reckless, and being less considerate of others.

I dont like dealing with bikes either but there aren't that many out there. If e-bikes are allowed then it could get like rush hour. No thanks.

[KPN]

47. 68 and I'm in your camp. I don't backpack much anymore -- because it's too hard on my body.

But I certainly won't consider getting an e-bike in order to be able to reach places I used to but can no longer. That was part of the deal -- the physical effort and challenge, and sometimes pain. When I packed relatively deep into wilderness areas, sometimes just the sign of others having been there somehow diminished the experience. Imagine how bicycles and e-bikes would have affected that experience.

Having said all that, I do think there are trails in some national parks on which bicycles are currently and have been for years allowed that might be appropriate for e-bikes. And I actually trust the NPS to make the right call regarding these uses most of the time. So ... just keep tRump and his political appointees from making decisions that the professional managers are there to make.

[Bonx]

50. I hate horses and I'm 60. They shit all over the trail and expect everyone to tiptoe around them.

But we share the trails anyway.

[honest.abe]

56. Yeah, I had that experience this weekend on a trail in Shenadoah NP.

Yuk.

The hiking trail experience is being degraded due to horses, dogs, bikes and now e-bikes!

[honest.abe]

55. Totally agree with you.

The trail experience is meant to be calming.. slow down and enjoy the view and serenity. E-bikes will ruin it.

[KPN]

32. The merits of electric-assisted pedal bikes on Natioinal Park trails currently open to

bicycle use aside, tRump should not be issuing orders that affect the ability of National Park managers and planners to make management decisions like this based on the specific conditions, uses and use levels, settings and potential consequences relevant to the trails they are specifically charged with managing.

No President should be managing our National Parks -- and that is exactly what this order does! Especially this one! I'm quite sure tRump is doing this simply because he, his family or his Sec of Interior, David Bernhardt, knows someone who thinks it should be Park Service policy, or electric bicycle manufacturers have convinced him or his family etc., to do so.

It's idiotic and wildly inappropriate. Leave policy decisions to the professional managers and decision makers with appropriate public input. tRump has violated this long-standing basic operating construct with just about every political appointment he has made relative to parks/forests/monuments, federal lands and resources, fish and wildlife, etc., over the past three years. It's idiotic as is this order.

[CDerekGo]

41. If...

They would change this to ONLY 10mph speed limit for E-Bikes, I would say A-Ok, and yes, I'd be one of them. Pushing 60, worked Construction for 20 years, Delivered Mail for another 22 years. Both were HARD on my lower ankles, knees and hips, and no, there's NO way I could even consider a bike trip without e-assist. I will hike otherwise. But, I'll still be out there enjoying good ol' Mother Nature if E-Bikes are not allowed. Albeit lots slower than folks 40 years younger.

I can see the appeal to all age groups, but I can also see the argument from Hikers and Mountain Bikers. I've always thought most trails were strictly limited to one or the other. Foot Traffic or Bike Traffic. And to be honest, last time I was on the Appalachian Trail, most of it was NOT even close to being traverse able by any sort of wheeled conveyance. Good Luck to those that believe they are able to try.

[Blue_true]

42. Instead of an e-bike, why not a domesticated donkey? nt

[LastDemocratInSC]

51. I don't think he would want to leave the White House to do that.

[Blue_true]

57. ...

Hmmm, you are quick. I forgot a donkey is also called a jackass, good catch.

[honest.abe]

53. This will just add to the degradation of the national park experience.

We went camping at Shenadoah NP over the Labor Day weekend. It wasnt much fun. For starters it now costs $25 just to enter the park in addition to the camping fees. Showers cost extra and firewood is priced like its made of gold.

Our neighbor "camper" had a gigantic trailer and two large dogs which they put in a pen setup not far from our tent. They didnt bark too much but we could smell them they were so close. Why someone would go camping and basically drag their house along with them? They were a fairly young healthy looking couple.. much younger than us so age/health was no excuse.

Our other camping neighbor showed up around 10pm about 15 minutes after we had gone to bed. They proceeded to cook dinner and talk, eat, drink and laugh until midnight. They didnt realize it but they kept us awake the whole time. I thought of getting out of the tent and asking them to keep it down but I was just too exhausted and also felt that was a bit too intrusive. There is a 10pm-6am quiet time but many dont follow that.

The next day we planned to go on nice pleasant quiet hike hoping to get away from the campground noise and congestion. So as we arrived at the hiking trailhead, we see a group of hikers with two large dogs. I just about to lose it. We decided to take an alternate hiking route to avoid them. Fortunately that worked.

I can only imagine what it will be like once these stupid e-bikes start buzzing around the trails. Cant wait!

[William Seger]

58. Shenandoah NP doesn't allow bikes on any trails

I guess you hadn't noticed that, but looking around, it seems typical; the NPS is already very restrictive about bikes on trails. I still fail to see how an e-bike "degrades" your national park experience more than a regular bike. You probably saw e-bikes on the paved roads and didn't know they were e-bikes.

[honest.abe]

59. Thank goodness. Btw, I do actually hike at other parks besides SNP.

Oh yes I know what an ebike is. My neighbor has one.

My concern is this will lead to hiking trail congestion. I go hiking to get away from that.