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Just when we thought life was back to normal again, a subvariant comes and coughs right back on our faces. Back in 2020, National Parks were a surefire way to escape the city, and since then they’ve remained a reliable space for vacationers keen to explore America’s gracious natural wonders as well as beat airline mask drama. But not anymore.
Due to the recent spike in Covid cases, a slew of National Parks have reinstated mask mandates and other restrictions. Four of the top ten most-visited will now require you to mask up indoors, regardless of vaccination status. They are the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Yosemite.
While the rules vary by park, masks are required on all forms of public transportation within all of them. For example you’ll need to strap on at Alaska’s Denali wilderness and history tours, which last for up to six hours round trip. Denali also requires masks in their lodges, gift shops and restaurants (well, at least you don’t need to worry about getting too hot.)
Other parks where some form of masking is required include Arches, Death Valley, Olympic, Sequoia and Petrified Forest.
The NPS website states that “In areas CDC identifies as high COVID-19 community level, masks are required for everyone in all NPS buildings regardless of vaccination status. In most low and medium COVID-19 community level areas, masks are optional, but visitors should follow signs and instructions from park staff and volunteers.”
As the NPS continues to monitor and respond to the pandemic, it is advised that visitors check individual park websites for the most up-to-date rules. When in doubt, pack a mask anyway.