This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Older outdoor enthusiasts who have spent most of their lives enjoying Utah's scenery, fishing its streams and lakes or hiking national park trails can only scratch their heads at what they are seeing these days.

One of the big reasons to enjoy the outdoors is finding peace and solitude. Given the popularity of many prime areas around the state, that simple pleasure is difficult to find.

Don't believe it?

Drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon on any weekend and try to find a parking spot at any major trailhead or picnic area. Expect to see "campground full" signs at the Spruces.

In the summer at Zion National Park, there are days when the parking lot near the visitor center is full so park officials tell people to park in Springdale and take a shuttle in. Cars line both sides of the street in the small town for several blocks. Though beautiful, trails such as Gateway to the Narrows or Emerald Pools have to be jammed with people.

Then there have been news stories out that Arches National Park has had to stop people from coming into the park several times this year because parking had reached its capacity.

A news story out of Yellowstone said the nation's first national park will hit a record three million visitors this year. That's difficult to imagine. Those who have been to that park in the past often run into traffic jams on its narrow roads that would rival Los Angeles at rush hour.

On Labor Day, the Mirror Lake Highway was also jammed, with cars parked all over the roads and in narrow access roads due to lack of space. People for the most part were polite and the scenery was, as always, gorgeous. But there probably would have been more solitude at some of Salt Lake County's urban fisheries.

It used to be that it was possible to find a camping spot in even popular areas most weekends. These days, most folks don't even think about camping without a reservation. For example, at Glacier National Park in Montana, campers have to plan nearly a year out just to get in a lottery for a camping spot.

All of this points to the popularity of the outdoors as well as an increasing population in Utah. Unless you know some secret BLM or U.S. Forest Service spots far from the beaten track, finding quiet and solitude in the outdoors is becoming more rare.

Wildlife managers and those managing rangeland for cattle and sheep often talk about "carrying capacity of the land." The goal is to make sure ranges are not overgrazed so they can continue to sustain big game and livestock.

One has to wonder if that same concept will soon apply to recreation areas. While it is wonderful that so many people are enjoying the outdoors these days, one wonders if some of the most popular recreation areas have reached their carrying capacities.