Large crowds and busy summer days lead to messes at Oregon parks

University of Oregon and University of California, Davis students were blamed for leaving a large mess at Shasta Lake in California over Memorial Day weekend. In Oregon, the Fourth of July is a busy day for parks throughout the state and 2023 was a near-record breaking year for visits.

More guests, however, typically means more trash left behind, and workers spending hours of their day picking up after visitors.

John Mullen is a park manager for the Southern Willamette Management Unit for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Eric Crum is a North Coast District beach ranger for the agency. They join us with details of their experiences and what they hope to see in the future from park visitors.