Anyone who knows me knows I hate nature.
Indeed, my grandest ambition is to knock down the mountains in Monument Valley and use the rubble to fill in the Grand Canyon.
But even I am somewhat offended by reports of state parks installing Wi-Fi access.
Outdoor enthusiasts may dislike the idea of a laptop in every tent, but the number of state parks with wireless Internet service is growing rapidly.
State officials say park users want Wi-Fi, so parks are installing it in campgrounds, lodges and visitors centers. Some states, including Tennessee and Kansas, plan to equip every park with it.
“There is a growing need for many of our visitors to be able to stay in touch with friends, family members and co-workers while they are away,” says Roy Stearns, a spokesman for California State Parks, which has more parks equipped with Wi-Fi than any other state.
Three years ago, none of California’s 278 parks had Wi-Fi. Now 50 are so equipped, including state beaches at Malibu, San Clemente and Half Moon Bay.
According to a USA TODAY survey, 28 states have at least one park with wireless Internet service. Officials who were surveyed say that of 3,208 state parks, 194, or 6%, have either free or pay-per-use Wi-Fi. Often it is at a single location, such as a campground or a lodge lobby.
I never go to state parks because I have no desire to “get away from it all” or whatever it is that drives people to nature. That said, this seems like cheating.
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