Later still, in 1970s, the park hired more rangers and so, in 1973, he was declared chief ranger, where his work became more and more administrative.

Dave Essex, chief ranger at Rocky Mountain, says the theory is simple: "We needed to make people realize they had to be responsible for their own safety."

"We can take care of this lot," decided the chief ranger.

Regardless of the outcome of that dispute, the cyclorama will move, said Brion FitzGerald, chief ranger of the park.

"There were groans," said David Avrin, chief ranger for the Breezy Point district of the recreational area.

"When you are down this low on moisture, anything can happen," said Dan Sholly, chief ranger of Yellowstone National Park.

That is 400,000 more than visited in all of 1981, which previously held the attendance record, according to Bill DeHart, chief ranger on Liberty Island.

"If it continues, it will be a blockbuster summer for tourism in the area," said Mike Pflaum, chief ranger at Mount Rushmore.

"People may be doing more outdoors, one-shot kind of vacationing," said Anthony Bonanno, chief ranger at the 48-mile coastline.

"Even gang members have to take vacations," says Robert Andrew, chief ranger of Yosemite.