A backwards parking etiquette at a ritzy mountain range in the US is forcing groggy hikers to get up at the crack of dawn so they can be the first to secure coveted spots.

The Lupine Meadows Trailhead, located in northwestern Wyoming, sees eager visitors spill their cars out onto grassy shoulders by 7.30am – blocking one-lane roads for up to a mile in either direction.

But the issue is widespread throughout Grand Teton National Park and the towns of Jackson, Wilson and Teton Village in Teton County, which has a per-capita income of about $533,000 that makes it the wealthiest county, according to that measure, in the nation.

Lines to get into the park sometimes form before 7am, and the throngs of cars lead to hikers illegally abandoning their vehicles in no-parking zones, subsequently blocking others from leaving. 

Concern has grown among officials who say the behavior can also block emergency vehicles from accessing trailheads.

Police have been forced to ticket people, and in some cases even tow the most egregious offenders, Teton Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins told Jackson Hole News & Guide.

‘This year, we’re really feeling something different,’ Mr Jenkins told the outlet. ‘We’re seeing a substantial increase in the number of people parking in no parking zones, blocking the lane of traffic, blocking people in.’ 

Natural attractions such as Jenny Lake, Delta Lake and Death Canyon in the summer, and world-class skiing at the Jackson Hole and Snow King Mountain Resorts, consistently draw millions of tourists to Teton Park every year. 

Throngs of tourists visiting Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming are causing lots to fill up as early as 7am. Cars are pictured driving by a full parking lot sign in the park 

The situation has led to terrible parking etiquette and cars parking on shoulders for up to a mile outside popular trailheads

Park officials have said cars are blocking roads, stopping people from leaving and potentially hindering emergency vehicles

Grand Teton National Park and mountain range are located in Teton County, which is the wealthiest county in the US

And visitation to the park has grown steadily over the past decade, while the use of trailheads in the region has increased even more dramatically.

Grand Teton National Park experienced a 4.5 per cent increase in visitor numbers in June and July of this year compared with the same period in 2017, and trail use in the park soared by 18 per cent over the same time frame. 

The surge has been driven by a post-pandemic interest in reconnecting with the outdoors, National Parks Conservation Association spokesman Kati Schmidt told JH News & Guide.

Meanwhile, viral videos on social media have showcased the park’s small lots filling up shortly after sunrise, advising people to arrive as early as possible if they want to secure spots close to popular trailheads.

That has driven peak visitation levels from 9am or 10am closer to 8am, according to data from traffic counters and revenue collection at entrance stations, Teton Park Superintendent Jenkins told JH News & Guide.

Mr Jenkins said he believes the trend of earlier visitation is here to stay. ‘This is our future. This is not a one-year blip,’ he said. 

But solving the issue of parking etiquette and car overcrowding is not expected to be easy.

National Parks are protected land, and simply building bigger parking lots would damage the environment and ecosystem and take from the natural splendor that draws visitors in the first place. 

Use of Teton Park’s trailheads has grown tremendously over the past decade, driven by a post-pandemic interest in reconnecting with nature

Peak visitation times have gone from 9am or 10am closer to 8am in Teton Park , according to data from traffic counters and revenue collection at entrance stations

Park officials have been encouraging tourists to explore less popular areas of the park and arrive later in the day

Some parks use shuttle systems to alleviate traffic, but that solution appears ill-fitted for Teton Park, as parking is already so limited and overcrowded that there would be no obvious places for shuttles to pick up and drop off passengers.

Park officials have been studying visitor numbers and patterns to work on a solution, but for now, the strategy has been to promote spreading out visitation.

Tourists have been encouraged to arrive at trailheads in the late afternoon and early evening, and to explore less popular areas of the park. 

‘Grand Teton is so much bigger than just Jenny Lake, Lupine and the LSR,’ Jenkins told JH News & Guide. 

‘There are many places where people can go where there is capacity – visitors as well as people from the local community.’