Oh, the tourists. While they help run the economies of certain countries and cities and have breathed new life into many a sleepy town, they also occasionally become too much for a certain place to handle.
This took place when, a few years ago, a "superbloom" of poppies in a rural part of Northern California caught the attention of some influencers on social media. Hordes of tourists then descended on the town while leaving trampled fields and piles of garbage in their wake.
Tourists have 'damaged roads, had accidents, required towing out of ditches'
While the authorities of Lake Elsinore have since cracked down on fining those who disregard local traffic or littering laws, a similar situation is now playing out in a part of Vermont known for its scenic fall foliage. A particularly popular spot for many to capture the leaves is the town of Pomfret — Cloudland Road running through it and a 115-acre property known as Sleepy Hollow Farm attract those seeking to photograph the all-American look of red, yellow and orange leaves leading onto a lonely bright red farmhouse.
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But as the rural place has become more and more popular on Instagram (META) -) in the last half-decade, calls to control the crowds from local residents have also been on the increase. Back in June, locals launched a fundraiser for more enforcement of the area and signage indicating where one can and cannot drive.
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"Cloudland and surrounding roads become impassable during the fall, and roads and poorly behaved tourists have damaged roads, had accidents, required towing out of ditches, trampled gardens, defecated on private property, parked in fields and driveways, and verbally assaulted residents," reads the GoFundMe campaign.
Sleepy Hollow Farm has always been a private property off-limited to tourists but, this week, the authorities in Pomfret and the neighboring town of Woodstock have also shut down the scenic road leading to the farmhouse to anyone who is not from the area from Sept. 23 to Oct. 15. The main reason, local authorities said, is that the narrow highway has become a safety concern as multiple cars pull off to the side, drive slowly or pull into locals' driveways to capture the farmhouse and the foliage from afar.
'Silly that it's gotten to this point,' local Sheriff says
"It's kind of silly that it's gotten to this point, but it's become a real nuisance," Windsor County Sheriff Ryan Palmer told the Washington Post. "And, in some cases, a real safety issue."
There are also the limited resources that a town of just over 4,200 people has to clean up after thousands who pass through. Local residents reported feeling "overwhelmed" from managing thousands of visitors during the autumn period.
Vermont's authorities and tourism board are still encouraging tourists to come and enjoy the fall foliage in the area but to explore different parts of the state and respect private properties instead of flocking to the one rural place popularized on Instagram.
"Vermont has an abundance of fall foliage viewing opportunities in all 251 towns in the state, including other areas of Pomfret," Vermont's Department of Tourism and Marketing told USA Today.
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