Many people find national parks to be refuges of peace and quiet.

Increasingly, however, it's getting harder to find natural quiet in America's wild places.

On Georgia’s Cumberland Island, the National Park Service is planning to start motorized tours that some say amount to a threat to natural silence.

The tours would allow visitors to hop in a van for easy access to the island's most remote areas.

Hikers and other quiet-seeking adventurers have been trying to prevent the tours for many years.

Now, it's just a matter of time before they begin.

Contributors: Dan Shultz provided photos. Emily Green produced the slideshow. Thanks to Andrew MacCartney and Carl Zornes at GPB web support.

Tags: historic south, environment, St. Mary's, Cumberland Island, national seashore, national park, wilderness, quiet, historic site, Plum Orchard, Greyfield Inn, barrier island