Weather Worries Over The National Parks

April 5, 2025

Being caught in a national park in unexpected weather can mean the difference between an enjoyable outing and one that is dangerous or deadly. THE WHOLE STORY

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 319 | Kilauea's Unrest

March 30, 2025

One of the greatest shows on Earth has been going on now for several months in Hawaii, where the Kīlauea volcano at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park has been erupting since late December. The Kīlauea volcano is the most active volcano on Earth. It’s... THE WHOLE STORY

Latest Podcasts

Jamestowne 10-2-2024. Flooding in units, amplified high tides and heavy rains. Photo from the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation.
National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 318 | Covering the Parks

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Stand-Up Science comedian Ben Miller performing at Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii.
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Sunset at the Flat Mountain Arm of Yellowstone Lake. Photo by Kurt Repanshek.
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Valley of the Gods, Utah. BLM photo by Bob Wick.
National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 315 | Threatened Lands

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Lower Town Shenandoah St, Harpers Ferry. NPS file photo.
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Roosevelt Arch at Yellowstone National Park. NPS photo.
National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 313 | National Parks in Crisis

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The Trail Through the Redwoods. Photo by Rebecca Latson.
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Cape Lookout Light House. Photo by Kurt Repanshek.
National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 311 | Keeping Cape Lookout Above Water

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NPS photo of long house at Mesa Verde National Park
National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 310 | Parks Under Pressure

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Photography In The Parks

  • A muddy ribbon of river with folded and faulted rocks beneath a blue sky at Dinosaur National Monument
    A View Of The Green River And Mitten Park Fault From Harpers Corner, Dinosaur National Monument
    Dinosaur National Monument - NPS - Dan Johnson

    Located on the Colorado side of the monument, the Harpers Corner Overlook provides a stunning view of the Green and Yampa Rivers as they join and carve vast canyons. The upturned layers of the Mitten Park Fault below the overlook dramatize the millions of years worth of erosion needed to create the staggering geologic views.

  • People sitting on a rock ledge watching a sunset at Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Watching The Sunset At The Ledges Overlook, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Jackie Boesinger Meredyk via NPS

    Hiking the Ledges Trail in time to view sunset at trail's end is a popular thing to do at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.

  • Hikers on a snow-dusted trail surrounded by trees and boulders, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Hiking The Ledges Trail In Winter, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - NPS/Bob Trinnes

    Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio is open year-round. A popular trail to hike any season is the Ledges Trail. To read more about hiking in this national park, click here.

  • A large hummingbird clearwing moth hovering near a lavender flower, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    A Hummingbird Clearwing Moth, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Michael SIlvestro via NPS

    Insects are part of the wildlife species found at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, including this hummingbird clearwing moth, whose wings look like clear cellophane and beat so fast they sound like a hovering hummingbird.

  • The leading line of a snow-covered bridge trail surrounded by stark bare trees and a snow-covered ground, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    A Trail Covered With Winter's Snow, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - NPS/Bob Trinnes

    Even during the winter at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, you can still hike many of the trails, as well as sled, snowshoe, cross-country ski, and ice fish.

  • Two bicyclists riding a wide paved trail next to a river with golden autumn leaves on the trees on each side at Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Bicycling The Towpath Trail In Autumn, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - National Park Service

    Bicycling is a great activity for exploring Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Most people are going to use the Towpath Trail, since 22 miles (35 km) of the trail’s 101 miles (162.5 km) are located within the park. To read more about bicycling in this national park, click here.

  • The leading line of a beige dirt trail with lush green vegetation on either side, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    A Trail Through The Tall Grass In The Boston Area, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - NPS/Victoria Stauffenberg

    There are over 125 miles of hiking trails in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. These trails range from nearly-level to more challenging, and pass through various habitats including woodlands, wetlands, and old fields. 

  • A brightly-painted passenger train passing the Indigo Lake train station on an overcast day at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
    All Aboard The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Bill Currier via NPS

    How many other units of the National Park System can boast of a scenic train ride through park landscape? At Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, you can take yourself and even your bike aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad for a relaxing ride while you learn the area’s history, watch for wildlife, and even purchase a snack, beverage, or souvenir. To read more about this, click here.

  • The leading line of a train on train tracks over a snowy landscape with bare trees beneath a white sky, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - NPS/Stian Rice

    "All Aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad! The National Park Scenic excursion is a unique way to experience all the natural wonder Cuyahoga Valley National Park has to offer. Sit back and relax as the train weaves through the Cuyahoga Valley and races along with the rushing Cuyahoga River. The route provides passengers the opportunity to possibly spot eagles, deer, beavers, and herons in their natural habitat."

  • A quirky least bittern straddling long green cattail at a wetland in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Least Bittern Straddling The Cattails, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Rick McMeechan via NPS

    Cuyahoga Valley National Park's diverse landscape provides habitat for about 250 species of birds, including this quirky least bittern pictured here.

  • A tree-lined portion of the Cuyahoga River with kayakers pushing off from a pebbly beach at Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Preparing To Kayak The Cuyahoga River Water Trail, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - NPS/D.J. Reiser

    Twenty-five miles (40 km) of the river’s 100 miles (161 km) run the length of the park from south to north, so it’s a no-brainer to want to paddle a canoe or kayak through the park on this waterway. Click here to read more about paddling the Cuyahoga River.

  • A blue sky with white clouds over a wildflower-filled wetland, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Krejci Wetland, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Jim Roetzel via NPS

    From Superfund Site to environmental success story, Krejci was once a salvage yard and waste disposal facility. Cuyahoga Valley National Park acquired the land and began the task of cleanup. Click here to read more about this.

  • A clear winter day and an icy river with frost-covered trees on either side and a bridge overhead, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    A Frosty Winter Day On The Cuyahoga River, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Jeffrey Gibson via NPS

    According to the National Park Service:

    The Cuyahoga River is a famous ecosystem. Today its flowing water supports fish and insects that feed birds and amphibians along its muddy banks. But the river wasn’t always so full of life. The Cuyahoga River has a very polluted past. The river between Akron and Cleveland was dangerously dirtied by a century of dumped factory waste and sewage from cities. In the summer of 1969 a floating pile of oil-soaked logs and other trash caught fire on the river in Cleveland. The Cuyahoga River became known as the river that burned.

    News of a river so polluted that it caught on fire made people demand action. The Cuyahoga River’s sad state sparked the modern environmental movement in America. The Environmental Protection Agency was created and legislators passed pollution control and clean-up laws. The fire even helped inspire the first Earth Day in 1970. Thanks to decades of clean-up work, the Cuyahoga River is on the mend. 
  • A dark sky with a bright Milky Way over the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
    A Bright Milky Way And Starry Sky Over Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
    Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - NPS/G. Owens

    According to the National Park Service, "Due to its exceptional night skies and efforts to mitigate light pollution, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was designated as an International Dark Sky Park in 2015."

  • A narrow dirt trail between trees with dark trunks and branches and bright orange leaves along the Uplands Trail, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
    An Autumn View Along The Uplands Trail, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
    Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - National Park Service

    There are trails on both North and South rims at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The Uplands Trail is one of those hiking trails. To read more about hiking in this national park, click here.

  • A chasm view of the pink-veined cliffs and the Gunnison River below at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
    A View Of Pink Pegmatite-Veined Cliff Walls at Painted Wall Overlook, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
    Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - National Park Service

    According to the National Park Service, "Pegmatite refers to igneous rock with very coarse texture and unusually large, intergrown crystals. It consists mostly of quartz, feldspar, and mica. As magma cools and solidifies, water becomes concentrated. This concentration makes the magma more fluid and easier to squeeze, like toothpaste out of the tube, into the surrounding rock. The crystals can be very large—up to 6 feet (2 m) in length." To read more about Black Canyon of the Gunnison's geology, click here.

  • A frame-filling shot of a Mariposa Lily, a 3-petaled cream-colored lily with a green, cream, and purple center, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
    Mariposa Lily, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
    Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - National Park Service

    Wildflowers and flowering shrubs found at Black Canyon bloom in early season (April–June), mid-season (June–July), and late season (July–September). They grow on the canyon rim, uplands, and the inner canyon. Mariposa lilies are native to Western North America. 

  • A rock climber hanging onto the steep, pegmatite-veined cliff wall at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
    Scaling The Cliff, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
    Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - NPS/Lisa Lynch

    The cliffs of Black Canyon are a siren call to rock climbers, but this place is not to be lightly tackled by beginners. To read more about rock climbing at this national park in Colorado, click here.

  • A bird called the canyon wren balancing precariously on a rock on a steep slope, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
    Canyon Wren, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
    Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - NPS/D. Goodman

    Black Canyon is home to 174 bird species, including this canyon wren.

  • People standing within a small fenced area overlooking the Black Canyon at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
    The View From Gunnison Point Overlook, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
    Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - National Park Service

    According to the National Park Service, "Black Canyon is the result of multiple episodes of uplift and erosion and the carving power of the Gunnison River. The canyon displays a wide variety of rock types - including igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary."

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