You are here

Home » NPS Web Sites: Boon or Bust?

NPS Web Sites: Boon or Bust?

Share

Published Date

February 22, 2007

    If you've been paying attention, the National Park Service somewhat recently revamped its web presence, taking a cookie-cutter approach to its on-line presence to produce a uniform fit, if you will, from park to park to park.
    One of the features I like is an effort by some parks to put more photos up on their sites. But if you frequent various parks' web sites, you'll notice there can be quite a bit of difference in the available content.
     Seabury Blair Jr., "Mr. Outdoors" for the Kitsap Sun out of Bremerton, Washington, has noticed this difference. And he's not very complimentary of what the NPS has produced. For his views, check out this site.

Support National Parks Traveler

Your support for the National Parks Traveler comes at a time when news organizations are finding it hard, if not impossible, to stay in business. Traveler's work is vital. For nearly two decades we've provided essential coverage of national parks and protected areas. With the Trump administration’s determination to downsize the federal government, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s approach to public lands focused on energy exploration, it’s clear the Traveler will have much to cover in the months and years ahead. We know of no other news organization that provides such broad coverage of national parks and protected areas on a daily basis. Your support is greatly appreciated.

 

EIN: 26-2378789

Support Essential Coverage of Essential Places

A copy of National Parks Traveler's financial statements may be obtained by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: National Parks Traveler, P.O. Box 980452, Park City, Utah 84098. National Parks Traveler was formed in the state of Utah for the purpose of informing and educating about national parks and protected areas.

Residents of the following states may obtain a copy of our financial and additional information as stated below:

  • Florida: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR NATIONAL PARKS TRAVELER, (REGISTRATION NO. CH 51659), MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING 800-435-7352 OR VISITING THEIR WEBSITE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
  • Georgia: A full and fair description of the programs and financial statement summary of National Parks Traveler is available upon request at the office and phone number indicated above.
  • Maryland: Documents and information submitted under the Maryland Solicitations Act are also available, for the cost of postage and copies, from the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401 (410-974-5534).
  • North Carolina: Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 888-830-4989 or 919-807-2214. The license is not an endorsement by the State.
  • Pennsylvania: The official registration and financial information of National Parks Traveler may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling 800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
  • Virginia: Financial statements are available from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 102 Governor Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219.
  • Washington: National Parks Traveler is registered with Washington State’s Charities Program as required by law and additional information is available by calling 800-332-4483 or visiting www.sos.wa.gov/charities, or on file at Charities Division, Office of the Secretary of State, State of Washington, Olympia, WA 98504.

Comments

Submitted by admin on February 22, 2007 - 5:53pm.
Waaaaaaaahhhhh! I'm afraid of change!!! To be honest, if I have to choose between a webnerd updating Olympics website or an LEO out in the field keeping the place safe, I'm going to go with the LEO. Websites should be kept relevant but not every NPS site is going to be like Glacier NP.

Submitted by admin on February 23, 2007 - 12:41pm.
Agreed, but there was definitely a significant amount of time and resources poured into the NPS web redesign. The fact that the end result makes it more difficult to find park sites by state, region or topic is frustrating to say the least. www.nps.gov used to be a daily destination on my laptop but now I actually rely on my own website and the deep links to the original park websites (those local pages you can sometimes find clicking on the "In Depth" button at nps.gov) that we posted there to find information I need. There are a lot of great websites dedicated to the National Parks, Kurt's being one of the best. But they should be free to supplement and highlight what NPS has to offer, rather than have to fill the gaps left by NPS's poorly planned "updated" site.

Submitted by admin on February 23, 2007 - 9:12pm.
I was trying the other day to re access some administrative history on a NP site and could not find it anywhere.. I do remember pages and pages of this kind of data.

Donate Popup

The National Parks Traveler keeps you informed on how politics impact national parks and protected areas.

Support Our Mission

INN Member

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

FREE for iPhones and Android phones.