The National Park System is a place of wonderment, one with endless stories and adventures awaiting us/Rebecca Latson photo of Many Glacier in Glacier National Park

National Parks Traveler, along with working to keep you abreast of news flowing through the National Park System, also is about community, the broad, expansive, and inclusive national parks community. It has a mission and role to play long after the current staff retires, as Ken Burns, Dayton Duncan, and others drive home with their views of the Traveler.

Like any family, Traveler readers won't always agree with one another. But the key is to communicate by sharing your experiences in the national parks and offering your points of view, constructively, so this site doesn't turn into an echo chamber.

After we recently gained 501(c)(3) nonprofit media organization designation from the Internal Revenue Service, we reached out to voices well known in the greater national parks community and asked them what the Traveler means to them. We share their thoughts with you now as we embark on our new path, hopeful that you share their views and will support us going forward.

"John Muir, the great wilderness prophet, called national parks 'Nature's sublime wonderlands, the admiration and joy of the world.' They still are, but keeping them that way requires renewed commitment from each generation of Americans. The National Parks Traveler is a much-needed voice in that effort, constantly reminding us, as Muir himself said, 'Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.'"  -- Ken Burns

"For anyone interested in what's going on in our national parks -- from breaking news and important trends to feature stories, well-reasoned opinions and handy guides -- nothing on the internet matches National Parks Traveler. It's essential reading." -- Dayton Duncan, The National Parks: America's Best Idea

"On behalf of the over 1,200 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, I’d like to congratulate Kurt Repanshek on attaining nonprofit status for the National Park Traveler. The Traveler has provided an enormous service to a variety of recipients for over ten years. Our expectation is that as a nonprofit, the Traveler will have an even greater opportunity to provide information and opinion services to those who access it.” -- Maureen Finnerty, chair, Coalition to Protect America's National Parks

“If you want to keep up with news about national parks and the National Park Service, I know of no better source than the National Parks Traveler. It is independent and well-informed, a source you can trust.” -– Deny Galvin, former deputy director, National Park Service.

"The National Parks Traveler has been a fantastic way for the information to get out to the public about the joys of traveling to national parks. They have been a great resource to us as we worked to articulate the benefits of the parks to people in Northern Maine."  -- Lucas St. Clair

"Our group supports National Parks Traveler every year, as part of our job is to help people understand the challenges national parks face. The Traveler is a terrific online gathering place for park enthusiasts to learn about successes, issues, and what fundraising partners are doing to support America’s parks. Quality reporting moves people and makes them want to get involved." -- Leslie Mattson, president, Grand Teton National Park Foundation

"Limited federal budgets have meant that federal appropriations alone are not enough to sustain America's national parks -- community and private sector support for specific parks, and their programs, has become absolutely critical.  Nonprofit park partners like Friends of Saguaro National Park help bridge a portion of this funding gap, and provide vital financial support for essential programs.  That's why the National Parks Traveler is so important to our success. Your news and feature stories help increase public awareness and understanding of issues affecting the national parks and the NPS, and you help us promote greater public stewardship for the parks." –- Bob Newtson, executive director, Friends of Saguaro National Park

"Anyone can speak to the beauty of our magnificent national parks. However, if after hearing from your tour guide you feel something is missing, reading the National Parks Traveler is a must. Everything essential to your visit is there, but so is what most tour guides find unessential — the facts of American culture, history, and politics, simply, what we need to know if the parks are to survive. Once we are inspired, dare we follow through? No publication beats the Traveler at teaching us the best of both." -- Alfred Runte, author, National Parks: The American Experience and Yosemite: The Embattled Wilderness

"National Parks Traveler provides a great opportunity for readers, partners and parks to connect with each other on topics as varied as critical management issues or magnificent places to visit. We are happy to be a part of the National Parks Traveler community." -- Carolyn Ward, executive director, Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation

"For me, National Parks Traveler is guide, news source, and exploration inspiration for national parks across the United States and across the world. In addition to the daily stories receiving the regular newsletters, I look forward to daily photographs from the Grand Canyon, Dry Tortugas, and Big Cypress on Facebook and Instagram. Tuning in to the Traveler makes me feel part of a bigger community!" – Erika Zambello, National Geographic Young Explorer