For the past 17-and-a-half years, the National Parks Traveler has been a vehicle for exploration and examination. From an audience of maybe 400 that first week in August 2005, the Traveler’s popularity has swelled greatly, with roughly 3 million readers and listeners now turning to the Traveler each year.

In total, more than 17 million people have stopped by the Traveler to learn something about the National Park System. Additionally, listeners of our weekly podcasts have logged more than 500,000 downloads since February 2019.

Those are impressive, and humbling, numbers for an organization with a staff of one. They underscore that there is great desire for daily coverage of national parks.

The interests seeking that coverage are as diverse as the parks themselves. Some readers and listeners seek adventure or exploration, others are curious to understand how the National Park Service manages its broad portfolio, many are interested in the science that flows through and out of the parks. 

The Traveler has strived to produce a flow of content true to its mission: “…to inform the general public of environmental, scientific, and newsworthy developments surrounding, involving, and affecting these areas and their governing bodies.”

That mission leads the editorial content in myriad directions, as it should. The Traveler shouldn’t focus solely on the 63 “national parks,” for the other 360 units of the park system are rich in culture, history, and natural resources. There are countless stories to be found in the Fort Larneds, Valles Calderas, and Agate Fossil Beds of the system.

But to truly thrive, the Traveler needs to move to the next stage of its evolution. It needs a sound financial base, a strong board of directors, and sufficient staff to thoroughly cover the National Park System. We need a full-time science writer to cover everything from erupting volcanoes at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and sea level rise impacting coastal units of the park system to drought impacts and wildfires in the parks, a concessions reporter to cover the intricacies of all the businesses operating inside the parks, and a general assignment reporter to tackle issues that arise daily across the park system.

The Traveler is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization that relies on its readers and listeners to enable us to bring you this coverage. As such, we hope to add 200 recurring monthly donors by the end of the year to help move us towards filling those roles. Please, consider a donation and share this message with your friends and colleagues and encourage them to make a donation before year’s end so the Traveler’s Essential Coverage of Essential Places not only continues, but grows and thrives.