Exploring the Parks

Following The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath

Long before airways, highways, and even railways crisscrossed the country, rivers – our great waterways – were used regularly to transport goods and passengers.

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By Kurt Repanshek - January 10th, 2025 6:26pm

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Saving The `Purely American’ Monterey Furniture of Oregon Caves

It has been said that “a room full of Monterey furniture always seems to have a sense of humor about it.” The pieces in this storage room in Grants Pass, Oregon are clearly having a grand old time while off-duty and jammed into their temporary home.

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By Jennifer Bain - October 25th, 2024 2:30am

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The Frenzied Completion Of The Transcontinental Railroad In Utah

Despite the iconic image of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad that was sealed with a golden spike hammered into a laurel railroad tie, the closing weeks of the engineering feat were frenzied.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 28th, 2024 10:02am

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The Lions Of Kruger — Perhaps Africa’s Most Voracious Man-Eaters

If you're ever forced to hike through lion country the first rule is that you should never travel at night. Lions hunt at night.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 22nd, 2024 1:39pm

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A Memorial To A Dog And Asian Influence: The Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site

The most touching tribute to a dog I ever saw is at the home of America’s only Nobel Prize-winning playwright, who also won four Pulitzers, Eugene O'Neill.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 30th, 2024 4:36pm

Seeing Beyond The Lake At Crater Lake National Park

Gnarly and wizened, she can’t compete with Crater Lake’s impossibly blue beauty. Nor does she try as she stubbornly clings to life at the edge of the caldera. They quietly call her the Grandmother Tree but don’t mark the spot where she stands with her name or story.

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By Jennifer Bain - October 13th, 2024 2:30am

Watching Humpback Whales Bubble-Net Feeding At Kenai Fjords National Park

The seagulls give it away every time. All eyes aboard the Coastal Explorer are tracing their movements because these wily birds know—moments before we do—where the humpback whales will emerge in their amazingly synchronous behavior called bubble-net feeding.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 6th, 2024 2:30am

Following The Mormon National Historic Trail

A pilgrimage from persecution led the Latter-Day Saints along the Mormon Trail from Illionois to Salt Lake City in the Utah Territory.

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By Kurt Repanshek - September 18th, 2024 2:30am

Slovenia’s Triglav National Park, Where A Flower Symbolizes Nature’s Power And Ability To Avenge

Slovenia’s most famous legend explains the unusually jagged peaks, about a dozen lakes, glacier-carved valleys and gorges in Triglav National Park, its only national park, as well as the Triglav rose.

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By Kurt Repanshek - September 12th, 2024 2:06am

Wild Wonders Seen While Sea Kayaking In Acadia National Park

A four-mile sea kayaking trip amid the backdrop of Acadia National Park's rugged, pine-tree-covered coastline and small rocky islands and outcrops brought us to water fowl, migratory birds, raptors and even a seal.

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By Kurt Repanshek - September 1st, 2024 8:46am

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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