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National Parks Traveler Podcast

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 306 | Introducing St. Croix National Scenic Riverway

Two canoes paddling down the the Namekagon River at SACN. NPS Photo.

There are across the country more than 430 units of the National Park System. And no doubt, most of us are only familiar with the so-called name brand parks. Places like Shenandoah, Acadia, Everglades, Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon… But just because you’re not already familiar with a park unit doesn’t mean you should write it off your to-do list.

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 304 | Into the Thaw

Caribou swimming at Gates of the Arctic. NPS photo by Matt Cameron.

Most, if not all of us, have bucket lists. Places we want to visit…but don’t always get the opportunity.
 
This is Kurt Repanshek, your host at the National Parks Traveler. One of the destinations on my bucket list is Gates of Arctic National Park and Preserve and the Noatak River that runs through it. A week or two floating the river sounds pretty ideal to me.
 

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 301 | Red-Cockaded Woodpecker--A Decision Too Soon?

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker at Noxubee Refuge. USFWS Photo.

The vulnerable red-cockaded woodpecker is known to be found in national park units throughout the southeast.  Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park in Florida, Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee are just a few of the parks that either are, or once were, home to the woodpecker.

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 298 | 4 Women, 4 Kidneys, 444 Miles, 4 Days

Freedom Hills Overlook at the Natchez Trace Parkway. NPS Photo.

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a scenic byway that rolls 440 miles through Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. A unit of the National Park Service,  the trace winds its way through lush landscapes, diverse ecosystems and interesting historical sites. 
 
Originally the trace was a foot path for Native Americans and later used by early pioneers and traders. Today it’s popular for motorists, cyclists and others seeking adventure, tranquility and a peek into America’s past.  
 

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 297 | Trail of the Lost

Silhouettes of three hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail. Photo by Igor Pankovcin.

The National Trail System in the United States spans many thousands of miles of foot trail. The crown jewels of that system, of course, are the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail.

While the adventurous might look at those long trails and set their sights on hiking one end from end, not all manage to complete the journey. Many become disillusioned after days spent hiking in the rain, or because they become homesick, or because of the blisters that sprout on their feet.

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 295 | The Aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene

The flooded Oconaluftee River at Great Smoky Mountains National Park 9-27-24. NPS photo.

Who could have predicted that Hurricane Helene would carry her fury from the Gulf of Mexico and the coast of Florida hundreds of miles north into Appalachia? While there were forecasts calling for the hurricane to be downgraded to a tropical storm and drop quite a bit of rain in the region, the extent of damage in western North Carolina has been breathtaking.

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