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Exceptionally well-preserved fossils of Columbian Mammoths and other Ice Age animals are found at the Waco Mammoth National Monument in Waco, Texas. In this unit of the National Park System, you can see the only recorded evidence of a nursery herd of Columbian mammoth mothers and their offspring and get a rare glimpse into the behavior and ecology of these immense extinct giants.
National parks offer some of the best birding in the country. From Acadia National Park in Maine to Big Bend National Park in Texas and over to Haleakalā National Park in Hawaii, you could spend days looking overhead for a species to add to your life list.
When unprecedented flooding roars through a national park, shredding major roads that access that park, it rightfully could be pointed to as the top story in the National Park System. And while Yellowstone National Park was that park, not only the flooding, but the lack of human casualties and rapid recovery, rank that story as arguably the top one in the park system in 2022. But that wasn’t the only major story that came out of the parks this year.
We’re just about to close the books on 2022, and what a year in the National Park System it has been. We’ve seen catastrophic flooding, drought, and crowds, lots of crowds.
Today though, we’re going to focus on some of the positives about being out and about in the parks. Editor Kurt Repanshek is joined by contributing editors Lynn Riddick and Kim O’Connell to discuss their favorite adventures and stories from the parks this past year.
Andrew Revkin, noted journalist, author, and educator, has been reporting on climate change for the better part of 35 years. In a conversation with the National Parks Traveler’s Lynn Riddick, he shares stories of his experiences, and how he is adapting his work to foster conversations rather than the traditional form of interrogative storytelling. He regards today’s communication climate as an inseparable part of the Earth system, and vital in our response to real climate issues.
It’s been quite a year in the National Park System when the subject turns to unexpected bills. There was the historic flooding that hit Yellowstone National Park in June, monsoonal flooding that struck Death Valley National Park and Mojave National Preserve later this past summer, and even flooding at Vicksburg National Military Park that caused significant damage.
Across the National Park System, national parks fortunate enough to have friends groups helping them out have been leaning a little bit harder on those non-profit organizations than in the past. In some cases, a lot harder as federal funding has not kept up with the increase in park units, or the costs of maintaining and operating those parks.
Freeze-dried meals long have been the go-to food source for many backcountry travelers, but only because they didn’t know other options existed for meal time. And not everyone easily stomachs those meals.
There are places in the National Park System that take your breath away. Places such as Glacier National Park, along the shoreline of Avalanche Lake, or atop Logan Pass staring down valley along with the mountain goats. If you've been here, you'll never forget the experience.
Husband-wife duo Laurie Raveis and Dennis Kole capture their experiences in "Glacier" from their upcoming 2023 album "In the Moment."
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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.
