You are here

Home » National Parks Traveler Podcast

National Parks Traveler Podcast

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 294 | Rodanthe Beach Cleanup

A collapsed house falling into the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by marine debris. NPS Photo on 5-10-2022.

The coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina is just a small spot on the map, but it’s a big place in the hearts of the people who live, own property, and vacation there. Located along Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Rodanthe has been in the national spotlight because of a succession of houses that have fallen into the Atlantic Ocean due to beach erosion. There have been ten houses affected in the past four years, and five this year alone. 

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 293 | POWDR in Zion

A Winter Sunset In Zion National Park, photo by Rebecca Latson

Concessions are the backbone of the National Park System. True, the National Park Service manages the parks and the wildlife and the visitors, but the concessionaires provide you with a bed, or campsite, to sleep in, restaurants to dine in, and gift shops to browse in.

Xanterra Parks and Resorts is one of the key players in the national park concessions industry. They operate lodges in Yellowstone, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Glacier, Grand Canyon and, until the end of this year, Zion National Park.

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 292 | Voyageurs Wolf Project

An image of the face of a wolf, from Voyageurs Wolf Project. Photo by Thomas Gable.

The National Park System is an incredible reservoir of wildlife, from charismatic animals such as grizzly bears, bison and wolves, to animals such as moose, and pronghorn and sea turtles that, while not usually labeled as charismatic, are indeed just that.

Wolves certainly fall under the charismatic megafauna classification. They're majestic and mystifying, and perhaps even lend some romanticism to your backcountry adventures if you are lucky enough to hear a pack howling in chorus after sundown. 

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 291 | Campaign for the Parks

An image of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. By Thomas Moran, public domain.

It was back in 1967 when the Congress chartered the National Park Foundation to serve as the official charity of the National Park Service, and over the decades it has raised millions of dollars for the parks.
 
The Foundation is in the midst of its Campaign for National Parks, a billion-dollar campaign that has already raised $815 million. A big chunk of that total came from a recent $100 million grant that greatly moved the foundation closer to its billion-dollar goal.
 

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 289 | Climate Change Impacts on Acadia

Sunrise over the coastline at Acadia National Park in Maine. Interior Department photo.

From Maine to Florida, coastal units of the National Park System are being impacted in various ways by the changing climate. Some of the impacts affect wildlife, some natural resources, and some the human populations who either live in or come to visit these beautiful areas.
 
At the National Parks Traveler. We’ve been working on a series of stories looking at these changes that are showing up.
 

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 288 | Lassen Peak's Volcanics

Photo: 1914 eruption, from William Holmes Spaulding Photograph Collection: Photographic postcard of Lassen Peak in eruption.

When you hear the word volcano, where in the world do you think of? Mount Vesuvious in Italy? Mount Fuji in Japan? Maybe Cotopaxi in Ecuador? Do you ever think of Lassen Peak?
 
The National Park System is full of volcanoes. Some active, some dormant, some extinct. They all have fascinating stories to tell. 
 
There was a series of eruptions of Lassen Peak in Northern California between 1914 and 1917, with the 1915 eruption largely playing a role in the establishment of Lassen Volcanic National Park. 

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 287 | Great American Outdoors Act Reauthorization

Workers fix broken pipes at Death Valley National Park. NPS photo.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been four years since Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act and President Trump signed it into law. Under that legislation, the National Park Service has been receiving $1.3 billion a year to pay for tackling the National Park System’s maintenance backlog.

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 286 | Save the Manatee

A manatee floating underwater with a school of fish below it. USFWS photo.

Manatees are some of the most unusual looking wildlife creatures that you’ll find in coastal units of the National Park System, places like Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park and Cumberland Island National Seashore. 

They are huge – the largest on record reportedly tipped the scales at 3500 pounds and was 13 feet long – and rather bulbous looking. 

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

FREE for iPhones and Android phones.