Parks in the News

Are We Properly Caring for Our Ocean-Based National Parks?

There was an essay recently that brought to my attention a startling figure: Even though there are nearly 1,700 marine protected areas in U.S. territorial waters, 99.9 percent of all our territorial waters were open to fishing in 2008.

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By Kurt Repanshek - February 8th, 2009 4:01pm

2 comments

This Coke's For You, Grand Teton National Park!

It might have been great advertising if the 93-ton truck hauling Coca Cola products hadn't snarled traffic on the main road through Grand Teton National Park. Even then, the photo of the red, Coke-logo emblazoned truck with the snow-capped Tetons as a backdrop is priceless.

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By Kurt Repanshek - February 8th, 2009 2:10pm

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Maine-based Groups Join Fight to Overturn Gun Rule for National Parks

Two groups in Maine have joined the legal bid to overturn the Bush administration's decision to allow national park visitors to arm themselves.

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By Kurt Repanshek - March 3rd, 2009 8:41pm

4 comments

2008 Visitation to the National Parks Up and Down, But Essentially Flat

Visitation to the National Park System in 2008 was, essentially, flat from the year before. There were spikes in some areas, and deep drops in others, but overall the 275 million visitors who were counted represented just 800,000 fewer than in 2007, according to preliminary data from the National Park Service.

NPS-2008 Visitation.pdf

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By Kurt Repanshek - February 6th, 2009 5:05pm

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Lecture Series On Yellowstone Ecosystem and Climate Change On Tap

A series of discussions on how climate change could impact the greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is coming to Big Sky, Montana, in the weeks ahead.

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By Kurt Repanshek - February 5th, 2009 7:21pm

What's Driving Rep. Issa's Opposition to Tackling the National Park System's Backlog?

Two years ago, U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa seemed to think it was no big deal that $12 billion for the Iraq reconstruction effort vanished. So why is he so opposed to spending $2.25 billion to make inroads on the National Park System's roughly $9 billion maintenance backlog?

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By Kurt Repanshek - February 6th, 2009 12:52pm

7 comments

Updated: Murder-Suicide Leaves Two Dead at Grand Canyon National Park

A murder-suicide is suspected in the deaths of an elderly couple in Grand Canyon National Park.

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By Kurt Repanshek - February 6th, 2009 1:02pm

1 comment

Olympic National Park Proposing to Erase the Old Boulder Creek Road

It's going on three decades since you last could drive your rig to the old Olympic Hot Springs Resort and automobile campground in Olympic National Park. And now park officials are proposing to erase the last vestiges of that asphalt road.

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By Kurt Repanshek - February 5th, 2009 6:13pm

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Discounted Lodging Available in Glacier National Park this June

In light of the weak economy, should it be any surprise that lodging deals are starting to materialize in the national parks? At Glacier National Park, for instance, you can find lodging discounts up to 40 percent per night for visits this coming June.

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By Kurt Repanshek - February 5th, 2009 1:27pm

1 comment

That's Cold, Doubly So When You Realize the Temperature Was In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Normally when you hear "22 below" you think of places like Fraser, Colorado, or Ice Box Canyon, North Dakota, not Tennessee. But that was the temperature near the top of Great Smoky Mountains National Park the other morning.

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By Kurt Repanshek - February 4th, 2009 8:49pm

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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.

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The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks