Parks in the News

Alaska Regional Director Responds To Outrage Over Katmai Preserve Bear Hunt

The Katmai bear video has been one of the most-viewed posts on National Parks Traveler, being watched more than 4,000 times in less than a week. It has generated anguish, anger and controversy. Against this backdrop, Alaska Regional Director Marcia Blaszak has taken a moment to explain the Park Service's viewpoint of how to manage the bear hunt in Katmai National Preserve.

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By Marcia Blaszak - October 12th, 2007 12:25am

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Visitation At Olympic National Park Up Nearly 16 Percent

A year ago some in Congress were greatly concerned that the national park system was experiencing an unhealthy decline in visitation. That's not the case this year, where visitor traffic is on the upswing in a number of parks.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 10th, 2007 9:12am

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Glacier National Park Is Not As Pristine As It Appears

Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road through Glacier National Park and you're immediately struck by the alpine beauty of this national park. Shimming lakes, waterfalls that seem to dangle from cliffs hundreds of feet in the air, glaciers off which the sun glints. But appearances can be deceiving.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 8th, 2007 9:20am

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Bryce Canyon's Navajo Loop Trail, Closed by a Rock Slide in 2006, Is Reopened

It took more than a year, but crews at Bryce Canyon National Park have been able to reopen the Navajo Loop Trail, which had been closed by a rock slide in May 2006.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 7th, 2007 11:26pm

1 comment

Katmai Bear Hunt: Outfitter Says It's No Walk in the Woods

An outfitter whose clients at close range gunned down brown bears in Katmai National Preserve contends the hunt is not akin to "shooting fish in a barrel." And Jim Hamilton claims those who filmed portions of the hunt ruined the hunters' experience.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 6th, 2007 10:27am

23 comments

Biologists Count Fish In Olympic National Park's Elwha River -- Under Water!

In case you were wondering, there are more than 7,000 rainbow trout, not to mention 26 pink salmon, 215 bull trout, and 539 adult Chinook salmon in the Elwha River in Olympic National Park. Park officials know that because a team of snorkel-spouting biologists swam the river's 42 miles specifically to count the fish.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 4th, 2007 3:40pm

Haleakala National Park Officials Institute Moratorium on Bike Tours

Officials at Haleakala National Park in Hawaii have decided, in the wake of the death of a woman last week, that more time is needed to review commercial biking tours in the park.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 4th, 2007 11:16am

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Opposition Mounting to Higher Entrance Fee At Olympic National Park

A trend seems to be developing in the West against higher entrance fees in the national parks. Already Yosemite and Crater Lake national parks and Lava Beds National Monument have had fee increases spiked, and now the folks around Olympic National Park are complaining about a proposed increase there.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 3rd, 2007 6:15pm

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World War II Sites in the National Park System

Did you watch all 15 hours of the Ken Burns mega-series "The War" which wrapped up last night on PBS? I did! Having watched the series, I have wondered, what are the World War II sites managed by the National Park Service? I've come up with this list, with some parks units that you might not expect.

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By jersu - October 28th, 2011 7:02pm

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NPS Officially Comes Out Against North Shore Road at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

While the proverbial handwriting has been on the wall ever since former U.S. Representative Charlie Taylor lost his re-election bid last November, the National Park Service finally has officially come out against building the so-called "road to nowhere" in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 2nd, 2007 9:35am

1 comment

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