| National Parks Traveler

My daughter and I collect stamps in our passports and pins from every park. We display the pins on lanyards and on our bedroom curtains. The lanyards hang from a hat rack in my daughters room and she can see them whenever she wants to. I also collect the maps from every park. I have a box that is almost full already.

Jun 2nd - 12:55pm | Carolyn

My husband always has to have a pin and a patch. The kids always get a stamp in their passport and on their junior ranger books, in addition to any junior ranger badge they earn. My son will sometimes get a spoon or something else that catches his eye. I like to get postcards, with dreams of scrapbooking them some time.

Jun 2nd - 12:16pm | MRC

Besides fond memories and lots of pictures, I usually get a book or booklet about the park that is rich on photos. Most of the times this is the first thing I do in a new park, to get an idea how professional photographers show the park and what is there to see. The Traveler's sponsor will like that most of the time it is the "stories behind the scenery" booklet.

Jun 2nd - 12:04pm | Christy

We also collect hat pins for us and the kids. The kids also try to collect pressed pennies wherever we go. Gotta get the National Park passports stamped as well.

Jun 2nd - 11:24am | Gaelyn

I too collect hat pins which I put on a curtain in RV living room. I also collect Jr. Ranger badges. First stop is the VC to get my Jr Ranger book and I always promise to complete the whole book. I've only been turned down once and was told I was "too old." What a bunch of bunk. I always learn a lot about the park doing these activities.

Jun 2nd - 10:44am | Rick B.

Passport stamps, baseball caps, tshirts, and KoolKanteen water bottles. I especially love the ones that are rare [like my Kalaupapa shirt]. As non-commercial as I usually am, when I see a park or museum gift shop, I'm a lost fool.

Jun 2nd - 10:08am | RangerLady

I do the lapel pins and the stamps for my passport book and of course I 'collect' all the pictures I can. I used to collect books but I have run out of room! I have 3 large bookcases in my house and still don't have room for the books I already have. I haven't yet found a way to display my lapel pins.

Jun 2nd - 09:50am | MikeD

Usually get a book as a souvenir as a gift and if the park has a handbook available I try to get it though not all parks seem to have them and the handbooks themselves can be out of date. So many of the parks are free so I like to get something to support them.

Jun 2nd - 09:32am | Anonymous

Lapel pins and NP Passport stamps for sure, and a hiking staff badge if I did enough hiking in the park. A long walk from the parking lot to the VC doesn't count as a hike. :-) My Girlfriend always gets a fridge magnet. One day the door is going to fall off when I open it for a glass of milk.

Jun 2nd - 09:11am | Dick

Stamps in my NP Passport books.

Jun 2nd - 09:10am | Brad

I collect patches and pins, and on occasion, my wife collects mugs. We are avid hikers so we also always buy a local park hiking guide and stamp it instead of using the blue passport books.

Jun 2nd - 09:00am | AnonymousD

T-shirts, hats. Also, at Shenandoah and Yellowstone, we've found these great little half-packs that hold about the amount of a wallet with room for an energy bar or two and have a water bottle holster. They're not as dorky as a traditional fanny pack, and they're great for a short hike. My 77-year-old mother said that half-pack was her favorite souvenir from a 4-state, 3-park trip.

Jun 2nd - 08:34am | Kirby Adams

I also collect the embroidered patches as anon said above. I try to have one for every place we go. Other than that it's books. If there's a book that highlights the natural history of the park I'm in, I'll buy it. I rarely leave a gift shop without a book in hand. You can usually find the same books cheaper at Amazon, but I consider that my extra donation to the NPS cause.

Jun 2nd - 08:12am | Laran

Pottery shards, sticks, rocks, pine cones, the odd critter for a new pet, fossils, wildflowers, saplings, a thermos full of geyser water..... KIDDING My family collects posters when we can find cool ones, passport stamps, lots of photos, and memories.

Jun 2nd - 07:50am | Anonymous

I collect the iron-on patches that most national parks sell. At first, I was putting them on a wall in our RV. Now, I have so many, I put them in a scrap book. One day, maybe I'll have a quilt made with them all.

Jun 2nd - 07:24am | Sparky

Similar to Connie, I look for an ornament if available. However, we don't have a separate Christmas tree - just a main one with all our travels / memories, which makes for a fun annual review. Other than that, I go for the photo magnets - we have quite a collage of beautiful shots stuck to our refrigerator!

Jun 2nd - 07:10am | Connie Hopkins

I have pins as well for my hiking hat and as an avid reader I HAVE to come home with a book! I enjoy history and biographies so anything about the local history of where we are holds my interest (Jim Bridger's biography, Missing in the Minarets,: the Search for Walter A. Starr Jr, etc).

Jun 2nd - 06:23am | Barky

I collect the lapel pins, stick 'em on a bulletin board in my living room to track my progress. At an average cost of $4 each, that's about $600 on a bulletin board!!

National Park Service Renews Partnership With Mountain Bike Community

Jun 2nd - 14:02pm | Zebulon

Interesting development regarding Mr. Vandeman. Turns out that he was arrested in Berkeley on charges of assault with a deadly weapon on two unsuspecting cyclists. It's one thing to disagree on trail access issue, but taking the matter into your own hands...

National Park Mystery Plant 8: The Ferrule is Dented and the Handle is Cracked

Jun 2nd - 13:28pm | Bob Janiskee

It's Indian paintbrush, alright. Win to Anon, who was first to figure it out. Place to RangerLady, who honored the point. Apologies to tomp, who was working with a set of clues that hadn't yet received their final tweaking.

Jun 2nd - 12:20pm | RangerLady

I think I have to agree that it's indian paintbrush. Redman Tobacco is "America's Best Chew," ferrule can refer to paintbrushes, and sunsets and eye hemorrhages are red.

Jun 2nd - 12:12pm | tomp

From the second stanza I'd guess Fagus grandifolia. I can sorta twist the first stanza to fit, but I'm less than satisfied by this as an answer.

Jun 2nd - 11:58am | Anonymous

Indian Paintbrush?

Grizzly Bear Shot and Killed By Hikers In Denali National Park and Preserve

Jun 2nd - 13:11pm | MikeD

By the way, I recommend checking out the film "Grizzly Man" if you haven't seen it. Interestingly, it probably provides fodder for both arguments on both sides of the table.

Jun 2nd - 12:37pm | MRC

To the last anon: You don't get it, the back country of a National Park is the realm of the wildlife. We are the visitors there. And if you decide to enter the bear's country, you should be prepared for the remote possibility to get killed, same as you accept when climbing mountains or dive in the sea.

Jun 2nd - 12:18pm | Kurt Repanshek

Perhaps the best book on bear behavior -- both black bears and grizzlies -- is Stephen Herrero's Bear Attacks, Their Causes and Avoidance. Here are some pertinent excerpts:

Jun 2nd - 11:39am | Anonymous

What is with all the sheeple here? What happened to the right to protect oneself and family, let alone a complete stranger? Most .45 shots are probably within 20 feet and that is no bluff charge. If you have EVER read anything about the grizzly, they get very upset when surprised and will almost always attack. This is what it sounds like here. These people are lucky to be alive.

Jun 2nd - 10:22am | Bob Janiskee

Anons: A point of clarification. The bear that climbed up on a roof to kill that young woman in Alaska was a black bear, not a grizzly. Black bears are superb climbers. Grizzlies can climb, but they're not very good at it.

Jun 2nd - 05:46am | Anonymous

If you hike up Mt Rainier in the fall you might get caught in a storm and die. If you hike into the Narrows at Zion a flash flood might drown you. If you back pack in Denali you might encounter a grisly bear and that bear might attack you. Shooting a grisly in Denali is wrong. If you go to Denali prepared to kill a grisly you shouldn’t be there.

Jun 2nd - 00:08am | MarkK

I agree, it be foolhardy not to be armed when going into an area where there might be a wounded bear. It's interesting because of the comparison of risk vs knowledge. A wounded bear is a greater risk than a non-wounded bear, but these are also rangers who presumably are experts in dealing with bears.

Jun 1st - 23:49pm | Anonymous

non-confrontational? Bear breaks into cabin -occupants retreat to roof - man goes for help. When he returns he finds his half eaten companion on the roof. That's pretty confrontational.

Jun 1st - 23:45pm | Anonymous

I have read a lot about bears and their bluff charges. I have read a lot of stories here about how some people would never carry a gun -as they could "Talk to the bear and wave their arms" for defense. I also read about the woman who was ripped from her roof and eaten. This after the bear broke into her and her husbands cabin and he ran for help.

Jun 1st - 22:20pm | Pat

MikeD wrote "I have to hope this is a rather cleverly crafted joke"... No sir, I am an antique arms collector and the last thing I want to do is have the Feds confiscate everything I've collected and lose my right to own arms due to breaking a Federal "no discharge" law. It's worth a lot to me, both monetarily and sentimentally, and at this point I'm considering leaving my sidearm at home.

Free Entry To National Parks This Weekend

Jun 2nd - 12:29pm | Danny Bernstein

Come to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's free 365 days a year. Danny

Vandalism Leads to Closure of Ramp at Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Jun 2nd - 12:17pm | Anonymous

Actually what stinks is the misinformation that the ORV side perpetuates. Walk into a local business and you will get a barrage of how the Park and environmentalist are in the process of closing all the beaches to everyone forever in the Park. Some of the ORV contingent helps fuels this kind of reaction (resource violation) with their inflammatory rhetoric.

Jun 2nd - 12:05pm | tomp

doh-- Dapster is quicker on the reply than I am. My post was in response to his first post, not his followup.

Jun 2nd - 12:00pm | tomp

dapster--

Jun 2nd - 11:44am | dapster

Thanks for not asking me to tweak my tinfoil hat in relation to my conspiracy theory! Not at all saying it isn't an overzealous ORV proponent either. Since there has yet to be a person(s) charged, it's all speculation at this point.

Jun 2nd - 10:12am | RangerLady

Very good points dapster. I always forget that us tree-huggers can be a little naughty too (I must be biased)

Jun 2nd - 08:44am | dapster

RangerLady, It depends on what the motivation is behind these acts. It makes abolutely no sense, unless closing more beach is what you're actually after. Ponder on that one... Most folks who want the beaches open would never commit such an act, since the outcome is all too well known. It has been speculated that the perp's are one or more of the following:

Deep Snows Push Back Opening of Devils Postpile National Monument

Jun 2nd - 09:53am | destroyerman

love the pic.and the dog...hopeto makeit there this yr.thanks for the info.

Jun 2nd - 06:19am | Barky

Wow, amazing how many parks are impacted by late snows this year. Never thought it was much of a problem before, maybe simply wasn't paying attention....

Calving Glacier Injures Two Hikers In Glacier Bay National Park

Jun 2nd - 08:10am | Jim Burnett

Sharon - Thanks for the additional information. We hope everyone involved makes a speedy and full recovery!

National Park Mystery Spot 10 Revealed: It’s the Jones House at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Jun 2nd - 02:41am | Anonymous

I recently visited the reserve and truely and honestly believe I have had a paranormal experience. Do you believe the estate could be haunted by the family members that have died there?

House Republicans Say Interior Secretary's Proposed Snake Ban Bad for Business

Jun 2nd - 00:49am | tha2010kid

thats what he said

Jun 2nd - 00:46am | tha2010kid

listen I am no breeder I'm not a pet owner i am a father.My CHILD is a 8 month old burmese alby python named Porhtose. He is barely 3 ft long and as beautiful as a sunrise over Moab Utah his favorite hobby is to drape over my shoulders and watch fraggle rock with me. He has never even hissssd at his brother High Gear or any of the kittens that live with me.

Jun 2nd - 00:14am | Anonymous

So on that last bit you say snakes are no different than you and me ok sounds right to me

Is There A Thaw Coming On the Three-Year-Old Freeze on National Park Fees?

Jun 2nd - 00:18am | Mark

Thank you for the kind words. Didn't mean to go off. Please don't take anything personally. I did have a great Holiday weekend after all. We went camping....and found yet another beautiful nature experience in a campground other than at a National Park, a place with next to no budget...

Lawsuit Over Deer Culling At Valley Forge Highlights Troubles Of Squeezed National Parks

Jun 1st - 21:34pm | Anonymous

I live in Chesterbrook, a neighborhood right next to VF park. I know atleast 20 neighbors that have been diagnosed with lime disease - it's a huge concern of mine. The way I see it is this... if the food chain had its way, we, as humans, would hunt the deer for food if we couldn't drive to our local store to purchase meat.

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