| National Parks Traveler

The cost of this one oil spill -- $100 million to drill the relief well, $1.6 billion in insurance losses, PLUS the cost of the wasted crude oil, PLUS the ecological problems, we could probably pay for thousands of homes to be heated with solar energy, pay the cost for all new cars that are manufactured to be hybrids, then we wouln't have this problem.

Apr 25th - 12:34pm | Random Walker

Apr 23rd - 09:03am | JimB

A tragic situation at any time, both in terms of loss of life and ecological impacts, but the timing of this mishap is especially interesting in light of the recent announcement of plans to increase off-shore drilling activity along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Apr 23rd - 08:53am | RangerLady

I just watched the news 15 minutes ago and there is oil on the surface but it is only residual at the moment. They are keeping a close eye to make sure it doesn't spring a leak. Anon, this rig was looking for crude oil, not natural gas and it did indeed sink.

Apr 23rd - 08:43am | Lee Dalton

Anonymous, have you read any of the news reports lately?

Two Men Killed While Attempting To Raft Through "The Narrows" Of Zion National Park

Apr 27th - 10:36am | Anonymous

I knew one of these young men and he was very adventurous and lived life to the fullest!! I am saddened by this and my thoughts and prayers go out to thier families! They were so young!

Apr 27th - 09:28am | Lee Dalton

A raft built of logs. Springtime runoff from a near-record snowpack. High water trying to squeeze between narrow canyon walls forced into rollers with immense hydraulic power. Cold water. Apparently no wet-suits or dry-suits. Hypothermia. These guys were doomed before they started.

Apr 27th - 08:53am | dennis g.

Hiking the narrows at the right time of year can find it very tame. But in general, during mid August thru early September (thunderstorms leading to flash floods) and late March thru mid May (very high, very rapid and freezing water due to snow melt) will not find a very hospitable environment.

Apr 26th - 19:42pm | Anonymous

I hiked the entire length of it in '97 and it was completely tame. The only possible thing in there that could hurt someone is if there was a flash flood, but it doesn't sound like there was one. Strange!

Apr 26th - 18:08pm | Danny Bernstein

Wow! I hiked the Narrows in June, 1991. I had to swim the last section and it was scary. Danny www.hikertohiker.com

Interior Department Wants Transparency, FOIA Process Impedes That Goal

Apr 27th - 10:08am | beschundler

To visitors of our national parks they are amazing and wonderful places. They are places which inspire the imagination, recall the special events of our history, and evoke admiration and humility. Nevertheless, like all special places and like any kind of organization, behind the scenes they can have problems because they are managed by people, and people are human.

Updated: NPS Director Jarvis Ends "Core Ops" Budgeting Across The National Park System

Apr 27th - 10:03am | beschundler

The controversy about Core Ops has raised lots of questions about how some of our national parks have been setting budget priorities and spending money.

Apr 27th - 09:58am | beschundler

In the midst of the debate about how much money has been spent in different ways and at different levels of the Park Service, it's interesting to go to http://php.app.com/fed_employees/search.php and just compare some numbers.

Pruning the Parks: North Dakota’s Sullys Hill National Park (1904-1931)

Apr 27th - 09:08am | Bob Janiskee

MRC, I'm glad you prompted me to add that vital information to my Sullys Hill Park article. It's a good thing we've got knowledgeable readers like you out there to keep us Traveler writers on the straight and narrow. As for tormenting me with that Yosemite date question, well, I can do without that.

Apr 27th - 08:53am | MRC

Thanks, Bob, for the clarification. The original version of this article sounded like the presidential proclamation was unilateral and I was unsure if the president could do so at that time. With your added information it is clear that Roosevelt used an option congress had given him in a formal law.

Apr 27th - 07:13am | Bob Janiskee

You raise an interesting point, MRC. The Antiquities Act that Congress passed in 1906 provided the President with a tool he could use to safeguard the public interest by quickly preserving nationally significant cultural and physical resources. The initial proclamation, creating Devils Tower National Monument, occurred in 1906.

Apr 27th - 05:15am | MRC

Are you or is any of the readers familiar with the law regarding protected areas in 1904? How could a presidential proclamation create a National Park back then? The Antiquities Act authorized the president to unilaterally create a National Monument, but it was introduced in 1906.

Fall near Buffalo National River Claims Life of Former Football Star

Apr 27th - 05:53am | Connie Hopkins

I agree! How horribly sad for his family to witness it too! I fell off a ladder *10 years ago while putting up Christmas lights. I "only" had to get 10 stitches in the back of my head along with a couple in my shin. I could've very easily broken my neck, landing on a pile of firewood but thankfully, I didn't!

Apr 26th - 12:24pm | Volpe

Here’s a young man who hadn’t lived his life yet and should lose it in what was described as not a dangerous situation. All of us have done the same thing, many times, and it makes me think, “there but for the grace of God go I”. Just awful.

Voyageurs National Park To Have New Headquarters Complex In 2011

Apr 27th - 01:36am | MRC

Please check out the new edition of the park's newspaper at http://www.nps.gov/voya/parknews/upload/2010%20Rendezvous%20Final.pdf - on page 14 all commercial outfitters in the region are listed, you have to contact the ones in the Rainy Lake area, whether they offer canoes for short or longer trips.

Apr 26th - 14:43pm | justinh

Voyageurs Question (a little off-topic). Can anyone recommend a place near the Rainy Lake Visitors Center where I might rent a kayak? Justin

Updated: Effort In Maine To Restrict Guns From National Park Units Falls Short of Goal

Apr 27th - 01:25am | hookah bars

I would wager that one is not "derelict in your duties" by not carrying a firearm.

Apr 26th - 23:22pm | Anonymous

"And if you really believe you need a gun to be safe, you must be crazy to want to go there in the first place." Obviously Alex does not believe in insurance of any sort....

Dark, Starry Skies Above National Parks Celebrated by Posters, Forthcoming Book

Apr 27th - 01:22am | hookah bars

I am looking forward to the book, esp. now that high-iso cameras have made it easier to photograph the night sky.

Democrats Introduce "Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act" To Help Wildlife Cope With Climate Change

Apr 26th - 12:31pm | Kurt Repanshek

Anon, the map is for illustrative purposes only.

Apr 26th - 12:29pm | Anonymous

How does the southwest get leftout all together???

Apr 26th - 10:39am | Stephany

This legislation would benefit land animals, like buffalo, bears, pronghorn and so many others who have had their habitat stolen or completely fragmented by livestock grazing, highways, and other human development. The bill is very sensible and badly needed.

Apr 23rd - 07:04am | C.C.

Humans are not the only living things on this planet!

Isle Royale National Park's Wolf Population Loses Two Packs, Moose Population Steady

Apr 26th - 09:17am | MikeD

Kurt, off topic but in case you didn't see it: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/04/to-get-away-from-it-all-obam...

Apr 26th - 07:57am | Anonymous

Isle Royale would seem like a perfect place to have humans impact nature to the minimum extent possible. The "balance" of nature that we all talk about is not a steatdy balance but rather a seesaw between predator and prey. Moose numbers have been falling because wolf numbers were up.

Three New Guided Hikes at Mesa Verde National Park Offer a Unique Experience for Visitors

Apr 26th - 08:38am | JimB

Lee - It's just part of our contribution to the economic recovery!

Apr 26th - 08:27am | Lee Dalton

Drat! I wish you guys would quit posting information like this. There are so many exciting things to choose from that it's going to completely wreck my budget trying to get to all of them.

Reader Participation Day Bonus: How Many National Park-Designated Units of the National Park System Have You Visited?

Apr 25th - 16:07pm | toothdoctor

38---Where I've been stuck since '06. My wife and I hope to get back out and hit the trails at some point. Besides marrying my wife, seeing the 38 that I have, has been the most rewarding thing that I have done in my life.

Apr 25th - 08:04am | Connie Hopkins

Hi Sparky,

Apr 24th - 08:38am | Sparky

Hey Connie, I have wanted to go to Crater Lake for awhile. We're planning to spend two days there as part of our trip down the Oregon coast. So many guide books say to just drive around the rim only, i.e. get a quick look at the blue water and then leave. HUH!? From the park's website, it looks like there are many more interesting things to do there that I don't want to miss out on.

Traveler’s Checklist: Congaree National Park

Apr 25th - 15:33pm | Bob Thomas

I am watching the video on PBS. I have riden through Columbia hundreds of times but have missed this jewel. The Edisto Gardens has been one of my favorite spots for visiting the big trees. I plan to make congaree my next stop in passing through the capital.

Yellowstone National Park: No Cellphone Towers in Campgrounds or Recommended Wilderness, Limits on Wi-Fi

Apr 25th - 12:46pm | Bob F

No Wi-Fi at Old Faithful Inn? I think they're going a little too far here, telling people what they can and cannot do in the privacy of their own hotel room, which they've paid a lot of money for. If you don't like Wi-Fi at Old Faithful... then don't use it!

Lost to Hurricanes, the Flamingo Lodge at Everglades National Park Will be Hard to Replace

Apr 25th - 11:22am | gus diab

Flamingo will always be part of me. I still hope to see it again.

Marine Sciences Group Renovating Historic Fort Hancock Building at Gateway National Recreation Area for HQ

Apr 24th - 18:57pm | Bonnie & Ken Kausner

We witnessed the restoration of bldg 22 today, 4/24/10 and were very pleased! Great job! We would love to see all of these historical bldgs. restored to their original state and used for the common good. Sandy Hook is wonderful natural NJ resource. It would be wonderful to use these bldgs, and grounds for the education of the public in the marine and environmental sciences.

New Fishing Regs Take Effect May 1 in Olympic National Park

Apr 24th - 09:12am | tahoma

Out of state visitors may be interested to learn that although State seasons & regulations apply, no WA fishing license is required within Olympic National Park, "...EXCEPT when fishing in the Pacific Ocean from shore." North Cascades requires a state recreational license, but Mount Rainier also does not.

Spring Nesting Season at Cape Hatteras National Seashore Breeds Vandalism

Apr 24th - 08:56am | George

The automatic expansion of the closed area is a useful concept for management of offroad vehicles in the West, as well as on beaches. Too often the ORV riders just scoff at closures set by land management agencies, knowing that law enforcement officers are few and far between. Automatic expansion gives offroaders an added incentive to comply with the law.

Apr 24th - 05:24am | plover project ...

My husband and I are volunteers for both the National Park Service and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. At the moment we have been volunteering in Rhode Island for the Piping Plover project here. Beach closures occur mid April and early May in Rhode Island and there is NO beach driving until September.

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

Apr 24th - 02:12am | sonny

look obviously you don't care about the recession we are in either doing this would cause major job loss that's like saying who cares about your job because i don't want this and this is why everyone hates us americans cause we are to closed minded and think we are right about everything and have our head so far up our.... that we choose not to see it.

Traveler's Gear Box: Here's A Pack to Help You Get to A National Park

Apr 23rd - 15:07pm | Al

For those interested in _extremely_ durable and versatile luggage, I also recommend looking at the items produced by Montana-based Red Oxx. http://www.redoxx.com/ It appears their Sky Train is similar to the bag Kurt has used and reviewed.

Ranger Confidential, Living, Working, and Dying In the National Parks

Apr 23rd - 12:25pm | RangerLady

Thank you Lee for your kind words.

Trails I've Hiked: Douglas Spring to Bridal Wreath Falls, Saguaro National Park

Apr 23rd - 04:52am | dennis g.

While I did this hike in late fall and never got to enjoy the bloom of the spring wildflowers, I agree that it was a wonderful little hike. Of course, going when I did also made it less likely that I'd come across any rattlers as they had begun to seek their winter 'hibernation' dens.

Reader Participation Day: Has The Change In Gun Rules Changed Your National Park Plans?

Apr 22nd - 22:04pm | Anonymous

You have a good point, but we should take it one step further and lay off all LE rangers. Then you paranoid gun nuts can provide enforcement and save the rest of us a few tax dollars.

Apr 22nd - 21:25pm | Gary Slider

Paul "Barky" Dionne,

Apr 22nd - 20:51pm | Gary Slider

Firearm ownership has gone up dramatically over the last 10 years and accidents and even murders committed with firearms has gone down. What has gone up is the number of rapists and home invaders who have been scared off or shot when a home owner brought out the firearm. Just the other day an 89 Year Old woman shot at the young man who broke down her front door.

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