You are here

National Parks Traveler Episode 92: Glacier Bay, Wildfires, and Rocky Mountain Conservancy

This week we visit with Estee Rivera, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, to discuss the damage wildfires inflicted on Rocky Mountain National Park and the role the conservancy is taking in helping park staff rehabilitate areas impacted by the fires and interpret the intense fire season. 

And Kurt Repanshek visits with Kim Heacox, a former park ranger turned writer and photographer at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Heacox’s book, The Only Kayak, was reissued this year, 15 years after it first appeared. Heacox discusses the book and how climate change and visitors are altering Glacier Bay and other national parks in Alaska.

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode introduction with Kurt Repanshek
1:07 Bass Harbor - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
1:53 Rocky Mountain Conservancy Executive Director Estee Rivera discusses wildfire impact at Rocky Mountain National Park
15:21 Big Country - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of Yellowstone
15:44 National Parks Traveler promotion
15:58 WildTribute.com promotion
16:20 Grand Teton National Park Foundation promotion
16:51 Western National Parks Association promotion
17:18 The Only Kayak author Kim Heacox discusses Glacier Bay National Park and the impact of climate change and visitation on Alaska's national parks.
34:00 Wonder Lake - Various Artists - The Spirit of Alaska
34:33 Washington’s National Park Fund promotion
35:06 North Cascades Institute promotion
35:25 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation promotion
35:49 Friends of Acadia promotion
36:18 Kurt Repanshek's conversation with Kim Heacox continues
54:49 Kenai Fjords - Various Artists - The Spirit of Alaska
55:15 Episode Closing
55:52 Orange Tree Productions promotion
56:27 Splitbeard Productions

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 322 | Congressman Jared Huffman

The first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term might be the most tumultuous first 100 days of any president. He certainly came in prepared to move his agenda forward, no matter what barriers to it existed.

We don’t usually discuss presidential politics, but President Trump has released a blizzard of executive orders and directives touching all corners of the federal government, including the National Park Service.

April 27th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 321 | National Park Science At Risk

There has been much upheaval in the National Park Service this year, with firings, then rehires, and staff deciding to retire now rather than risk sticking around and being fired. There have been fears that more Park Service personnel are about to be let go through a reduction in force.

While Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered the Park Service to ensure that parks are properly to support the operating hours and needs of each park unit,” that message said nothing about protecting park resources.

April 20th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 320 | George Wright Society

George Melendez Wright was a brilliant young scientist with the National Park Service back in the 1920s and 1930s. You could say he was ahead of his time, in that he wanted the Park Service to take a holistic role in how wildlife in the parks was managed.

April 6th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 319 | Kilauea's Unrest

One of the greatest shows on Earth has been going on now for several months in Hawaii, where the Kīlauea volcano at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park has been erupting since late December. The Kīlauea volcano is the most active volcano on Earth.

March 30th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 318 | Covering the Parks

There are more stories to be found in the National Park System than one could write in a lifetime. Or several lifetimes.

Sometimes those stories can be hard to spot. How many were aware of the factoid from Great Smoky Mountains National Park that Jennifer Bain dug up, that if you stacked up all of the park’s salamanders against its roughly 1,900 black bears, the salamanders would weigh more?

Talk about national park trivia.

March 23rd, 2025 Read More

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.