National Parks Traveler

Star shows are on the calendar for this weekend in both Death Valley National Park and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in California.

Wooden crib docks at Raspberry Island Light Station in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin will be replaced this summer, requiring the west dock to be closed to the general public while the work is performed.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument in New Mexico is back in business thanks to speedy work by a variety of state and federal agencies to rebuild a road that was washed out in late December.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking the public’s input on a draft corridor management plan for Newfound Gap Road. The development of the plan is required for park officials to seek designation for the road as a National Scenic Byway, a designation that opens up opportunities to the park and gateway communities to compete for special grants that enhance the travel corridor.

Monocacy National Battlefield in Maryland announced that a partnership agreement has been signed with the newly-formed Monocacy National Battlefield Foundation, which will assist the park with fundraising, recruitment, and as a community advocate.

Virgin Islands National Park is growing by nearly 12 acres thanks to a donation by a philanthropist with a long resume of working to forward conservation of landscapes and wildlife.

President Trump on Monday put a freeze on federal government hiring, an action that could have wide-ranging impacts for the National Park Service as it moves to hire thousands of seasonal rangers and other employees for the upcoming summer.

Much of the beauty and wildlife protected within Channel Islands National Park can only be seen from the water, and soon, guided sea kayaking and snorkeling tours will be available at Santa Cruz Island without a reservation for the first time.

For more than 1,000 years, Scarlet macaws have dazzled people of the Southwest. Their brilliantly colored plumage and large size inspire curiosity among those who see them. Remains of macaws have been documented in early archaeological excavations at both Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national monuments.

At the beginning of the year, Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado followed through on its proposal to raise entrance fees and extend the park’s summer season, when rates are higher, by nearly three months.