NPR on the National Parks
National Public Radio is on the road in the National Park System this week, visiting both iconic and obscure parks. But is there a chink in NPR's coverage?
National Park Quiz 9: The American Revolution
With the July Fourth celebration in the offing, we naturally turn our thoughts to national parks commemorating events and people associated with the struggle for independence. This week’s quiz accordingly focuses on the American Revolution. Answers are at the end. No peeking, please.
- By Bob Janiskee - October 29th, 2011 10:23am
Native Hawaiians Don’t Want a Giant Telescope on Their Sacred Mountaintop at Haleakalā National Park
Haleakalā National Park celebrates its 92nd birthday on July 1. Meanwhile, angry Hawaiian Natives continue their struggle to prevent the construction of a giant telescope atop their sacred mountain. The Park Service doesn’t like the project either.
Park History: Mammoth Cave National Park
Long before anyone thought of national parks, folks were heading down into Mammoth Cave to see the sights. And if you've ever visited this incredible underground labyrinth, you'd understand why.
- By Kurt Repanshek - June 30th, 2008 8:50pm
Park History: Olympic National Park
What is it that intrigues us so about Olympic National Park? To be sure, the park's multiple personalities are alluring. There aren't many national parks that can lay claim to not just sea coast and rain forest but also glacier-coated peaks worthy of mountaineering.
- By Kurt Repanshek - November 8th, 2011 6:44pm
Park History: Would There Have Been a Mesa Verde National Park Without Virginia McClurg?
Colorado’s Mesa Verde National Park celebrates its 102nd birthday on June 29. Mesa Verde's 4,000+ archaeological sites document a culture that flourished for centuries before the last generation abruptly and mysteriously abandoned its ancestral home. Did you know there might not have been a Mesa Verde National Park at all if it hadn’t been for Virginia McClurg?
Former NPS Director George Hartzog Passes
George Hartzog, long revered by many in the National Park Service for the way he managed the agency and defended the National Park System, has died. The seventh director of the agency and the first to be fired, passed away Friday.
- By Kurt Repanshek - June 28th, 2008 5:09pm
“10 Best National Parks”? National Geographic, You Have Got to be Kidding!
National Geographic might be considered a gold standard authority on national parks. Why, then, is a hilariously flawed “10 Best National Parks” list included in a recently published National Geographic book? Is NG testing us to see if we’re paying attention?
- By Bob Janiskee - July 5th, 2008 5:58am
Yellowstone National Park Bison Unhappy With Photo Shoot Tosses Pennsylvania Boy
A 12-year-old Pennsylvania boy has been hospitalized after a Yellowstone National Park bison, evidently perturbed that he was part of a family photo shoot, tossed the boy about 10 feet into the air.
Prescribed Fire in Grand Canyon National Park Now Out of Control
Best laid plans literally have gone up in flames in Grand Canyon National Park, where a prescribed fire has blown out of control. The Walla Valley Fire on the park's North Rim is burning across 225 acres and is just 15 percent contained. It's located about 9 miles west of the North Rim's developed area.
- By Kurt Repanshek - June 27th, 2008 6:07pm
