National Parks Traveler | National Parks Traveler

Search

Help power the National Parks Traveler’s coverage of national parks and protected areas.

You are here

It's Officially Winter at Glacier National Park

The calendar and Mother Nature are in agreement at Glacier National Park in Montana: the winter season has officially begun, and most roads in the park are closed to vehicles and open for cross country skiing and snowshoeing.

Read more about It's Officially Winter at Glacier National Park

By Jim Burnett - December 25th, 2009 3:55am

Pruning the Parks: Chattanooga National Cemetery (NPS 1933-1944) Was Born on Christmas Day

For the 11 years it was administered by the National Park Service, Chattanooga National Cemetery enjoyed a distinction among NPS units that we’re unlikely to ever see again. It was, at least in the historical sense, born on Christmas Day.

Read more about Pruning the Parks: Chattanooga National Cemetery (NPS 1933-1944) Was Born on Christmas Day

By Bob Janiskee - December 25th, 2009 3:55am

6 comments

2009 Brought the National Park System a Mixed Bag of Goods

Guns in the parks. Budget boosts. New units. The past year brought a mixed bag of goods to the National Park System. Some good, some not so good. Here, in no particular order, are some of the top stories we saw.

Read more about 2009 Brought the National Park System a Mixed Bag of Goods

By Kurt Repanshek - December 25th, 2009 3:13am

2 comments

Blue Ridge Parkway and Cumberland Gap among Parks Still Coping with the "Blizzard of 2009"

For travelers and emergency workers in much of the country, any dreams of a "White Christmas" will likely be remembered as bad ones this year. Many parks have been impacted by recent storms, but among the hardest hit are the Blue Ridge Parkway and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.

Read more about Blue Ridge Parkway and Cumberland Gap among Parks Still Coping with the "Blizzard of 2009"

By Jim Burnett - December 24th, 2009 11:25am

Pruning the Parks: St. Thomas National Historic Site (1960-1975) Left the Park System as Quietly as It Entered

St. Thomas National Historic Site left the National Park System as quietly as it entered. Getting abolished without ever being activated didn’t make it unique, but getting established on Christmas Eve put it in a class of its own.

Read more about Pruning the Parks: St. Thomas National Historic Site (1960-1975) Left the Park System as Quietly as It Entered

By Bob Janiskee - December 24th, 2009 3:56am

NASA, National Park Service Team To Offer Climate Change Podcasts

While rising sea levels are a concern for some national parks, dropping lake levels are a concern for others. A unique partnership between NASA and the National Park Service examines these issues in two podcasts for your listening ease.

Read more about NASA, National Park Service Team To Offer Climate Change Podcasts

By Kurt Repanshek - December 24th, 2009 3:44am

Remains of Sunken Ferryboat “Ellis Island” are Removed from Island Slip

Once used to shuttle recently-admitted immigrants from Ellis Island to Manhattan, the ferryboat “Ellis Island” was retired in 1954 and sank at its berth in 1968. Now a difficult salvage operation has retrieved the historic ship‘s rusted remains.

Read more about Remains of Sunken Ferryboat “Ellis Island” are Removed from Island Slip

By Bob Janiskee - December 24th, 2009 3:38am

8 comments

Big Bend National Park Completes New Wildlife Viewing Platform at Rio Grande Village

The lower elevation areas in Big Bend National Park are popular with winter visitors, especially during the week between Christmas and New Years. An added attraction this year will be a new wildlife viewing platform at Rio Grande Village.

Read more about Big Bend National Park Completes New Wildlife Viewing Platform at Rio Grande Village

By Jim Burnett - December 24th, 2009 3:04am

1 comment

Lost Hikers in Big South Fork Ignored Searcher Instructions, Hampered Search Efforts

What part of “stay put” is so hard to understand?

Read more about Lost Hikers in Big South Fork Ignored Searcher Instructions, Hampered Search Efforts

By Bob Janiskee - December 23rd, 2009 5:53am

8 comments

Appalachian Trail Visitation Study Has Breakthrough Implications for Linear Park Visitor Tallies

Survey researchers are testing and tweaking new procedures for obtaining Appalachian Trail visitation estimates. The new methodology should yield much more defensible visitation tallies for trails and linear parks with numerous backcountry access points.

Read more about Appalachian Trail Visitation Study Has Breakthrough Implications for Linear Park Visitor Tallies

By Bob Janiskee - December 23rd, 2009 3:55am