National Parks Traveler

Spring 2005 in Death Valley National Park gained venerated status among flower lovers for its incredible wildflower blooms. Those blooms --dubbed the "bloom of the century" -- were trigged by heavy fall and winter rains that dumped nearly 6.5 inches of moisture on Death Valley. So, with 2008 starting out stormy in the West, how will Death Valley's blooms be this spring?

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By Kurt Repanshek - January 8th, 2008 4:16pm

Zion National Park's New Backcountry Management Plan Reduces Daily Traffic in The Narrows

It won't be quite so crowded in Zion Narrows under the new backcountry management plan adopted by Zion National Park.

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By Kurt Repanshek - January 7th, 2008 5:32pm

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National Park Service Retirees Outline 2008 Goals for Park Service

Science-led decisions. More principled leadership. A halt to fee hikes. Those are some of the things the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees would like to see from the National Park Service this year.

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By Kurt Repanshek - January 7th, 2008 3:30am

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Segways in the National Parks: Do We Really Need Them?

Two Segway entrepreneurs have their sights on Yosemite and Sequoia national parks as the next frontier for these two-wheeled contraptions.

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By Kurt Repanshek - January 6th, 2008 12:21pm

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Death Valley's Bobcats Likely Lured In By Poor Food Handling at Inn

Two recent bobcat attacks at Death Valley National Park likely were spurred by poor food handling at the Furnace Creek Inn, according to park officials.

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By Kurt Repanshek - January 4th, 2008 4:27pm

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Lynx, Long Sought in Yellowstone National Park, Is Caught on Film

One of the most mysterious creatures of the boreal forest, the lynx historically has been tied to Yellowstone National Park. But in recent years, its existence in the park has been hard to document, tied only to a few paw prints and DNA coaxed from scat and hairs. Now park biologists have a photograph to add to their evidence.

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By Kurt Repanshek - January 4th, 2008 12:00pm

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The Secret Life of Lobsters

I know, this doesn't sound like a park-related read, but it's based around the livelihoods of lobstermen who settled on and around Mount Desert Island more than a century ago.

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By Kurt Repanshek - January 4th, 2008 4:13am

Words on the Wilderness: A History of Place Names in South Florida's National Parks

You ever wonder where place names originate? I mean, Hog Key Campsite in Everglades National Park? And University Dock in Biscayne National Park? What were they thinking?

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By Kurt Repanshek - January 3rd, 2008 7:19pm

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2007 Visitation Across National Park System Projected To Rise

Two years ago there were concerns that national parks were losing their pull over the traveling public. Today, though, National Park Service officials are bullish about visitation, pointing to gains at a number of parks, including Yosemite and Yellowstone.