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By The Numbers: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

When you start looking at the numbers associated with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the "national park" that boasts the greatest visitation year after year after year, it's easy to get numbed. From the millions of dollars this park receives, and generates in tourism, to the number of visitors each year, Great Smoky is an over-achiever.

An Idea in Trouble: Thoughts about the Future of Traditional National Parks in the United States

Historians point out that ideas, and the organizations associated with them, sometimes age and lose their relevance. Today, as the National Park Service (NPS) approaches the centennial of its establishment, the agency faces huge potential problems with its founding mission and subsequent land management policies.

West Point Cadets Invent Device to Aid Rescues from the Statue of Liberty's Crown

A climb to the crown of the Statue of Liberty is a memorable experience, but the steep, double-helix steps that wind around inside the statue have long been a point of concern if a medical emergency should occur. A new device developed by cadets at West Point will make future rescues from the crown both safer and speedier.

Bad News for Wild Condor Chick at Pinnacles National Monument

The birth of a chick earlier this year to a pair of nesting California condors was cause for celebration at Pinnacles National Monument, but scientists tracking the health of the young bird have bad news. Due to extremely high levels of lead in its blood, it's been necessary to evacuate the bird from its nest to a specialized facility for intensive treatment. Is lead ammunition the culprit?