National Parks Traveler

Jon Jarvis is swapping emergency sirens outside his West Coast office for emergency sirens outside the Interior Department building in downtown Washington, D.C. And no doubt he'll be picking up the sounds of quite a few figurative sirens from a National Park System struggling with wildlife issues, climate change, morale woes, and competing user demands.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 11th, 2009 4:52am

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Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Set to Work on EIS for Yellow-Legged Frog Recovery

Not too long ago fisheries experts in the High Sierra realized that if they removed non-native trout from high-elevation lakes, they could boost fragile populations of a small frog that once was widespread throughout the range. Now Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks want to remove trout from slightly more than 80 of the parks' 560 lakes and ponds to give the mountain yellow-legged frog a chance for survival.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 11th, 2009 4:23am

Melting Permafrost May Help Explain Why Many Denali National Park Wetlands Are Drying Up

Scientists working in Denali National Park suspect that melting permafrost might be an important reason why many of Alaska’s shallow lakes and wetlands have shrunk or disappeared. If the trend continues, wetland-dependent wildlife might be severely impacted.

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By Bob Janiskee - October 11th, 2009 4:10am

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On the Run: Racers See Four National Parks on Two Feet in One Day

Last Saturday morning, nearly 1,800 people got to see some national parks from a new perspective as they ran or walked the first-ever Freedom’s Run: An Event for Health and Heritage near Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

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By Donna Childress - October 11th, 2009 4:04am

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Glacier National Park Issues Its Annual Warning to Hunters: Stay Out Of the Park

It's that time of year: Crisp air, occasional snows, that autumnal scent of dried leaves, and the bugling of elk in the Rockies. And the annual warning from Glacier National Park officials to hunters that they can't hunt in the park or pursue game into the park without the assistance of a ranger.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 10th, 2009 5:05am

Wintry Conditions Descending On Yellowstone National Park

Fall was nice, wasn't it? At Yellowstone National Park winter already has made an appearance, and park officials are urging visitors to be a bit cautious when traveling the roads.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 10th, 2009 4:43am

Maine North Woods National Park: Has The Time Arrived?

If you look at a map of the National Park System, you'll find a glaring omission in the northeastern United States. There is no large expanse of wilderness protected by a national park. Proponents of a "Maine North Woods National Park and Preserve" want to change that.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 10th, 2009 4:43am

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Historic Fire Tower at Acadia National Park To Open To Public For One Day

Fire towers usually are off-limits to the general public, particularly historic ones. But if the weather allows, the Beech Mountain Fire Tower at Acadia National Park will be open Saturday, October 17, for you to climb to the top for a view of the jewel of the Atlantic in all its fall splendor.