National Parks Traveler

One-hundred-and-forty-five years had passed since Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was mortally wounded by "friendly fire" in the woods at Chancellorsville, and yet it might have been yesterday. Thick forest still hangs over the waning vestige of the Old Mountain Road where the general was riding, beyond the front lines, on the night of May 2, 1863, when members of the 18th North Carolina mistook him and his aides for a Union incursion.

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By Kurt Repanshek - July 13th, 2008 4:07am

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Study Says Loss of Wolves Damaging Olympic National Park's Forest Ecosystem

Without wolves to keep their population in check, elk in Olympic National Park are over-grazing the park's temperate rainforests, according to a study from Oregon State University.

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By Kurt Repanshek - July 12th, 2008 9:00am

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Resource Managers Are Using Visitor Impact Mapping at Oregon Caves National Monument

Oregon Caves National Monument celebrated its 99th birthday July 12. The park’s marble cave has suffered significant physical damage and secondary effects since its discovery in 1874. Resource managers are using a survey method called Visitor Impact Mapping to better understand where and how visitors have affected the condition of the cave.

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By Bob Janiskee - July 12th, 2008 4:00am

Fire Restrictions Ban Campfires at Zion National Park

Dry conditions in the Southwest have prompted Zion National Park officials to institute fire restrictions, including a ban on campfires and smoking on trails.

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By Kurt Repanshek - July 11th, 2008 8:58am

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There's A New Way To Come Up For Air At Mammoth Cave National Park

What do you get with 54 tons of concrete, 3,500 stainless steel bolts, and 35,000 pounds of structural steel? A new way to head toward the surface at Mammoth Cave National Park.

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By Kurt Repanshek - July 11th, 2008 4:01am

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Another Black Bear Put Down, This One In Yellowstone National Park

For the third time in a week a national park black bear has been killed, this time in Yellowstone National Park where rangers said the bruin posed a threat to visitors and park employees.

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By Kurt Repanshek - July 10th, 2008 5:49pm

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Park History: Coronado National Memorial Has Sister Parks in Mexico

Coronado National Memorial, which celebrated its 56th birthday on July 9, is situated on the Mexican border about 20 miles south of Sierra Vista. Coronado has two “sister parks” in Mexico. Hands-across-the-border partnerships like these produce many kinds of benefits.

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By Bob Janiskee - July 10th, 2008 8:34am

Black Bears in Denali, Grand Teton National Parks Killed

Black bears in Denali and Grand Teton national parks recently were killed, one because it was acting aggressively, another because it obviously had come to associate humans with food.

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By Kurt Repanshek - July 9th, 2008 5:16pm

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Man Bitten at Saguaro National Park by Gila Monster

Not only shouldn't you pose next to bison in Yellowstone National Park, but if you're visiting Saguaro National Park don't try to make friends with poisonous gila monsters. That lesson was painfully delivered to a 24-year-old man.

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By Kurt Repanshek - July 9th, 2008 4:55pm

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Fire Restrictions Coming to Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks

In light of the wildfires sweeping California, it was only a matter of time before fire restrictions started popping up in national parks in the state. So it should be no surprise that officials at Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks are implementing some restrictions.