Are you ready for that national park trip? Traveling solo, or with one or more people? Is this a spur-of-the-moment choice or have you done a little research into things like the weather, the terrain, and/or the difficulty level of the trails in this park unit? Are you taking what you need for yourself and your camera?
Some stories just deserve a second, or third, reading, either because you rushed through it the first time, you might have missed it, or the subject intrigues you. With that understood, here are some stories from the past year we think deserve another look.
Retreat of the tidewater rivers of ice at Glacier Bay National and Preserve is a clear and easily viewed sign of climate change. Not as visually apparent is what is transpiring beneath the shimmering surface bay waters in this 3.3-million-acre swath of mountain and marine wilderness.
Arson is suspected in the loss of the Round Spring Visitor Contact Station at Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri. The building was reported on fire Sunday night.
Time wearing on the Walker Sisters Cabin at Great Smoky Mountains National Park has led to its closure due to structural concerns that are scheduled to be corrected during 2022.
Year-end can mean a lot of traveling, and whether you're flying or driving, it's nice to have something to listen to. While queuing up 52 weeks of National Parks Traveler podcasts might overwhelm you, here are some episodes from 2021 we think you'll like.
Warming Pacific waters that are impacting whales that summer at Glacier Bay National Park and a worrisome mixture of climate change and urban sprawl that is weighing on Saguaro National Park are just two examples of how outside influences are creating problems inside national parks.