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Appellate Court Says National Park Service Violated First Amendent By Requiring Permits for Free Speech

In an ironic development considering its role in tracking the nation's history and its efforts to preserve civility in national parks, the National Park Service's practice of requiring permits for public gatherings, demonstrations, or "expressions of views" has been found unconstitutional by an appellate court.
Image icon NPS-Free Speech Ruling.pdf

Odds and Ends from Around the National Park System: Interior's Transparency Woes, Plowing Hurricane Ridge, and More

A look around the National Park System finds an interesting potpourri of issues, from the Interior Department's struggles with transparency and a move to see Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park kept open-year round to campfire restrictions in Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks.

Reader Participation Day: Acadia National Park, or Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

Glance at a map of the Eastern Seaboard and a number of intriguing national parks jump out: Acadia National Park, Shenandoah National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Everglades National Park. But which one to visit? If you had to choose between Acadia and Great Smoky, which of the two would be at the top of your list?

Combating Oil and Antifreeze with Sustainable Design at Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Pollutants such as antifreeze and motor oil found in surface runoff from parking areas are a big concern for caves, and a project at Carlsbad Caverns National Park is tackling the problem in a way that's attracting positive attention. The effort has been selected as one of the first in the world in a pilot program called SITES (Sustainable Sites Initiative).

Easy Park Hikes - Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site

Small historical parks are often overlooked as possible locations for easy park hikes, and that's a shame, because many of them offer some fine opportunities. That's definitely the case at Carl Sandburg Home National Historical Site in North Carolina, which includes both an easy hike or two plus just a little exercise on a nice network of trails.