National Parks Traveler

Predictions on how colorful the fall foliage will be for any given year is always a bit of a dice roll, but the forecasts for the current season in eastern national parks were generally promising. So...how accurate were those educated guesses? I took a drive on a short section of the Blue Ridge Parkway this week to find ou

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By Jim Burnett - October 18th, 2012 2:40am

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"Big Slackwater" Project Completed At Chesapeake And Ohio Canal National Historical Park

After more than 15 years, and $19 million, the 184-mile-long towpath along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal has been restored to its original alignment along the Potomac River.

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By NPT Staff - October 18th, 2012 2:29am

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Tickets For National Christmas Tree Lighting Go On Sale October 25

True, the year-end holidays are a ways off yet, but the lights on the National Christmas Tree in Washington will be turned on December 6, and if you want to be there in person it's time to start planning.

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By NPT Staff - October 18th, 2012 2:14am

Trail Ridge Road Through Rocky Mountain National Park Closes For The Winter

If your guess for the date Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park would close for the winter was October 17, please step forward to claim your prize!

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By NPT Staff - October 17th, 2012 4:20pm

Wilderness Weekend On Tap In Shenandoah National Park This Weekend

Though it's surrounded by development, cross into Shenandoah National Park and you'll find a surprisingly large amount of acreage that is managed as wilderness and which appears much as it did 100, or even 200 years ago. This weekend you can celebrate that wild setting during the park's annual "Wilderness Weekend."

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By NPT Staff - October 17th, 2012 2:55am

A View From The Overlook: Forbidden Islands

There are islands open to the public, and there are "forbidden" islands that are privately owned. But there also are islands being held in trust for their environmental assets.

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By PJ Ryan - October 17th, 2012 2:34am

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Reader Participation Day: What Are You Reading?

As summer gives way to fall, and fall to winter, we usually have more time to read, as there's less daylight outside. So what related to the national parks are you reading these days?

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 17th, 2012 2:13am

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Missing Backpackers Kept Their Senses About Them While Awaiting Rescue In Glacier National Park

Mid-winter conditions with heavy snows and strong, gusting winds, and a few missteps, forced two Virginia men to hunker down in the backcountry of Glacier National Park and wait out the storm with hopes rangers would find them.

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By NPT Staff - October 16th, 2012 4:12pm

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Cedar Breaks National Monument In Utah Getting Ready For Winter

Snowfall already has been recorded in Utah's high country, and for Cedar Breaks National Monument that means the end of the busy travel season and time to prepare for the quieter winter season.

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By NPT Staff - October 16th, 2012 2:55am

Good News For The Popular Chimney Tops Trail At Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The spectacular views from the Chimney Tops Trail make the two-mile route one of the most popular in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but heavy use and steep terrain have resulted in major resource damage and safety issues. Here's good news: phase one of a project to rehab the trail has just been completed.