By the Numbers: Yellowstone National Park
Statistics can’t do justice to Yellowstone National Park, but numbers help to reveal some of its many facets.
- By Bob Janiskee - December 8th, 2009 3:35am
Dark, Starry Skies Above National Parks Celebrated by Posters, Forthcoming Book
Some of the best star gazing can be had in national parks. Proof of that can be found at Natural Bridges National Monument, Yellowstone National Park, Big Bend National Park, even Acadia National Park. Those and other park settings are celebrated in a series of night sky posters issued in conjunction with the International Year of Astronomy.
Night_Sky_Program_Brief.pdf
- By Kurt Repanshek - December 8th, 2009 3:26am
Wind Cave National Park Plan Calls For Culling Elk Herd To Between 232-475 Animals
A mixed bag of tools -- hunting outside the park, roundups and sharpshooters inside the park -- will be available to Wind Cave National Park officials as they work to reduce their 750-head elk herd to possibly as few as 232 animals, according to a management plan recently approved.
- By Kurt Repanshek - December 8th, 2009 3:20am
“Festival of Christmas Past” at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
An upcoming event at Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers the combination of Smoky Mountain culture and a holiday celebration. The 34th annual "Festival of Christmas Past" will be held on Saturday, December 12 at the Sugarlands Visitor Center.
- By Jim Burnett - December 7th, 2009 3:46am
Pruning the Parks: Wheeler National Monument (NPS 1933-1950) Was a Great Idea Until Colorado Got Good Roads
Colorado’s Wheeler Geologic Area was a popular tourist attraction in the horse-and-wagon era. However, elevating it to national monument status couldn’t sustain its appeal once people started avoiding destinations not served by decent roads.
Traveler’s Checklist: USS Arizona Memorial
Today, on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we provide information you'll find useful in planning your visit to the USS Arizona Memorial, the star attraction of the new World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument.
- By Bob Janiskee - December 7th, 2009 3:40am
Could the Diminutive Pika Succeed Where the Polar Bear Failed In Battling Climate Change?
During my six-month internship with the Student Conservation Association, I had the opportunity to collect data for a field study on the habitat effects of climate change. Our crew of four searched for pikas while backpacking along the rocky slopes of California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada. We came to understand several traits of the pika that could make this elusive alpine mammal an important ally in the movement to stop climate change.
- By Mara MacKinnon - December 6th, 2009 3:52am
National Park Lodging Rates, On Average, Stay Ahead of Inflation
Regular guests of national park lodges have undoubtedly noticed persistent increases in room rates. Although we no longer have the receipt, it seems that we paid $225 per night during our 1996 stay in Yosemite National Park’s Ahwahnee for a room that now goes for approximately $500 per night. It probably doesn’t surprise you to learn that during the past decade lodging rates in national parks have risen faster than the Consumer Price Index.
- By David and Kay Scott - December 6th, 2009 3:41am
A New Exhibit at Ellis Island Tells the Story of the Lenape, the People Who Were There First
A new exhibit at the Ellis Island Museum sheds light on a seldom-noted fact; when Henry Hudson discovered New York Harbor, the Lenape were already there.
- By Bob Janiskee - December 6th, 2009 3:35am
Old Ironsides Has New Duties
You probably knew that the USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship in the world and a premier attraction of Boston National Historical Park. But did you know that “Old Ironsides” is also America’s Ship of State?
