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Traveler's Picks for Where to Get Wet in the National Park System

We definitely are in the dog days of summer. In Great Smoky Mountains National Park the temperature's been well into the 90s, and with the high humidity, well, you really do need to find a place to cool off. With that understood, here are Traveler's Top Picks for where to get wet in the National Park System.*

Accidents Happen at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Usually Because People Break Commonsense Water Safety Rules

Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which celebrated its 61st birthday August 11, attracts almost 8 million visitors a year. Nearly all return home safely with fond memories of fun on or in the park’s two huge lakes. Accidents do happen, though, and nearly always because people violate commonsense safety rules.

Sierra Club Caught Standing Atop Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park

What were they thinking at the Sierra Club when they dreamed up their latest solicitation for new members? Did the organization, which touts itself as America's "most influential grassroots environmental organization" and "Good Stewards of the Environment," really intend to use a photo of a hiker atop Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park?

Why You Should Not Store Food in Your Car at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Travel to just about any park with black bears and you'll either be handed information or see signs clearly detailing how to protect yourself and your belongings in bear country. While the accompanying video of a bear breaking into a car at Great Smoky Mountains National Park is nine years old, it could have been taken yesterday.

National Parks in the News: Did You Say that Park Police Officer Mary Jane Hempfield is a Turtle?

It was an event certain to send chills down the spine of evil doers everywhere. For the first time ever, the Park Police used information gathered with the help of a radio transmitter-outfitted box turtle to arrest a man growing marijuana in a national park.

Is It Time to Overhaul the National Park Service and the National Park System?

With the National Park Service's centennial eight years off, it's not too early to take the measure of both the service and the National Park System it manages. Has the time arrived to overhaul and strengthen this venerable agency?
Image icon National Park Centennial Commission.pdf