National Parks Traveler

A "bioblitz" is an intensive, short-term effort by trained scientists and citizen volunteers to conduct an inventory of specific types of plants or animals found in a specific area. A recent effort in Great Basin National Park was very productive, but are you ready and willing to help collect hymenoptera?

Read more about New Species Added to Park Lists During Bioblitz at Great Basin National Park

By Jim Burnett - August 21st, 2011 1:38am

1 comment

What's "The Most Beautiful Place in America"? GMA Viewers Pick Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

A recent series on Good Morning America invited viewers to choose the "most beautiful place in America." After producers narrowed the field the 10 finalists, nearly 100,000 votes were cast on the programs website. The winner, announced on August 17, was… Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Read more about What's "The Most Beautiful Place in America"? GMA Viewers Pick Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

By Jim Burnett - August 20th, 2011 1:33am

12 comments

The Million Club: National Parks That Had More Than A Million Visits in 2010

Crown jewels like Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite get huge numbers of visitors, but most of the Million Club's heavy lifters don't even have National Park as part of their name.

Read more about The Million Club: National Parks That Had More Than A Million Visits in 2010

By Bob Janiskee - August 19th, 2011 3:59am

5 comments

Are Hunters Good Wildlife Stewards When It Comes To Wolves? Not According To This Study

A new study likely to be controversial in some quarters suggests that hunters are not especially good wildlife stewards when the wildlife in question are wolves.

Read more about Are Hunters Good Wildlife Stewards When It Comes To Wolves? Not According To This Study

By Kurt Repanshek - August 19th, 2011 2:43am

40 comments

"Parks in Focus" Program Brings Kids To Camp in Grand Canyon National Park

While there's been concern about getting younger generations out into the national parks, there's a program at work that recently brought some middle school students to Grand Canyon National Park for a camping experience.

Read more about "Parks in Focus" Program Brings Kids To Camp in Grand Canyon National Park

By Kurt Repanshek - August 19th, 2011 2:32am

Lend A Hand At Yellowstone National Park On Public Lands Day

Looking for an excuse to visit Yellowstone National Park this fall? Consider lending a hand in the park during Public Lands Day on September 24.

Read more about Lend A Hand At Yellowstone National Park On Public Lands Day

By Kurt Repanshek - August 18th, 2011 2:59am

Hope Is The Thing With Feathers, A Personal Chronicle of Vanished Birds

Christopher Cokinos, an award-winning writer, poet, and English professor at Utah State University, has gathered up six long-lost bird species and taken a longing look at them from the perspective of personal loss for their absence in the skies above our heads.

Read more about Hope Is The Thing With Feathers, A Personal Chronicle of Vanished Birds

By Kurt Repanshek - August 18th, 2011 2:48am

1 comment

University of Georgia Study Finds That Cold Water, As With Warm Water, Can Kill Coral Reefs

University of Georgia researchers have determined that unusually cold seawater, as with unusually warm seawater, can be deadly for the coral reefs that can be found in places such as Virgin Islands and Biscayne national parks.

Read more about University of Georgia Study Finds That Cold Water, As With Warm Water, Can Kill Coral Reefs

By Kurt Repanshek - August 18th, 2011 2:27am

National Park Quiz 97: Ships

This month's quiz will test your knowledge of ships and their role in the National Park System. Answers are at the end. If you peek, we'll make you write on the whiteboard 100 times: "A ship is a vessel of considerable size, usually designed for deep-water navigation."

Read more about National Park Quiz 97: Ships

By Bob Janiskee - October 30th, 2011 12:10pm

3 comments

Persistent Pedestrians: Black Bears in Big Bend National Park

Black bears, once thought to be long gone from Big Bend National Park, have been on the comeback, though the recent drought could create problems for the small population, as Meghan Hicks has learned.