I wasn't really sure what to expect from Glacier Bay National Park, outside of glaciers, of course, but it didn't take long for me to realize this Alaskan park is a birder's paradise. From the "poor man's puffin" to dwindling numbers of Kittlitz's murrelets, I was rewriting my birding success, and not in days, but in minutes.
On October 4th you can take a guided hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to catch the first glimpses of autumn color, explore old cabins and cemeteries, and even ring the bell of a picturesque mountain chapel.
Even before Yosemite became a national park, tourists who endured the wearying journey to Yosemite Valley and suffered the valley's many discomforts were refreshed by some very special amenities at the Cosmopolitan Bathhouse & Saloon.
There's now even more to see and do at Richmond National Battlefield Park—the area's newest unit known as Rural Plains is now open to the public. The area includes an 18th century house, civil war earthworks, a walking trail and interpretive information, and an interesting human interest angle.
Inspired in no small measure by others who gave so much to the National Park System, Roxanne Quimby is offering 70,000 acres for a national park embracing Maine's North Woods.
Visual artists are invited to submit works for a new competition, "America's Parks Through The Beauty Of Art" that will feature a national traveling exhibition beginning in 2013.
Perhaps President Obama, in his effort to get Congress to support his jobs bill, should have mentioned the economic might of investing in national parks. While here at the Traveler we believe you don't need to stress economics when discussing the value of parks, their ability to generate jobs can't be ignored.
A field team representing the World Heritage Center will visit Yellowstone National Park this week to see how the park is faring against challenges ranging from climate-change impacts to fisheries issues and even recreational snowmobiling.
It might not look so good to a beaver these days, but once upon a time the landscape in and around John Day Fossil Beds National Monument kept beavers happy.