National Parks Traveler

Never before have, and probably never again will, so many national parks come into existence on the same date. Given birth by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act were Denali, Gates of Arctic, Glacier Bay, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark and Wrangell-St. Elias national parks.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 29th, 2011 1:05pm

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National Parks Contribute Holiday Ornaments to White House Christmas Tree

Holiday ornaments depicting scenes from the national parks are dangling from the White House Christmas tree, a nod to the National Park Service's upcoming centennial.

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By Kurt Repanshek - November 30th, 2007 5:42pm

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Former Park Service Director Mainella: Interior Department Called Yellowstone Snowmobile Decisions

Former National Park Service Director Fran Mainella says her bosses in the Interior Department in effect tied her hands on the question of recreational snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park. And now she says science should have the final say in whether snowmobiling continues to be allowed in the park.

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By Kurt Repanshek - November 29th, 2007 7:31pm

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Falling Tree Kills Hiker in Rocky Mountain National Park

A 68-year-old hiker in Rocky Mountain National Park was killed in a freak accident when a tree fell on him.

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By Kurt Repanshek - November 29th, 2007 9:51am

Park Trips: Canyonlands National Park's Horseshoe Canyon

Off to the west of Canyonlands National Park proper, Horseshoe Canyon offers a fascinating trip back into prehistory, a time when nomadic tribes would follow the washes through the Southwest's canyon country from camp to camp.

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By Kurt Repanshek - November 27th, 2007 7:30pm

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Yosemite Valley Case Returning to the Courtroom

There's scheduled to be a court hearing in California today to revisit the issue of whether the National Park Service is properly taking care of the Yosemite Valley.

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By Kurt Repanshek - November 27th, 2007 8:06pm

Mammoth Cave National Park Adding Hiking, Biking Trail

Another nine miles of hiking and biking trails are coming to the national park system on December 8, when Mammoth Cave National Park dedicates the "Mammoth Cave Railroad Bike and Hike Trail."

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By Kurt Repanshek - November 27th, 2007 11:46am

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Park History: How the National Seashores Came to Be

For years, summer trips to Cape Cod were an annual ritual for my family. My parents had retired to the Cape, and our boys loved romping in the surf and building castles in the sand. Lobster feasts, game-fishing, and whale watching were added benefits, as were exploring the seashore’s lighthouses, roaming its dunes, and looking for sea creatures in its mudflats.

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By Kurt Repanshek - December 28th, 2009 10:44am

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Review: Wild Soundscapes, Discovering the Voice of the Natural World

With sound recorder in hand, I had looked to the book "Wild Soundscapes" to help me figure out the details of creating a really great field recording of my visits to the parks. The book met some of my expectations, but fell short of others. I thought the best part of the book was the included audio CD; whales in Alaska, coyotes in New Mexico, and elk in Yellowstone. Read on for the details.