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Now “Thirtysomething,” Big Thicket National Preserve Has Matured Nicely

On October 11, 1974, Congress grafted a new and controversial branch onto the National Park System family tree by creating the first two National Preserves – Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas and Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida. Big Thicket, like its Florida cousin, is now a nicely maturing “thirtysomething” park with a lot of visitor appeal.

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site and the Struggle to Save Sweet Auburn

The establishment of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site on October 10, 1980, did more than just preserve the martyred civil rights leader’s birth home and church. It provided further impetus for the preservation of historic Sweet Auburn, one of the most important black neighborhoods in America.

Is Bush Administration Moving to Shuck Some Congressional Oversight on Public Lands Management?

In a move that could be interpreted as a thumb in the eye of congressional oversight, the Bush administration is moving to revoke Congress's authority to direct the Interior secretary to withdraw public lands from mining under certain situations, according to U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva.

Improving Paradise: Mount Rainier National Park Gets a Fine New Visitor Center

The new Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center opening October 10 at Mount Rainer National Park completes a 9-year project to improve visitor services in the park’s renowned Paradise area. The many green features of the new facility include a snowfield-chilled cooling system and a roof that holds heat and shucks snow.

Don't Forget Buffalo National River When You're Looking for Fall Foliage

One of the relatively undiscovered gems in our National Park System is the Buffalo National River, located in the Ozarks of north-central Arkansas. The park is perhaps best known for canoeing, but that activity is usually most enjoyable in the spring and early summer, unless you enjoy the possibility of carrying your canoe more than paddling it.