National Parks Traveler

Flooding pummeled a handful of units in the National Park System this past fall, budget cuts hamstrung the National Park Service, and a 16-day closure of the national parks drew the public's ire. Those were just some of the top stories of 2013 across the National Park System. Here's a look at some of the year's top stories.

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By Kurt Repanshek - December 31st, 2013 3:10am

Birding In The National Parks: Looking Back On 2013

New Year’s Eve seems as good a time as any to reflect on 2013. It’s been a big year for me, with birding explorations around the country, including the first trips of my life to Saguaro National Park and Chiricahua National Monument.

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By Kirby Adams - December 31st, 2013 3:01am

A Look Back At Traveler's Views In 2013

At National Parks Traveler, we don't profess to have all the answers to issues and controversies swirling about the National Park System. But there were a handful of times in 2013 when we felt it necessary to raise concerns about what was transpiring in the parks.

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By Kurt Repanshek - December 31st, 2013 2:37am

Road Work To Repair Slide Along Newfound Gap Road In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Repair work is scheduled to begin next week on a slide along Newfound Gap Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which early this year saw a larger slide take out a section of the road.

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By NPT Staff - December 30th, 2013 2:45am

Katmai National Park Camping Reservations Added To Recreation.gov

Another national park has added its camping reservations system to the recreation.gov portal. At Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, this means you can go online to reserve campsites at Brooks Camp and other destinations in the park.

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By Kurt Repanshek - December 30th, 2013 2:42am

Stories We Particularly Liked From Around the National Park System In 2013

With more than 1,300 stories posted on the Traveler during the past 12 months, there are a few that we particularly liked, either because of the prose, the subject matter, or the particular window on the parks they opened. Here's a look at some of our favorites.

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By Kurt Repanshek - December 30th, 2013 2:35am

National Parks We Explored During 2013

So many parks, so few months in a year. Still, the National Parks Traveler staff and contributors managed to reach a fair number of parks in 2013 and returned home with the following stories.

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By Kurt Repanshek - December 29th, 2013 3:09am

NPS Sends Nearly $1 Million To Threatened Civil War Battlefields

The National Park Service has committed nearly $1 million in grants to help preserve more than 760 acres of land at seven of America’s threatened Civil War battlefields.

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By NPT Staff - December 29th, 2013 2:49am

Christmas Bird Count Coming To Death Valley National Park On Saturday

Christmas is past, but counting birds is not. At Death Valley National Park, the annual Christmas Bird Count is scheduled for this coming Saturday.

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By Kurt Repanshek - December 29th, 2013 2:28am

Nature Could Have A Solution For Emerald Ash Borer Problem In National Parks

Nature might be able to provide a partial solution, at least, to emerald ash borer problems in national parks such as Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains as well as Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It turns out that woodpeckers and nuthatches, which are present in those parks, are developing an appetite for the non-native insects.