Mount Rainier National Park's 93-year-old Fryingpan Creek Bridge, which was built with a 75-year-old life in mind, will be replaced beginning in 2026 if the National Park Service can find funding to pay for the work.
Nowadays, a visit to a unit of the National Park System requires at least a minimal amount of planning and preparation. Whether you fly, drive, cruise, or ride the rails, planning your park travel ensures a much more enjoyable stay. Contributing photographer and writer Rebecca Latson shares her own planning and preparation routine for a safe and enjoyable park visit.
In keeping with a tradition started several years ago, this first photo column of the new year is a collection of Traveler contributing photographer Rebecca Latson’s 10 favorite images captured during 2023, including why she liked the composition and how she got the shot.
Mount Rainier National Park is the most recent unit of the National Park System to announce that you’ll need a reservation to enter the most popular areas of the park during the busy summer months. At the same time, Shenandoah National Park has announced that a pilot program it’s been running for two years for access to Old Rag will be permanent going forward.
If you're planning to visit Mount Rainier National Park in Washington this summer, you'll likely need a reservation to enter the park through the Nisqually, Stevens Canyon or Sunrise/White River entrance stations during peak hours.
Contributing photographer and writer Rebecca Latson has spent the past 11 years with the National Parks Traveler, writing about tips and techniques for getting the best national park photos – no matter what camera you use. In her final article for the Traveler before it goes dark on December 31, 2023, Rebecca recaps some of those tips and techniques.