Commentary, news, and life in America's National Parks.

Photos of the Week

04/20/2013 | Waiting For Summer At Glacier National Park | Rebecca Latson
Horseshoe Canyon sunrise, Canyonlands NP, copyright Kurt Repanshek
04/02/2013 | Morning's Coming To Horseshoe Canyon | Kurt Repanshek
03/26/2013 | Cloud-Laced Mountains In Glacier Bay | Kurt Repanshek
03/14/2013 | Comet PannSTARRS Above The Blue Ridge Parkway | Tim Barnwell
03/13/2013 | On The Edge Of The Wilderness | J. Craig Thorpe
Everglades National Park, copyright Jesse Fields
02/22/2013 | On The Road In Everglades... | Jesse Fields

Features

Essential Friends + Gateways: Let The Grand Canyon Association Introduce You To Grand Canyon National Park

First-timers to the Grand Canyon can quickly be overwhelmed, and not just by the depth and breadth of this world famous canyon. Where do you begin to explore this wondrous landscape? While the National Park Service provides a good foundation of interpretive materials, it lacks the staff and resources to develop the robust array of materials that the Grand Canyon Association does.

Exploring The Parks: Cape Lookout National Seashore's Historic District

Summer is a perfect time to explore Cape Lookout National Seashore. A visit to the Cape Lookout Village Historic District rewards you with fascinating structures from a bygone era. Located only two miles from the cape's lighthouse, village visitors are almost guaranteed solitude.

Essential Friends + Gateways: Merging Two Great Groups To Benefit Glacier National Park

This year’s merger of the Glacier National Park Fund and the Glacier Association produced a stronger organization working on behalf of Glacier National Park.

From Visitor To Advocate: A Student’s Journey Through National Parks

How can you interest today's youth in national parks and the outdoors? Have them join the Student Conservation Association and take their park experiences a few steps beyond summer vacation trips.

Essential Friends + Gateways: The Boone Area High Country, An NC Parkway Gateway

The scenery and attractions of the lofty Blue Ridge Mountain bastion called the High Country are a pinnacle of the Blue Ridge Parkway experience.

Puzzles, Mysteries, and Reviews

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

  • Dirt Work: An Education In The Woods

    In Dirt Work: An Education in the Woods, Christine Byl recalls long days of working on trails in Glacier and Denali national parks. She clears brush, digging ditches, building bridges, cleaning up after forest fires, and blasting snow. An inside look on what it takes to make trails accessible to hikers.

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

Friday, April 26th, 2013

Wednesday, April 10th, 2013

  • Wilderness Wisdom

    "Anyone who tells you portaging is fun is either a liar, or crazy, or maybe both." That's hard wisdom from the late Bill Mason, a legendary canoe paddler, naturalist, and author, to dispute. It's just one of the gems to be found in the second edition of Wilderness Wisdom, a pocket-sized book of inspiring quotations well-suited for the outdoors.

Monday, April 1st, 2013