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: 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.

Essential Friends + Gateways: The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Long On Road, Innovation, And Impact

Innovations the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is introducing on America’s most scenic road are finding their way all over the nation.

Secret Sleeps, Tips For Snagging A National Park Campsite This Summer

There is nothing as traditional as camping out in the national parks for summer vacation. Reserving a campsite on www.recreation.gov can lock in a site long before you hit the road, but sometimes you just don’t get around to doing that. So what to do?

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