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Essential Park Guide, Winter '14: Your Guide To Exploring The Parks This Winter

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Winter Doesn’t Have To Be An Off-Season

When it comes to construction skills, male Anhingas are slackers. Oh, they’re good at pulling together nesting materials, but that’s about it. Instead of turning the sticks, twigs, and leafy greenery they collect into a nest for their mates, they stash the materials in trees and let the females build the actual nest.

You might not see this behavior when you visit Everglades National Park or Big Cypress National Preserve next door, but walk down the Anhinga Trail in Everglades and you’ll no doubt pick up on some other behaviors specific to the species. For starters, you’ll likely see some of these odd birds roosting in trees with their wings spread wide apart.This is how they dry off after swimming underwater – yes, underwater – in search of a meal. And once they spy a fish, they don’t grab it in the traditional way with their sharp, pointed bills. They spear it.

Winter is the best season to look for Anhingas, and other wildlife, in Everglades. But it’s also a great season to head to Point Reyes National Seashore in California to watch for the arrival of thousands of elephant seals for their breeding season, or to the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River in New York and Pennsylvania to scan the skies for bald eagles. The fact is, the winter months are a great time to find yourself in the National Park System, whether you’re in search of wildlife, a great hike, or to seek out some solitude.

In our winter guide to the parks, we offer articles that can help you choose your destination. There are road trips that will not only keep you free of snow and ice but also take you back in history.

And while many national park lodges close in winter, there are many other lodgings where you can call it a night, as we note on page 12. You can begin planning next year’s vacation by turning to page 28 to read about international park travel, to page 10 to consider renting a home inside Yosemite National Park for your getaway, or begin making plans for a trip this winter by scanning our list of both warm and sandy and cold and snowy destinations. The point is, there is no down season in the National Park System.

 
National Parks Traveler Essential Park Guide, Winter '14

By Kurt Repanshek in National Park Advocates, LLC

32 pages, published 11/1/2014

National Parks Traveler Essential Guide, Winter '14, outlines how to enjoy the national parks in winter, whether you prefer snow and cold or sand and warmth.
 

Comments

The snow is flying in Acadia National Park today already, so perfect timing to read the article about cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in Acadia, in the Essential Park Guide, Winter '14.

It's on the bucket list, and we'll be sure to blog about cross-country skiing along the groomed carriage roads of Acadia at www.acadiaonmymind.com.

We've cross-country skiied Yosemite before, and it was nice to be reminded of that trip with the article about Yosemite in winter.

Let the snow fly!

 

UPDATE 1/16/15: Winter conditions are excellent right now with freshly groomed cross-country ski trails. Bookmark this for your trip to Acadia in winter, with links to activities, year-round lodging, outfitters and live Webcams to check snow conditions: www.acadiaonmymind.com/2015/01/winter-secret-wonderland-acadia-national-...

 


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The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.