You are here

National Parks Traveler Podcast

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 255 | 2023 Park System Year in Review Part 2

We’re closing out the year with a look back at some of the top stories around the National Park System, and involving the National Park Service. We opened this look a week ago with Kristen Brengel from the National Parks Conservation Association and Mike Murray from the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, discussing issues involving the National Park Service and outside impacts affecting the National Park System. 

bootstrap

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 254 | 2023 Park System Year in Review Part 1

The past year has been a trying one for the National Park Service, and for many of the units in the National Park System. For the agency, employee morale continued to be a major issue as housing, pay, and leadership remained sore spots for many who worked for the Service.
On the ground, climate change continued to impact parks, from sea level rise and more potent storms, to wildfires, and hotter and dryer conditions that adversely affected vegetation, wildlife, and facilities.

bootstrap

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 253 | An Underwater Ecological Disaster

Who wouldn’t like to visit a tropical paradise? Virgin Islands National Park in the Caribbean is one such paradise. It resides on the island of St. John, and features beaches sparkling white and lined with palm trees and other tropical vegetation. Those beaches are washed by warm, turquoise waters that provide habitat for sea turtles the size of trunks, colorful fishes like blue tang and parrot fish, and even menacing barracuda. 

bootstrap

Sunday On National Parks Traveler's Podcast: Coral Disaster At Virgin Islands National Park

While Virgin Islands National Park might seem idyllic from above water, beneath the surface of the Caribbean Sea the once vibrant coral reefs rimming the park have been impacted by a bleaching caused by abnormally high ocean temperatures and by a disease that combined could have devastating consequences.

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 249 | Cape Hatteras Shorebirds and Sea Turtles

Throughout history the barrier islands that today are home to Cape Hatteras National Seashore have been attractive to wildlife. A variety of sea turtle species come ashore to lay their nests, and a variety of shorebirds settle there, too, to lay their eggs. 
But the thing with wildlife nesting on the beaches of Cape Hatteras is that one great season can be followed by a poor one. Influencing the outcome can be human disturbances, storms, and predation. 

bootstrap

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 248 | Budgetary Blues

It was just over a month ago when the federal government was staring at the possibility of a shutdown. Well, little seemingly has changed in the ensuing four weeks, other than that the House of Representatives has a new speaker in Mike Johnson from Louisiana, and the full chamber has settled on its budget numbers for fiscal 2024…which started back on October 1.

bootstrap

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 247 | The Search for WPA Park Posters

When a young park ranger was asked by his supervisor to clean out an old barn at Grand Teton National Park in the early 1970s, he discovered a dusty and stained blue, grey, and green poster inviting folks to “Meet the Ranger Naturalist at Jenny Lake Museum". This young ranger, Doug Leen, soon discovered that it was one in a series of posters created by the Works Progress Administration to put artists to work and promote visitation to the national parks during the late 1930s.

bootstrap

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 246 | Extinction is Forever

There are more than 2,000 species currently listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. And while species that gain protection under the act have a great chance to survive, not all do.
Just recently the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that 21 species – birds, fish, mussels, plants, and even a bat – were officially declared extinct. 

bootstrap

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.