Parks in the News

​ Grand Canyon National Park will eliminate the in-park sale of water packaged in individual disposable containers within 30 days under a plan approved today by National Park Service Intermountain Regional Director John Wessels.

More than 40 years after deciding that they would ban the use of stock animals in the high country of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, park officials have both failed to do so and have been found in violation of The Wilderness Act for failing to assess the environmental impact of the animals.

Tracking down bad guys in the Old West usually required skill in following some literal footprints in the sand, but a case at Capitol Reef National Park with connections to some famous outlaws was recently solved by rangers adept at following a different kind of tracks—those left in cyberspace.

National parks often are the setting for some incredible traffic issues, be they related to "bison jams," lack of parking, or simply high visitation. To help parks find solutions to some of these problems, the National Park Foundation has offered a program that places transportation experts in the parks to brainstorm solutions.

Yellowstone National Park officials, in looking down the road at how the Lake area of the park might evolve, are leaning towards a plan that could allow the reconfiguration of the RV park at Fishing Bridge and which would permit 121,000 square feet of buildings to be built over roughly 3 acres.

Paddlers anxious to dip their blades in water have a new trail to explore in northeastern Washington along the Pend Oreille River thanks in part to the National Park Service.

Old ways of using sod roofing on log cabins hold up only so long, but Grand Teton National Park officials have received a grant to use new techniques to re-sod a number of historic cabins in the park.

A reward fund has been established for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the poaching of two bull elk at Wind Cave National Park.

A computerized system is being turned to with hopes it can reduce both pollution and congestion at Gettysburg National Military Park by more smoothly directing visitors to parking areas.

With hopes of connecting more kids to national parks, the National Park Foundation is underwriting a transportation program to enable classes to take field trips to the National Park System.

A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible for shooting two elk in Wind Cave National Park.

It's been a week since the conclusion of America's Summit on National Parks, but in truth the work is just beginning.

Four million dollars from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund bought at least 385 acres for Richmond National Battlefield Park, a purchase that preserves hallowed ground and is seen as economic development for tourism.

Grand Canyon National Park is now accepting applications for private river trip permits to float the Colorado River through the park during calendar year 2013.

Not quite $1 million is being dispensed for 14 projects around the country that will improve trails and trailheads that tie national historic and scenic trails to national parks and other federal lands.

A $2,000 grant from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to Friends of Smokies is going a long way to help backpackers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park keep their food out of the reach of bears.

Non-native Burmese pythons, which are exploding in number across Everglades National Park, are being blamed for "precipitous declines" in mammals that once were commonly seen in parts of the park, according to a study.

A survey of Westerners shows overwhelming support for conservation of the landscape, with strong pluralities agreeing that "national parks, forests, monuments and wildlife areas, are an essential part" of their state economies.

The National Parks Conservation Association has entered the blogosphere to help you keep track of key issues confronting the National Park System.

Eastern National, a non-profit organization that works to enhance the interpretation of the National Park System, was started by a group of park rangers back in 1947. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that the organization is applauding current Park Service staff who have helped it with interpretation and supporting Eastern National in the parks.

Visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park leave quite a bit behind when they head home after visiting the park. In fact, a study shows that in 2010 the park's 9 million or so visitors spent more than $818 million in gateway communities surrounding the national park.

A new grant appears likely to popularize outdoor education and exercise for families with national franchising of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation's TRACK Trails concept.

Yellowstone National Park officials are proposing to boost lodging space at the Old Faithful Complex by turning 67 cabins that once were eyed for removal into nightly units during the summer season.

For many national parks, their best partners are their neighbors in surrounding communities. With that in mind, the folks at Great Smoky Mountains National Park are working with Friends of the Smokies and the Great Smoky Mountain Association to strengthen connections with leaders in surrounding communities.

Not quite a year after restoration of the Bodie Island Lighthouse at Cape Hatteras National Seashore was halted due to unforeseen problems, nearly $2 million has been obtained to finish the project.

The news last summer from Chiricahua National Monument wasn't encouraging—a major wildfire was burning across much of the park known as the "Wonderland of Rocks." How did the park fare, and what's the situation for visitors today? Here's an update from a recent trip to the area.

The theft of petrified wood is an ongoing problem at Petrified Forest National Park, so it was gratifying to learn that a tip from a visitor resulted in the apprehension of a group of thieves earlier this month. The bust of the group traveling in a converted school bus also netted some other items of considerable interest to authorities.

Can you ever have enough restrooms in a national campground? If your answer is "no," then you'll be happy to hear that three new "comfort stations" are being built at the Watchman Campground in Zion National Park.

A new Web site rounds up remarkable visual resources about the history of the most popular unit of America's National Park System.

A $5,000 "in-kind" grant from the federal Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program will allow for development of a plan to extend the "Red Canyon Trail" to Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.