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Parks in the News

Dry Conditions Lead To Backcountry Fire Ban, Water Shortages In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced a temporary ban on campfires in the park’s backcountry effective immediately. Due to extremely dry weather conditions and the amount of fresh leaf litter on the ground, the potential for escaped fires to occur in the backcountry has dramatically increased. The fire restriction will be in effect until further notice.

Homestead National Monument Of America Speaker To Discuss Harvesting Foods And Medicines In The Dakota Tradition

In honor of National American Indian Heritage Month, Homestead National Monument of America will be hosting Jerome Kills Small on Sunday, November 13, at Homestead’s Education Center. Kills Small will give a presentation describing medicinal plants and foods that can be found growing on the Great Plains, in the Missouri River valley, and in the Rocky Mountains.

Report From Zion Visitor Use Management Plan Public Meeting

The evening of October 28 I spent a couple of hours in Salt Lake City attending a public meeting regarding Zion National Park’s Visitor Use Management Plan, or VUM. It was the first time I’ve been part of something like this. It was intensely interesting, a really educational experience, and a good look at the careful process that park managers must navigate as they try to manage our national parks for us.

Woods Hole Researchers Studying Hydrothermal Vents On The Floor Of Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake, on its surface, is an immense body of deep, cold water that could be fatal in a matter of minutes to anyone who fell into it. But deep down, on the lakebed, hundreds of hydrothermal vents are furnace-like, generating water temperatures of more than 300 degrees in some parts of the lake. Beyond the astonishing temperatures, though, researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution hope their studies help them answer how "environmental processes and climate affect continental hydrothermal systems."

False Reports Threaten Visitor Safety At Death Valley National Park

In a national park of more than 3 million acres, with just two ambulances and but a handful of trained emergency medical technicians, false 911 calls can pose a serious threat to visitors. Yet this past week the staff at Death Valley National Park had to deal with two false reports while responding to two motorcycle accidents.

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.