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21 National Park System Units Nominated For "Marine Protected Area" Status

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on January 15, 2010 - 3:12am
Twenty-one units of the National Park System, including five national seashores and four national lakeshores, have been nominated for status as "Marine Protected Areas."

National Park Mystery Plant 5 Revealed: It’s the Red Baneberry

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on January 7, 2010 - 10:16am
Did you identify the red baneberry as the mystery plant in yesterday’s quiz? Here are some more interesting facts about this widely-distributed plant and its toxic effects.

Reader Participation Survey: Help Us Name the Top 100 National Park Locations to See Before You Die

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 30, 2009 - 4:13am
Earlier this week we touched on the national parks mentioned in the book, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Somehow, Mammoth Cave National Park didn't make the cut, and if you've been there, you know it should have. Help us compile a list of the top 100 national park locations to see before you die. We'll start the list.

"1,000 Places to See Before You Die" Lists Quite a Few National Parks

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 27, 2009 - 4:07am
When "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" was published in 2003, it quickly rose up the New York Times bestseller list. If you've managed to visit a good number of national parks since 2003, more than likely you've made some pretty good inroads on Patricia Schultz' checklist.

Federal Agency Abandons Plans to Install a Communications Tower Atop Cadillac Mountain

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on December 22, 2009 - 11:32am
A Homeland Security agency's proposal to install an 80-foot communications tower on the summit of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park was withdrawn after meeting heavy resistance.

Some Out of the Ordinary National Park Trips To Consider

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 13, 2009 - 3:24am
For most, a national park vacation entails booking a room in a lodge or reserving a spot in a campground, arriving at the park and checking in, and then spending a number of days hiking, paddling, or traveling the park to view various sites, whether they focus on waterfalls, geysers, deep forests, museums, or cultural focal points. Here are some alternatives to that approach, some pricey, some not so.

Rediscovering the Lowly Lichen across the National Park System

Submitted by Kirby Adams on December 10, 2009 - 3:54am
Lichens, which sprout throughout the National Park System, are the Rodney Dangerfield of the natural world. They just don’t get any respect. Lichenologists likewise don’t garner much recognition for their lifetimes spent poking around the crusty grey stuff on tree trunks. Among others, one intrepid man in California is taking steps to remedy both of those deficiencies.

Winter Camping at Acadia National Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 5, 2009 - 3:36am
While most view Acadia National Park as the perfect summer destination, folks have been known to head there in the winter months. With that in mind, the park keeps the Blackwoods Campground open on a limited basis for the hardy who want to experience a different season in Acadia.

National Park Quiz 73: Birds

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on November 11, 2009 - 3:31am
You don’t need to be a hard-core birdwatcher to enjoy this quiz. Answers are at the end. If we catch you peeking, we’ll make you write on the whiteboard 100 times: “The title of Havilah Babcock’s book ‘Jaybirds Go to Hell on Friday’ was inspired by a Negro folk tale.”

Acadia National Park Turning Back the Calendar For Historic Trail Names

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on November 8, 2009 - 3:54am
What's in a name? History, frankly. And that's why crews at Acadia National Park are returning to the past in renaming many trails that crisscross the park.

A Miss is Much Better than a Mile for Hikers Rescued in Two Separate Falls

Submitted by Jim Burnett on October 24, 2009 - 3:27am
Hikers in two widely separated NPS areas were injured in falls during the past week. The incidents led to challenging rescues, but they could have been a lot worse. In both cases, the men escaped what would likely have been a catastrophic plunge by the narrowest of margins.

Historic Fire Tower at Acadia National Park To Open To Public For One Day

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on October 10, 2009 - 3:35am
Fire towers usually are off-limits to the general public, particularly historic ones. But if the weather allows, the Beech Mountain Fire Tower at Acadia National Park will be open Saturday, October 17, for you to climb to the top for a view of the jewel of the Atlantic in all its fall splendor.

Where Can You Find the Best Fall Foliage In the National Park System? Here Are Ten Contenders

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on October 9, 2009 - 3:28am
Where do you go to digitally capture fall colors in the National Park System? The National Park Foundation released a list of the Top 10 parks for fall color the other day, and there are some old stalwarts, and some upstarts as well!

Acadia National Park Reopens East Face Trail After Three Years of Repairs

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on October 8, 2009 - 11:04am
It took three years, but crews at Acadia National Park finally have completed repairs to earthquake damage on the East Face Trail.

National Park Quiz 70: Bad

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on September 30, 2009 - 2:30am
This quiz will find out how much you know about bad people, bad happenings, bad decisions, and other bad stuff in the national parks. Answers are at the end. Peeking may produce bad results.

The "Guide's Guide to Acadia National Park" is the Insider's Handbook for the Area

Submitted by Jim Burnett on September 25, 2009 - 5:15am
Have you ever marveled at the impressive amount of information about a park that's dispensed by tour guides and similar people in the travel industry? Acquiring all that knowledge is a big job, but Acadia National Park has made it easier by compiling a wealth of information on a single website. You're welcome to use it, too.

Reader Participation Day: Are You An East Coast, West Coast, or Gulf Coast National Seashore Person?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on September 16, 2009 - 4:43am
Quick, pick an ocean setting for next summer's national park vacation. Are you heading to the Northeast, the Northwest, or looking South or somewhere else for your destination?

Traveler's Checklist: Acadia National Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on September 14, 2009 - 5:22am
Summer's crowds, heat, and bugs have passed, making Acadia National Park a particularly attractive fall destination. The park's hardwood forests are beginning to show their true colors, while the hiking trails are carrying fewer feet, the Carriage Roads fewer cyclists. And those mouth-watering, jam-carrying popovers are still be served at the Jordan Pond House.

Audubon Touts Birding in a Dozen National Parks

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on September 2, 2009 - 2:59am
The September-October 2009 issue of Audubon magazine has a Kenn Kaufman article that provides helpful information about birding in twelve national parks.

Acadia National Park Superintendent: "The way you could make this park the safest would be to allow no one to use it."

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on August 24, 2009 - 3:08pm
Despite precautions that ranged from staging search-and-rescue equipment and personnel along the storm-beaten coastline to erecting barriers to keep visitors away from the angry Atlantic Ocean, Acadia National Park officials were trumped by nature when a monstrous wave swept a 7-year-old New York City girl to her death and injured her parents.

Updated: 7-Year-old Dies At Acadia National Park As Hurricane Bill's Waves Wash Three Into Atlantic, Injure 13

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on August 23, 2009 - 3:51pm
A 7-year-old swept into the Atlantic Ocean at Acadia National Park on Sunday by Hurricane Bill's waves was pronounced dead after being pulled from the cold waters, while 13 others also hit by the massive wave were injured with a variety of broken bones and bruises.

Climate Change and National Parks: A Survival Guide for a Warming World -- Red Knot and Other Northeastern Migratory Birds

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on August 21, 2009 - 2:50am
Each spring, certain areas in Acadia National Park in Maine are closed to visitors as peregrine falcons return to their ancestral nesting sites on seaside cliffs. With great anticipation, park visitors gather below the cliffs with binoculars, spotting scopes, and zoom lenses to watch the peregrines — — a species that in the mid-1960s was on the brink of extinction.

Acadia National Park In the Round

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on August 18, 2009 - 2:35am
David Restivo, who normally is based in Glacier National Park, took his cameras and headed east to Acadia National Park.

If You Enjoy Watching Birds of Prey, Don't Miss Acadia National Park's HawkWatch

Submitted by Jim Burnett on August 17, 2009 - 3:10am
Whether you're a serious birder or just have a casual interest in watching birds of prey, the annual HawkWatch at Acadia National Park offers a prime opportunity. The event begins on August 19 and runs through mid-October.

Peregrine Falcons Successfully Raise Six Chicks at Acadia National Park

Submitted by Jim Burnett on July 30, 2009 - 2:13am
Peregrine falcons at Acadia National Park have successfully raised six fledglings this spring, and now that the young birds have begun flying from the nest, a park trail that was closed to protect the nest and chicks has reopened.

American Recovery Act Putting Your Tax Dollars To Work in National Parks

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on July 29, 2009 - 3:30am
True, when you consider that the maintenance backlog across the National Park System is some $8 billion or so, the $750 million-$920 million being spent in the parks courtesy of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act isn't that significant. Still, some good work is being done with the money.

Night Sky Viewing Programs at Acadia National Park

Submitted by Jim Burnett on July 12, 2009 - 3:30am
In honor of the International Year of Astronomy, Acadia National Park will host two special series of night sky programs during the remainder of the summer. They're part of an impressive lineup of interpretive activities at Acadia this year.

Park Shuttle Bus Systems are Growing in Popularity Around the Country.

Submitted by Jim Burnett on July 3, 2009 - 2:29am
Shuttle bus systems are growing in popularity as one way to reduce the impacts of private vehicles on parks—and on the experience of visitors. Here's a look at some of those systems at NPS sites around the country.

Accessible National Parks, Airline Division

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on April 30, 2009 - 4:30am
Units of the National Park System are really closer than you think. Some are quite literally in your backyard. Today we're pointing out those that are within an hour's drive of an airport with commercial service.

National Parks: Valuable Assets In Efforts To Conserve Birdlife

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on April 12, 2009 - 2:40am
Peregrine Falcons, once teetering on extinction, are regulars at Acadia National Park. Bald Eagles, also once feared to be ready to blink out, have rebounded incredibly and are highly visible in many national parks. During a week-long canoe trip in Yellowstone National Park last fall I was blown away by the birdlife. But how is the overall "state of birds" in America these days? Unfortunately, things aren't entirely as they appear.