Home › Browse Through the Traveler Content ›

Browse Through the Traveler Content

Rebuilding After Sandy: Moving The National Park Service Forward With An Eye On Climate Change

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 10, 2013 - 2:51am
If ever there was an exclamation point to a report warning of the consequences of climate change, Hurricane Sandy was it. As the storm swept up the Eastern Seaboard last fall it cut national seashores in two, inundated mainland parks that lie at sea level, downed untold scores of trees, and in its aftermath left the National Park Service with a glowing opportunity to put its parks back together with similarly potent storms in mind.

Rebuilding After Sandy: Putting Gateway National Recreation Area Back Together Again

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 7, 2013 - 2:11am
Photographic slides paper-clipped to strings to dry out. Officer's Row at Fort Hancock propped up with two-by-fours. Multi-use paths ripped out in places and buried in sand elsewhwere. That was part of the aftermath from Hurricane Sandy at Gateway National Recreation Area.

Rebuilding After Sandy: How Assateague Island National Seashore Officials Are Dealing With Climate Change

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 5, 2013 - 2:16am
While Hurricane Sandy brought torrential rains and heavy surf to Assateague Island National Seashore, the park greatly avoided staggering damage thanks to its relative lack of infrastructure when compared to Gateway National Recreation Area farther up the Eastern Seaboard.

Horses On Assateague Island National Seashore Weathered Sandy Just Dandy

Submitted by NPT Staff on October 31, 2012 - 1:27pm
While Hurricane Sandy tossed numerous impacts at Assateague Island National Seashore, the seashore's ponies weathered the storm just fine, according to park officials.

Updated: "Superstorm Sandy" Brings Heavy Snows, Flooding, And Towering Waves To National Park System

Submitted by NPT Staff on October 30, 2012 - 7:21am
Sunrise today showed deep, heavy snow in national parks in the Appalachians, flooding along coastal and barrier island parks, and waves towering more than two stories along some lakeshores farther inland.

Updated: As Hurricane Sandy Nears Land, National Park Service Closing Parks And Offices

Submitted by NPT Staff on October 29, 2012 - 7:39am
Hurricane Sandy's approach has prompted the closure of a number of National Park System units, including Shenandoah National Park and parks in the Washington, D.C., area.

Report Warns Of Climate Change Impacts To National Seashores Along Eastern Seaboard

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on August 30, 2012 - 1:37am
Seven national seashores dotting the Eastern Seaboard stand to suffer significant storm damage, loss of acreage to sea level rise, and hotter summer temperatures if climate change isn't blunted, according to the latest in a series of reports describing how the National Park System stands to be impacted by the phenomenon.

Off-Beat And Unexpected—Assateague Island National Seashore

Submitted by Brenda Boitson on August 26, 2012 - 1:57am
Most points along the Atlantic shorelines of the United States are polluted by the lights of crowded cities when the sun goes down. When sitting beneath the stars on the fine sands of Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland, you can become distracted by the gleam of lights from Ocean City to the North. But if you peak above, the sky is a pure midnight black with the constellations brightly shining.

Piping Plovers Spur Closures At Assateague Island National Seashore

Submitted by NPT Staff on June 18, 2012 - 1:22am
The arrival of Piping Plovers at Assateague Island National Seashore along the coasts of Maryland and Virginia has prompted a temporary closure to give the birds time to nest.

Hunter Convicted Of Shooting Wild Horse On Assateague Island National Seashore

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 20, 2012 - 2:21am
A Maryland man has been handed $5,000 in fines and restitution costs, placed on 18 months probation, and banned from hunting on federal lands for shooting a mare on Assateague Island National Seashore.

Millions Of Dollars Heading To National Parks For Road, Multiple-Use Trail Improvements

Submitted by NPT Staff on January 24, 2012 - 2:43am
Millions of dollars are flowing to the National Park System for work on aging roads and multiple-use trails in need of some TLC, and transportation systems thanks to the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in the Parks program overseen by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Birding in the National Parks

Submitted by NPT Staff on December 27, 2011 - 2:06am
This past year we started a bimonthly column on birding in the national parks, which is a great way to enjoy the parks while learning more about the hundreds of species that flit about the National Park System. Here's a look back at those columns.

Birding in the National Parks: Northern Saw-Whet Owls At Assateague Island National Seashore

Submitted by Kirby Adams on November 15, 2011 - 2:55am
“I’ll need some time off in November to go to Assateague to band owls.” That remains one of the best excuses for some time off I’ve ever heard, and of course it was legitimate. Who would be creative enough to make up that?

Updated: Cape Lookout National Seashore Heavily Damaged By Hurricane Irene, Other Units Have Varying Degrees Of Damage

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on August 31, 2011 - 8:42am
Cape Lookout National Seashore, the spot where Hurricane Irene came ashore in the United States last Saturday, was heavily damaged by the storm, according to latest reports. Other National Park System units along the East Coast received varying amounts of damage, but most are open for visitors.

East Coast National Park Units Bracing For Hurricane Irene

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on August 25, 2011 - 7:02am
As Hurricane Irene continues plodding towards the Eastern Seaboard, units of the National Park System up and down the coast are preparing for the storm.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore Preparing To Hurricane Irene

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on August 24, 2011 - 3:22pm
With Hurricane Irene taking aim on North Carolina, officials at Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Cape Lookout National Seashore were shuttering campgrounds and facilities, closing beaches, and directing visitors to leave the area.

National Park Quiz 92: Seconds

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on March 2, 2011 - 3:59am
You can't take this quiz in just a few seconds, but if you invest a few minutes you'll find out if you know as much about seconds as you do about firsts.

Wild Horse Shot and Killed During Two-Day Deer Hunt At Assateague Island National Seashore

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on January 20, 2011 - 8:51am
One of the wild horses that roam Assateague Island National Seashore was shot and killed during last weekend's two-day deer hunt, according to seashore officials.

More National Parks Brace for Hurricane Earl

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on September 3, 2010 - 7:16am
As Hurricane Earl assails the Outer Banks parks, producing damaging winds, rough surf, overwash, and beach erosion, Cape Cod National Seashore and other coastal parks in the Middle Atlantic and New England regions get ready for the powerful storm's arrival.

Virgin Islands National Park Battened Down For Hurricane Earl

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on August 30, 2010 - 9:52am
Hurricane Earl with its 120 mile-per-hour winds on Monday was ripping through the Caribbean, where a hurricane warning was posted for Virgin Islands National Park on the island of St. John.

Creature Feature: A Lightning Whelk Knows What to Do With a Clam

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on June 18, 2010 - 4:36am
The lightning whelk, a sea snail with a lovely southpaw shell, is very proficient at finding, opening, and eating clams.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore Dispute Places Birds, Turtles, and Humans on Small Strip of Sand

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on May 18, 2010 - 1:53am
A diminutive shorebird and a string of villages both dependent on the same necklace of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina are being pinched in a precarious setting that demonstrates the folly of trying to control nature.

Obama Administration Indefinitely Postpones Scoping of Off-shore Oil Lease Proposal for Coastal Virginia

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on May 6, 2010 - 5:07pm
Obama administration officials are indefinitely postponing public scoping on an off-shore oil and gas lease proposal for an area of coastal Virginia, a move that drew quick applause in some circles.

Upcoming Programs At Assateague Island National Seashore

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on April 29, 2010 - 1:51am
There are some great, kid-friendly programs on tap in the coming weeks at Assateague Island National Seashore. You can join a walk through the wetlands or watch the critters get fed at the park's aquarium.

Reader Participation Day Bonus Survey: What Do You Think Of The President's Off-Shore Drilling Plan?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on April 1, 2010 - 1:36am
President Obama's announcement that he will pursue off-shore drilling along much of the Eastern Seaboard spurred this week's "bonus" Reader Participation Survey.

Cape Cod National Seashore Plan to Protect Piping Plovers By Killing Some Crows Not Welcomed by All

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on February 24, 2010 - 4:46am
In the world of bird hierarchy, crows are considered one of the most intelligent birds out there. And it's this intelligence that has Cape Cod National Seashore officials considering a plan to kill some of the smartest crows on the cape with hopes of bolstering populations of piping plovers, a diminutive bird that, while perhaps not as brainy as crows, could face extinction if its numbers don't increase.

Reader Participation Day: Which is Your Favorite National Seashore?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on January 27, 2010 - 3:35am
Which is your favorite national seashore, and why? Seems like a pretty straightforward question, no?

Assateague Island National Seashore Looking for Your Input as it Crafts General Management Plan

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 28, 2009 - 11:14am
Assateague Island National Seashore embraces "one of the largest and last surviving Mid-Atlantic barrier islands possessing a continuum of intact coastal habitats where the full range of natural processes occur with little or no human interference." How should the National Park Service continue to manage that property?

Storm Damage Update for Gulf Islands and Assateague Island National Seashores

Submitted by Jim Burnett on November 20, 2009 - 8:28am
The coastal storm dubbed Ida may have been a late bloomer, but the November storm left a mess at several parks from the Gulf Coast to the mid-Atlantic. Here's an update on the status of two parks: Gulf Islands National Seashore and Assateague Island National Seashore.

Ida Gives Many Atlantic Coast National Parks a Severe Beating

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on November 12, 2009 - 11:21am
The remains of Tropical Storm Ida have inflicted some of the heaviest damage that Atlantic Coast beaches have seen in quite a few years. NPS units in the impacted area will have a major cleanup & fix up job on their hands.