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Browse Through the Traveler Content

Best Solitude in the National Park System? Here Are Traveler's Choices

Submitted by Chance Finegan on April 27, 2009 - 2:18am
Solitude. Who doesn’t treasure some from time to time? And some of the greatest draws of national parks is their peacefulness and the ability for you to pass through an entrance gate and escape the pressures of day-to-day life. Where can you find some of the best solitude in the National Park System? Read on for some of the Traveler’s top picks for solitude.

Bears with a Foot Fetish? Big Bend National Park Offers New Bear Safety Advice

Submitted by Jim Burnett on February 18, 2009 - 4:27am
Officials in Big Bend National Park have issued some slightly unusual guidelines for backcountry campers in parts of the Texas park: "Leave shoes outside tents or in bear boxes if camping in High Chisos backcountry sites." Recent experience suggests this is good advice.

Friends of Big Bend Land Grant to Help Fund New Orientation Film

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on January 15, 2009 - 4:31am
Every little bit helps, particularly in these challenging times. Just ask the folks at Friends of Big Bend, who just received an $8,000 grant to help pay for a new orientation film for Big Bend National Park.

Nevada Barr’s Latest Anna Pigeon Book is Set for April Release

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on December 25, 2008 - 4:00am
There’s good news for Nevada Barr fans. The best selling author has sent another manuscript off to the printer. “Borderline,” the 15th novel starring super ranger Anna Pigeon, is due out in April. This one’s set in Big Bend National Park, and Nevada’s sister Molly says it’s a dandy.

Don't Overlook Park Advocates and Friends Groups When You Make Your Charitable Donations

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 11, 2008 - 4:25am
Programs to lure youngsters into the parks. "Healthy Kids/Healthy Parks." Research to gauge the impact of visitation on park natural resources. Restoration work. These are just some of the projects that your taxable donations allowed to occur across the National Park System in 2008.

Interior Officials Planning To Make It Easier for Mountain Bikers to Gain Backcountry Access in Parks

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on October 14, 2008 - 3:26pm
Three years after the International Mountain Bicycling Association said it simply wanted mountain bike access to dirt roads in national parks, Interior Department officials are said to be working to make it easier for the bikers to gain access to backcountry trails.

Floods Washing Across Big Bend National Park

Submitted by Jim Burnett on September 22, 2008 - 10:45am
Images of volunteers filling sandbags in a race against rising waters have unfortunately become commonplace this year, in locations from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast. You don't normally expect to see such scenes in the desert Southwest, but they were repeated last week in Big Bend National Park.

Greening the National Parks: Environmental Achievement Awards Highlight Sustainable Design, Energy-Efficiency, and Recycling

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on September 14, 2008 - 3:00am
To encourage eco-friendly operations, the National Park Service presents Environmental Achievement Awards each year to parks and concession companies that have excelled in incorporating high environmental standards into their operations. The 2007 awards were presented to Blue Ridge Parkway, Yosemite National Park, Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts, and Xanterra Parks & Resorts.

Big Bend National Park: Is It Ready For A Mountain Bike Trail?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on September 3, 2008 - 1:57pm
Officials at Big Bend National Park in Texas want to know what you think of a plan to develop a multi-use trail backcountry trail, one whose primary mission would be to accommodate mountain bikers.

Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Big Bend National Parks Benefit From Donations

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on July 29, 2008 - 1:41pm
In the last week, more than $3 million in donations and grants have been announced to help Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, and Big Bend national parks with a wide range of projects, from habitat restoration to trails work.

Bodies of Three Mexican Nationals Found in Big Bend National Park

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on June 19, 2008 - 5:00am
Rangers at Big Bend National Park have recovered the bodies of three Mexican nationals who illegally entered the United States and tried to make their way across the park’s desert terrain in searing summer heat. Officials suspect there may have been other fatalities.

National Park History: Big Bend National Park

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on June 12, 2008 - 4:17am
Big Bend National Park celebrated its 64th birthday June 12. More than just a marvel of biodiversity, this remote and scenic park offers a wide range of recreational choices. To get the most from your visit you’ll need to do some homework, time your visit wisely, make some prior arrangements, and be prepared for changing conditions.

Creature Feature: Texas Banded Gecko

Submitted by Chance Finegan on June 9, 2008 - 3:39am
Big Bend National Park is remote and dry – not exactly a place that most people think of right away when they plan a vacation. But the desert is full of interesting things, some of them so small that they might escape notice. Take, for example, the ghostly Texas banded gecko.

The Insanity Behind the Christmas Mountains Sale

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on January 28, 2008 - 4:06pm
The debate over whether the National Park Service should be allowed to buy the Christmas Mountains for an addition to Big Bend National Park should not be dominated by the personality and rigid mindset of pro-gun Texas land Commissioner Jerry Patterson. So says the Dallas Morning News.

Mountain Bike Association Considering Bid To Alter Park Service's Rulemaking Policies

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 13, 2007 - 3:30am
The International Mountain Bicycling Association quietly is exploring a bid to change National Park Service rule-making policies with hopes of cutting through the bureaucracy to open up more park terrain to cyclists.

Park Service Now Interested in Adding Christmas Mountains to Big Bend National Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on October 13, 2007 - 10:24am
Better late than never? Well, it might be too late for the National Park Service, which has reversed itself on showing interest in adding more than 9,000 acres of land owned by the state of Texas to Big Bend National Park.

Centennial Projects: Mountain Biking in Big Bend National Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on September 17, 2007 - 3:11am
Among the 201 projects "certified" to meet the criteria for celebrating the National Park Service's centennial in 2016 is one to establish a dual-use, hiking and mountain biking trail in Big Bend National Park in Texas. What seems odd, though, is that this project made the list at a time when the Park Service is in the middle of a five-year study examining mountain bike use in the park system.