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Does Today's Technology Offer A Better Connection, Or A Disconnect, To Enjoying National Parks?

May 9th - 13:02pm | Danny Bernstein

Nothing beats a live NPS ranger giving a live talk outside in the National Park. They are the best most lively talks - professors (and I was one of them) could learn from them. Rangers should be teaching education courses.

May 9th - 12:55pm | Lone Hiker

Planning your trip is one thing, executing it safely and successfully is a completely differrent animal.  If people get even the slightest notion that their techno-prowess is going to save them once "on the trail" and removed from the relative safety of the immediate vicinity of the visitor's center you had better start expanding the number of SAR units across the system.  That's why I'm still

May 9th - 10:59am | Anon

As someone working with the NPS' websites and social media, I still would rather talk to a person at the visitor center then sit in the parking lot watching a podcast. I totally agree wih the earlier statements that the internet is a great resource for research ahead of time. When I reach the park or historic site, talking to a human and seeing a program is a much more personal connection.

May 9th - 10:49am | Bruce

Well said, Lee.

May 9th - 10:41am | AnonymousD

I don't accept the either/or construct but prefer a mix. Pre-trip research is an obvious use, but I'd love to see a few in-park applications. Up-to-the-minute weather updates are crucial for those of us going on lengthy hikes, for example, especially when we use secondary or tertiary trails. And when taking off on a desert hike at 7 a.m.

May 9th - 10:38am | Lonesome Traveler

Gotta say the internet is a tremendous help in planning a trip. Just got a reply to a question about Rocky Mtn Park's Trail Ridge Road conditions; took a virtual tour of the fiery furnace at Arches; checked out HI/LO forecasts at several CO/UT locations; etc. etc. etc.  Also can't say enough good things about the NPS website. Clean-looking, informative, and no popups. 

May 9th - 09:48am | Ryan

"While we don’t have a new federal highway system, we do have the Internet, which may bring us closer together than our father’s Chevy ever

May 9th - 08:45am | Owen Hoffman

I just spent a week away from computers, cell phones, and the internet.  For entertainment, I had views of the Eastern Deciduous Biome covering the Snowbird Mountains and other ranges of North Carolina.  In the mornings, I enjoyed attending guided wildflower walks into the Cherokee National Forest and Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.  In the evenings, I enjoyed reading nature and adventure books i

May 9th - 08:17am | Lee Dalton

If gasoline prices keep climbing, it may soon be that the only way Americans can afford to see their parks is via Internet. Unless, of course, you are a CEO of one of our health insurance companies, or a bank, or an oil company, or . . . . .

May 9th - 08:01am | samsdad1

Embrace technology or be left behind. If we truly leave it like it should be then Old Faithfull would not have a deck built around it. "Leave only footprints" is only the beginning of the NPS motto.

May 9th - 08:00am | Jan

Not everybody has mobile devices, whatever they are called. Not everybody wants cell towers ruining all of those wonderful sights. Sure, it would be cheaper than having a body there, but  the days of "using dad's Chevy" was far superior than modern technology.

May 9th - 06:32am | Lawrence J. Caldwell

Unless the NPS opens a unit in Steve Jobs' garage, keep the technology out of visitor centers.  Keep the experience pure and unadulterated, as if every visitor were the first to ever lay eyes on the landscape before them.  Keep up the great work with the ranger-led experiences.  They are the best.

May 9th - 05:35am | MRC

I'm a fan of the nps.gov website. Not just the obvious "plan your visit" parts but also the photo and multimedia galleries, the digitized background publications, the nature and science section and more. Some parks have "virtual tours" online, that could certainly be expanded into location based information to be accessed with a smartphone or similar device on the spot.

Should a Cesar Chavez Site be Added to the National Park System?

May 9th - 12:59pm | Lone Hiker

In an effort to be succinct, NO.  For that matter any site designated to one person's achievements (good or bad) should  be eliminated from NPS authority.  That's what state parks are for.  Kinda.  But this manner of "honor" has no place in the context of the national park service.

Traveler's View: Rethink National Park Pass Fees

May 9th - 00:59am | y_p_w

Yeah - I understand the idea that perhaps those who are younger might not necessarily have as much means to pay. However - it really does depend on individual circumstances.

May 7th - 12:02pm | Random Walker

Public Lands recreation is not a product.

May 6th - 12:32pm | Rick Smith

Here's a park area, Fort Scott National Historic Site, that rethought its fee structure: For the first time in 24 years, visitors to the Fort Scott National Historic Site will not be charged fees to enter the park.

May 6th - 12:02pm | y_p_w

shaff01: I look for NPS sites near all my travels and knowing I will get in free if I decide I have time to visit increases the chance that I will. Just like any place else with a “yearly” pass, I’m sure the parks make money off every person they get through the gates no matter how they do it once they hit the gift shop or any food vendor.

May 6th - 11:50am | y_p_w

Megaera: But I still feel very strongly that either all parks should charge admission or none should. It's a matter of fairness. The amount isn't the point (and I can see why the large parks should charge more than the small ones), but it should be all or nothing. Period.

May 6th - 09:54am | shaff01

Buying the pass is not a lot different from buying a yearly membership at the local Zoo or Museum. Some years you visit enough to come out ahead and some you don’t but in the end part of the cost is you know you are supporting something you care about and reaching into your pocket for your pass or membership card seems easier than paying a fee.   

May 5th - 22:33pm | Megaera

I buy a pass every year because I live 2 hours drive from Paradise on Mt. Rainier (45 minutes from Carbon River), and 2.5 hours drive from Olympic, as well as shorter distances from several National Wildlife Refuges. 

May 5th - 22:28pm | Megaera

The statistics I gave were the ones I was given by a ranger in the park at the time I was there eleven years ago.  That's what I get for not verifying them, I guess. But my original point still stands.  The most heavily-visited units in the park system need to be contributing.  And they're not.

May 5th - 15:40pm | y_p_w

Blackfeet Dreamer:

May 5th - 13:02pm | Blackfeet Dreamer

Here's a real life example of why it is a flawed system.  My girlfriend and I were planning on visiting at least 11 NPS units this year.  The $80 pass made me do the math; I thought for sure that I would still come out ahead but was just curious.  Because so many units are "no fee" or only $6 or so, it wasn't even close.  As a matter of fact, it was still even less than the old $50 pass.  If it

With A Growing Number of National Park Phone Apps, What Should You Expect?

May 8th - 21:45pm | Jon Sparks

Anybody found some more national parks apps that are good?

National Park Road Trip 2011: Big Bend And Chisos Mountains Lodge

May 8th - 12:46pm | Rick Smith

For those who don't wish to stay in lodges, I recommend the campground in the Chisos Basin.  Kathy and I stayed there a couple nights and thoroghly enjoyed its rustic atmosphere.  The night sky is fabulous and there is easy access to nearby hiking trails.  We saw a family of javelinas while in the campground. Rick 

May 8th - 07:04am | Jim Burnett

My wife and I spent several nights at the Chisos Mountain Lodge in March 2010, and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The room was comfortable and the setting superb. We ate several meals in the dining room and found both the service and the quality of the food to be very good. All in all, a very positive experience.

The Ghosts Of Yellowstone National Park

May 8th - 10:14am | MEH

Ive never been to Yellowstone or OFI but my aunt has and when she back she had a book about Yellowstones ghost stories it's pretty interresting i would reccommend people read it.

Free Shuttle Buses Will Roll Again This Summer At Sequoia National Park

May 8th - 09:11am | George

Hiker shuttles are also used in Europe, where some narrow valleys in the Alps have been closed to private cars.  In the valley of the Clarée, near Briançon, we rode a van that runs up a one-lane road to the trailhead.  It's not in a national park, but it is managed much like one.  Obligatory parking for private cars is at a village farther down the valley, in flatter terrain.

May 8th - 08:50am | Lone Hiker

I find the terms "7:30am" and "early start" to be rather contradictory.  But that's just me.

The Case of the Indian Trader: Billy Malone And the National Park Service Investigation At Hubbell Trading Post

May 7th - 18:22pm | Skeptic...

Don't believe all that you hear from many in leadership when they have a predetermined mission and EI outcome on ANY public comment requests. They know best it would seem.

May 6th - 22:21pm | Anonymous

Readers, Don't believe everything you read.

Traveler's International Readership Expected to Show Dramatic Increases

May 6th - 14:14pm | Steve Nelson

You have to wonder if they understand all the commentary that goes on here.  I don't, and I've been to many of the various units.  Still, it's good for the NPS and this site that foreigners are viewing this site. 

May 5th - 11:51am | Lee Dalton

Kurt, et al, no matter where your readers come from, they'll always find something good to read. Thanks for all your work!  Any day I can't check out Traveler is a day I have to suffer pangs of withdrawl. By the way, what language does Captcha use?  It's Greek to me . . . .

May 5th - 08:01am | Kurt Repanshek

Lawrence, from time to time we do run stories on parks beyond U.S. borders -- last summer I wrote a bit about some Canadian parks, and in the past we ranked some of the top parks in the world -- but with our small staff and very limited resources it's difficult enough to cover the American parks.

May 5th - 05:47am | Lawrence J. Caldwell

I'd like to see an occasional Traveler feature article about national parks in other nations.

Group Urges NPS Director Jarvis To Reject ORV Plan For Big Cypress National Preserve

May 6th - 12:08pm | k.w.

i happen to be one of the "joy riding yahoos" me and several friends of mine take every oppurtunity we can to take my swamp buggy out there and go for a "sunday drive" i have met several people out there on there own swamp buggies and hunters on atv's as well...

May 6th - 03:39am | Jorge

Or perhaps Hugh can refrain from calling others "yahoos"? The sad part of this is most people crying foul over ORV use are doing so from their McMansions built upon what was previously the very swampland they claim to want to preserve. Give me a break!

FAA Rules Might Ground Rocketman's Bid To Fly Over Grand Canyon On A 'Wingsuit'

May 6th - 11:41am | Anonymous

He is not a daredevil, he has flown over the English channel.  The idea of a deposit makes sense.  But look at the other activities the parks service approves, bike races, marathons, etc.

May 5th - 14:52pm | AnonymousD

A $100,000 nonrefundable bond from these daredevil types for each and every such stunt might be a way for NPS to increase revenues. My concern is that too many of these bozos might actually come up with the funds.

May 5th - 12:11pm | Rick B.

I think it's more than that, LH. My question is: "Why do so many Darwin candidates choose the National Parks for their competition?"

May 5th - 05:26am | Lone Hiker

"Swiss daredevil"???  Me thinks not.  A true daredevil would first attempt to traverse an active volcano.  Or transgress North Korean airspace.  Being from Switzerland maybe he should try he homegrown Alps first.  Then maybe K2 or Everest.  Why does every nut in the world come HERE with their glory-seeking ambitions?

Guadalupe Mountains National Park Growing By Nearly 200 Acres Thanks to Nature Conservancy Donation

May 6th - 10:11am | K Norwood

WONDERFUL!!!! One of our VERY favorite places to visit and lucky us---we can travel there and back in 1 day if we want to!!!  So many things and places to see in that 1 park!!! Much exploring to do!!

Updated: Tornado Damage Leads To Closure of Some Hiking Trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

May 5th - 20:21pm | PauletteB

I just got back from the Smokies and was in Gatlinburg during the storms (just horrific thunderstorms there). Rich Mountain Road out of Cades Cove was also closed last Thursday.

Tour Group Gets Up Close -- Too Close! -- To Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park

May 5th - 14:58pm | AnonymousD

How about establishing the fines as equal to the salary of one seasonal ranger, who would then be hired and stationed at the scene of the crime? Then NPS could increase vigilance while punishing the criminal element -- as DD 393 correctly called them -- in one fell swoop.

Updated: Wildfire Kills Four Florida Panther Kittens in Big Cypress National Preserve

May 5th - 11:52am | Andrew Block

Seems to me that they could've gone in and captured the kittens.  Atleast they'd have survived. 

Tranquility and Beauty in Crater Lake National Park

May 5th - 10:33am | Ron

Indescribable Beauty each Crater Lake visitor must experience for themselvesfrom unimaginable volcanism demonstrating that Life on Planet Earthis resilient.  The Crater Lake National Park landscape seen today is theresult of 7,700 years of Change showing that life on Earth is Resilient.

Road Trip 2011: The National Park Lodges

May 5th - 09:46am | Kent

You are obviously living the good life.  Have a great trip. 

Man Arrested For Blowing Up Restroom at Saint Croix National Scenic River

May 5th - 07:35am | Old Zion Ranger

If this had taken place in the southeast, I would have bet that before he lit the fuse he said "...Hey y'all... hold my beer and watch this!"

National Park Mystery Spot 24: A Movie Critter Provides a Clue

May 5th - 05:41am | Bob Janiskee

You got it right too, celbert. Goood job.

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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.