| Page 1186 | National Parks Traveler

I'm in total agreement with making Dinosaur a National Park. My daughter and son-in-law worked there for around three years and we made a couple of trips out there, and it is an awesome place. From the rivers to the mini-grand canyon area on the Colorado side, and then the dinosaur bones themselves....it is beautiful, and so unexpected in such a remote location.

Oct 12th - 14:07pm | Jerry Freudenburg

While I think all these places deserve to be national parks, I however seen a major downside to making them national parks as well.

Oct 12th - 11:30am | Ron Tipton

It has been our consistent position at NPCA that we will support existing Monuments being re-designated and "upgraded" to Nationla Parks if sufficient land is added to the current boundaries to meet the diversity of resources and attractions test that is set forth by the Park Service in the National Parks Index.

Oct 12th - 11:23am | Lawrence J Caldwell

The tea color is mostly tannic acid, a byproduct of the dense concentration of vegetation decay unique to the area. Interestingly, at this time of year through the winter, the water color actually diminishes to near crystal clear. The iron smell is unmistakable in the bogs, swamps, and rivers. But my favorite smell of all is the cedar.

Oct 12th - 07:48am | Adam

Lawrence - Well said. Your post conjured up memories of canoe trips in the pine barrens with the iron-oxide tinted water that the vegetation has given a sweet iced-tea smell and taste (not that one should drink it...).

Oct 12th - 06:18am | Lawrence J Caldwell

I still vote for New Jersey's one-million acre Pinelands National Preserve. For the first time in my life I was able to witness the cranberry harvest this past weekend. I wish I could attach photos so all could catch a glimpse of this crimson delight. Happy Thanksgiving!

Oct 12th - 06:01am | DStaniforth

I visited Cedar Breaks National Monument in October 2008 and was amazed by it. It was the first stop on a road trip that took me to 16 "true" national parks in the southwest. There was snow on the ground and I spoke to an extremely friendly ranger who gave me a lot of information while she processed my credit card for one of the year passes.

DNA Tests Indicate Yellowstone National Park Elk, Not Bison, Most Likely To Spread Brucellosis

Oct 12th - 13:08pm | Lee Rademaker

I may be wrong, but when it comes to sample size in a test of this nature (looking at genetic variation) you don't need a large sample. In fact, DNA evidence that is submitted in court often compares only two samples (one from the evidence collected and one from the suspect).

Oct 12th - 11:19am | Bogator

I still say, dump the cattle and raise bison. The meat is tasty and better for you. After all the bison is America's cattle. The bison is well adapted to the environment of the American plains. We really do not need European cattle.

Oct 12th - 10:58am | Anonymous

Damn! What a sample size to conclude that elk, not bison, are the source of infection for cattle. You can also read about more trials that were done, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, and even fifty years ago that say the same thing as the trials that they conduct each year. Just goes to show how the dollars are being spent.

Oct 12th - 09:50am | Anonymous

Kind of distills the issue of livestock versus wildlife. The notion that ranching and healthy native ecosystems can comfortably coexist comes into question over this issue. So, which do you prefer to dominate the Greater Yellowstone?

Oct 12th - 07:25am | C.C.

I can't believe the comment from the state veterinarian for the Montana Dept. of Livestock. The debate over bison hazing stems from the Buffalo Field Campaign? REALLY? The Dept. of Livestock would like no one to be aware of the abuse of the bison!! I say, THANK YOU, to the Buffalo Field Campaign for their endless work to protect these animals. One day the hazing will stop!

Oct 12th - 07:12am | Anonymous

Every state in the nation has brucellosis-free status for cattle.

Reader Participation Day: Can We Afford to Save All Historic Lodges in National Parks?

Oct 12th - 12:37pm | y_p_w

Gary Shive:

Oct 12th - 11:34am | Gary Shive

"Do we desecrate the memorial and the watery graves of those heroes by razing the Arizona to prevent such a disaster?" Absolutely not! Some of the best minds in America can clearly find a method for removing the oil from a mere 30ft of water, especially if they can top off an oil well at 30,000 feet.

What's in the Water? Scientist Honored for Work at Crater Lake National Park

Oct 12th - 12:29pm | Anonymous

My early memory of visiting old Crater Lake Lodge and the Garfield Peak Trail during the 1961-64 period is marked by the horrible odor/stench of the Lodge's overflowing septic system below the beginning portion of the Garfield Pk. Trail. No one has any estimate how many thousands of gallons of Lodge septic sewerage

Oct 11th - 17:05pm | Jim Burnett

Ron - Thanks for the correction about the Mazamas grant and journal. Sorry about the error; I've made a correction in the article.

Oct 11th - 15:31pm | pkrnger

The suggestion by Larson and Geiger that phytoplankton may be responding to nutirent input from sewage seepage from Rim Village might not have become such a politically hot topic had it not been for the fact that the park had just been closed to the public by the CDC during the summer of 1975, due to sewage contamination of the park's drinking water supply.

Oct 9th - 14:23pm | Rob Mutch

Nice write-up Jim. Just one thing - The $518 grant was from the Mazamas (not from our group, the Crater Lake Institute (CLI)), a mountain climbing club based out of Portland, OR, and the article was published in their journal. William Steel, the father of Crater Lake NP, was a founding member of the Mazamas and this group had a strong impact on the park's early history.

National Park Hospitality Association Wants More Lodging In The Parks

Oct 12th - 11:30am | y_p_w

Lynn:

Oct 12th - 11:25am | y_p_w

Adam: The problem is that concessioners who lease out lodges or campgrounds inflate prices. Remember when campsites were only 5 or 10 dollars max? and now, In Quinault where I live, campground fees can be as much as 25 dollars for a campsite. Concessioners are thieves, always were and will always be.

Oct 12th - 10:12am | Lynn

TO: y_p_w

Oct 11th - 21:03pm | Adam

This is the same boohoo is me rhetoric that concessioners have been saying since the parks were founded. That without the ability of their company to make money, then visitation will be low. But the fact is that those lodges have never catered to the majority of the visiting public, what average citizen can afford 200-300 dollar night stays?

Oct 11th - 00:08am | y_p_w

Lynn:

Oct 9th - 09:51am | Lynn

There are some really good responses to this article. My two cents is thus: I travel from Oregon to California's Yosemite National Park at least every 3 to 4 years. It used to be that campsites were easy to come by. Last year, we wanted to camp again in the valley, but there was nothing, and I mean nothing available for the whole summer months.

Ranger Confidential, Living, Working, and Dying In the National Parks

Oct 12th - 10:11am | NPS Resource Di...

If you really want low pay and crappy working conditions, come work for the NPS Resource Division at any western Park. No pay differential, hazardous work conditions, little support funding, long hours, no 20-year retirement, no permanent job security for most...it's awesome.

Easy Park Hikes: The Boardwalk Loop Trail at Congaree National Park

Oct 12th - 09:55am | Anonymously-Yours

that would be a nice thing to see.

Oct 11th - 15:24pm | Danny Bernstein

Congaree National Park is such a sweet, friendly park with easy flat trails. The folks at the visitor Center are so eager to see you and answer your questions. Check it out. Danny http://www.hikertohiker.com

Moving From Fall Towards Winter In the National Parks

Oct 12th - 06:29am | Bob Janiskee

Thanks for the suggestion, Anon. We've got a winter-themed series of articles in the pipeline, and perhaps we could add a list like the one you want.

Oct 12th - 06:19am | Anonymous

It would be nice to have a single listing of when the western National Parks close for the winter season. That would help in planning current and future trips. I appreciate your articles. They are quite helpful.

Life On the Fire Lines in Rocky Mountain National Park

Oct 11th - 16:41pm | Ranger KT

What an awesome article!!

Oct 11th - 08:02am | Lee Dalton

Very interesting. Fire management seems to have come a long way in the last few years. But will someone explain what the Zion Wildland Fire Module is?

Staying Active In Congaree National Park

Oct 11th - 15:17pm | Anonymous

I live about 30 minutes from the park. It is a great place for backpacking and primitive camping. Great fishing. The Harry Hampton Vistor center is fantastic and if you ask at the counter, they will play an informative movie for you on the park in their little theater. The restrooms are clean and everyone who works or volunteers there are very kind and helpful. The trails are well marked.

Interior Secretary Signs Cape Wind Project Lease, Stresses Need for U.S. to Be Energy Independent

Oct 11th - 15:15pm | Michael Kellett

I think Secretary Salazar means well, but this is a big mistake. Some wind and solar proposed projects are fine. But many are nothing more than taxpayer-subsidized corporate boondoggles, using the fig leaf of "green power" to get them through the regulatory system with minimal review.

Oct 11th - 11:10am | Marco Garcia

Excellent move Secretary Salazar. I am so sorry that those rich folks are going to lose their view of the sound. My family lost our view of the mountains due to a construction project near our home. There are many wind projects currently being litigated in the Mojave desert that need to move forward also.

NPCA Offers National Park Phone Apps ... For Free!

Oct 11th - 09:22am | Dave Crowl

Hope it comes as a Droid app soon!

Scientists Gather to Discuss Yellowstone’s Future in a Rapidly Changing World

Oct 10th - 13:02pm | Lee Dalton

This is a challenge that will challenge even the most wise and gifted. But judging from the list of speakers, it looks like there are many gifts and wisdom at work here.

Reader Participation Day: Has Arizona's Approach To Controlling Illegal Immigrants Led You To Cancel a Grand Canyon Trip?

Oct 10th - 12:47pm | The Blue Collar Man

justinh We would love to hear from you, about your trip to any of those Parks, so we can find out if maybe you are the first person to get shot. Normal people would expect to use caution, since signs have been posted about potential dangers, and I think one is 80 miles inland from the border..

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Loses Two Staff to Plane Crash

Oct 10th - 11:45am | JG

Hey Anonymous, Save the generalist-tree-hugger-Ranger friendly lament for some other time. Friends were lost. Let's remember them, and not worry about the BS.

Oct 10th - 06:40am | Anonymous

The actual AP story says "National Park Service law enforcement officers [have died]". The NPS has changed for much that the news does not even recognize them as rangers any more. Just cops.

Oct 9th - 21:07pm | mvansickler@hot...

Please send info - Laurie was in my and my wife's wedding. We lost touch over the years but would like to send condolences appropriately. Laurie loved being a Ranger, and by all accounts that I was aware of was good at. It doesn't take much to search and see her name come up helping people and educating rather than just cuffing people.

Exploring Canyonlands And Arches National Parks By RV

Oct 9th - 14:10pm | George

The boundaries of Canyonlands and Arches reflect compromises in which several beautiful canyons of park quality were left out at the urging of county officials.

Reader Participation Day: How Many of the 392 National Park System Units Have You Visited?

Oct 9th - 10:12am | Nancy-Ann

My husband and I have now officially visited 201 National Park Units including 46 National Parks. For us, that means spending enough time in the park to really experience all it has to offer, camping when it is available, and writing a journal entry about our visit. We've also been to the Oklahoma City Memorial and American Memorial Park in Saipan which are not included in the 392.

Yellowstone National Park Eclipses Visitation Mark For The Year...Three Months Early

Oct 9th - 08:05am | ZEPHYR

Just think of how many more visitors the park would have had if AMTRAK served it directly as it did, once upon a time!

The Rest of the Story – Tricky Clean-up at Crater Lake National Park After Car Goes Over the Edge

Oct 8th - 23:29pm | Anonymous

Crater Lake doesn't have any runoff. It holds the world's record for the clearest water in the world & doesn't have any streams or other water sources that feed into it other than rain water. It's a true crater surrounded lake. [Edited for gratuitous remark]

Sharpshooters To Begin Culling Deer in Valley Forge National Historical Park in November

Oct 8th - 17:50pm | y_p_w

Anonymous (October 8, 2010 - 2:27pm): Im i reading this right there going to pay someone to shoot the deer? why not charge hunters to do this and make a little money?

Sections of Pacific Crest Trail Poached by Mountain Bikers; Could Problems Arise in National Parks?

Oct 8th - 17:46pm | Paul

A lot of trails where there are no bikes allowed get overgrown and then no one can use them.

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument Closed until Further Notice Due to Wildfire

Oct 8th - 15:50pm | Patti Dammier

While checking the Hagerman web resources before my book goes to the publisher, I was saddened to read the news about the devastating fire and the damaged caused to the park. I had spent several days visiting the museum and the park area to complete a portion for a young person’s fictional story about horses and include facts about the historic fossils.

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