You are here

All Recent Comments

The National Parks' Lodging Problem

Oct 16th - 18:13pm | y_p_w

I don't know about now, but some of our experiences were of international workers on J-1 visas.  The Finnish desk clerk in a cowboy hat at Roosevelt Lodge.  The Chinese busboy at Bryce Canyon Lodge.  The Singaporean server at Zion Lodge.  The eastern European housekeeping staff.

Oct 16th - 16:59pm | DJC75

Xanterra ruins and profiteers from everything they touch. These contracts should be split among mulitple concessioners, not a monopoly under Xanterra. Delaware North used to (may still?) have some shops/food outlets in Yellowstone and Grand Canyon. It was night and day in their managed properties when compared to overpriced Xanterra.

Oct 16th - 15:19pm | Laura122

Our experience at Yellowstone with Xanterra in September 2022 really turned us off to Yellowstone. We stayed at Yellowstone Lake cabins, Grant Village and one night at Old Faithful. We felt very well prepared and yet, Grant Village and Yellowstone Lake had limited food and beverage at their restaurant, despite our reservation and their numerous emails confirming we would be there.

Oct 16th - 13:39pm | y_p_w

I remember my various stays in most basic accommodations back in 2006 and 2007.  I still have copies of most of my reservation confirmations, although some seem to be missing and I think I only printed them up.

Oct 16th - 05:04am | Jenny Upchurch

Xanterra in Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Zion charges employees a significant portion of their wages for housing and meals and yet provides poor living conditions. That aspect of operation cannot be an excuse for higher and higher room rates.   

Improvements Have Come To Shiloh National Military Park

Oct 13th - 15:07pm | Angela

Why can I not find pictures of all the staues that have been removed? I've looked online & have found not one picture or record of the erasing of our history in this country.

Sequoia Seedlings To Be Planted In Sequoia, Kings Canyon National Parks

Oct 12th - 09:06am | Cary Carlson

   Certainly the loss of Sequoias is a tragedy.  Fire suppreFssion over the last hundred years was bad policy exacerbated by drought.  But I  disagree on the funding allotment mentioned before.   Maintenance is a huge budget item but can't keep up with old structures and overwhelming visitation.  Law enforcement is chronically short.  As a former NPS employee, I've seen the development of resou

Oct 11th - 20:06pm | Tom

The sad part is that this catastrophe was predicted to occur 50 years ago in the initial research on giant sequoia fire ecology. Fifty years passed, and after initial Redwood Mountain prescribed fires in the 1970's, little else was done, for a variety of reasons, but the threat remained and grew.

Oct 11th - 13:05pm | Anonymous

 They failed miserably in their stewardship responsibilities. Now, neither this generation nor future generations will be able to enjoy these groves. And, of course, no one was held accountable.   Thank you for your views.

Oct 6th - 10:30am | Paul S.

Here's a different take on this story: Park management was given $17 million in U.S.

Dinosaur National Monument's Visitor Center Getting New HVAC System

Oct 11th - 12:56pm | A. Johnson

Any reason given by the NPS why a 12-yr old HVAC system needs to be replaced?

Some White-Knuckle Drives In The National Park System

Oct 10th - 22:58pm | Kimber

Just did that Muir Woods drive.  First time and last time.  It was foggy so I couldn't see the road.  I finally pulled over in the one spot on the side and after a panic attack, not kidding, let my husband drive the rest.  It was probably another 109 meters to the top but you couldn't see anything.

Finland Agrees To Return Remains, Some Items Taken From Mesa Verde In 19th Century

Oct 9th - 10:19am | Greg Ridge

True, but this is not about the "U.S.". This is about the Indigenous Native Tribes whose ancestors lived there. Those tribes do not have museums of U.S. Artifacts, or any Finnish artifacts that they  could return. They just want the items that were buried with thier ancestors returned back. 

Public Comments Sought On North Cascades Grizzly Recovery Proposal

Oct 8th - 02:32am | Michael Woods

I prefer the experimental population want it seems the most pragmatic choice.

Oct 2nd - 10:57am | A. Johnson

Returning grizzlies to the NC is a mistake.  

Sep 29th - 17:42pm | Mary Hanson

As a Certified California Naturalist I understand the importance of apex predators in the natural environment and how they help to reshape the places they inhabit.

Sep 29th - 15:29pm | Brian Foster

I think it's an amazing step forward to reintroduce the grizzly to the Cascade's.  Montana, Wyoming and Idaho have benefitted significantly and the ecosystem is being brought back to its original state.

NPS Issues Concession Prospectus For Zion National Park

Oct 7th - 23:06pm | Jim Gramann

The reason for the high franchise fees is that there is little cost to the concessioner and little additional benefit to the visitor in charging more for "non-core lodging" (what the market will bear) than for core lodging. The latter has long priced using comparable lodging outside the parks. The non-core method went into effect in 2017.

Additional Tests Confirm Dates Of Fossilized Footprints At White Sands National Park

Oct 6th - 06:28am | Glavine James

Isn't it possible that the tracks were made by individuals who had migrated north toward the glacial ice pack from their arrival point to the south? Could these have been made by humans who descended from those who crossed the Pacific Ocean, west to east, rather than from those who crossed into North America from Siberia?

Recreation.Gov Lawsuit Withdrawn

Oct 3rd - 19:06pm | ecbuck

I want to know why they dropped the suit "with prejudice".  No reason to do so unless they were compelled/bribed to do so. There is too much going on behind closed doors with our government.  That's why the trust in government is dwindling every day.  

Oct 3rd - 13:54pm | COD

I work in web development. I don't know what the initial development contract was worth - let's say $20 million. Some devs, UI/UX experts, a QA team, a couple of PMs, etc and maybe you need a team of 10 to manage the site at a loaded cost of $200K each annually.

Oct 3rd - 11:33am | BIll

Pretty rich coming from Grassley whose party wants to gut spending for the park service saying they should pay for the website.  How does he think that works, it some guy in his basement at Booz Allen bilking the government for $140M.  I mean, it's two guys at least (I jest), but software development isn't as cheap as people think.  There are overhead fees on the credit card processing etc.  As

Men Who Allegedly Poached Deer In Yosemite National Park Were Cornered By Their Own Records Of the Hunts

Oct 3rd - 13:28pm | Big John

GPS doesn't add a whole lot to the hunt beyond normal navigation.  GIS is much more likely to be mentioned and a lot more useful during the hunt. This can be done with readily available software and a simple drone. 

National Park Service Approves Plan For Historic Lake McDonald Cabins At Glacier National Park

Oct 3rd - 12:46pm | Christine Ann P...

Mae Greve was my grandmother. Hans Greve was my grandfather. Dutch and Ruth Greve were my great aunt and uncle. We used to visit them at their cabins in Glacier every summer when I was a child. I'd love to talk to you. Please email me [email protected] 

Senators Still Waiting On Answers Regarding Recreation.Gov

Oct 3rd - 11:00am | Bandelierman

Time for Congressional hearings.

Oct 1st - 19:42pm | Loui

Booz Allen and the swamp creatures they do business with will try to wait out the Senate inquiry.  They don't have good answers to those quesitons. Hopefully plaintiffs dismissed their own lawsuit to perfect it in some way and will refile.  

Greater Yellowstone Coalition Successfully Halts Gold Mine Near Yellowstone

Oct 2nd - 22:12pm | Mike Painter

Great news!!!

Old Faithful Inn At $424: Who Can Still Afford A Yellowstone Road Trip?

Oct 2nd - 11:33am | A. Johnson

And I know a lot more dollar figures and data about this than you've assumed I do   Good to hear. So, you'll be eager to answer this question: Please tell us just what are  Xanterra's profits  from their operation of the  Old Faithful Inn, so that we can decide for ourselves if they're "obscene"? And no, asking pertinent question does not make one rude.

Sep 29th - 14:30pm | Honor Marie Guimond

We stayed at Old Faithful Inn way back in the 90's. It was expensive then at about $100 plus a night. We didn't sleep a wink with people walking up and down the creaky steps and down the hallways by our room. The noise persisted all night long. I remember the total lack of sleep after a very busy day way more than I remember the inn.

Sep 28th - 23:14pm | Terri

Actually, I do understand.   Every tourist dependent business is at the mercy of wildly fluctuating situations--weather, burst housing bubbles, bad reviews, pandemics, labor shortages, etc. They can still track their overhead. Sheesh. And I know a lot more dollar figures and data about this than you've assumed I do. But two rules of mine that have served me very well:

Wilderness Waterway At Everglades National Park Is 40!

Oct 1st - 12:06pm | Terry Redding

It was.  My first and only canoe trip.  But what a trip.  There were so many fascinating aspects. I was very fortunate to be invited along by two highly accomplished micro-backpackers.  Both Jim and Doug have hiked the Appalachian Trail. Them with their angle nets and seabags.  Me with a Rubbermaid footlocker.  I was so very lucky it fit in the width of the larger canoe.

Sep 30th - 12:44pm | Kurt Repanshek

Thanks for sharing, Terry. Looks like a fantastic trip.

Sep 30th - 12:36pm | Terry Redding

Here is a photo essay of my 2003 trip through the Wilderness Waterway.  https://tredding.org/canoe/

Sep 30th - 10:07am | Terry Redding

I noted your text says the waterway starts on the west coast of Florida and ends on the east coast. Not true. It does not cross Highway 1. 

Sep 30th - 09:00am | Terry Redding

My dear friend, Jim Tidd, led a three-person group in two canoes through the Wilderness Waterway in 2003. Jim planned and organized our expedition and made this experience of a lifetime possible. All images were taken with a small pocket digital camera, a Canon Powershot. The single battery stayed charged throughout the trip and for one night of digital editing.

Autopsy Could Tell Whether Bear Killed Great Smoky Mountains Backpacker Last Fall

Sep 30th - 14:35pm | Carl

What an incredibly stupid thing to say. This may well have been a classic predatory black bear attack and Mr. Madura was likely doing nothing wrong. How arrogant this poster is!

National Parks Will Close If Government Shuts Down

Sep 30th - 08:55am | Christopher Wilmot

Subject to the approval of the NPS Director, parks may enter into non-reimbursable arrangements with state, local or Tribal governments, cooperating associations, and/or other third parties for donations to fund the full operation of an individual park site or of specified services that clearly benefit the park and public by providing enhanced visitor health, protection and safety

Sep 29th - 20:38pm | Mick

Doing their best to shut down everything in the country. The terrorist party.

Sep 29th - 17:15pm | Daniel

Hi Kurt! Thanks for your reporting. Did the yosemite conservancy give any information if the entrance gates will be open, despite the park being closed?

Sep 29th - 11:54am | y_p_w

Here's the official release by the Dept of the Interior.  The release doesn't specifically note what may or may not qualify as "physically accessible", but it gives one example being the National Mall.

Sep 29th - 11:16am | y_p_w

The German: Can anyone tell us how that will affect the Tioga Pass? We are on a road trip and need to drive the pass next week 

Sep 29th - 11:09am | Stephen H Kibbey

In Arizona would the State goverment only fund the Grand Canyon to stay open or would they also fund the National Monuments, such as Montezuma's Castle and/or Sunset Crater?

Sep 29th - 10:08am | kat

yet another reason to despise the GOP. 

Sep 29th - 08:12am | Kurt Repanshek

The Tioga Road most likely will close. If there is a government shutdown, check the park's website ---www.nps.gov/YOSE -- for the latest information.

Sep 29th - 06:34am | The German

Can anyone tell us how that will affect the Tioga Pass? We are on a road trip and need to drive the pass next week 

Sep 29th - 06:00am | Alfred Fabre

Well, this is very disappointing to read.  

NPS Debating Whether To Remove Horses, Cattle From Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Sep 29th - 17:27pm | Concerned

Horses and cattle compact the soil? Bison much bigger and hea ier, dont they compa t the soil?  Soil compTion should not be a criteria.

National Park Service Mum On Shutdown Plans

Sep 29th - 00:50am | Blaine Parker

Reservations at Old Faithful Lodge in YNP begin October 1st, should I stay or should I go now!?

Sep 28th - 18:26pm | Kurt Repanshek

Fyi, an announcement is expected at 6 a.m. Eastern Friday, and we'll have the news on the Traveler.

Protecting Bats At Jewel Cave National Monument

Sep 28th - 19:16pm | Milissa

You should update the information about Wild Tribute. Their website says they donate $20 of the $35 they charge for the bat/hat, not just four percent.   Thanks for the article; I think a few people I know might be getting bats for Christmas this year!

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

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.