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How Many National Park Rangers Does It Take to Cut Down a Tree?

Jan 6th - 10:38am | Dave Crowl

I looked back at my pictures from June 2003 and found a picture of the same tree and probably the same bird. I am sure that lots of pictures would be taken of this since it is right by the road.

Pruning the Parks: Delisted Over a Half-Century Ago, Fossil Cycad National Monument (1922-1956) is a Cautionary Tale

Jan 6th - 09:29am | Bob Janiskee

Kudos to you for being able to reach back 45 years and pull out memories like that, and kudos to your old biology teacher for providing you with something worth remembering.

Jan 6th - 09:03am | Brad

What a shame!! I grew up in Rapid City and the only reason that I ever knew about Fossil Cycad National Monument is that my high school biology teacher (1963) had worked summers for years as a ranger at Mount Rushmore, and he told us all about Fossil Cycad.

Resolved: I’ll Visit at Least These Five National Parks in 2009

Jan 6th - 09:29am | Rick Smith

Bob--

Jan 6th - 04:45am | Bob Janiskee

Jim, I had to smile at your tongue in cheek suggestion that I should put no stock in those visitor statistics. When you can make undercounting errors involving several orders of magnitude and still be dealing with negligible numbers, that's some mighty small visitation! Seriously, though, it's awfully unlikely that I'll ever see Gates of the Arctic.

Jan 5th - 18:45pm | JimFromNewYork

Well, I have to admit the earliest I spent more than only a few hours on the ground in the bush in Gates of the Arctic was early March. The biggest difference being the abundant light in March, compared to nearly complete darkness in early January !

Jan 5th - 11:21am | Bob Janiskee

Uh...... I hope you're not suggesting that I visit Gates of the Arctic this month, JimFrom NewYork. January visitation for years 2003 through 2007 COMBINED was 25, and in three of those years there were no January visits at all.

Jan 5th - 10:57am | JimFromNewYork

Gates of the Arctic National Park, with the adjoining Gates of the Arctic National Preserve, is THE park to see if you have not yet.

Jan 5th - 10:33am | Bob Janiskee

Thanks for the suggestions, SaltSage. I'm afraid that Colorado National Monument will be out of reach on this particular trip.

Jan 4th - 18:43pm | SaltSage236

If you're gonna trek from South Carolina to western Colorado, there are two other NPS gems you can't miss: Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction, where the six-mile roundtrip hike of Monument Canyon is one of the best on the Colorado Plateau. Rim Rock Drive is easily the best and most scenic drive (and especially bike ride) anywhere in western Colorado.

Jan 4th - 07:48am | Bob Janiskee

Thanks for the tips, treehugger99; I like the TR pics, too. This kind of feedback is very helpful to me!

Jan 3rd - 20:32pm | treehugger99

Hi Bob. I'll chime in with some suggestions. Climbing the dunes at Great Sand Dunes is hard work, but it's great fun. It just about killed my Chicago lungs. If you get high enough, you can feel the dunes vibrate when the wind hits the resonant frequency.

Accessibility in the National Park System

Jan 6th - 04:30am | Bob Janiskee

If you're interested in wheelchair accessible portions of the Appalachian Trail, be sure to read the Traveler posting on that topic.

Jan 5th - 22:22pm | Michael

I require the full time use of a wheelchair. My family and I love the National Parks. From Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Denali and many more.... we've found the park system to be as wheelchair friendly as possible. They are always improving trails, lookouts, restrooms, ect. The park maps and websites make it easy to determine just what is accessible.

Jan 5th - 20:11pm | Marylander

I am really happy with just how accessible the parks are. My dad is elderly, with double knee replacements, permanent back injury, hip replacement, shoulder replacement, the list goes on and on. Bottom line, he and his scooter still use the National Parks year round. My parents travel the country and camp in their RV, and he hasn't complained about any of the campground facilities.

Bush Administration Publishes Proposed Rule For Mountain Biking in National Parks

Jan 6th - 02:50am | tahoma

Ted-

Jan 5th - 23:22pm | imtnbke

Fascinating discussion; thanks.

Jan 5th - 23:05pm | Ted Clayton

tahoma, "Cornucopian development faction" in charge, at Olympic National Park?

Jan 5th - 20:45pm | tahoma

This doesn't have much to do with mountain biking and sorry to have to disagree Ted, but in the 28 years I worked at Mt. Rainier & Olympic, the cornucopian development faction was fully in charge and it was the 'pure environmentalists' who were pariahs. I doubt much has changed at Olympic, I know it hasn't at Rainier.

Jan 5th - 19:16pm | Ted Clayton

imtnbke, You can read & save the entire National Parks Organic Act, on the NPS' own website.

Jan 5th - 17:22pm | Kurt Repanshek

Actually, if you create a profile in the Traveler's system you have the option of being notified when a comment has been attached to a post that you've commented on. One more reason to join the club!

Jan 5th - 16:50pm | imtnbke

To Fred Swanson: Fred, thanks for articulating your criticisms of mountain biking candidly. Let me respond . . . .

Glen Canyon Marina Fire Damage Estimate: $3-$5 Million

Jan 5th - 19:36pm | Ted Clayton

The reason this story has one of the highest viewed-rates on National Parks Traveler, is that we are all wondering how the fire got started. Specifically, we are wondering whether an environmentalist-terrorist set this fire. That's why so many people come to this page - trying to find out.

Jan 3rd - 15:04pm | Anonymous

Where was Hall's Crossing Security Team providing 24 hour security which is offset by our mooring fees? Why was it that the call happened to come from a couple who happened to be staying on their boat? Why did it take 45 minutes for NPS @ Bullfrog to respond? - Shouldn't Hall's also have the same fire prevention/security messures - ARAMARK needs to address these concerns.

Jan 2nd - 16:03pm | Lak tra

well said, and nice profile, too! ;^)

Yosemite National Park Officials Looking For Suggestions on Preserving Badger Pass Ski Lodge

Jan 5th - 17:48pm | Ted Clayton

ClaireWalter, The figure of 5,000 you saw must have been intended for something else, not the annual visitation figure for Hurricane Ridge. The annual figure is right around 3 million. Like elsewhere, visitation at Olympic has fallen lately, but maybe not as much.

Jan 5th - 10:08am | ClaireWalter

Hurricane Ridge! In Olympic Natl Park! And I thought my brain had a lock on ski area trivia, and I never heard ot this one. Of course, I looked it up (http://www.hurricaneridge.net), and while it might indeed be a cash cow for whatever entity (concessionaire or not-for-profit), but it is hardly "an alpine resort," as someone suggested.

Jan 4th - 21:57pm | Random Walker

Yup, I had to laugh at the thought of our little visitors center as a Lodge / Resort (ala for profit Badger Pass Ski Lodge) which is only open on the weekends (weather permitting) during the winter for the hordes, of which I have been a member going on quite a few decades now :-)

Jan 4th - 21:07pm | Ted Clayton

See Hurricane Ridge.

Jan 4th - 18:07pm | Random Walker

Actually, there's a small alpine resort on Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park... A resort (?) LOL! The Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club that runs and maintains the lifts is not for profit. Anybody can become a member!

Jan 4th - 16:27pm | Kurt Repanshek

Actually, there's a small alpine resort on Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park...

Jan 4th - 16:11pm | ClaireWalter

Debates over capitalism, wealth transfer and the like have drifted far from the original post as to whether or not the old Badeger Pass day lodge should be demolished or rehabilitated, and the related discussion as to whether lift-served skiing/snowboarding belong in national parks.

Rules! Rules! Rules!

Jan 5th - 14:29pm | Bill R.

Haven't been to all of the parks, but still fun & informative. Thanks!

Get Me to the Park on Time……..

Jan 5th - 07:56am | Bob Janiskee

Well, since I was hired on to do that for (two) cross-country bus trips, the job specifications can't be very strict. I'll look into it. Meanwhile, I do know that, for western bus tours, it helps to look the part. Get a cowboy hat, boots, and jeans. Make sure they are dirty and all beat to hell. Grow a mustache -- the kind that droops at the corners. Roll your own cigarettes.

Jan 5th - 06:46am | Anonymous

How do you get a job like that, sounds like a lot of fun. (step-on" guy I mean)

Brady Campaign Sues Interior Department over Concealed Carry in National Parks

Jan 4th - 20:19pm | Anonymous

The Brady Bunch..an appropiate name. mindless sitcom mentality.

This Park Combines Scenery and History on a Desert Island

Jan 4th - 17:16pm | JimB

Todd -

Jan 4th - 16:08pm | James NomadRip

We went out there for a day trip last year at the end of December. I really wish we'd opted to camp for a few days. It's really an amazing place. We'll be back to camp this year, hopefully. Even though it is so small, we didn't get to spend near enough time there in a day.

Jan 4th - 14:43pm | Bob Janiskee

Precipitation isn't the issue. They're the Dry Tortugas because there aren't any fresh water sources on the islands. You have to capture and store rainwater artificially (in cisterns, traditionally) or ship fresh water in from the mainland.

Jan 4th - 13:45pm | Todd

What makes this a "desert" island? Is there a lack of rain? Do you mean "deserted"?

NPS Retirees Oppose Carrying Guns in National Parks

Jan 4th - 16:51pm | Anonymous

I carry a weapon in my fanny pack each time I take my kids hiking. Pragmatically, it is impossible for the NPS people to protect me and my children. I'll continue to do so and when we pass each other on the trail you'll see nothing but a big smile and a 'how ya doin' from me and the kids. You won't have any reason to fear me or feel threatened.

Weekly Snowshoe Treks Coming to Glacier National Park

Jan 4th - 16:26pm | BILL WOODARD DA...

Glacier NP is one of the best NP i have visited and i have visited over 100 NP. My wife and I go to Glacier when we enter Canada's Waterton National Park just north of glacier. Both parks or a good 17 day stay area. Best time around May, June, July, Cool weather and fantastic beauty.

Jan 4th - 09:11am | JimB

Some of my best days during the time I worked at Glacier were in the winter, and snowshoes are a great way to get out and about in that park during this season of the year. This is a wonderful idea for a program, and I hope visitors will take advantage of the opportunity.

Man Bitten at Saguaro National Park by Gila Monster

Jan 4th - 15:49pm | Anonymous

this is the most retarted thing i've ever heard of, why would a person pick up a gila monster, they are poisonous, and DUH! your going to get bitten dumb***

Traveler's View: Concealed Weapons Have No Place In Our National Park System

Jan 4th - 15:14pm | Ron

hmmm....how about...Article:Mountain lion victim heads to San Francisco for more su:/n/a/2007/01/28/state/n160726S88.DTL Article:Mountain lion victim heads to San Francisco for more su:/n/a/2007/01/28/state/n160726S88.DTL Back to Article Mountain lion victim heads to San Francisco for more surgery By RACHEL KONRAD, Associated Press Writer

To Work, To Work, Off We Go To Work

Jan 4th - 14:47pm | MRC

@Frank: You really believe that, do you? And your economic theories aren't shattered by the recent developments, right?

Jan 3rd - 22:46pm | tahoma

Actually, the CCC did some beautiful work in the Parks that has mostly endured and seldom been equalled since by the National Park Service. I'll bet they could lay a water line that would not need replacing several times a decade as has the one at Paradise, Mt. Rainier. Judging by the photo, the vegetative impacts look to be about the same though.

Earthquakes Continuing to Rattle Yellowstone National Park

Jan 4th - 11:09am | jsmacdonald

The earthquakes have subsided - at least that's the latest news. The commentary on it in the blogosphere has not. The whole reaction to this thing has been very funny to me, though I'm starting to get bored with it (record visits to my Web site newspaper aside). Even so, I didn't notice any less winter traffic in the park yesterday (except less buffalo traffic).

Jan 3rd - 14:13pm | Ted Clayton

Besides the 3 supereruptions that have occurred at Yellowstone in the last couple million years, there have also been far-larger numbers of 'lesser' but still important and sometimes major eruptions. For example, in the last 14,000 years of the current Holocene Era, there have been 20 large explosive events.

Violent Deaths in the National Parks

Jan 3rd - 00:51am | Dienekes

The people who will be allowed to carry firearms for self defense in the National Parks are the law abiding majority of responsible citizens. These are not people who act in a careless manner. Rational and reasonable citizens can be in possession of a firearm, a knife, an axe, a saw, explosives, or even a motor vehicle without endangering others.

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.