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Updated: Unenviable List: Ozark National Scenic Riverways Ranked Among 10 Most Endangered Rivers

May 17th - 13:14pm | Anonymous

What could one expect from the Bush Administration and republicans in office in MO. The Obama administration is just as bad. Obama has done little to correct decades of neglect in our National parks. By the way either has Congress.

May 17th - 12:09pm | Anonymous

FINALLY someone is noticing what's going on at Ozarks.  Conservation-minded folks who love the park (as well as NPS employees) have witnessed bad resource decisions for far too long .  Thoughtful planning and adherence to basic National Park Service guidelines for protection and preservation should have been the norm, but instead they have been very rare for nearly 10 years.  A philosophical (a

Mt. McKinley Climbing Accident In Denali National Park Leaves One Dead, Another Rescued At 19,500 Feet

May 17th - 13:07pm | Anonymous

Because they wanted to climb.

May 14th - 07:30am | Anonymous

why are they there in the first place..putting a whole bunch of people at risk.sorry for the loss,could of been worse. if the park service grants these climers permission to climb,then they should consider the weather and other peoples risk of rescueing them..

May 14th - 06:33am | Anonymous

None of the climbers were US - dont know about the guide

May 13th - 22:31pm | Rick B.

A link was listed in a comment in the Anchorage Daily News, for a Mountain Trip release.

May 13th - 19:35pm | Anonymous

I read it was a Mountain Trip trip on another site, but I cannot confirm the veracity of this statement.

May 13th - 18:23pm | Anonymous

Best to call the company your sister was climbing with. I can tell you that it was not an RMI group, as I called them because my boyfriend is currently climbing with them. Best of luck to you.

May 13th - 09:20am | Kurt Repanshek

Park officials have not yet released the names of those involved.

May 13th - 08:54am | Bryan Reid

Looking to see if my sister is involved, she was part of the AMS 4/25 team

May 13th - 08:44am | Anonymous

Who is the guide and whom does he work for?

Summering at Cape Lookout National Seashore: The Logistics

May 17th - 11:20am | Bill

Anybody got any photos inside the cabins?  We're thinking about staying there.

Traveler's Checklist: Zion National Park

May 16th - 22:04pm | Lee Dalton

Watchman campground has electric hookups in all sites.  Ideal for powering A/C in a camp trailer without the need of a noisy generator.  Reservations are a must in summer, but apparently can be made perhaps a day prior in some cases.

May 16th - 15:15pm | Jim Linnane

There are a lot of nice places to stay in Springdale and there is a free shuttle bus that takes one through the town, stopping every few blocks, right up to the park entrance. Get off the Springdale shuttle, walk across the bridge, and you are in the park's visitor center.

May 16th - 10:06am | Owen Hoffman

Kurt, a "must do" adventure during a visit to Zion National Park is the 1 mile hike to the top of the Great Arch of Zion along the Canyon Overlook Trail to observe the rapidly changing colors and moods of Zion Canyon before sunrise.  This hike is especially memorable when there's a full moon out, as the moon sets over the Temples of Towers of the Virgin as the sun rises in the east. 

Ruminating On Unexploded Ordnance, Climate Change, And Maintaining Winter Access To Yellowstone National Park

May 16th - 17:51pm | RoadRanger

Concur with Bri. You have performed an outstanding service to Traveler readers by presenting some significant questions and information about NPS resource management issues. Thanks, Kurt. I'm looking forward to more well-written and "meaty" articles of this type.

May 16th - 08:28am | Bri

Great Article!! Very interesting facts. I can't wait to share it with my Fishing Bridge Staff.

Fatal Fall from Angels Landing in Zion National Park

May 16th - 15:49pm | Hopefull...

Re: Clayton I'd say the most amazing safety record for any National Park is the 104 year record of NO deaths related to the Iconic Grand Canyon Mule Rides into the inner Canyon yet they reduced the rides by 75%. Like so many here, my condolences to the family for their loss.

May 16th - 11:52am | Jay K

My wife and I just returned from Zion and we both hiked Angel's Landing. I always thought that I was comfortable with heights but this hike scared the heck out of me. There are consistently points throughout the final 1/2 mile or so where the slightest misstep or loss of balance will result in launching off.

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

May 16th - 11:21am | Hank Blair

Wonderfull Navajo Rug Auction at the Hubbell National Historic Site. Over 190 Thousand dollars paid out to Native Artists and Weavers by the Friends of Hubbell. Park Service and WNPA would not let the Billy Malone book be sold at the auction.

National Park Road Trip 2011: Canyon de Chelly National Monument and Thunderbird Lodge

May 16th - 10:35am | Linda

The hike down to the White House is easy and fun. I've taken a tour into the canyon from Thunderbird Lodge, but I have to say I preferred the hike. You get a much better appreciation of the canyon with this up-close experience.

May 15th - 21:22pm | Arief R. Hakim

amazing, wonder i have opportunity to take a travel to go to there too.

Scrimshaw Artworks Stolen From Cape Cod National Seashore Visitor Center

May 15th - 18:36pm | Anonymous

What makes everyone think that walrus are killed only for their heads or just for their tusks? Statements such as that are really only innuendo and should be dismissed as nonsense.  

Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park Officials Want To Replace Three Backcountry Cabins Located in Wilderness Areas

May 15th - 14:53pm | Jerry

I see no problem with using power tools to repair/replace existing Ranger stations.  I would prefer the use of local rocks for walls as they never rot.  Put on steel roofs and you will have a one hundred year structure.

New Orleans Businesses Want National Park Service to Stop Free Tours

May 15th - 11:50am | Anonymous

Do not give way to commercial greed! Keep the Park Service Interpretive Tours of the French Quarter. They are some of the best available tours present in the City. Thank you.

National Park Road Trip: Mesa Verde and Far View Lodge

May 14th - 22:35pm | Anonymous

I second Kurt's recommedation. Mesa Verde is one of the great parks for kids.

May 13th - 14:44pm | RangerLady

I always enjoyed the Metate Room when I worked at Mesa Verde. I couldn't always afford the full meal, but my friends and I would often have the soup and dip some fry bread in it. I'm drooling just thinking about it!

May 13th - 08:41am | Kurt Repanshek

Arvicru, Mesa Verde's a great park for families and kids. To get some ideas of what to do, check out the Traveler's Checklist contributing writer Bob Janiskee wrote: /2010/05/travelers-checklist-mesa-verde-national-park5845 It contains some excellent ideas. You might find these additional stories helpful as well:

May 12th - 22:56pm | arvicru

We will be traveling through Southwest Co. to AZ next week and have been referred to Mesa Verde.  We have 3 kiddos, plan on spending at least one full day and would love to hear your experience/recommendations on the park and the best sites to visit.

May 12th - 18:11pm | MT Troy

Your article reminds me of my trip a year ago with my wife and 2 children when we basically drove this exact itenerary. We visited Mesa Verde in March last year. Being that early in the year Far View Lodge was closed but we did pull into the parking lot to catch the views as the snow was being removed.

State of Wyoming And One of Its Counties Again Seeking Permission To Sue Over Yellowstone National Park Snowmobile Limits

May 14th - 11:07am | Anonymous

It would be crime to stop the public from entering the park on snowmobiles in the winter.  The chaos that ensues every summer from the enourmous amount of visitors doesnt compare to the amount of visiters on snowmobile in winter.  If you are going to lessen impacts on the park, you would need to start with limiting the amount of car traffic in the summer and that would be totally against the "f

At New River Gorge National River, an Iconic Bridge Attracts Suicide Jumpers

May 14th - 04:37am | Kim

I'm imagining he chose to jump from this particular bridge because the jump is a long clear passageway, without injury on the way down. The parks don't always provide that advantage. (trees, etc.)

Can Blackwater Falls Area of West Virginia Support A National Park?

May 13th - 22:38pm | SaraP

addressing the comment, "Man, how can this state not have a national park?" The state has Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and the New River Gorge National River (which also oversees the Gauley River National Recreation Area and the Bluestone National Scenic River- although not technically a "park" designation)

Whale Carcass Leads To Closures at Glacier Bay National Park

May 13th - 19:17pm | Marvin Gardens

Wow! It's already 40 years since a dead whale made history in Oregon: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3452956983704611273#

May 13th - 18:30pm | Kurt Repanshek

Had me there for a minute, Barky. Thought my fingers might not have finished the command from the brain....;-)

May 13th - 16:59pm | Barky

Ha! I had to read this three times. I couldn't figure out how a whale carcass got to Glacier National Park. :-)

Reader Participation Day: Has The National Park Service Been Led Astray By Congress and Become A Catchall Agency?

May 13th - 13:47pm | RoadRanger

Travis, thank you for making my point.

May 13th - 13:12pm | tomp2

I work almost entirely on the natural resources side, but I think that cultural resources and cultural units are equally important in preserving our heritage for the enjoyment of this and future generations.  However, what is valuable culturally and historically is much more contentious than what is valuable in terms of natural resources (CAHA notwithstanding).

May 13th - 02:22am | Travis

"Victim resources that separate Americans?" Perhaps the most ridiculous statement I've ever read. Does Manzanar NHS "separate Americans" by memorializing the astounding racial injustice perpetrated upon Japanese-Americans? Does Women's Rights NHP "separate Americans" by preserving the groundbreaking struggle of women to secure equal and full citizenship?

May 12th - 18:37pm | RoadRanger

Issues associated with the National Park Service are really no different than those found in the evolution of any idea or organization over time.  There's no question the NPS began with a superb idea of the preservation and use of the nation's best natural and cultural gems.

Pruning the Parks: Mackinac National Park (1875-1895)

May 13th - 12:30pm | y_p_w

The Yosemite Grant was in 1864, although that was where the Congress set aside the land and then handed it over to California. Many think of that as the inspiration for turning Yellowstone into a national park. Yellowstone was a bit easier to keep under federal control.

May 13th - 11:25am | Rob

But was even Yellowstone the first National Park.   In the middle of the Mississippi between Illinois and Missouri sits Tower Rock.http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places-go/natural-areas/tower-rock

Florida Officials To Install Panther Detection System With Hopes of Slowing Road Kills

May 13th - 11:18am | Anonymous

i think it is so wrong, i think people should watch out for where they are going. there are not that many of these animals left as it is. I think that people should get fined if they kill one of these animals!

Update: Judge Rules Against Environmental Upgrades for Bridge Project in Congaree National Park

May 12th - 22:57pm | Ron Saunders

Kurt, Response well taken. However, Is this a situation of what we would like to doioh as opposed to what we can afford. The article paints a picture. Is there another side to this story. There often is. I still stand by my statement concerning environmental groups and EAs. I do not include NPS in this group. Their politics are completely different. I'll not go there.

May 12th - 13:25pm | Kurt Repanshek

Ron, the Park Service always listed an "environmentally preferrable alternative." It's required to under the National Environmental Policy Act.

May 12th - 13:07pm | Ron Saunders

Questions: Was the bridge and road before or after the park? Is there ever an adequate EA that does not state exactly what the Enviromental groups want it to? What does the SCDOT have to say as to why yhey want to just make repairs to the causeway? Was there a public comment and response period concerning this action and was the NPS satisfied with the results?

May 12th - 10:40am | justinh

That is disappointing.  Last week I visited Congaree NP for the first time, and had an amazing time.  Paddled Cedar Creek from Bannister's Bridge to the second oxbow lake past Cedar Creek landing.  Then, hiked the King Snake Trail.  Great trees and wildlife.  And great rangers and volunteers--one of my favorite parks.  (Okay, so I'm a pretty off-topic here.)

Walking Cape Hatteras National Seashore - Part 2

May 12th - 16:39pm | Danny Bernstein

Hi Ron: Thanks for your good words. No, we never saw a piping plover. They are rare. Danny

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

May 12th - 16:14pm | Reality Check

Interesting that there is now a new cell tower 400 yards from the South Rim to enable the cell phone tours and now cell phones can get a signal deep into the Canyon at many spots.  Where is the Sierra Club on this?  There is just so much BS involved in todays discussions on the environment and such.  Eventually most all will have to realize what all this is doing and it's not good.

Walking Cape Hatteras National Seashore - Part 1

May 12th - 11:16am | Bodie Island Resort

Danny-Having grown up on the Banks and then moving back recently from the mountains (wife is from Brevard,NC-land of the waterfalls), I can really relate to your article as a fellow hiker of both mountains and sea. Walking for long periods on soft sand is appealing in thought, especially with the beach scenary, but it gets taxing on the legs after about 5 miles.

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