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The latest news from around the National Park System.

Outside Magazine Dug From Its Archives A Photo Promoting Illegal Camping In Arches National Park

Outside Magazine, in the daily ritual of feeding social media channels, reached back two years for a cool nighttime photograph from Arches National Park that, unfortunately, inadvertently promoted camping in an area of the park that is off-limits to camping.

King Sequoia: The Tree That Inspired A Nation, Created Our National Park System, And Changed The Way We Think About Nature

One of my favorite spots in California, just a few miles away from the congestion of the Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park, is a little known forest glen: Nelder Grove. A century ago this was a logging site, formerly named Fresno Grove, where the towering Sequoias crashed to the ground, to be cut up for grape stakes and fence posts. Massive stumps dot the quiet, verdant hillside, and some giants yet still stand. I always asked myself why, and how, this grove fell, while others went untouched, and were protected.

Rarely Seen Artifacts Will Be On Display At Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Artifacts from the 1962 escape from Alcatraz – including sharpened spoon handles, one of the fake cell vent covers, and a vest the cons used to float away – are among the items that will be on display during an open house this weekend at California’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Ruminating On Interior Appropriations, Bishop's PLI, And Political Convention Platforms

In its rush Thursday to take the rest of the summer off, Congress left behind a pile of unfinished work, some of which reaches into the National Park System. There's the Interior appropriations bill, which would roll back some environmental protections, and a controversial Public Lands Initiative for Utah that quickly drew fire. And then there's the draft platform for the Republican Convention, which holds freight aimed at fleecing federal lands and tying presidents' hands.

A Brief History Of Whiskey Use And Alcohol Bans In Yellowstone National Park

In the days of Fort Yellowstone (1886-1918), drinking was not permitted on any military grounds. Violation of this rule could result in fines or imprisonment, though not for more than a year. Additionally, if a soldier was found drunk at his post, he could have been punished by depriving him of passes to visit Gardiner, the nearest town, for a month. As a result of these rules, records and stories seem to indicate that many army soldiers would make the walk from Fort Yellowstone, located at Mammoth Hot Springs, to Gardiner for a drink and some company.

UPDATED: PEER: National Park Service Ignoring Requirement To Establish Visitor Carrying Capacities

Nearly four decades have passed since Congress directed the National Park Service to establish visitor carrying capacities for the National Park System, yet few parks have done so, according to a review by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

The Hour Of Land: A Personal Topography Of America’s National Parks

Anyone who has heard Terry Tempest Williams speak or who has read her writing knows how personal her approach is to her subject, thus the “personal topography” of the subtitle of this book. Visits to 12 units of the National Park System, including seven national parks, two national monuments, a national military park, national seashore, and national recreation area, provide grist for her exploration of this topography and a sampling of different elements of the system.

Birding In The National Parks: Finding Birds With The National Park Service's Help

Proper preparation often makes the difference between merely seeing some good birds and coming home with a trip list bursting at the seams and a few lifers to boot. It’s easy to enjoy a birding trip without studying your field guides and knowing your geography, but to many birders the prep is half the fun.

Estes Park Builds On National Park Service's "Every Kid In A Park" Program

Students participating in the national fourth-grade “Every Kid in a Park” campaign are running out of summer days to use their vouchers for free admittance to national lands. To encourage fourth-graders to use their passes in Rocky Mountain National Park, the Estes Park Visitor Center is giving each fourth-grade student a free Estes Park backpack filled with goodies that can be used while visiting the area.

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.