Latest News

The latest news from around the National Park System.

Top National Park Service Officials Reverse Decision Tied To Fatal Climbing Accident

While a 2011 fatal climbing accident in Denali National Park led local Park Service officials to deny the outfitter involved in the matter "preferred status" for permit renewal, officials in the agency's Washington, D.C., headquarters overturned that decision.

Mountain Trip International Ruling.pdf

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By Kurt Repanshek - January 5th, 2014 2:30am

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Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Seeks Volunteers For Stewardship At The Summit

You can help protect Hawai‘i’s fragile ecosystem from invasive, non-native species by volunteering for Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park's “Stewardship at the Summit” programs throughout 2014.

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By NPT Staff - January 4th, 2014 2:45am

Update: Three Appalachian Trail Hikers Need Rescue In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Winter's latest punch to the East caught three Appalachian Trail hikers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park unprepared and needing to be rescued by rangers.

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By NPT Staff - January 6th, 2014 8:05am

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Cowpens National Battlefield Anniversary January 17-19 Offers An Impressive Slate Of Events

It may seem an unlikely name for the site of a battle often called the turning point of the Revolutionary War in the South, but Cowpens National Battlefield also claims a second distinction: one of the few uses of a classic military tactic known as a double envelopment occurred here. The park will commemorate the 233rd anniversary of the battle with an impressive slate of events January 17-19.

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By Jim Burnett - January 3rd, 2014 3:15am

Shenandoah National Park's Byrd Visitor Center To Be Open Weekends This Winter

Good news for travelers to Shenandoah National Park this winter: The Harry F. Byrd Sr. Visitor Center at Big Meadows will be open weekends, weather allowing, of course.

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By NPT Staff - January 3rd, 2014 2:30am

"Adventures In Nature" Program For Kids Coming To Wind Cave National Park

A program specifically designed to get youngsters out into nature, and the national parks, is coming to Wind Cave National Park in a couple of weeks.

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By NPT Staff - January 3rd, 2014 2:15am

Zion National Park's Condor No. 299 Is No More

Condor No. 299, arguably the most-viewed condor in Zion National Park, has died. The bird's body was found in a remote canyon southeast of the park.

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By NPT Staff - January 2nd, 2014 2:21pm

Homestead Trolley To Everglades And Biscayne National Parks Hits The Road Saturday

Beginning Saturday you'll be able to get a lift from Homestead, Florida, to either Everglades or Biscayne national parks courtesy of a partnership between the community and the two national parks.

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By NPT Staff - January 2nd, 2014 3:00am

Traveling Mural Of Guadalupe Mountains National Park Part Of Anti-Gang-Drug Coalition Project

Guadalupe Mountains National Park has completed a partnership with the Carlsbad Mural Project, a project of the Carlsbad Community Anti-Gang-Drug Coalition, with the creation of a traveling mural of the park.

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By NPT Staff - January 2nd, 2014 2:15am

Petrified Forest National Park Grows By More Than 4,200 Acres Thanks To The Conservation Fund

A few acres here, a dozen over there, perhaps a thousand at a time. Those increments are slowly growing the National Park System, a system that just jumped by more than 4,200 acres in size thanks to The Conservation Fund.

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By NPT Staff - January 1st, 2014 3:45am

A Wish List For The National Parks In 2014

So much promise ranges across the land each January 1. The blotters are all clear, the expectations great, and the hopes and aspirations high. With that understood, here's a short "wish list" for the National Park Service and its wondrous system of parks as we head off into 2014.

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By Kurt Repanshek - January 1st, 2014 3:15am

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Tourists Injured When Bull Elephant Attacks Vehicle At Kruger National Park

Two Kruger National Park visitors were injured, one seriously, when a bull elephant charged their vehicle and flipped it over.

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By NPT Staff - December 31st, 2013 10:40am

Birding In The National Parks: Looking Back On 2013

New Year’s Eve seems as good a time as any to reflect on 2013. It’s been a big year for me, with birding explorations around the country, including the first trips of my life to Saguaro National Park and Chiricahua National Monument.

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By Kirby Adams - December 31st, 2013 3:15am

A Look Back At Traveler's Views In 2013

At National Parks Traveler, we don't profess to have all the answers to issues and controversies swirling about the National Park System. But there were a handful of times in 2013 when we felt it necessary to raise concerns about what was transpiring in the parks.

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By Kurt Repanshek - December 31st, 2013 3:00am

Road Work To Repair Slide Along Newfound Gap Road In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Repair work is scheduled to begin next week on a slide along Newfound Gap Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which early this year saw a larger slide take out a section of the road.

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By NPT Staff - December 30th, 2013 3:00am

Katmai National Park Camping Reservations Added To Recreation.gov

Another national park has added its camping reservations system to the recreation.gov portal. At Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, this means you can go online to reserve campsites at Brooks Camp and other destinations in the park.

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By Kurt Repanshek - December 30th, 2013 2:45am

Stories We Particularly Liked From Around the National Park System In 2013

With more than 1,300 stories posted on the Traveler during the past 12 months, there are a few that we particularly liked, either because of the prose, the subject matter, or the particular window on the parks they opened. Here's a look at some of our favorites.

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By Kurt Repanshek - December 30th, 2013 2:45am

NPS Sends Nearly $1 Million To Threatened Civil War Battlefields

The National Park Service has committed nearly $1 million in grants to help preserve more than 760 acres of land at seven of America’s threatened Civil War battlefields.

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By NPT Staff - December 29th, 2013 3:00am

Christmas Bird Count Coming To Death Valley National Park On Saturday

Christmas is past, but counting birds is not. At Death Valley National Park, the annual Christmas Bird Count is scheduled for this coming Saturday.

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By Kurt Repanshek - December 29th, 2013 2:30am

Nature Could Have A Solution For Emerald Ash Borer Problem In National Parks

Nature might be able to provide a partial solution, at least, to emerald ash borer problems in national parks such as Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains as well as Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It turns out that woodpeckers and nuthatches, which are present in those parks, are developing an appetite for the non-native insects.

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By NPT Staff - December 28th, 2013 2:30am

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The Essential RVing Guide

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.

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