National Parks Traveler

Spring break is commencing at colleges around the country, and for more than 200 students that means a trip not to the beach, but to a national park to participate either in the National Park Service Academy or an "Alternative Spring Break" program in parks.

Remember that Japanese dock, cast adrift by a tsunami back in 2011, that came ashore at Olympic National Park? It's going to cost more than $600,000 to remove it.

The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias has been attracting visitors to what is now Yosemite National Park for 150 years. Much has changed since Abraham Lincoln signed a bill setting aside the Grove as a protected site, and the National Park Service is accepting public comments on plans to restore the area.

When I tell people that I teach a summer course on the politics of Yellowstone, I always brace myself for the next question. “What politics can there be in a national park?” Plenty, as it turns out.

With all the winter storms pummeling the nation, it's hard to believe that spring really isn't too far off for many parts of the country. At Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area that will be evident next weekend when the National Park Service and the Millbrook Village Society present a maple sugaring demonstration at Millbrook Village.

An avalanche Friday killed a Wyoming man skiing the backcountry of Grand Teton National Park.

Grand Teton National Park, with its towering mountains, sweeping vistas, and active wildlife will delight children of all ages. Located in the mountains of Wyoming, Grand Teton is one of the top parks for young adventurers.

Barrier islands are creatures of the seas, cast about and pushed around by the waves and currents. Proof of that can be found today at Fire Island National Seashore along the New York coast, where the barrier island it sets on was cut in two as well as shoved closer to the Long Island mainland by Hurricane Sandy.

It must be tough to be a snowshoe manufacturer. Since most recreational shoes moved away from wooden frames to aluminum ones, their lifespan went up incredibly. But that doesn't mean it might not be time for you to upgrade to one of the latest models.

Businesses that rely on national parks and their settings voiced concern Thursday over how the coming federal budget sequestration will affect their operations and the economies in their areas.