National Parks Traveler

There are places in nature where the loss of a species or two won’t send shudders through the ecosystem or even cripple it. In the tropics of Central America, for instance, new research shows that having robust diversity among mammalian species will allow for the loss of a good handful or two of species without upsetting an ecosystem.

While Death Valley's claim to a 134° Fahrenheit temperature back in 1913 is now being eyed with a measure of skepticism, the national park continues to be a very, very hot place. This year it was brutally hot at times.

There are quite a few parks associations out there, all with programs to enrich a visitor’s experience while explaining how important national parks and protected lands are. This particular quiz focuses on parks and other protected lands supported by the Western National Parks Association across 12 Western states. See just how much you know about some of these parks before checking the answers at the bottom of the page.

Comparing someone to a wide-body jetliner that could carry 500 passengers is not typically construed as a compliment, but when it comes to a brown bear putting on the pounds for winter, well, "747" suits the winner of Katmai National Park's Fat Bear 2020 contest.

Nearly 200 miles of fiber optic cable would be buried through Yellowstone National Park under a proposal officials say would improve cellphone coverage and reliability while also allowing for the removal of "antiquated telecommunication systems currently on mountain tops and from the backcountry."

Broken windows and other vandalism at the Ocracoke Lighthouse at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Caroline had park rangers asking the public for help in tracking down those responsible.

Word that someone had fallen from a cliff overlooking the Colorado River at the Glen Canyon Dam Overlook in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area led to discovery of additional human remains at the base of the dam.

As Hurricane Delta turned into a major hurricane as it churned its way across the Gulf of Mexico, some units of the National Park System on the northern coast of the gulf began shutting down to prepare for the storm.

There are well-known units of the National Park System, and then there are those that are publicity forsaken outposts. But that doesn't make them any lesser. Indeed, they are overlooked jewels. Barbara Jensen, a self-described wanderer, recently found her way to one of those jewels.

Psst. Don't be stupid and turn into a statistic on your next hike at Grand Canyon National Park.