Canyonlands National Park

Reader Participation Day: California, or Utah, For A National Park Trek?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on July 21, 2010 - 1:49am

If you had the option of either traveling to Utah for a swing through its national parks, or to California to sample its national parks, which would you choose?

One More Request For Your Help In Keeping The Traveler On-line

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on July 19, 2010 - 1:30am

As we bring an end to our week-long fund-raising drive to keep the Traveler on-line, we'd like to thank the many readers who responded with donations, and make a final request to those sitting on the fence.

Stars Above, Earth Below, A Guide to Astronomy In the National Parks

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on June 24, 2010 - 1:56am

Add Stars Above, Earth Below, a Guide to Astronomy in the National Parks to your library and you'll not only gain a better appreciation of the dark skies over national parks, but you'll also be better informed on the stars twinkling at you.

ReserveAmerica Can't Find a National Park Campground It Likes

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on June 16, 2010 - 1:59am

ReserveAmerica, the company that manages camping reservations for the National Park System and other federal agencies, can't seem to find a national park campground it likes. In listing its "Top 100 Family Campgrounds," the company doesn't cite a single national park campground.

Treasures Of America's National Parks

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on June 10, 2010 - 1:30am

Before Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan came out with their view of the National Park System, many others were turning their cameras on the parks. One collection I've found that is worthy of space in your DVD collection is Treasures of America's National Parks, a six-disk collection of some of the system's icons.

National Park Quiz 83: Reproduction

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on June 9, 2010 - 2:37am

Let's see how much you know about the intricate business of passing along genes in our national parks. Answers are at the end. If we catch you peeking, we'll make you write on the whiteboard 100 times: "Bacterial conjugation, which is sometime erroneously characterized as the bacterial equivalent of sexual reproduction, cannot succeed unless the donor bacterium hosts a plasmid, transposon, or similar genetic element that is conjugative or mobilizable."

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By Bob Janiskee

"There's Something I Forgot to Tell You"

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on June 7, 2010 - 1:38am

Memory lapses add spice to life.

Creature Feature: The Common Raven is an Uncommonly Intelligent Bird

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on June 4, 2010 - 2:59am

The common raven is one of the brainiest birds you'll encounter in the national parks, but the same keen intellect that makes this species interesting and amusing also makes it troublesome.

Trails I've Hiked: Canyonlands National Park's Elephant Hill Trail

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on May 20, 2010 - 1:35am

Without a doubt, there is no better time to hike in Utah's canyon country than spring. In Canyonlands National Park on the Elephant Hill Trail mid-May blends on one palette the reds, yellows, golds, and whites of wildflowers against a redrock backdrop daubed with cream and buff.

Reader Participation Day: Which Is Your Favorite National Park Gateway Town?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on May 19, 2010 - 1:12am

If you had to pick a gateway town to live in -- not because of its associated national park, but because of its atmosphere -- which would you choose?

Best National Parks for Admiring "Rock Art"

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on May 14, 2010 - 1:23am

There are a handful of places in the National Park System where you can view petroglyphs or pictographs. Some are walk-up panels that you can ponder for hours, others require a float down a river or a long hike. Here's a quick look at some of those units and what you can expect to find.

Common Southwestern Native Plants, An Identification Guide

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on May 12, 2010 - 12:00am

Anyone who spends time hiking in the national parks of the Southwest needs a good plant identification book. And "Common Southwestern Native Plants, An Identification Guide," is one of those books.

Republicans, Democrats Differ Over Whether National Park Designations Should Block Energy Projects

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on May 11, 2010 - 1:47am

When the Bush administration late in 2008 tried to auction energy leases near national parks in Utah, there was an outcry by many who considered siting oil and gas exploration projects next to parks was anathema. The Obama administration quickly reversed the decision, but the debate over whether to locate energy projects next to parks continues.

$200 Off On Float Trip Through Cataract Canyon In Canyonlands National Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on May 10, 2010 - 1:00am

One of the classic river trips in the Southwest is riding the Colorado River through Cataract Canyon with the sandstone walls of Canyonlands National Park rising overhead. You can sign up to run that stretch this summer, and save $200 per person, but you have to act fast.

Tamarisk, aka "Salt Cedar," A Thirsty Scourge Of Western National Parks

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on May 6, 2010 - 1:29am

The showy tamarisk tree, aka "Saltcedar," long has been reviled as a thirsty scourge of Western national park riparian areas. But new research shows it's not any thirstier than some native species. However, tamarisk isn't valued as highly as cottonwoods and willows by some bird species, the studies say.

Oil and Gas Production And the National Parks

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on May 5, 2010 - 1:55am

Against fears that the white-sand beaches of Gulf Islands National Seashore soon might be darkened by an oily slick from the Deepwater Horizon disaster, natural gas production flows quietly from Padre Islands National Seashore.

Researchers Exploring Cave Dwellers From Bandelier National Monument's Long Ago Past

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on April 8, 2010 - 1:12am

The American Southwest is honeycombed with ruins from long-past civilizations. Mesa Verde National Park and Canyon de Chelly National Monument are well-known for their cliff dwellings, while at Bandelier National Monument the sandstone walls are pocked with "cavates" used as shelter centuries ago.

NPCA: Tell the Obama Administration That Clear Air And Clear Views Across National Parks are Vital

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on April 7, 2010 - 1:02am

Debate over the country's energy needs, environmental conditions, and the resulting quality of life is not new. It's unending, ongoing, and downright rancorous at times. But does it need to be? With hazy views across spectacular parks in the Southwest, how can we turn that debate into solutions?

Traveler's Gear Box: Moab Trails Illustrated Explorer

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on April 2, 2010 - 1:07am

One CD-Rom that works with either Mac or PC. Mapping software that let's you zoom in and out, pan right or left, and take a bird's eye 3-D view of the lay of the land. And the ability to load the map onto more than a few GPS units. Has National Geographic hit upon something with its Trails Illustrated Explorer series?

Stewart Udall: A Model of a Conservationist

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 28, 2010 - 1:39am

If you've ever walked through a national park, hiked down a trail, backpacked into wilderness, or paddled a wild and scenic stream, pause and give a minute of thanks for Stewart Udall.

Is A Tar Sands Project Coming Close To a National Park You Love?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 23, 2010 - 1:42am

Back in January 2008 the Traveler warned about a movement in the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to allow tar sands development in Utah. Well, it seems that project could soon be sprouting near Arches National Park and Dinosaur National Monument.

Is There Economic Value to That National Monument in Your Backyard?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 17, 2010 - 1:34am

While some politicians have rushed to condemn preliminary talks within the Interior Department over whether President Obama should designate any national monuments, past performance shows these establishments can bolster the surrounding economy.

Reader Participation Day: Which National Park Brings the Best Out In Your Camera?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 10, 2010 - 4:50am

It's a given: national parks are great places to take photographs. And yet, there are some parks that seem to produce better photos from my camera than others. Which national parks do you find the most photogenic?

Will The Long-Desired "Completion" Of Canyonlands National Park Ever Arrive?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on February 21, 2010 - 4:45am

From the lip of Grand View Point, an immense ruddy sweep of a landscape in a constant state of decay runs before your eyes. And yet, though you're in the heart of Canyonlands National Park, not all you see is within the park. And for many, that's a problem that should have been corrected long ago.

Spring in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks: The Logistics

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on February 2, 2010 - 4:07am

Arches and Canyonlands national parks are colorful siblings that are great to visit any time of year, but to spare yourself the high heat of summer one of the best seasons to visit is Spring. Here are some keys to accomplishing such a trip.

Looking To Gain A Little Structured Education On Your National Park Trip?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on January 24, 2010 - 4:08am

Can you tell by looking at a wildflower in Yellowstone National Park what the underlying geology is? Or, while hiking through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, can you identify a bird simply by its song? Do you want to get relatively up close to the elephant seals at Point Reyes National Seashore? Here's how you can do all those things and more.

Wanna Float Through Geologic History? Sale On For Utah Raft Trips Down Yampa, Green, And Colorado Rivers

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on January 13, 2010 - 4:00am

Ever get the itch to take a float through the colorful landscape of Utah's canyon country? Well, the folks at Holiday Expeditions are offering a 20 percent-off sale on select trips through Dinosaur National Monument and Canyonlands National Park.

A National Park Visiting Wish List for 2010

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on January 9, 2010 - 3:56am

Last year’s travels took me to half a dozen national parks new to my resume. This year there are five new ones and five old friends on the horizon. A guy could do worse.

Dark, Starry Skies Above National Parks Celebrated by Posters, Forthcoming Book

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 8, 2009 - 3:26am

Some of the best star gazing can be had in national parks. Proof of that can be found at Natural Bridges National Monument, Yellowstone National Park, Big Bend National Park, even Acadia National Park. Those and other park settings are celebrated in a series of night sky posters issued in conjunction with the International Year of Astronomy.

Updated: NPS Director Jarvis Ends "Core Ops" Budgeting Across The National Park System

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 4, 2009 - 2:25pm

In a brief, four-paragraph memorandum, National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis has brought to an end a controversial budgeting process that stripped arguably key positions from parks. Dubbed "core ops" for its approach to analyzing a park's core operations, the process failed to produce wise budgeting decisions, the director said in a letter to his regional directors.