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Crater Lake National Park

National Parks Traveler Episode 21: Can Guns Protect You Against Bear Attacks?

Tom Smith, a professor of wildlife sciences at Brigham Young University and a member of the National Rifle Association, discusses how effective guns in backcountry locations are in defending against bear attacks. What he says might surprise you. This episode also looks at the Volcanic Legacy Highway that ties Lassen Volcanic National Park and Crater Lake National Park together.

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Consolidation In Managing The National Park Lodges

Who really does manage most national park lodgings? For the big operations in places such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Shenandoah, corporations. Not surprisingly, while many of the 500 management contracts administered by the National Park Service, such as providing firewood or operating a bicycle rental operation, are relatively straightforward, those for large commercial facilities such as lodging in Yosemite or Yellowstone are extremely complicated. David and Kay Scott bring some clarity to this issue in their latest article pertaining to lodging in the National Park System.

National Parks 101: Who Runs The Lodges And Dining Establishments?

Many travelers (readers of the Traveler excepted) mistakenly believe commercial facilities in the national parks – lodging, dining, and retail - are operated by the federal government. While national park officials have ultimate oversight on things such as pricing, these facilities are operated by private companies that bid for the right to rent rooms, operate dining facilities, sell T-shirts, and offer specified activities such as trail rides and guided tours. NPS rangers continue to staff visitor centers and offer interpretive activities, but nearly all commercial activities are handled by the private sector.

New Executive Order Could Open Forests In National Parks To Logging

An executive order expected to be posted Monday in the Federal Register is somewhat open-ended in directing the Interior and Agriculture departments to actively manage forests to reduce the risk of wildfires. Conservationists are concerned how the order could either directly or indirectly affect lands within the National Park System.

National Parks Well Represented On List Of Volcanoes Posing Highest Threats

Have you visited Hawai'i National Park and gotten close to the Kīlauea Volcano, enjoyed Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park, climbed to the top of Lassen Peak in its namesake park, or hiked down to Crater Lake? If so, you've placed yourself in the midst of some of the country's most dangerous volcanoes in terms of the threats they pose, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

National Parks Fire Roundup

Fires from Wyoming to Hawaii continue to rage in the National Park System, with thousands of firefighters battling flames that are sending billowing, choking clouds of smoke into some parks and limiting access in others. The Yosemite Valley, Wawona area, and Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias all remained closed in Yosemite National Park on Thursday.

National Parks Fire Roundup

From Yellowstone to Grand Canyon, and Crater Lake to Sequoia, wildfires are burning in western areas of the National Park System. But the national park hardest hit by a wildfire is Yosemite, where the Yosemite Valley and Wawona areas were to close at noon Wednesday due to smoke and firefighters tied to a fire outside the park's western borders.

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.