National Parks Traveler Photo of the Week

Ensconced on a Desert Isle....

Kurt Repanshek — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:19:49 -0500

photo for week of 11/08/2009

Photographer: National Park Service

This image will seem much more appealing when there is 3 feet of snow on ground. Nevertheless, it certainly makes one want to check the airfares to Florida for a trip to Dry Tortugas National Park and Garden Key.

A New Day Dawning

Kurt Repanshek — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:35:05 -0400

photo for week of 11/01/2009

Photographer: Kay Scott

Sometimes it's the simpler things in life that bring smiles to our faces. In this case, it's the sunrise that David and Kay Scott, who write many of our lodging stories, saw one late-summer day from Rock Harbor Lodge at Isle Royale National Park. Fortunately, Kay had her camera nearby and was able to capture the scene.

Winter Even Visits Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Kurt Repanshek — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:42:50 -0400

photo for week of 10/18/2009

Photographer: Dustin Nelson, NPS.

Yosemite National Park isn't the only place with an El Capitan. Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas has its own El Cap, and when a dusting of snow fell on the area, Dustin Nelson was there with his camera.

Seems like a winter visit to the park wouldn't be out of the question.

Exploring Yosemite National Park

Kurt Repanshek — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:24:01 -0400

photo for week of 10/10/2009

Photographer: Kurt Repanshek

Yosemite National Park is much, much more than the Yosemite Valley. Head to the high country that's accessed via the Tioga Road and you enter an entirely new realm, one characterized by granite domes and peaks, pocket lakes, and thick forests.

This lake, Gaylor, is quickly accessed via a trail that starts just inside the park's Tioga Entrance.

What Bird is This?

Kurt Repanshek — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:23:44 -0400

photo for week of 10/01/2009

Photographer: Kurt Repanshek

What bird is this? Blue-winged teal? A green-winged teal of a different hue? If it is a blue-winged teal, what was it doing in Yosemite National Park, which claims the green-winged variety on its bird list but not Mr. Blue.

This shot was captured in late September near Cathedral Lakes.

A Trail By Any Other Name....

Kurt Repanshek — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:29:04 -0400

photo for week of 09/20/2009

Photographer: David Snyder

Trails signs. What would we do without them in the national parks? Some lead us on our way, some return us to civilization, and some spark conversations.

Off The Usual Paths

Kurt Repanshek — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:22:15 -0400

photo for week of 09/13/2009

Photographer: Joe Miczulski

There are places in the National Park System that seem to run contrary to the park you're in. Mention Dinosaur National Monument and folks usually will think of the Dinosaur Quarry with its bone-studded cliffside, or the turbulent rapids of the Green or Yampa rivers.

How many would think of a lichen-covered rock -- orange, red and black lichens at that! -- in Dinosaur?

So Beautiful, So Endangered

Kurt Repanshek — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 06:15:02 -0400

photo for week of 09/06/2009

Photographer: Rick Cech

If you find yourself in Biscayne National Park in the coming months, stop by the park's Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery to enjoy Butterflies of Biscayne, a photo exhibit put together by the North American Butterfly Association. The exhibit opens September 11 and runs through November 15.

Colors of the National Parks

Kurt Repanshek — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:13:54 -0400

photo for week of 08/31/2009

Photographer: National Park Service

Fall is a colorful time in the national parks. Some parks already are starting to see autumnal colors spread across the landscape. In Denali National Park and Preserve, vermillion fireweed adds a good bit of vibrant glow to the mix.

Beneath the Surface of Cape Cod National Seashore

Kurt Repanshek — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:09:01 -0400

photo for week of 08/23/2009

Photographer: John Brooks, NPS.

While many of us associate Cape Cod National Seashore with a day at the beach -- sun, sand and spray -- there's a lot going on beneath the surface of the national seashore, as this image by John Brooks shows.

Whether you call them starfish or sea stars, they're pretty cool to spot.