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National Park Service Touts Economic Might Of Parks: $31 Billion and 258,000 Jobs In 2010

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 29, 2012 - 2:38am
A steady stream of press releases trickled out from across the National Park System this week, promoting the economic might that emanates from the the parks. All told, the system generated $31 billion and 258,000 jobs in 2010, according to the National Park Service.

Reader Participation Day: Should You Keep On Clicking To Earn A Donation For Your Favorite Park?

Submitted by Danny Bernstein on February 29, 2012 - 2:35am
Companies are pitting one national park friends group against another before donating money. Is clicking on a website or Facebook page the best way for them to help our parks?

Near-Total Solar Eclipse Will Cut a Path Across Western National Parks in May

Submitted by Jim Burnett on February 29, 2012 - 2:13am
Sunday May 20, 2012 will offer a Celestial Super Bowl—a near-total solar eclipse—and parks in parts of the western U.S. will offer some prime viewing locations. If you want to make travel plans for special eclipse-related activities or purchase equipment for safe viewing, just don't wait too long to do so.

Harbor Seal Pupping Season Leads To Access Restrictions At Point Reyes National Seashore

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 29, 2012 - 2:07am
With harbor seals descending on Point Reyes National Seashore on the California coast for pupping season, restrictions on public access to various parts of the seashore take effect Thursday and run through the end of June.

PEER, National Park Foundation At Odds Over Foundation's Spending Habits

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on February 28, 2012 - 1:18pm
A watchdog group on Tuesday raised questions about how the National Park Foundation spends its charitable dollars, saying the organization lacks transparency and is top heavy. Foundation CEO Neil Mulholland adamantly rebutted those charges, saying they were "factually incorrect."

Cape Hatteras National Seashore Implements ORV Rules, Fees, Fines

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 28, 2012 - 2:19am
A hotly debated off-road-vehicle management plan has been put in place at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, where you need to obtain a permit to drive on the beaches as park managers strive to protect threatened and endangered species.

Birding in the National Parks: Spotting Birds In Canada's Fundy National Park

Submitted by Kirby Adams on February 28, 2012 - 2:17am
Birds don’t seem to recognize political borders. Some might call that uncivilized, but I find it endearing that a migrating bird doesn’t know – or care – if it’s about to land in Utah, Ohio, Mexico, or Canada. As long as the habitat is suitable and the time is right, the bird will land, and hopefully be spotted by an observant birder.

Winter Trails: Not A Bad Time To Consider A Hike Up Stony Man In Shenandoah National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 28, 2012 - 2:04am
Winter can be a great time to hike up Little Stony Man and to the summit of Stony Man in Shenandoah National Park.

Hiker Killed By 300-Foot Fall in Grand Canyon National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 27, 2012 - 3:41pm
A 24-year-old Arizona woman was killed in a 300-foot fall while hiking in Grand Canyon National Park, officials said Monday.

New Online Travel Itinerary for 25 Historic Western Water Projects

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on February 27, 2012 - 3:58am
A new online Discover Our Shared Heritage travel itinerary provides easy access to essays, images, maps, site information, and travel- and visit-related information for 25 historic water projects in 11 western states.

National Parks, A Kid's Guide To America's Parks, Monuments And Landmarks

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on February 27, 2012 - 2:54am
National Parks: A Kid
This is a good idea for a book, but its many weaknesses undercut its promise.

Traveler's View: Republican Presidential Contenders' Dim View of Federal Lands Is Short-Sighted

Submitted by NPT Editors on February 27, 2012 - 2:11am
Though national parks, per se, haven't come up during any of the debates among the Republican presidential candidates, their statements on federal lands in general look down upon the public landscape.

Winter Storm Strands More Than 150 Travelers at Grand Teton National Park, Leads Snowboarder Astray

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 26, 2012 - 4:56pm
A potent winter storm that descended on Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks this weekend stranded hundreds of travelers and led a snowboarder astray into the backcountry of Grand Teton.

Time To Apply For Permit To Climb Mount Whitney in Sequoia National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 26, 2012 - 2:57am
If this is the year you want to hike to the summit of Mount Whitney in Sequoia National Park, time is running short to get your application in.

Parks Beyond Borders #4: Looking Abroad At National Park News

Submitted by Randy Johnson on February 26, 2012 - 2:49am
A global round-up of national park news.

Through The Looking Glass: What Value Will We See In Wilderness In 2064?

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 26, 2012 - 2:12am
Areas set aside under The Wilderness Act draw frequent debate today over what uses are acceptable within officially designated wilderness. But how will we view wilderness in 2064, when The Wilderness Act notches its 100th birthday? That topic recently was explored by Jeff Rose and Dan Dustin for Park Science.

High Arsenic Concentrations Lurk In Underground Lakes At Wind Cave National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 26, 2012 - 2:05am
While underground lakes at Wind Cave National Park test high for arsenic levels, they have no bearing on the safety of the park's drinking water, according to studies

Look Rock Observation Tower In Great Smoky Mountains National Park To Be Closed For Construction

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 25, 2012 - 2:03am
Communications upgrades to the Look Rock observation tower in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will require that the area be closed to the public from February 27 through March 23.

National Park Mystery Spot 36 Revealed: Pride of the Pinelands

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on February 24, 2012 - 3:59am
Humpty Dumpty is not the only great egg.

By the Numbers: Death Valley National Park

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on February 24, 2012 - 3:59am
Death Valley National Park, the largest national park in the 48-state U.S. , is a prodigious generator of interesting statistics. Here is a generous sample.

TRACK Trail Juggernaut Rolls On

Submitted by Randy Johnson on February 24, 2012 - 2:34am
The tenth TRACK Trail interpretive path just opened on Saturday February 18th at the US Army Corps of Engineers’ W. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Construction on Bear Lake Road In Rocky Mountain National Park To Start March 5

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 24, 2012 - 2:32am
Much-needed repairs along the Bear Lake Road in Rocky Mountain National Park will lead to traffic delays for the next two years.

New License Plate Lets North Carolina Motorists Support Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 24, 2012 - 2:31am
A newly designed license plate allows North Carolina motorists to show their support for Great Smoky Mountains National Park while contributing dollars to projects funded by Friends of the Smokies.

National Park Mystery Spot 36: Seven Words

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on February 23, 2012 - 3:59am
These seven words should be enough.

Snowcoach Now Providing Access to Exit Glacier at Kenai Fjords National Park and Preserve

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 23, 2012 - 2:43am
Visiting Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park during the winter is getting a little bit easier now that the National Park Service has authorized snowcoach travel to the popular destination.

Visitors To Hot Springs National Park Spent Nearly $90 Million In The Area In 2010

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 23, 2012 - 2:40am
How much is a national park worth? That's difficult to truly answer once you move beyond dollars and cents. But if you're sticking on the economic worth, you could say Hot Springs National Park is worth about $90 million to its surrounding communities.

High Spike In Great Smoky Mountains National Park Visitation Attributed To Good Weather

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 23, 2012 - 2:15am
Great weather, when compared to January 2011, is thought to be behind a nearly 24 percent increase in visitation to Great Smoky Mountains National Park this past January.

Reader Participation Day: Has the Presence of Pythons Changed the Way You Feel About Visiting Everglades National Park?

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on February 22, 2012 - 3:59am
The National Park Service believes that the big pythons that now living in Everglades National Park are very unlikely to harm visitors. Has the presence of the pythons changed the way you feel about visiting Everglades National Park?

Crater Lake National Park Officials Given Final Say Over Sightseeing Overflights

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on February 22, 2012 - 2:55am
While legislation has been signed into law by President Obama to give Crater Lake National Park officials final say on whether to allow helicopter sightseeing tours over the park, that authority is lacking in many other units of the National Park System.

Latest Study Shows Warming Climate Forcing Alpine Chipmunks To Yosemite National Park's Roof

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 22, 2012 - 2:54am
Not only is a warming world forcing a tiny chipmunk towards the roof of Yosemite National Park, but it appears to be eroding the genetic diversity of the species as well, according to a study by University of California, Berkeley, researchers.