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Parks Beyond Borders: Conference On European Wilderness Set During "The Gathering" Travel Year In Ireland

Submitted by Randy Johnson on March 31, 2013 - 7:27am
The topic of “rewilding” Europe will come up for serious consideration at a May 14-16, 2013 international conference on The Potential and Challengees of Developing Wilderness in Modified European Landscapes. The conference, to be held in County Mayo, Ireland.

Can You Identify These "Historic Firsts" In The National Park System?

Submitted by Jim Burnett on March 31, 2013 - 1:32am
The country's first National Historic Site celebrated its 75th anniversary earlier this month, and the occasion offers the opportunity for some fun challenges for NPS trivia buffs. Can you identify the NPS area claiming this historic "first"? How about the location of America's first National Battlefield, or the former national park that's now a national monument?

Around The Parks: Shorebird Nesting, Culling Deer At Rock Creek, Gettysburg Tours

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 31, 2013 - 1:12am
Let's take a quick look around the National Park System at some of the issues and activities different units are involved with.

Shenandoah National Park Facilities To Open For Spring

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 31, 2013 - 1:12am
With the arrival of spring in the Appalachians facilities in Shenandoah National Park will soon be open for visitors to take a break from their ride along Skyline Drive.

Mesa Verde National Park To Sell Tickets For Cliff Dwelling Tours Beginning April 7

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 30, 2013 - 1:29am
Tickets for tours of the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park will go on sale April 7 at the park's new Visitor and Research Center.

Another County Voices Opposition To Backcountry Fees At Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 29, 2013 - 1:52am
Opposition continues to mount in the counties surrounding Great Smoky Mountains National Park to backcountry fees the park instituted earlier this year.

Stop By Mesa Verde Visitor And Research Center On Your Next Trip To Mesa Verde National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 29, 2013 - 1:27am
A wonderful new visitor center is ready to greet you at Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado, one that can orient you to the park and which features some of the more than 3 million artifacts in the park's collections.

Glacier National Park Budget Cuts Mean Fewer Rangers, Less Trail Maintenance, Reduced Services

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 29, 2013 - 1:11am
While Glacier National Park officials fully expect the Going-to-the-Sun Road to be open on schedule this summer, budget cuts forced on the agency will mean reductions in other areas of park operations that will impact visitors.

Bodie Island Light At Cape Hatteras National Seashore To Reopen After Lengthy Renovations

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 28, 2013 - 1:50am
After a lengthy, and surprisingly costly, restoration, the Bodie Island Lighthouse at Cape Hatteras National Seashore will reopen to visitors next month.

Communities Chip In To Help Yellowstone Open On Time

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 28, 2013 - 1:37am
An outpouring of community support from gateway towns is helping Yellowstone National Park open for the spring on schedule, as opposed to several weeks later as officials thought they'd have to do under budget cuts.

"Muir's Ride" Intended To Boost Support For Draining, Restoring Yosemite National Park's Hetch Hetchy Valley

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 28, 2013 - 1:14am
A two-wheeled initiative is being added to the annual "Muir's March" that aims to generate support for draining and restoring the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park.

Snow Delays Spring Opening Of Clingmans Dome Road At Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by Jim Burnett on March 27, 2013 - 1:40pm
The calendar may show it's spring, but you wouldn't know it by conditions across much of the country this week. Among the areas where winter just won't let go is Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where a recent snowstorm will delay the planned spring opening of the road to Clingmans Dome.

Parkway Superintendent Phil Francis Retires After A Career of Parkway Firsts

Submitted by Randy Johnson on March 27, 2013 - 3:57am
Phil Francis, the National Park Service’s superintendent for the Blue Ridge Parkway since 2005, is retiring on April 1st.

Passport App From Eastern National Wins Honors At Association Of Partners For Public Lands Conference

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 27, 2013 - 1:58am
The Passport To Your National Parks® iPhone application was selected as the winner of the Electronic Media category at the 10th annual Association of Partners for Public Lands Media and Partnership Awards.

Grand Canyon National Park Has Plans To Celebrate Earth Day

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 27, 2013 - 1:51am
A film on the work of conservationist Aldo Leopold is just one of the highlights of the Earth Day celebration planned at Grand Canyon National Park next month.

Isle Royale National Park's Wolf Population Down To Just Eight, No New Pups Last Year

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 27, 2013 - 1:16am
Just eight wolves can be found at Isle Royale National Park, the lowest count ever tallied, and no new pups were brought into the population last year, another first that seemingly moves the population closer to extinction.

Updated: Republicans Criticize New National Monuments.....And Push For National Historical Park

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 26, 2013 - 12:54pm
No out-of-pocket expenses were required by the National Park Service to take control of three national monuments designated this week by President Obama, and contrary to claims by two Republican congressmen many members of the public supported the designations.

Birding In The National Parks: Looking For The Regulars At Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Submitted by Kirby Adams on March 26, 2013 - 2:40am
Sometimes, if you look around, you can find some pretty good birding in your own backyard.

Cuts To Grand Teton National Park's Staff Will Delay Emergency Response, Close Some Facilities

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 26, 2013 - 2:33am
Climbers, backcountry travelers, and even front-country campers at Grand Teton National Park will face longer response times if they get in trouble this year as a result of federal budget cuts, according to the park superintendent.

Songs For Junior Rangers: An Interview With Jeff Wolin

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 26, 2013 - 2:03am
Have you heard about the new award-winning Songs for Junior Rangers CD? Written by Ranger Jeff Wolin of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, this collection of kid-friendly songs was released recently by the National Park Service, and will have kids singing, dancing, and laughing as they learn fun facts about history and nature.

Final Season Of Bear Lake Road Construction In Rocky Mountain National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 25, 2013 - 1:59am
You can expect one more summer of road construction in the Bear Lake area of Rocky Mountain National Park, but this should be the end of the project that began back in 2003

Wine, Drilling, Interior Secretaries And The National Parks

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 25, 2013 - 1:55am
Wine, drilling, Interior secretaries and the national parks. That's quite a collection of park-related topics. Let's take a look at what's going on.

North Cascades National Park Given Go-Ahead To Implement Stehekin River Plan

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 25, 2013 - 1:46am
North Cascades National Park officials have received the go-ahead to implement a plan for mitigating flooding along the Stehekin River, a plan that calls for relocating a stretch of road, adding some recreational amenities, and moving some structures out of the flood plain

Hard-Rock Mining Ban Around Grand Canyon National Park Upheld By Federal Judge

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 25, 2013 - 1:21am
An effort to overturn the Obama administration's moratorium on new mining claims on some 1 million acres around Grand Canyon National Park has been rejected by a federal judge.

Parks Beyond Borders: Icelandic National Park Rangers and Partners Train in United States; Wales' Brecon Beacons Gets Dark Sky Designation

Submitted by Randy Johnson on March 24, 2013 - 4:35am
Icelandic park rangers and partners just finished a two-week visit to the United States, learning about American-style national park management, development and conservation at national parks in Washington and Oregon.

The Graphic History Of Gettysburg - America's Most Famous Battle And The Turning Point Of The Civil War

Submitted by Jim Burnett on March 24, 2013 - 1:49am
Gettysburg: The Graphic History of America
This "illustrated history" offers a concise and readable overview of "America's most famous battle and the turning point of the Civil War." Although the target audience is older children and young adults, the book provides a nice visual summary of the Battle of Gettysburg for almost any reader.

Desert Treasures: Spring Blooms In Big Bend National Park

Submitted by George Miller on March 24, 2013 - 1:46am
Thoughts of spring wildflowers usually bring visions of lush hills and meadows with picturesque streams. But not the desert. Certainly not arid West Texas. Yet by April, especially in years following a wet autumn, wildflowers and cacti turn the rugged landscape of Big Bend National Park into a palette of rainbow hues. And migrating birds add their colorful magic to the trees and thorn-covered vegetation.

Cape Cod National Seashore Rebuilding Facilities With Climate Change In Mind

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 24, 2013 - 1:43am
Hurricane Sandy and the Blizzard of '13 are history, but in their wake National Park Service managers are rebuilding with an eye on more of the same potent storms in the years ahead. At Cape Cod National Seashore, that also means keeping sea level rise in mind.

Shuttle System Back Running At Zion National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 23, 2013 - 1:32am
Shuttle buses once again are ready to carry you into Zion Canyon at Zion National Park, with daily service resuming this Sunday and continuing through October 28.

Updated: Five National Monuments Expected To Be Designated Next Week

Submitted by NPT Staff on March 22, 2013 - 8:23am
Five national monuments, including one in Delaware, the only state without a National Park System presence, are expected to be designated next week by President Obama.