Recent Stories

It has been said that the National Park Service is one of America’s “best ideas.” Based on the hope that the jewels of the land could be protected for all prosperity, the NPS has evolved from an idea to a park hosting nearly 300 million visitors a year in theRead More…

Of the 390 national parks in the United States, almost all of them, with the exception of 12, depend on ground access. Originally, the official stance of the U.S. Department of the Interior was that no automobiles would be allowed in the national parks. That all changed in 1907 when,Read More…

In the year 2016, the national park system will celebrate its 100th anniversary With that special date in mind, President Bush has asked Congress to implement a $3 billion proposal to upgrade the condition of all national parks spanning over nine years entitled the “Centennial Initiative.” Approximately $100 million willRead More…

The Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, Pa., is the first national park in the nearly 100-year-old history of the National Park Service created through an open design competition. The memorial, to be dedicated in 2011 on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, is one of theRead More…

The sun rises on Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site in La Junta, Colo., and washes its brilliant light over the adobe structure where history took place during the mid-1800s. There settlers would trade in peaceful terms with the Plains Indians and use it as a residence and meeting place.Read More…

As today’s culture becomes more urban, campers and visitors think of wild animals at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in Oneida, Tenn., as well as in state and national parks across the country as a recreational petting zoo, an added feature and activity to their overall campingRead More…

What do a storm-withered building, a broken bridge, a mangled visitor center and an outdated water facility have in common? They each contribute to an estimated $8 billion deferred maintenance problem, which grows by $800 million each year. As part of his 2000 election platform, President Bush promised to balanceRead More…

Massive glaciers reduced to puddles, thousands of acres of trees are dead as they stand, and what, if anything, can we do about it? Maybe nothing. Whether increase in temperature is caused by human activity or natural earth cycles, the national parks in Alaska are experiencing environmental problems, even disasters,Read More…

When asked what kind of job is brought to mind as the word “parks” is mentioned, Laura Alonso, student at the University of Miami answers, “Rangers, of course.” That is the concept most people have about parks. It is usually believed that rangers would be the main and sometimes onlyRead More…

It starts off innocently enough. A tree looks beautiful with its red berries and seems perfect as a decorative plant. A pet snake is purchased when it’s young, cute and little. But things can quickly get out of hand, and suddenly these things don’t look so nice. This is theRead More…

Listen to the call of the wild and you might not hear what you expect. Leaves and commercial jets rustle in the wind. Water and motorboats rush through the streams. Birds and cars make their presence known to their surroundings. In a 1998 survey conducted by the National Park Service,Read More…

It can be a daunting task for a system of nearly 400 national parks, preserves and historical landmarks to support itself financially and make its resources known to the public, and understandably even more so considering it is prevented from advertising. But that’s where ingenuity and outside organizations that workRead More…