Who Runs This Park

Get a sneak peek into the hidden gem that is Lassen Volcanic National Park from the superintendent herself, Roseann Worley. Lassen Volcanic National Park is sometimes referred to as "Little Yosemite." Imagine all the geothermal and natural features of Yellowstone in a more condensed and less populated space—Roseann argues Lassen Volcanic is even better ;). Lassen Volcanic is located in Northeaster...

"Sucking Wind" is a term coined by Crater Lake park rangers to describe the moment when someone walks up to the rim of the caldera for the first time and takes a deep breath, overwhelmed by the surreal scene. Today, we have the privilege of interviewing Superintendent Craig Ackerman, the caretaker of this inspirational and sacred place, Crater Lake National Park. Crater Lake National Park is locat...

Rhonda Loh, a local girl from Hawaiʻi, has been working and volunteering at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park for over three decades. She has been the superintendent since 2020, with her first day on the job coinciding with an eruption—quite the greeting and way to jump into the role. In this episode, we get firsthand insight into how volcanic activity is monitored and evaluated by the US Geological...

Also referred to as the Galapagos of North America, Channel Islands is located 60 miles offshore from Santa Barbara, California and is made up of five islands. The stories Ethan McKinley, Channel Islands National Park Superintendent, shares are jaw dropping at the least -- from capturing golden eagles using helicopters and essentially pillowcases, to implementing a New Zealand designed biosecurity...

Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are located in Eastern Utah and are both famous on their own accord. Arches is home to the Delicate Arch, which has become a famous symbol of Utah (it is on their license plate) and is one of the most recognized natural formations in the United States. Canyonlands is a much larger park with many opportunities for outdoor adventure through four wheel driving, c...

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, located in northeastern Ohio is a breathtaking expanse of natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant wildlife and is unique in its proximity and relationships with surrounding communities/municipalities and its drastic transformation from a place where the river historically caught on fire to a river rich in ecology and opportunities for humans to recreate. Lisa has b...

Kobuk Valley National Park, located in northwestern Alaska is a fascinating park, with a rich history of caribou hunting and the onion portage and a unique landscape compared to other Alaska parks we have done so far with sand dunes and vast valleys where caribou migrate. In this episode we interview Ray McPadden, Kobuk Valley (and the larger Western Arctic National Parklands) Superintendent, and...

Zion National Park is globally known for its Narrows wading hike and Angels Landing, and in this interview with Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh, not only do we dive into the details behind these famous hikes (including some tips on how to best enjoy the Narrows), but we also uncover facts and stories about Zion beyond its famous hikes. We learn what soundscapes are, talk about the backcountry exper...

Close your eyes and imagine a wilderness four times bigger than Yellowstone National Park. Imagine a landscape north of the Arctic Circle with rugged mountains, vast expanses of treeless tundra, glaciated valleys, forests and many rivers and lakes. In the winter the weather can dip below -50 degrees Fahrenheit and in the month of June the sun is out for 24 hours. This vast and expansive landscape...

A subterranean park filled with adventures where your boots barely fit through the infamous “mole hole”. This episode explores Mammoth Cave National Park through the lens of its superintendent, Barclay Trimble. Barclay is motivated by experiencing different parts of the country and coming into places that aren’t running as smoothly as they should be. He came from a business background and has had...

“Creating memories is an act of preservation.” Grand Teton Superintendent, Chip Jenkins, is passionate about the impact us as visitors can have in the national parks. By visiting and sharing that we value the outdoors to our families and friends, we are creating stewards of the national parks for generations to come. “The National Park Service cannot care for Grand Teton entirely on its own.” List...

How did a lawyer become the Superintendent of our nation’s second most visited national park? Listen in to hear how Ed Keable, Grand Canyon Superintendent, transitioned into the National Park Service after serving as the highest ranking civil service lawyer in the Department of the Interior. With a commute along the canyon rim everyday, the vista reminds him of his responsibilities as superintende...

The National Park Service participated in two SXSW panels & I got to go & “report” on the discussions and attend a few days of SXSW (a tech, music, film & culture conference in Austin, Texas each year) -- truly a dream come true! This episode documents the two panels plus some fun tidbits and takeaways from my experience meeting National Park Service folks and folks across other govern...

Step into the world of Glacier National Park alongside its superintendent, Dave Roemer, as he shares his deep insights into the park's rich tapestry of history and conservation efforts. Learn about his collaboration with indigenous tribes to restore the land and their cultural traditions, his “Drink Coffee with the Superintendent” initiative and his bold decisions to proactively combat climate cha...

As someone whose love for the outdoors and desire to protect it for generations to come is evident, Kevin Schneider (Acadia Superintendent) gives us the inside scoop on the going-ons in Acadia National Park, from exciting housing projects, to his favorite places to ski within the park, to the various programs enabling people to spend time in Acadia (kids, teachers, etc), to the trails that were bu...

BONUS EPISODE: There are over 400 National Park Sites outside of the 63 National Parks. This episode invites us deeper into the heart of the National Park Service where Eric Leonard, Superintendent of the High Plains Group (four National Park Sites across Colorado & New Mexico with a narrative arc tying them all together) shares his extensive experience across a wide array of national parks, h...

“Preservation of public land, an act known round the world” -- Yellowstone hails as America’s first National Park, coining what is widely known as America’s Best Idea, the National Park Service. In this episode, we are chatting with the big kahuna, Cam Sholly, Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park. From heroically navigating a historic flood in 2022 (an 100% increase in cubic ft/s in the riv...

Cueing us into the ins-and-outs of desert parks, Jane Rodgers shares priceless tidbits on Joshua Tree, including how Minerva Hoyt, a marketing genius, promoted the establishment of Joshua Tree National Park, emphasizes that no park can operate as an island (highlighting the wide array of partnerships Joshua Tree has) and shares how they are working to achieve sustainable tourism amidst increased v...

Unveiling the wonders of Alaska’s wilderness, Susanne shares her experiences as managing one of America’s most remote national parks: commuting via plane over awe-inspiring landscapes, experiencing hair-raising encounters with coastal brown bears and navigating the challenges and preparation involved in fieldwork within Lake Clark.

Standing waist deep in the Everglades amongst bellowing alligators, mesmerized at the end of the ice road by aurora borealis and a blanket of stars, and inspired by the opportunity to work for an agency with such an outstanding mission are just a few of the experiences Bob DeGross, Superintendent of Voyageurs National Park, invites us into in this episode -- you don’t want to miss learning about h...

Sue Fritzke, former Superintendent of Capitol Reef National Park, takes us on a riveting journey of her career, starting in the Peace Corps in Ecuador, meandering through stints at some of our country's gems, including Mount Rainier, Yellowstone and Yosemite, all the way to her final position before retirement as Superintendent of Capitol Reef National Park. ⁠from the Peace Corps in Ecuador to var...

Paul Labovitz, former Superintendent of Indiana Dunes National Park, walks us through his career and his time in the National Park Service up until his final position before retirement at Indiana Dunes. Paul is a self-proclaimed city kid whose transformational experience outdoors changed his life and charted his course to work in the outdoors. In his interview, he surprises us with a career change...

David Smith, Superintendent of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, takes us on a riveting journey of his career, from working in border patrol, working in the House of Representatives as a part of the Bevinetto Fellowship, giving a TED talk on the importance of community engagement in national parks, being superintendent for almost 10 years at Joshua Tree all the way to his new posting at GGNRA,...

Laura A. Miller, Superintendent of Hot Springs National Park dives deep into the National Park Service's presence and history in Arkansas. She gives us a behind the scenes look at how National Park Sites are set up and created (namely Little Rock Central High School and President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home), talks about the unique aspects of Hot Springs National Park, with thermal w...

Don Striker, Superintendent of North Cascades National Park, goes into detail on his time in the National Park Service, sharing the ways nature brings people to tears (from Mount Rushmore to Denali), laughing about the hair-raising encounters with wildlife (including a humorous yet tense squirrel episode), reminiscing on people who took a chance on him and were willing to promote a less convention...