Parkography

Use code PARKS30 for $30 off of a $500 or more booking at www.rvshare.com. In this episode, we're looking at the federal government's decision to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades, Death Valley National Park has reopened most of its roads after last year's severe flooding, a group of skiers is rescued at Kenai Fjords, and more.  Comment on the Rocky Mountain National Park camping fee...

Once the only access road to Capitol Reef National Park, Capitol Gorge provides a harsh and beautiful stone causeway that opens up into a world of bizarre and varied stone formations, desert washes both narrow and wide, and the types of plants common in the high desert – stunted trees like pinyon pine and Utah juniper, prickly pear cactus, the brilliant orange of globemallows and striking red of d...

What's with the big controversy over wild horses? In this episode, we take a look at these creatures and their place in the ecology and history of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  Use code PARKS30 for $30 off of a $500 or more booking at www.rvshare.com.

In this episode, we're taking a look two vandalism incidents in national parks, a lawsuit against the National Park Service over not accepting cash as payment for entrance at some units, some potential new and expanded national monuments, and the details of the upcoming National Park Week. Use code PARKS30 for $30 off of a $500 or more booking at www.rvshare.com.

In this episode, we're taking a look at the new EXPLORE act, passed by the US House of Representatives and on its way to the Senate, that will establish new bike trails, new accessible trails, ease concessionaire permitting in National Parks, and more, along with revamping the rules that pretty much shut down filming videos in national parks over the past few years. Use code PARKS30 for $30 off of...

In this episode of America's National Parks, we embark on a journey of comparison and discovery, exploring the grandeur of the natural world through the lens of America's most treasured landscapes. From the towering sequoias of California and the vast expanse of the Grand Canyon to the cliffs of Zion and the shifting sands of the Great Sand Dunes, we compare these natural wonders to man-made marve...

An entire food chain lives in the Everglades. But throughout its coexistence with man, the Everglades have been threatened by poachers, who disrupt the delicate balance of this important ecosystem.  By Lauren Eisenberg Davis Hosted by Jason Epperson Use promo code PARKS20OFF to get $20 off your next purchase of $200 or more at solostove.com.

The Zion Canyon Visitor Center is one of the greenest buildings in the National Park Service inventory. In this episode, we take a look at how it cools without air conditioners, heats without a furnace, and more. Plus, as park visitation grows, how a second visitor center on the other side of the park could improve the visitor experience.  Use promo code PARKS20OFF to get $20 off your next purchas...

In this episode, we look at the final National Park visitation numbers for 2023, a new budget for the NPS from the White House, an employee housing crisis in the National Park Service, a new look at Gateway Arch National Park, and more. Use promo code PARKS20OFF to get $20 off your next purchase of $200 or more at solostove.com.

In this episode, we delve into the untold stories of the women who lived in the shadows of America's majestic landscapes, their lives intertwined with the national parks we cherish today. The wives of National Park Rangers played a pivotal role in the early days of the National Park Service, yet their contributions have largely gone unrecognized. As we explore the isolation, challenges, and the re...

Dive into the heart of Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park, a landscape where the Painted Desert's kaleidoscopic hues meet the ancient, stone-cast logs of the Petrified Forest. This episode takes you through the mesmerizing colors and geological wonders that define the park, from the brilliant reds and oranges sculpted by mineral sediments to the fascinating process that transformed wood into...

In this month's national park news, new-to-science fossils have been uncovered at Mammoth Cave and John Day Fossil Beds, a rabies scare is taking hold at Saguaro National Park, a man gets convicted for diverting the Platte River at Sleeping Bear Dunes, and more. Hosted by Jason Epperson Visit LLBean.com to find great gear for exploring the national parks.  Use promo code PARKS20OFF to get $20 off...

Set against the backdrop of Miami’s skyline, six structures rise from the turquoise waters of Biscayne Bay. Rugged and isolated, these houses on stilts are an unexpected site in the midst of a national park water world that was designated to preserve the coral reefs, seagrasses, mangrove forests, and other natural features. Cormorants and herons perch on the houses' roofs, railings, and pylons. Do...

Salem Maritime is not just any National Historic Site; it’s the first place the National Park Service was tasked with preserving that wasn’t about nature, scenery, or wildlife. Over 160 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, It was time to preserve our history. Hosted by Jason Epperson Visit LLBean.com to find great gear for exploring the national parks.  Use promo code PARKS2...

In this month's news round-up, we take a look at some concerns about the ranks of National Park Service employees: morale is lower than that of other federal employees, and Park Service criminal investigators are down by nearly half. Plus, actor Pierce Brosnan has been busted for going off-trail in a thermal area of Yellowstone, a Mexican Wolf has been spotted in Valles Caldera after nearly 100 ye...

Gold Mining drew the world's eye to the wonders of Alaska. Some of our most treasured landscapes were explored in the first place in the effort to strike it rich. But what are the ramifications of gold mining in our national parks? Even in places where it ended a century ago? In this episode, we explore the effects of gold mining in the Kantishna hills of Denali National Park. Find the Alaska Park...

George Rogers Clark, the twenty-six-year-old commander of the Kentucky Militia, petitioned Virginia governor Patrick Henry to be allowed to take 500 American troops into Kentucky (already annexed to Virginia) to conquer the Northwest for Virginia, and increase the footprint of the state and its aspiring country. He proposed to claim the key towns and forts for America, on a march to ultimately con...

In this episode, we share all the ins and outs of Yosemite's new returning reservation system; we share the news about three new National Park Service sites; two motorcyclists took a closed road in Death Valley and had to be rescued by the US Navy, and more. Hosted by Jason Epperson Visit LLBean.com to find great gear for exploring the national parks.  Use promo code PARKS20 to get $20 off your ne...

The defacement at National Park sites goes beyond graffiti, and each layer peeled back raises more questions about what destruction is vs. what a historical artifact is. Somewhere in between the ancient rock markings from the Native Americans and the brash, purposeful defacement by current-day visitors, lies an entire spectrum that comprises a a very grey area for interpretation. Written by Lauren...

For this holiday season, we thought it’d be great to revisit short stories we told way back in 2018 about magical Christmases in America’s first national park. Hear the splendor of the holidays in early years at Yellowstone, and discover how three 6-year-olds saved Christmas from an impending disaster.  Hosted by Jason Epperson Visit LLBean.com to find great gear for exploring the national parks. ...

At the 125th anniversary of the Battle at Gettysburg, Nearing the end of the Cold War, famous scientist Dr. Carl Sagan would re-dedicate the Eternal Light Peace Memorial. The speech, co-written with his wife Ann Druyan, juxtaposed the weapons of the Battle of Gettysburg with the weapons of subsequent wars, highlighting the increased potential for destruction with each war.  Sagan used the platform...

From the reintroduction of timed entry systems at Arches, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain National Parks for 2024 to the National Park Service's commitment to increasing female representation in law enforcement roles, a lot is happening across the country's parks. We also dive into the concerning discovery of chronic wasting disease in a mule deer at Yellowstone National Park, the heroic rescue of an...

Imagine the crunch of rock and the creak of leather, the clatter of horse hooves against the stone, and the warm breeze that carries the scent of pine through the open plains. You're not just stepping into Yellowstone National Park; you're rolling back the curtains of time to an era when travel was as much about the journey as the destination. On this episode, we'll journey through the storied pat...

In the northeast corner of Utah, the westernmost entrance to Dinosaur National Monument welcomes visitors along the banks of the Green River, the road separated from the water by desert scrub foliage. The Fossil Discovery Trail snakes through the rugged landscape. The trail erupts in the colors and textures of the desert. Don’t be distracted by the scenery to discover the ultimate reward. A far cr...

Nestled within the rugged landscapes of Montana and Wyoming, Bighorn Canyon is a testament to nature's artistry and the relentless force of time. Carved by millennia of water erosion from the Bighorn River, this expansive chasm presents a breathtaking tableau of dramatic cliffs, verdant valleys, and winding waterways. Each bend of the river and twist of the canyon tells a story, one of ancient geo...