National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 303 | Change Happens

Change happens…and sometimes it doesn’t.Change certainly is underway in Washington, where the incoming Trump administration is putting its players in position with promises of changing, or maybe upsetting, the status quo.Against that, the National... THE WHOLE STORY

  • A northern flickr sitting on a tree branch, Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
    Northern Flickr, Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
    Wind Cave National Park - NPS/N. Lewis

    The proximity of Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota is within the geographic center of the continent. This blend of prairie and forest ecosystems provide homes to over 100 bird species found within the park, and you might find birds from both the east and west side of the country, like the red-headed woodpecker or the black-billed magpie. You might also see birds in this national park with combined eastern and western markings, like the northern Flicker, which will usually have the black mustache stripe of a flickr from the eastern part of the country, and also the orange or red feathers of a flickr found in the western portion of the country.

  • A coastal brown bear cub hugging its mother's face while its sibling looks in the direction of the camera at Lake Clark National Park and Preserve
    An Alaskan Brown Bear Family Unit, Lake Clark National Park And Preserve
    Lake Clark National Park and Preserve - Rebecca Latson

    Did you know, coastal Alaskan brown bears tend to be larger than their inland brethren? That's because the coastal bears have access to not only protein-rich sedges and ripe berries, but clams and fat-rich salmon. You can read more about these brown bears in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve by clicking here.

  • The brown and white stripes of two glaciers merging together at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
    The Gates Glacier Merging With The Kennicott Glacier, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park And Preserve
    Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve - National Park Service

    Within park boundaries exists the nation's largest glacial system, with glaciers covering 35 percent of the parklands. Some glaciers do not look pristine like you might picture them. Those brown lines you see in the photo are medial moraines. According to the National Park Service:

    Medial moraines form where two tributary glaciers come together. They are generally surficial features on the ice and often consist of rock that has fallen from a rockwall where the glaciers converge. Because they are thin, surficial features, medial moraines are rarely preserved after the ice retreats.

  • A frame-filling vies of Denali Mountain wreathed by clouds, Denali National Park and Preserve
    Clouds Around The Mountain, Denali National Park And Preserve
    Denali National Park and Preserve - Rebecca Latson

    Denali Mountain is taller than Mount Everest. Truth! In addition to being the tallest mountain in North America, when measured from base to summit, Denali is actually a mile taller than Everest, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). 

    To read more fun facts about Denali, click here.

  • A beige expanse of sand dunes "flowing" out into the dense forest at Kobuk Valley National Park
    The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, Kobuk Valley National Park
    Kobuk Valley National Park - National Park Service

    The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes in Kobuk Valley National Park are the largest active sand dunes in the Arctic. Along with the smaller Little Kobuk Sand Dunes and Hunt River Sand Dunes, the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes create 30 square miles (77.7 sq km) of towering sand 35 miles (56 km) above the Arctic Circle. 

  • Blue-tinged ice of a glacier flowing out toward the water of Kenai Fjords National Park
    Mountains, Glacier, And Water, Kenai Fjords National Park
    Kenai Fjords National Park - NPS - Victoria Stauffenberg

    According to the National Park Service:

    At the edge of the Kenai Peninsula lies a land where the ice age lingers. Nearly 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield, Kenai Fjords' crowning feature. Wildlife thrives in icy waters and lush forests along the fjords once carved by the vast expanse of ice. Today, shrinking glaciers bear witness to the effects of our changing climate.

  • A brown glacier flowing between two snowy mountains and emptying out into a brown river in Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Katmai National Park and Preserve
    One Of The Knife Creek Glaciers, Katmai National Park And Preserve
    Katmai National Park and Preserve - NPS - Chad Hults

    Some 3,000 feet (914 m) below Mount Katmai and encroaching into the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes are the Knife Creek Glaciers, covered with as much as 6 feet (2 meters) of ash and pumice. Hikers can walk right up to the foot of, and even onto the glaciers, if they wish (with caution).

  • A small white bird with dark wings and many dark spots known as a Kittlitz's murrelet  flying over the water at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
    A Kittlitz's Murrelet In Flight, Glacier Bay National Park And Preserve
    Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve - National Park Service

    According to the National Park Service:

    Kittlitz’s Murrelet is a seabird endemic to Alaska and eastern Russia. Though they also occur in a variety of open-water habitats, they are often associated with areas near tidewater glaciers. A large portion of the world’s population depends on the glacial fjord of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve for its summer breeding habitat.

    To read more about this small bird, click here.

  • An aerial view of a meandering river flowing through a valley rimmed by snowcapped mountains, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
    A Meandering River In A Valley Rimmed By Snowcapped Mountains, Gates Of The Arctic National Park And Preserve
    Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve - National Park Service

    Many rivers flow through the stunning mountainous landscape of Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, including six national wild and scenic rivers: Alatna River, John River, Kobuk River, Noatak River, North Fork of the Koyukuk River, and Tinayguk River.

  • A dragonfly wtih orange-and-black stripes on its veined wings, balancing on the top of a plant stem, at Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
    The Balancing Act Of A Halloween Pennant Dragonfly, Mississippi National River And Recreation Area
    Mississippi National River and Recreation Area - National Park Service

    There are plants and insects named after special days of the calendar, such as this Halloween Pennant Dragonfly seen around Pickerel Lake at the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Ranging from New Mexico and Colorado to as far north as Maine, this dragonfly gets its name from its orange-and-black wing coloration. BOO!! Happy Halloween!

  • An aerial view of a skylight (opening in a lava tube) with bright orange-yellow lave flowing beneath the ropy, shiny pahoehoe lava at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
    "Eye" See You Through A Skylight, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
    Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park - Rebecca Latson

    Take a helicopter ride over active volcanics in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and you might just see a bright "eye" of lava looking at you through a lava "skylight" - an opening in the roof of a lava tube through which red-hot lava is flowing. You can learn about volcanic terms you might come across during a visit to this national park by reading this Hawai'i Volcanoes Primer. You  can also read more about magnificent volcanic action by reading the Traveler article In Awe Of Pele's Force.

  • A spooky, overcast afternoon with large rainclouds over the salt flats of Badwater Basin at Death Valley National Park in California
    A Dark And Spooky Afternoon At Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park
    Death Valley National Park - Rebecca Latson

    Halloween is drawing nigh and even landscapes in units of the National Park System can look at bit spooky. The patterned salt flats at Death Valley National Park in California are no exception when the afternoon darkens because of heavy rainclouds. 

  • Flowstone over stalagmites just off the paved trail through Lehman Caves in Great Basin National Park, Nevada
    Flowstone And Stalagmites In Lehman Caves, Great Basin National Park
    Great Basin National Park - Rebecca Latson

    The discovery of Lehman Caves eventually led to the establishment of Lehman Caves National Monument, which in turn led to the establishment of Great Basin National Park in Nevada. Lehman Caves, like Jewel Cave in South Dakota, is filled with amazing, whimsical, and intricate speleothems (cave formations). You can read about Lehman Caves by clicking here.

  • Golden trees, a braided river, and dramatic clouds in an overcast sky along Savage River at Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska
    A View Of The Landscape Just A Short Walk From The Savage River Campground, Denali National Park And Preserve
    Denali National Park and Preserve - National Park Service

    There are six campgrounds located within Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Each campground has its own amazing landscape views. The Savage River Campground offers dramatic views just a short walk away from the campsites. To read more about Denali's campgrounds, click here.

  • A gray carriage road bordered by tall green trees and carpeted with autumn bright gold leaves at Acadia National Park in Maine
    A Golden Carriage Road, Acadia National Park
    Acadia National Park - Rebecca Latson

    Acadia National Park in Maine is another one of those units of the National Park System famous for it's fall foliage colors. You can learn more about what you might see during different seasons at Acadia by clicking here.

  • Bright gold, yellow, and orange fall foliage photographed from an overlook at Shenandoah National Park
    Autumn Foliage As Seen From Point Overlook, Shenandoah National Park
    Shenandoah National Park - NPS/Dave Kiel

    Shenandoah National Park in Virginia is a unit of the National Park System popular for its autumn "leaf peeping" opportunities. To read more about enjoying Shenandoah's fall colors, click here.

  • Fantastic corkscrew and squiggly shapes created by white gypsum and an ink pen next to the cave formations for scale at Jewel Cave National Monument
    Gypsum Flowers, Jewel Cave National Monument
    Jewel Cave National Monument - National Park Service

    Gypsum "flowers" are a speleothem (cave formation) that form when thicker gypsum crystals form and grow outward from the cave walls. They often form curved or flower-petal-like shapes. To learn more about speleothems at Jewel Cave, click here.

  • A yellow tent all lit up by lanterns at a Grant Campground campsite with a picnic table surrounded by trees and a starry night sky above, Yellowstone National Park
    A Tent Beneath The Stars, Yellowstone National Park
    Yellowstone National Park - Rebecca Latson

    There's something to be said for pitching a tent beneath the stars at one of Yellowstone National Park's many campgrounds. You can read about those campgrounds by clicking here.

  • Tipi poles on a dry grass prairie with tall blue mountains in the distance and dramatic storm clouds overhead, Big Hole National Battlefield
    Tipi Poles And Tall Mountains, Bighole National Battlefield
    Big Hole National Battlefield - National Park Service

    146 years ago today, just before dawn, gunshots rang out throughout the peaceful valley of ?ıckumcılé.lıkpe (Big Hole Valley), startling awake a sleeping camp of 800 nimí·pu· (Nez Perce). Hatalekin, an elder setting out to check upon his herd of horses, had been shot down by a group of Bitterroot civilian volunteers. Thus began the Battle of the Big Hole, wherein 60-90 nimí·pu·—largely women and children—and 31 soldiers and volunteers were killed. Big Hole National Battlefield in Montana was created to honor all who were there.

  • The low-light interior of the restored Great Kiva with a short set of stairs at one end, square-cut windows all around the circular interior, and two rectangular holes opposite each other near the entrance at Aztec Ruins National Monument
    Inside The Great Kiva, Aztec Ruins National Monument
    Aztec Ruins National Monument - NPS - Andrew Kearns

    Aztec Ruins has some of the best-preserved Chacoan structures of its kind. The ceremonial Great Kiva is a semi-subterranean structure, over 40 feet in diameter. Great Kiva is the oldest and largest reconstructed building of its kind.