Whether the story is about wildfires, wildlife, or storms that close campgrounds in places like Buffalo National River, at National Parks Traveler we strive to shine a light on all corners of the National Park System. It's not easy, but that's our goal. 

You know how incredible these places are. Not just the Yellowstones and Grand Canyons, but also the Little River Canyon National Preserves, the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Sites, and the Homestead National Monument of Americas. And we believe they all deserve coverage by the Traveler. 

National Parks Traveler was launched almost 13 years ago, in late August 2005. At the time the goal was to uncover stories that could be pitched to mainstream media -- newspapers and magazines. Well, as we all know that form of media has greatly suffered in the ensuing years. At the same time, readership in the Traveler has steadily grown as you and millions of others look for articles and information about the national parks. And our vision has grown, too. But our mission, to keep you informed about the parks and what they contain and what you can experience in them, remains the same.

It's not easy, and there are hurdles to overcome. While we're proud of our ongoing coverage of the maintenance backlog in the parks, of the "Musings," "Exploring the Parks," and our "Park A Day" fixtures, there are many more stories to tell. In the weeks and months ahead we'll have features on Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument, a record nesting season at Everglades National Park, even a first-person look at organizing your own wildlife photography safari in the national parks of Tanzania.

If you appreciate and look forward to these types of stories, I hope you'll renew -- or begin -- your support of the Traveler.