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Essential Park Guide Winter 2017-18

In Washington State, We LOVE Our Wild… And We LOVE Our Trails

The folks at Washington's National Park Fund love the idea of wild in Washington State. For over 100 years, Washingtonians have hiked, climbed and picnicked at Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades national parks. But trails aren’t wild; they’re created and maintained by people, especially when nature takes its toll.

Dry Tortugas National Park And Fort Jefferson Welcome Back Visitors After Hurricane Irma

Though Hurricane Irma walloped Dry Tortugas National Park, it was not the park's first hurricane, and it weathered it in fairly good shape. Now, with winter setting in, a return to the park is the perfect way to take a break from the cold and snow and enjoy a warm, interesting hiatus from the season.

Experience The Magic Of Grand Teton National Park This Winter

Imagine this: you step outside your car and the freezing cold air immediately takes your breath away. You grab your cross-country skis and slowly walk toward the fresh corduroy. The snow crunches beneath your boots. As the bitter cold of January in the Tetons runs through your body, you question why you woke up at the crack of dawn for this.

Exploring Winter’s Wonders In The National Park System

It started in mid-September; a few flakes began to flutter across the Crown of the Continent in Glacier National Park. The snow since then has slowly spread east and west, north and south. By January the white mantle likely will cover the whole northern tier of the National Park System, from Acadia west to Olympic, south through Rocky Mountain, into Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountain national parks.

Long-Distance Trails For Your Consideration

Since 1966, national scenic and historic trails have been an American priority. They traverse mountains, canyons, forests, and grasslands across the country, crossing creeks and rivers and skirting lakes. These narrow corridors through the wilderness provide recreation and protect historic resources while conserving natural features. There are many physical, emotional, and logistical requirements for these trips, and winter is the perfect season to get in shape and plan for a long walk. Here’s a quick look at a few of these trails to help you plan a trip.

The Siren Song Of The JMT

Such a pitiful throw. I watched my boot wobble above Mono Creek, then— in what seemed like real-life slow-mo—bounce against a rock and flip into the rushing current. Gone, gone, gone. Barefoot on the bank, I screamed, cursing my idiocy for tossing my boots instead of carrying them across in the wading shoes lent by my new friend, Doug Crispin. My life flashed before my eyes there on Mono Creek, days from anywhere. But then, someone was crashing through the creekside foliage.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.