| Page 1496 | National Parks Traveler

NOT ENTIRELY FAIR ABOUT BOMAR: Director Bomar's piece "about" Director "Hartzog" actually does reference Director Hartzog or his wife by name six times. In the same message, she refers to "I" or "Me" or "I'm" NINE times. That is not as bad as the comment, as it amounts to only NINE for Bomar and as many as SIX for Director Hartzog. This is just to be fair.

Jun 29th - 12:27pm | RIDICULOUS BOMA...

RIDICULOUS BOMAR MESSAGE ON GEORGE HARTZOG HAS ANYONE EVER SEEN ANY MESSAGE FROM DIRECTOR BOMAR, no matter what the topic, that she does not manage to turn into something about HERSELF?

Jun 28th - 15:48pm | Jim Pepper

RE: Bill Brown and George Hartzog: Kurt, thank you for your thoughts about Director Hartzog. I thought you would want to see the email exchange with Bill Brown, now of Gustavus AK, which I will paste, below.

Jun 28th - 10:56am | Rob Mutch

Thanks for this write-up Kurt. In addition to the PDF document of G. Hartzog's oral history interview you link to above, we have his oral history in HTML/web page format, as well. http://www.craterlakeinstitute.com/online-library/hartzog-oral-history/i...

Park History: Olympic National Park

Jul 1st - 14:09pm | Cathie Klaassen

The beauty of the Olympic peninsula is absolutely awesome! No place quite like it. We came here from Iowa & just never could leave. This is a very interesting piece, and I will send the link to my friends & family. Thanks for the information! -Cat K

Jun 29th - 10:02am | Paul

Yes, I am afraid that the high cost of fuel will be a factor in how far RVers will travel. In 2007, we camp-hosted at Padre Island National Seashore for 4 months. In 2008, we camp-hosted at the same park for 2 of the same months. There were definitely fewer of the larger RV's. As expected, talking with the RVers, a major concern was fuel cost.

Jun 29th - 08:19am | Bob Janiskee

Thanks for the feedback. Olympic is a truly special place that deserves all the praise it gets. I'm curious; have high fuel prices caused you to cut back on your RV travel lately? Do you think there will be lots fewer RVers in the national parks this summer?

Jun 29th - 08:00am | Paul

We are retired and do some travel in our RV. The summer of 2005, we did volunteer campground hosting at Sol Duc. Being from south Texas, we were truly amazed and fell in love with Olympic National Park. While there, we visited the Hoh Rain Forest, Lake Quinault, Hurricane Ridge, and other areas including, the coastline with its seastacks.

“10 Best National Parks”? National Geographic, You Have Got to be Kidding!

Jul 1st - 12:47pm | Kurt Repanshek

Now you're talking. I've had the pleasure to sample Yoho and, I think, Kootenay. Definitely need to head that way soon for a longer stay.

Jul 1st - 09:40am | DH Wall

For U.S. travelers, looking north reveals many more great national parks, some worthy of this Top 10 list. Consider the Canadian National Parks of Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Yoho, Kootenay, and Cape Breton, to name just a few.

Jun 30th - 09:01am | Bob Janiskee

Mookie, if even half of what you say about National Geographic operations is true (and I have no reason to doubt it), we should be including National Geographic in our nightly prayers. That noble institution has gotten itself into a deep hole and is still furiously digging.

Jun 30th - 08:29am | Mookie

As a former employee of the National Geographic Society, I feel i should point out a few issues that may or may not be at work here:

Jun 29th - 13:07pm | Bob Janiskee

Sorry, MRC, but saying "if you go by the codes" is a non-starter. The codes are dismayingly unreliable indicators of national park status. There are at least eight instances in which the Park Service has given the same code to two different National Park System units. You've mentioned SEKI, and to that we can add DENA, CRMO, GRSA, LACL, NATR, WRST, and GLBA.

Jun 29th - 12:18pm | MRC

Bob, if you go by the codes, then SEKI is just one unit - back to the issue at hand: I don't know many of the recommended parks, but my guess is, they put diversity on their list over excellence. They spread their 10 parks of choice all over the country, they put in the traditional well known parks into it, mixed in a few historical issues, stirred and let it fry.

Jun 29th - 08:30am | Bob Janiskee

Sabattis, this is what I said in the original version of the article: My criteria say that Santa Fe National Historic Trail shouldn’t even have been made a national park, for crying out loud, much less given a place among the ten best. So you see, I did originally give SAFE credit for being a national park in that go-around.

Jun 29th - 08:17am | Sabattis

Interesting.... I could swear that you had also pointed out that Santa Fe NHT is not a "Park" in the original post - you just put it further down your list of critiques. Oh well, not a big deal.

Jun 29th - 06:19am | Bob Janiskee

Sabattis, thanks for the reminder about Santa Fe National Historic Trail. My weaselspeak excuse is that I was lulled by the fact that the trail has a code (SAFE) like a regular national park does. Thank goodness you were not similarly stupefied. If you will look at the article again, you'll note that I went back in and revised it to take care of that little problem with the trail.

Jun 28th - 22:04pm | Sabattis

Great post, Bob. Once upon a time, the National Geographic Society had a missions "to increase and diffuse geographical knowledge." Unfortunately, as almost any editor these days can tell you - making a "list" or a "rankings" is a quick-and-easy way to generate copy. And it looks like National Geographic has decided to go the quick-and-easy-route. Alagnak Wild River?????

Jun 28th - 11:07am | Todd

How come Rocky Mountain National Park never gets the credit it deserves? I'm a guide at Grand Canyon but I'd take RMNP any day over GCNP. I realize I'm in the minority here, but still...

Jun 28th - 10:15am | Lepanto

Bob, 1) you are right about the "Alagnak Wild River," but I regret to say that the National Park Service is partly responsible for perpetuating this problem.

Jun 28th - 09:55am | Barky

I haven't seen the article myself, but if what you say is true, and they made a Top Ten list without any published criteria, then shame on them.

Jun 28th - 09:12am | vink80

GIVE IT TO 'EM THE MAGAZINE USED TO BE A COLLECTORS ITEM ---- NOW YOU CANNOT GIVE THEM AWAY I HAD 50 + YEARS OF THEM AND HAULED THEM TO THE DUMP WHEN I SOLD MY HOUSE ----- NO ONE WANTED THEM. ----- SEEMS THAT THEY HAVE LOST SOMETHING !!!!!!!!

Park History: Mammoth Cave National Park

Jul 1st - 10:27am | Anonymous

We were there in May 2008. There are no more tours on the Green river, the Captain and owner died. The cave tour is awesome. I have never been in a "wet" cave before. There are a lot of caves in the Cave City area, we tried to get four of them in 3 days.

Prescribed Fire in Grand Canyon National Park Now Out of Control

Jul 1st - 09:28am | Lone Hiker

It's deja vu all over again Yogi. I guess nothing of substance was culled from the last poorly executed "controlled burn" that torched the area in and around Powell Plateau some years back. Maybe they should only let these fire "experts" play with their matches from November to March.

Oglala Sioux Just Might Reclaim Southern Half of Badlands National Park

Jul 1st - 09:17am | Lone Hiker

Defiling the land with casinos was instituted by Native traditions, eh? I guess you've never heard of such little communities as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, the Chicago-metro area, St. Louis, Blackhwawk (CO), Biloxi.......how many more do you want me to name?

Jun 30th - 00:15am | Roger

Lone Hiker: You forgot to mention that your "noble" natives tortured and killed their own in mass slaughter, buried the dead in mass graves. They now defile the land with casinos, spray paint "native pride" on the rocks on the rez, destroy the brand new, government housing we pay taxes for. Noble people? I don't think so.

Jun 28th - 22:10pm | Lone Hiker

Phil, with all due respect, yours is one of the most ridiculous statements that was ever posted on this site that wasn't attributed to me. The protection of the parks is in the capable hands of the NPS? The protection of the parks, sir, is directly related to whatever economic and graft-related engine drives the cesspool that resides in the houses of Congress. Period.

Yellowstone National Park Bison Unhappy With Photo Shoot Tosses Pennsylvania Boy

Jun 30th - 18:13pm | Bob F

My feelings echo those of the previous contributors in that whoever made the decision to stand so close to the bison was the definition of stupidity. The question I have is who paid for the airlift and subsequent medical transportation? I would hope that the NPS sent any bill to the family as they were entirely responsible for this incident.

Jun 30th - 11:07am | Eva

KDoyle, I completely agree with you!

Jun 30th - 10:45am | Ann

Cindy K; And where do you come from? What kind of 'education' school of hard knocks or other wise gives you the 'authority' to ridicule ANYONE?

Jun 30th - 10:05am | jsmacdonald

A p.s. on this,

Jun 30th - 08:56am | jsmacdonald

Cindy K., We look forward to some hard numbers from NPS. What we have seen are counts that NPS sends out that say right up front that they are not population estimates. We would like to see those estimates and transparency on the method used to determine undercount.

Jun 29th - 23:51pm | Scott B

Thanks Cindy K for telling it like it is to Mr MacDonald. The bison attacked the kid because it stepped past the boundaries of its comfort zone.

Jun 29th - 13:02pm | DD-393

Possibly the bison, seeing the decline of the human species, was doing his best to cull the herd and allow only the less common sensically challenged to survive. When will people realize that this area is not a petting zoo, but is populated by wild animals? Cute and fuzzy. Right.

Jun 28th - 16:28pm | Cindy K

These parents have moved into first place for the dumb moron award of the year.

Jun 28th - 13:17pm | Betty H

People who are totally irresponsible should be punished. A hefty fine is in order ! Even if you don't have any common sense, there are warnings everywhere. People cannot be protected from their stupidity but they sure as heck can pay for it !!! Wildlife are wild and should not have to pay the ultimate price for stupid humans.

Jun 28th - 10:51am | KDoyle

The parents are complete idiots and should be arrested and prosecuted for child endangerment. They should also be sent to reading remediation so they can understand all the posted signs warning against getting too close to the WILD animals.

Congressman Accuses Sec. Kempthorne of Pandering to NRA on Gun Issue

Jun 30th - 09:41am | Rick

Anonymous sez: > having a loaded gun in a national park doesn't make you safer; when you're in one of the safest places in the country

Park History: Would There Have Been a Mesa Verde National Park Without Virginia McClurg?

Jun 30th - 06:39am | Bob Janiskee

The initial version of this article contained a serious mistake, which has been corrected. I stated that Mesa Verde National Park was proclaimed by President Theodore Roosevelt using powers granted by the Antiquities Act, whereas the park was actually created via Congressional legislation signed into law by President Roosevelt. That's a VERY important distinction.

Comment Period For Revised Gun Regulations for National Parks About to Close

Jun 29th - 19:39pm | J Longstreet

Bob Janiskee -- It's probably fair to call it either one, or perhaps more accurately than either, Lee's Strategic Error. Longstreet argued against it but faithfully followed orders, however reluctantly. Pickett was the guy on the front line but it surely wasn't his idea.

Jun 29th - 14:03pm | Fred Miller

I just read the article posted by the PEER. They sound like gun-grabbers to me. I just can't understand how I will impact the Park environment by carrying my CONCEALED handgun with me. Is it the extra weight causing me to make deeper footprints? C'mon, it only weighs 31 ounces! You've got to be kidding me.

Jun 29th - 09:09am | Bob Janiskee

J Longstreet might be the right guy to ask a question that has bugged me for a long time. Which should it be: Pickett's Charge, or Longstreet's Assault? The NPS can't seem to make up its mind. :-)

Jun 28th - 21:42pm | J Longstreet

Let's see what Justice Scalia actually said in the Supreme Court opinion (http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/scotus-op-heller0626200...) that's relevant to regulation of guns in national parks.

Senators Pushing To Allow Concealed Weapons in National Parks

Jun 29th - 12:06pm | Lepanto

Dear Anonymous: what is it about a certain strain of opinionators who seem to say THEIR opinion is simply about freedom, and everyone who disagrees should just leave the country?

Jun 29th - 09:59am | Anonymous

Yes, bear spray works. I live in Wyoming and know this. What you need to understand is that this is not about bears. This is a right of the people and if you are afraid of the honest man who carries a gun [then] you are afraid of freedom and should think about moving to Europe.

Jun 29th - 09:54am | Terry

Dear Lone Hiker. I live in Cody wyoming and something that big city folks do not understand because they have been brainwashed for years now is that the honest concealed weapons permit holders are not your enemy! These folks have been through complete background checks and are found to be quality citizens and are the most decent patriotic folks I have ever known.

Park Advocates Rallying Around Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Jun 28th - 22:08pm | Sabattis

I'll chime in as well that Theodore Roosevelt perhaps takes the prize as the "hidden jewel" of the National Park System. All in one place you can experience the bison of Yellowstone, the Badlands of South Dakota, a petrified forest and meandering rivers in a beautiful, empty, landscape...

Celebrating Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road

Jun 28th - 22:06pm | Sabattis

I'm interested to see (and quite pleased as well) the NPT Blog have this laudatory and interesting post on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. I wonder though - is it possible to imagine any place or any circumstances were a similar "top National Park experience" should be constructed today?

National Park History: Big Bend National Park

Jun 28th - 12:31pm | ShaneA

Great Write Up... Visit www.bigbendchat.com for a wealth of information on Big Bend and the entire West Texas Trans Pecos Big Bend Region...

Support Journalism about National Parks!

National Parks Traveler is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Donate Now!

The Essential RVing Guide

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.

National Parks Traveler

Search