| Page 1244 | National Parks Traveler

Very nice article Kurt. I grew up vacationing on Cape Hatteras. Since the 1930's, my family has enjoyed the privilege of being able to drive out to the point. I understand both sides, but I can tell you it is the people who use this resource and love it to the core of their being, that want to protect it more than anyone.

Reader Participation Day: Which Is Your Favorite National Park Gateway Town?

May 19th - 13:44pm | Jon Sparks

There are all good because then I know I'm close to a Park. Being in Indiana, I don't get that opportunity enough. I will agree with Cooke City. It is small and close to one of the best drives (Bear Tooth Hwy).

May 19th - 12:35pm | Kath

Jackson, Wyoming. Even without Grand Tetons National Park, it's a great place to visit.

May 19th - 12:11pm | y_p_w

It sounds to me that some people are expanding things a little bit too far. If all NPS units are fair game, it gets overly broad since there are some units that are located right in urban areas. If that's the criteria - then I'd say Honolulu which is right at the USS Arizona Memorial or Kona near a couple of National Historic Sites.

May 19th - 11:53am | RangerLady

I also have to say that I love the town of Bedford, VA. It isn't a gateway to a Naitonal Park, but is one of the towns off the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's a great little town with plenty of history and the D-Day Memorial.

May 19th - 10:35am | David V

While we just returned from a visit to Zion and stayed in Springdale - which is a lovely town with way above average accommodations, if I were to consider a gateway town to live in - it would probably be Cody, WY.

May 19th - 09:55am | Nick Mojave

Pahrump, Nevada, gateway to Death Valley. I jest. Springdale is great, as are Cody, Port Angeles and Flagstaff. Not sure I can pick one over the others as a favorite.

May 19th - 09:49am | destroyerman

i really liked cooke city,montana,coming off the beartooth highway,into yellowstone,this little town was the start of our adventure into yellowstone,i got up early,about 4:30am,to pack the truck up,and what did i see,a big wolf lopeing down the city street...it woke me up...

May 19th - 09:48am | Bob Janiskee

San Francisco is the gateway to Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and could be considered a portal for Muir Woods National Monument and Point Reyes National Seashore as well. Where world-class urban amenities are concerned, I'll take The City over any of the choices I've seen posted here so far.

May 19th - 09:13am | Tim

This is tough! I've been to Gatlinburg and Jackson Hole and love both of those towns for different reasons! Owning a nice cabin in the hills around Gatlinburg would be pretty tempting, but I think I'll need to visit these other places first!

May 19th - 08:59am | Joe Jacobs

Jasper, Arkansas has none of the trappings of most National Park Gateway towns. No cheesy souvenir shops or amusement parks. Just really nice people who all know the river and the area. Some good eats too. Of course it is the same for all the gateway towns to the Buffalo National River - The country's FIRST National River!

May 19th - 08:57am | RangerLady

I have to agree with Lee and go with Springdale. I like it because it is a tourist town but it still keeps that small town feel. Plus it has a great candy store and the Spotted Dog Cafe...mmmmm! Gaelyn, your name rings a bell. When did you work at MEVE?

May 19th - 08:51am | Audrey

Traveling from Florida, my favorite town is Dahlonaga, Ga. I love stopping and walking the old brick sidewalks, checking out the old stores, and of course, panning for a little gold. The museum is my favorite. They have a short film about the gold rush days of the Smokey Mountains. A lot of gems are still being searched in the hills. It is a wonderful old town to stay and explore.

May 19th - 07:50am | Rangertoo

Malibu. At the foot of Santa Monica Mountains NRA. But I can't afford to live there!

May 19th - 07:47am | Kirby Adams

Bar Harbor, Maine. The shops and eateries there are so eclectic and the people so friendly that a walk through town is surprisingly pleasant, even with summer crowds.

May 19th - 07:31am | Lee Dalton

Springdale, Utah -- just outside of Zion. There, the community has worked hand-in-hand with park people. Despite traffic, it's a pleasant, clean and reasonably quiet place. The Springdale/Zion Shuttle is the result of outstanding city and park leadership. As for West Yellowstone -- it has improved a whole lot since the 1960's when it was known as West Yellowstain.

May 19th - 07:26am | Gaelyn

I truly feel in love with Durango, Colorado while working at Mesa Verde. There's the train ride to Silverton and a feel of old west with the energy of a college town. Of course Jacob Lake is sweet on the way into the North Rim Grand Canyon, yet may barely be considered a town.

May 19th - 06:58am | Connie Hopkins

I have to say West Yellowstone is probably my favorite! (It stems from visitng Yellowstone at least once a year.) From staying at the Stagecoach Inn in Winter waiting for the snow coach to take us in, eating at The Gusher Restaurant right across the street, watching a movie at the IMAX theater or hitting some of the shops, it's a treasure!

National Park Mystery Spot 11: Nearly 900 Miles from the First Gap Store

May 19th - 10:08am | Grandpa Great

I AGREE!!! • Bound for a solar (ROAD TO THE SUN) encounter, you can stop and ask for directions here. • The Maple Leaf and Old Glory face the sun together. (CANADA AND US SHARE Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park) • Old McDonald had a farm, Mary had a little lamb, and Boston has an airport. (LOGAN INTNL BOSTON)

May 19th - 10:01am | Grandpa Great

RIGHT ON BOGATOR!!! Bound for a solar (ROAD TO THE SUN) encounter, you can stop and ask for directions here. • The Maple Leaf and Old Glory face the sun together. (CANADA AND USA SHARE THE Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park) • Old McDonald had a farm, Mary had a little lamb, and Boston has an airport.(LOGAN INTNL AIRPORT AT BOSTON)

May 19th - 07:38am | Bob Janiskee

You've grabbed the gold ring, Bogator, and Anon has "honored the point." Nice going.

May 19th - 07:23am | Anonymous

That's my guess, too. Couldn't be anything else!!!

May 19th - 07:12am | Bogator

Would that be the Logan Pass Visitor's Center in Glacier National Park?

Tar Balls at Dry Tortugas National Park Not From Deepwater Horizon Catastrophe

May 19th - 09:51am | MikeD

Another story on the spill, from Padre Island NS http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/19/science/earth/19turtle.html?hp

Traveler's Checklist: Mesa Verde National Park

May 19th - 09:00am | RangerLady

I worked 2 summers at Mesa Verde and I'm really looking forward to going back this summer in the tourist capacity. It's a beautiful park and I'm so happy that they are doing tours to Mug House. I went back when only rangers were allowed and I loved it.

May 18th - 22:45pm | Bogator

Great article. My wife and I visited this park in October of 2007 and it is truly an exceptional adventure. As I looked at those extraordinary dwellings and down into the deep canyons, I could just visualize native Americans scampering up and down the canyon sides using the foot and hand holds they had carved as they went back and forth between their homes and their farms.

May 18th - 16:15pm | Laurel

Oops! And thanks to Jim Burnett too! He did a great post about the three hikes at /2010/04/three-new-guided-hikes-mesa-verde-national-park-offer-unique-experience-visitors5753

May 18th - 16:01pm | Laurel

No worries, Bob! We appreciate all that you and Kurt are doing to help get the word out about these extraordinary offerings.

May 18th - 09:11am | Bob Janiskee

Thanks for the ranger-led tour info, Laurel. Kurt told me (several times) to include the special tours info in the article, but I forgot.

Reader Participation Day: Has Arizona's Approach To Controlling Illegal Immigrants Led You To Cancel a Grand Canyon Trip?

May 18th - 21:14pm | Anonymous

When a person is found to be illegal in this country, tell them they have a choice to return to their country or to be given full citizenship with the condition that they be drafted into one of the armed forces of this country for a certain amount of time. They'll be given a crash course on how to be a US citizen, educated, employed and we'll boost our defences at the same time.

Keeping Track of Panther Kittens At Big Cypress National Preserve

May 18th - 20:16pm | Anonymous

The chip is not a bar code. It's a Radio Frequency ID (RFID) tag -- just like the ones used by vets to identify a family's cat or dog. It's interesting that every time someone has a positive story about the use of RFID, it's referred to as a "small computer chip" or "electronic bar code" as if it's politically incorrect to say it's RFID.

Yosemite National Park To Install Large Solar Energy Complex At El Portal

May 18th - 16:05pm | Kath

Just read the article on how Big Bend is saving electricity and the night sky. They are saving 98% on their electricity bill by using lower wattage bulbs and other fixes. Great! The photos show the reduction in light pollution so that visitors can see that the 'stars at night, burn big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas'. That just popped into my head, ha.

May 18th - 15:26pm | Kath

We aren't talking about foregone interest on the $4.4 million. This is borrowed money so you have to calculate how much in interest the government is paying out on top of the 4.4, which makes the expenditure even more. And yes electricity rates are likely to rise, but here in L. A. they are being raised to pay for the increased costs of going 'green'.

May 18th - 14:49pm | tomp

Kath-- I disagree with you; if I were a very large operation with many facilities far from urban areas, I _would_ start spending money for solar now in small, pilot-scale installations.

May 18th - 12:35pm | Kath

At a savings of $104,000 per year in electricity costs, the 4.4 million will be recouped in roughly 40 years. I know I wouldn't spend money for solar if I wasn't going to break even for 40 years. Only the government...

May 18th - 08:17am | Lee Dalton

Am I correct in thinking NPS may be the leader in government use of solar power? Does anyone have any numbers on that?

Bobcats Attack Two at Death Valley National Park

May 18th - 13:50pm | Fred C. Dobbs

Always carry a hand gun in the wilderness or areas with potential threat from wild life. I favor a .357 or .44 magnum revolver.

Alaska's Oldest NPS Unit Celebrates Its Centennial, and You're Invited!

May 17th - 21:47pm | Anonymous

The March events were a huge success with nearly 3,000 attending. But here was lack of interest the May reunion was scaled back to plans for an all employee picnic. The totem pole raising has been pushed back to Sept or even March 2010.World renown Tlingit carver Tommy Joseph of the Sitka Cultural Center was recently awarded the contract to do the pole.

Is There A Need to Have the Government Promote National Parks?

May 17th - 19:40pm | DOCREP

Testing, Testing, Testing Why must you keep re inventing this website. Semper Fi Docrep

The Way We Used To Describe And Enjoy National Parks

May 17th - 19:22pm | Anonymous

Nice to be able to compare then and how it is now. I love climbing the mountain and hiking the trails - Very commercial at present but there are still some quiet spots to visit. Grandchildren love to go pick up "critters" at ocean edge:)

An Idea in Trouble: Thoughts about the Future of Traditional National Parks in the United States

May 17th - 19:05pm | Barky

So going back to the article itself: it is an excellent article, well written, with enough detail to really explain the issue. The general tone of the article, that the NPS must keep their policies current with modern scientific thought, is spot-on. That's true of ANYTHING, not just the parks.

May 17th - 17:34pm | tomp

Kurt--

French Climber Dies in Fall on Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park and Preserve

May 17th - 18:19pm | Anonymous

Mr. Frison reminds me of the snow leopard that dies when it was climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Ernest Hemingway's story.

May 17th - 16:44pm | Hicks

Why wasn't he tied to something via harness? Twenty degrees is pretty damned severe in those conditions.

By The Numbers: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

May 17th - 17:36pm | Anonymous

That looks like the sign board at the former CCC camp on the Old Sugarlands trail instead. The actual plaque was removed years ago and is supposedly stored at the park HQ

Walk Like An Egyptian....

May 17th - 15:18pm | Benjamin[Turkey]

Its wonderfull ( : 'no comment'!!

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