| Page 1369 | National Parks Traveler

Whether it's Walmart or Costco or Target, if the land is zoned commercial eventually it will be developed. If the federal government won't buy it, we need a modern day Rockefeller to buy the land and donate it to the national park system. (Rockefeller, as some of you know, donated land for Acadia National Park and others).

Aug 20th - 13:10pm | CivilWarBuff

Several months ago, I attended the press conference held by Civil War Preservation Trust at Ellwood on the Wilderness Battlefield. Actor Robert Duval spoke eloquently about the need to preserve the land. Two U.S.

Aug 20th - 12:09pm | Kathy

I hate sprawl too, especially near historic sites, whether it's Walmart, housing developments, or factories. Couldn't the federal government use its powers of eminent domain to take the land and add it to the park. They could buy it with some of the money allocated to the National Parks in the Stimulus Bill.

Aug 20th - 11:35am | RangerLady

I grew up near Fredericksburg and spent many hours on the battlefield. My grandparents backyard was part of the battlefield (not NPS land...private) I spent so many hours exploring the woods and of course collecting memorabelia. I went back last summer and was shocked at how much the place had grown in only 10 years.

Aug 20th - 10:33am | Dave Crowl

Bruce,

Aug 20th - 09:41am | Bruce W. Bytnar

We all need to learn to live with development. It is a driver of our economy. However, this project is a travesty that would irreversibly destroy a significant part of the heritage that makes our country what it is. This would be an insult to the people who gave their lives on this ground fighting for what they believed in.

Aug 20th - 09:30am | Dave Crowl

Although I have never been there and cannot picture the area, my advice to those concerned is if you can't stop it from coming, dictate the building code within proximity to the historic site. Require a certain percentage of green space per square foot of parking, require some unique facade to the building, require smaller signage restrictions including height, etc...

Climate Change and National Parks: A Survival Guide for a Warming World -- Wolverines of the Northern Rockies

Aug 20th - 13:20pm | Ray Bane

I did a fair amount of travel in the wilds of travel in the wilds of Alaska and considered a glimpse of a wolverine to be a rare treat. One once got into a winter camp I had set up on the North Slope and shredded the place. I pulled in by dog team sometime later and spent half the night cleaning up the mess and making repairs.

Aug 20th - 10:07am | tahoma

I've seen their tracks while backcountry skiing in Canada, and was lucky enough to get within 50 yards of one on a remote beach in Alaska in 1968. Also, I saw the silhouette and distinctive gait of a very large mustelid crossing the road in my winter headlights at Mount Rainier some years back, but the Park Service seemed not to take my report seriously.

Aug 20th - 09:50am | Kurt Repanshek

That's interesting news, Tahoma. I wonder what they used for a den? Sounds like a follow-up call might be in order. Thanks.

Aug 20th - 09:43am | tahoma

It's probably not a real solution, but for a hopeful story about one of my favorite animals, see this press release about captive breeding: http://www.nwtrek.org/files/library/a0a9bf67bc072c61.pdf

Reader Participation Day: So, How Was Your Most Recent National Park Visit?

Aug 20th - 13:03pm | Richard

I love our parks and the Rangers and staff.

Aug 20th - 07:08am | Garvin

In early August I drove with a friend along the southern shore of Lake Superior, hitting three NPS sites: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin, Keweenaw National Historical Site and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan. We also dropped down and spent a few hours at St. Croix National Scenic River in Wisconsin.

Aug 19th - 20:22pm | Kathy

Went to Yosemite in July. The weather was perfect and the Tuolumne Meadows area was beautiful as usual. But crowded. Wish there were a way to keep large groups of motorcyclists off the Tioga Road. They run through with their noisy engines disturbing the peace.

Aug 19th - 18:39pm | Fitrpilt

We also just came back from Glacier National Park, and had a wonderful time. We took the Glacier Lodge Tour and stayed at four great lodges. The food and rooms were wonderful (but the showers were a little snug). All of the people we met at the lodges, in the tour company, on the trails, etc. were wonderful.

Aug 19th - 13:57pm | JanetinKy

I went to a few parks in late June in the Maryland region. I spent a couple of days at Assateague Island National Seashore. I visited both the Virginia area as well as the Maryland portion. The restrooms in Maryland were open and as clean as possible with the volume of use.

Aug 19th - 13:04pm | Ranger KT

My most recent visit was to Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument and Lake Meredith NRA, both just outside of Amarillo, TX. I got the quarry tour at Alibates, which was fantastic and interesting. The biggest plus was that I hiked around that morning in my fleece jackets, which is really unusual for a Texas summer.

Aug 19th - 12:32pm | CivilWarBuff

I have to give a shout out to our historical parks. My most recent visit was to Harpers Ferry. The facilities were clean and well kept. The shuttle bus had a great audio program that provided interesting information on our ride to the downtown area. I went on a two hour ranger-led hike that not only featured a ton of information but beautiful scenery as well.

Aug 19th - 12:29pm | Melissa Amory

I spent a week at Acadia in July - I think it was one of the only sunny weeks they had all summer! It was wonderful! This was my 1st solo RV trip and Acadia was an excellent destination. The Island Explorer bus made things very easy! I camped out at Blackwoods and would take the bus into Bar Harbor daily and go from there.

Aug 19th - 12:27pm | y_p_w

Rangers? I still can't say enough about Shelton Johnson at Yosemite NP. I know he's currently on tour with Ken Burns promoting the new National Parks series on PBS, but I can't think of a better ambassador for the National Park Service. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADoZHEszdY0

Aug 19th - 12:25pm | y_p_w

Since my visits have been of varied duration, I'll give my last three - most recent first. All were within the last month.

Aug 19th - 11:53am | Anonymous

We've visited a great number of parks within the last year and a half. They are all wonderful and we've done some amazing things! Our most recent trip was to Texas. The highlight of my parks there was watching a turtle release at Pade Islands National Seashore. It was very special to watch these turtles make their trek to the ocean.

Aug 19th - 11:20am | Janet

WAY TOO SHORT!!!

Aug 19th - 11:02am | Kevin M

We had a similar experience as the previous Smokies report. Trails were maintained very well. Facilities were all at least adequate, although a pit toilet at Abram Falls would have been appreciated. Rangers on the trails were great. Rangers at the Sugarlands VC (near Gatlinburg) were not very knowledgeable about the trails.

Aug 19th - 10:52am | TheWordWire

Our most recent NP trip was to Great Basin in the spring -- it was a first-time visit, but hopefully not the last. I know better than to doubt the reason any NP visit is worth the drive, and this park was no exception. We toured the Lehman Caves, which was absolutely mind-blowing.

Search for Human-Habituated Grizzlies in Glacier National Park Ends With Two Dead Bears

Aug 20th - 12:44pm | RangerLady

Random Walker, I've experienced a few AT hikers that do the same thing. Sometimes I think it's the oder of an unwashed hiker that does the same thing Ranger Holly http://web.me.com/hollyberry

Aug 20th - 12:40pm | Random Walker

She found out that if she walked up to campers eating dinner and growled, they would run away and leave all their food. Hey, that worked for me in Curry Village after 8 days in the back country of Yosemite this spring :-) "...adventure without regard to prudence, profit, self-improvement, learning or any other serious thing" -Aldo Leopold-

Aug 20th - 12:37pm | y_p_w

I've heard that black and grizzly bears generally react about the same to hazing and attempts to scare them off. I think the big difference is that a grizzly sow with cubs is far more likely to react defensively.

Aug 20th - 11:38am | RangerLady

Opps...forgot to put that I was talking about black bears Ranger Holly http://web.me.com/hollyberry

Aug 20th - 11:38am | RangerLady

I don't know much about grizzlies, but in Shenandoah one female had to be removed and put into captivity because of her behavior. Hazing just wasn't working on her and she was teaching her cubs the same behavior. The NPS tried for years to get her to stop but finally it was getting to the dangerous point.

Aug 20th - 10:24am | pkrnger

Those who venture into the backcountry of Glacier National Park are not "most casual park visitors." By entering the backcountry, certain risks must be accepted. These risks include the possibility of encountering bears.

Translocation Project Aids Endangered Humpback Chub in Grand Canyon National Park

Aug 20th - 11:28am | Bob Janiskee

Thanks, tomp. I've edited the photo caption to reflect that information. The photo source clearly indicated that these were juvenile fish. I was just asleep at the switch.

Aug 20th - 11:09am | tomp

The photo is of the juvenile fish: when adults they will have a huge hump behind their heads, which hydrodynamically helps keep them at the bottom of the river: http://www.fws.gov/coloradoriverrecovery/Crhbc.htm

Did You Hear the One About President Obama's Trip To Yellowstone National Park?

Aug 20th - 10:11am | Dave Crowl

Well Jim, depends on your idea of way ahead of time. It was posted on this web site 8 days before he came and was in the national news as well. His order of travel was posted with a full day traveling from park to park which meant he could only be in Yellowstone in the morning. We are a world of complainers and some complain louder than others.

Aug 19th - 22:53pm | jsmacdonald

FYI, his trip was not announced way ahead of time ... (it just seems like it in today's ever shorter news cycle)

National Park Quiz 67: Potpourri III

Aug 20th - 05:30am | Bob Janiskee

Thanks very much for expanding on that answer, d-2. I was sorely temped to include all of the Manhattan sites in the stem of question 1, but I wasn't 100% certain. It still boggles my mind that parks honoring presidents are closed on President's Day.

Aug 19th - 22:06pm | d-2

Regarding question # 1: It always broke my heart that Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace NHS, as well as Federal Hall National Memorial , as well as General Grant National Memorial, all in Manhattan & ALL dedicated to extremely significant historical figures and Presidents (T. Roosevelt; G. Washington's inaugural site; Grant's Tomb) are ALL closed on President's Day.

Aug 19th - 13:30pm | Bob Janiskee

After Grand Canyon National Park was established in 1919, incorporating the Forest Service-administered Grand Canyon National Monument, a second Grand Canyon National Monument was created (on December 22, 1932). It was this second Grand Canyon National Monument that existed until 1975.

Aug 19th - 13:11pm | y_p_w

I think #7 was a fairly simple question about when a place achieved a full National Park designation.

Aug 19th - 12:48pm | tomp

Your answer on Grand Canyon for #7 is correct, but the history is even more complicated. Grand Canyon was established as a forest reserve in 1893, administered by the Government Land Office, part of DOI. From 1905 - 1908 it was a Forest Reserve administered by Forest Service; 1908-1919 it was a National Monument administered by Forest Service.

Aug 19th - 10:26am | Bob Janiskee

The original question #11 was problematic and has been replaced. As tomp has pointed out (nice catch!), Miami-Dade County is not the only U.S. County that borders on two or more National Park-designated NPS units. Rather than messing around with a fix, your humbled quizmeister has elected to throw out the question.

Fall From Tokopah Falls Kills Visitor to Sequoia National Park

Aug 20th - 00:01am | carolyn bretz

I also witnessed the accident, and observed from the trail across from the fall (for a time with Andrea) the extreme urgency everyone felt to get help to Kevin.

Kids Advocacy Site Recognizes National Parks Traveler For Its Content and Approach

Aug 19th - 20:25pm | Kirby Adams

Great news! I know as a writer or blogger you often wonder if you're putting all this work into it and it's just drifting off into space unappreciated. Here's one more confirmation that NPT is worth the effort!

Aug 19th - 16:44pm | pato'

Congrats, Kurt -- well-deserved . . .

Aug 19th - 13:30pm | pkrnger

This recognition is indeed an honor for National Parks Traveler. It is also an indication that this informative site is attracting a very wide and diverse readership. Thank you Kurt for a job very well done. Thank you too for your continued commitment to strive for the highest standards of coverage and reporting. Owen Hoffman Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Aug 19th - 10:27am | Kurt Repanshek

"More shallow"? Are you implying.....;-) Thanks for the note. If anything, this will force us to ratchet up our standards and strive for more thorough coverage and thoughtful, as well as thought-provoking, content.

Aug 19th - 10:24am | MRC

Congrats. Never heard of them, but i'm not their target audience obviously. Anyway, I hope this wonderful space for discussions will not become more shallow now in order to be "kid friendly". It should always be possible to call stupidity and idiocy in uncertain terms, while maintain civility towards everyone involved in discussions.

Eradicating Everglades Pythons Will be a Formidable Task

Aug 19th - 17:22pm | MeowCAT

All I can say is I hope Florida gets this under control.I live in South Carolina and the idea of seeing something like this in my back yard makes me HORRIFIED!!!

Sound Advice For Backcountry Travelers in the National Parks

Aug 19th - 12:38pm | qtluong

I couldn't agree more with Kristof. If you think that's a "joke" from a NY guy, you may want to check Ray Jardine's "Beyond Backpacking". You can think what you want about Jardine, but not that he is an outdoor lightweight. Tuan. National Parks photos

Climate Change and National Parks: A Survival Guide for a Warming World -- Northern Flying Squirrel and other Threatened Mammals

Aug 19th - 12:12pm | Ray Bane

I attended a countywide planning meeting yesterday where the county Planning Commission heard testimony from a number of experts in the fields of community planning, ocean sciences, economics, agriculture and commercial developments. Tourism is the primary economic driver for our county followed by agriculture, science and fishing.

INN Member

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