Latest News

The latest news from around the National Park System.

Former Katmai National Park Superintendent Fears Park Service Values Visitation More Than Bears

With construction expected to start soon on a major development plan for Brooks River In Katmai National Park in Alaska, a former park superintendent fears the Park Service is more concerned with visitation to the area than the bears that rely on its salmon-rich fishery.

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By Kurt Repanshek - November 15th, 2016 1:09pm

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Classic National Park Hikes: The Teton Crest Trail

Though not a long long-distance trail (only about 40 miles), this route through the high country of Grand Teton National Park draws top ratings for its natural beauty.

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By Kurt Repanshek - June 26th, 2015 8:21am

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National Park Gift Shops Halting Sale Of Confederate Flags

The connection of the Confederate Battle Flag with the murders of nine church members in South Carolina has prompted the National Park Service to end sales of the flag in gift shops and bookstores located inside parks.

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By NPT Staff - June 26th, 2015 2:00am

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Veterans Training At Point Reyes National Seashore For Wildlands Firefighting Certification

Point Reyes National Seashore, in partnership with the veteran-based organization Team Rubicon, is hosting firefighter training for 75-80 veterans this coming weekend. Successful completion of the training will enable veterans to be deployed around the country to bolster capacity to fight wildland fire.

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By NPT Staff - June 25th, 2015 3:00am

Agreement Reached To Reduce Pollution Impacting National Parks In The Southwest

A lawsuit filed in 2011 has led to an agreement designed to reduce pollution impacting national parks throughout the Southwest. Additionally, the settlement reached with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the owners of the Four Corners Power Plant in New Mexico calls for $8.2 million in penalties and other mitigation costs.

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By NPT Staff - June 25th, 2015 2:30am

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Fire Danger Spreading Across National Parks In The West

A campfire ban was implemented in parts of Olympic National Park on Thursday, while other national parks in parts of the West were reminding visitors that it's illegal to use fireworks within their boundaries as hot, dry weather continues to push fire danger higher and higher.

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By NPT Staff - June 26th, 2015 8:22am

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Biologists Kill Wrong Bear In Effort To Catch One That Attacked Backpacker

Great Smoky Mountains National Park biologists, who recently killed the wrong bear in their hunt for one that attacked a teenager while he slept in the backcountry, are working with a forensics lab to develop a DNA tracking procedure that could prevent similar misidentifications in the future.

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By Kurt Repanshek - June 30th, 2015 9:38am

7 comments

Reader Participation Day: Should BASE Jumping Be Legal In National Parks

In mid-May, world-class climber Dean Potter and a friend were killed in a BASE-jumping incident in Yosemite National Park. A lengthy New York Times story examined the accident, and raised some contradictions in National Park Service policies.

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By Kurt Repanshek - June 24th, 2015 3:00am

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Fourth Of July Activities Set For National Mall

You won't lack for things to do or see at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during Fourth of July weekend.

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By NPT Staff - June 24th, 2015 2:00am

Wildfires Scattered Across National Park System In West, Alaska

Hot, dry conditions are feeding wildlfires in Alaska and in some National Park System units in the western half of the Lower 48.

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By NPT Staff - June 23rd, 2015 4:21pm

Plane Makes Emergency Landing On Beach At Lake Mead National Recreation Area

A pilot and three passengers on a small plane dropped in for an unplanned stop on a beach at Lake Mead National Recreation Area after the aircraft's engine stopped over the mountains around Lake Mead. All occupants aboard the plane escaped significant injury.

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By Jim Burnett - June 23rd, 2015 12:32pm

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Badlands Loop Road To Remain Open At Cedar Pass

The Badlands Loop Road at Cedar Pass in Badlands National Park in South Dakota will remain open, with one lane, while repairs are made.

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By NPT Staff - June 23rd, 2015 2:30am

Photographing National Parks: A Guide For Scouting And Shooting America's Most Cherished Lands

While there are countless books on the market specializing in national park photography, Photographing National Parks - A Guide For Scouting And Shooting America's Most Cherished Lands by Chris Nicholson is a new and worthy addition filled with helpful tips and suggestions that merit more than a passing glance at the title.

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By Rebecca Latson - May 19th, 2017 12:46am

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Rafter's Body Recovered From Green River In Dinosaur National Monument

Two days after a rafter was tossed into the Green River near Triplet Falls in Dinosaur National Monument his body was recovered by park rangers.

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By NPT Staff - June 22nd, 2015 7:46pm

Classic National Park Hikes: The Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail is arguably the world’s most iconic long-distance trail. It falls and rises, swaggers and turns, following meanders for 2,185 miles from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia.

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By Kurt Repanshek - June 25th, 2015 2:23pm

LBJ's Boyhood Home To Partially Close For A Couple Months For Preservation Work

The home that Lyndon Baines Johnson grew up in will partially close on Monday, July 13, and reopen in late September after needed preservation work has been completed.

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By NPT Staff - June 22nd, 2015 2:00am

Missing Rafter Thought To Have Drowned In Dinosaur National Monument

A search was to get under way early Monday at Dinosaur National Monument for a missing rafter thought to have drowned after falling into Triplet Falls rapid along the Green River.

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By NPT Staff - June 21st, 2015 8:31pm

Visiting Dinosaur National Monument's Quarry Exhibit Hall

Nine years after the Quarry Exhibit Hall at Dinosaur National Monument in eastern Utah had to close due to structural problems, a wonderful new facility is in place. The site offers a close-up view of some 1,500 fossilized dinosaur remains.

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By Kurt Repanshek - June 21st, 2015 3:00am

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New CEO, President Named For National Park Foundation

Will Shafroth, who worked in the Interior Department under former Secretary Ken Salazar, has been hired as CEO and president of the National Park Foundation.

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By NPT Staff - June 21st, 2015 3:00am

Start Planning To Attend Railfest 2015 At Steamtown National Historic Site

Aficionados of the railroads, both the real thing and the model variety, will find a thing or two of interest come September when Steamtown National Historic Site in Pennsylvania hosts Railfest 2015, a weekend-long festival of everything rail-related.

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By NPT Staff - June 20th, 2015 2:00am

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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.

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