Happy Holidays from the Traveler!
Thanks for your interest in national parks and helping us bring that coverage to you. We wish you all the best through the holidays and throughout the coming year.
National Parks Traveler
It's Officially Winter at Glacier National Park
The calendar and Mother Nature are in agreement at Glacier National Park in Montana: the winter season has officially begun, and most roads in the park are closed to vehicles and open for cross country skiing and snowshoeing.
- December 25th, 2009
Pruning the Parks: Chattanooga National Cemetery (NPS 1933-1944) Was Born on Christmas Day
For the 11 years it was administered by the National Park Service, Chattanooga National Cemetery enjoyed a distinction among NPS units that we’re unlikely to ever see again. It was, at least in the historical sense, born on Christmas Day.
2009 Brought the National Park System a Mixed Bag of Goods
Guns in the parks. Budget boosts. New units. The past year brought a mixed bag of goods to the National Park System. Some good, some not so good. Here, in no particular order, are some of the top stories we saw.
- December 25th, 2009
Blue Ridge Parkway and Cumberland Gap among Parks Still Coping with the "Blizzard of 2009"
For travelers and emergency workers in much of the country, any dreams of a "White Christmas" will likely be remembered as bad ones this year. Many parks have been impacted by recent storms, but among the hardest hit are the Blue Ridge Parkway and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
Pruning the Parks: St. Thomas National Historic Site (1960-1975) Left the Park System as Quietly as It Entered
St. Thomas National Historic Site left the National Park System as quietly as it entered. Getting abolished without ever being activated didn’t make it unique, but getting established on Christmas Eve put it in a class of its own.
NASA, National Park Service Team To Offer Climate Change Podcasts
While rising sea levels are a concern for some national parks, dropping lake levels are a concern for others. A unique partnership between NASA and the National Park Service examines these issues in two podcasts for your listening ease.
Remains of Sunken Ferryboat “Ellis Island” are Removed from Island Slip
Once used to shuttle recently-admitted immigrants from Ellis Island to Manhattan, the ferryboat “Ellis Island” was retired in 1954 and sank at its berth in 1968. Now a difficult salvage operation has retrieved the historic ship‘s rusted remains.
Big Bend National Park Completes New Wildlife Viewing Platform at Rio Grande Village
The lower elevation areas in Big Bend National Park are popular with winter visitors, especially during the week between Christmas and New Years. An added attraction this year will be a new wildlife viewing platform at Rio Grande Village.
Lost Hikers in Big South Fork Ignored Searcher Instructions, Hampered Search Efforts
What part of “stay put” is so hard to understand?
INN Member
The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.
Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.
Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.
You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.
