National Parks Traveler

Annual problems with predator hunting in national preserves in Alaska have prompted the National Park Service to propose a permanent federal prohibition against certain hunting practices.

My 10-year-old daughter, Alex, and I follow the steep and rugged New Hance Trail on a nearly 5,000-vertical-foot march down into the Earth’s most-famous hole in the ground. The sky seems to levitate steadily higher above us, but it’s just a trick played on the eyes by the severe topography of the Grand Canyon: As we slowly descend deeper, burgundy rock walls creep higher, pushing the cerulean dome overhead farther away from us.

Visitors to Point Reyes National Seashore who drive electric vehicles (EV) can now get a literal charge out of their trip by using one of three new EV charging stations recently installed at the park. The chargers, which are operated on a first-come, first-serve basis, were placed in the park at no cost to the National Park Service.

Off-road vehicle access, one of the most contentious issues in some corners of the National Park System, is the focus of a planning effort at Cape Lookout National Seashore, where officials have extended a comment period on the matter until September 19.