You are here

Home » National Parks Traveler

Chronic Wasting Disease Detected In Grand Teton National Park

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wildlife Health Laboratory has confirmed that an adult buck mule deer from Grand Teton National Park has tested positive for chronic wasting disease. The deer had been struck and killed by a vehicle and tissue samples were collected by National Park Service personnel and submitted for testing.

Aztec, Salmon, And The Puebloan Heartland

Five years ago I visited for the first time the “Puebloan Heartland,” defined in this book as the area between Mesa Verde to the north and Chaco Canyon to the south. I knew of Mesa Verde National Park and Chaco Canyon National Historical Park but was unaware that these famous Ancestral Puebloan places bounded other sites of archaeological significance. My wife suggested we visit Aztec National Monument, which puzzled me. What were the Aztecs doing way up here in northern New Mexico? Aztec turned out to be a remarkable site, and I knew I had a lot to learn.

Traveler's View | Bears Ears And Grand Staircase-Escalante Are Today's Hetch Hetchy

Early in the 20th century there was a fight over the fate of the Hetch Hetchy Valley at Yosemite National Park. Would it remain an amazing, waterfall-rimmed valley that so very well complemented the Yosemite Valley, or would it be given over to a reservoir to meet San Francisco's utilitarian needs? The battle for wildness, of course, was lost at Hetch Hetchy. Today the battle is being repeated in Utah, where wildness and sacredness at Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments are being tossed aside not so much for utilitarianism as for profiteering.

Path Of The Puma: The Remarkable Resilience Of The Mountain Lion

Bison, wolves, grizzly bears, and elk are all categorized as “charismatic megafauna.” These are animals that have popular appeal to many and are often used as symbols of wildness. Not so often mentioned under this category is the mountain lion, also known as the puma, the panther, and the cougar. And while these big cats often fly under the proverbial radar of wildlife advocates, not only are they out there, but their range is expanding and they’re showing up in some previously unlikely places.

See The Surf Scoter And Other Amazing Ducks At Gateway NRA

The Mandarin duck seen recently paddling in ponds in Central Park in New York City brought much excitement to New Yorkers and on the Internet. But have you ever seen surf scoter, a sea duck with a clown-like face? They can be seen at Jamaica Bay at Gateway National Recreation Area in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area.