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Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Parks Closed Due To Health And Safety Issues

Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks were closed entirely Wednesday evening by National Park Service officials due to unsanitary conditions that were creating health and safety concerns. The two parks, in California's Sierra Nevada, are believed to have become the first in the National Park System to be entirely closed due to visitation problems since the partial government shutdown began nearly two weeks ago.

Illegal Camping In Death Valley National Park, Anonymous Ranger Fears For Yosemite

Beautiful desert views. No crowds. What's not to like about camping in Death Valley National Park, especially when there are no rangers about to ticket you for camping illegally? Meanwhile, as the partial government shutdown continues to show the ugly side of keeping national parks open without adequate National Park Service staff, one Yosemite National Park ranger voiced concerns about managing crowds with a skeleton staff.

Birding In The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

A light drizzle created a gray sky when my mom and I hopped out of the car at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas. The flint hills rolled all around us, differing shades of green fading in and out of the distance. Though the prairie used to cover 170 million acres, only 4 percent still exists, 11,000 acres of which are within the preserve.

UPDATED | Traveler's View: Keeping Parks Open During Government Shutdown Is Bad Idea

Keeping most units of the National Park System open during the partial government shutdown is a bad idea, as accumulating human waste and garbage poses sanitation issues and some visitors are taking advantage of the lack of presence of rangers to do what they want, regardless of regulations.

UPDATED: Yosemite National Park Closes Hetch Hetchy Area, People Entering Closed Areas Being Cited

Like a slowly toppling row of dominoes, areas around the National Park System are closing to the public during the ongoing government shutdown because of the absence of maintenance crews to deal with garbage and human waste. At Joshua Tree National Park, officials also said resources were being damaged "by driving off road and other infractions."

Year In Review: Steamboat Geyser Wowed Yellowstone Visitors Again And Again And Again

One of the 2018 highlights literally spewing from the National Park System was the awakening of Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park. Typically known to go many years without erupting, Steamboat erupted more than two dozen times this year, notching its 30th eruption on December 8 at 1:07 a.m. local time.