National Parks Traveler

I recently received an invitation to sleep in a log cabin. Not something new and swanky, mind you. Instead, my imagination was sparked because this cabin was built in 1817, around the time Davy Crockett was earning his reputation as a frontiersman, storyteller, and politician.

A young Montana man who apparently tried to base jump from a cliff in Glacier National Park was killed in the attempt, according to park officials.

Like the familiar “Smokey the Bear” Stetson ranger hat, which was formally adopted nearly 90 years ago, the Park Service arrowhead emblem has become an American icon. The story behind the Arrowhead is quite interesting. We’ll try to cover the basics here and throw in a little trivia for fun.

Death Valley National Park has plenty of colorful place names, including Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Last Chance Mountain and Devil's Golf Course, so modern-day visitors might be curious about the one given to a popular scenic overlook in the park: Zabriskie Point. The explanation may be a bit surprising, since the name is tied to an activity not usually associated with national parks, and the story of the overlook itself offers a fascinating glimpse into the park's history.