It's still a bit early to predict what winter might throw at the National Park System, but if you enjoy snow and cold here's an overview of some of the parks you should consider visiting.
A decade after the National Park Service acknowledged feral horses at Cumberland Island National Seashore are a nonnative species that has damaged natural, cultural, and historical resources and that a management plan needed to be developed for them, the agency still lacks such a plan and has endorsed a defense of legal technicalities to oppose emergency food and water for them.
Mug House, built around 1,100 - 1,200 AD, was so named from the discovery of three pottery mugs tied together with a rope and hanging in one of the rooms of this cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park.
While the National Park Service has identified a plan to allow Spruce Tree House at Mesa Verde National Park to be stabilized and reopened to the public, funding for the work has not yet been identified.
As the sun set over the Sonoran Desert, the animals came out to play. The deer grazing among the saguaro were probably mule but could have been white-tailed — it was tough to say at dusk with only mini red-light flashlights in hand instead of binoculars. The bird that perched on a tree branch for a few seconds before flying away had the distinctive silhouette of an owl. There was no mistaking the yips and howls of coyotes.
Contributing photographer and writer Rebecca Latson has spent the past 11 years with the National Parks Traveler, writing about tips and techniques for getting the best national park photos – no matter what camera you use. In her final article for the Traveler before it goes dark on December 31, 2023, Rebecca recaps some of those tips and techniques.
Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas is one of the National Park System units in the path of the annular solar eclipse next month and park staff are offering solar-filtered telescopes and eclipse glasses for safe viewing, ranger programs, and a sneak peek at the preserve's 50th anniversary celebrations in 2024.
"The highest elevation in the park at 8,572 feet (2,612 m) above sea level, Park Point is a breezy and cool place to picnic or take in the view. To the north, the 13,000 and 14,000-foot (4,000+ meters) peaks of the San Juan Mountains are visible. To the south, the high deserts of New Mexico stretch out across rocky canyons.
One of the most incredible experiences I've had in the National Park System was being able to watch the total solar eclipse of 2017 at Grand Teton National Park.