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Olympic National Park

2020 Year In Review: Parks, A Pandemic, And Photography

Despite 2020’s coronavirus pandemic causing cancellation of a number of park photo trips, Traveler’s Rebecca Latson still managed to visit several of the National Park System’s units in a safe, distanced manner. Over the year, Rebecca shared tips, techniques, and favorite places to photograph as well as how to stay safe and healthy while doing so. Here’s a look back at her articles and photos.

Photography In The National Parks: Winter Wonderlands

Winter is one of photographer Rebecca Latson’s two favorite seasons of the year during which to visit a national park. There are fewer people, the vistas are much clearer due to fewer water molecules in the atmosphere, and the landscape looks so much different than it does during the warmer seasons of the year. So, this month’s photo column by Rebecca is about winter photography within the National Park System. Yes, she’s written about this before, but it’s always nice to have a little refresher course for those who regularly read the Traveler, and it’s a good introduction to winter imagery for those readers who are new to the Traveler.

Navy Jets Jeopardizing "Quietest One Inch" At Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park, once hailed for harboring the "quietest one inch" in America, is seeing its soundscape shredded by more than 2,300 Navy training flights that not only disturb terrestrial life but also marine life at the park on the peninsula of Washington State, according to new research.

Op-Ed | Present Day Graffiti Vs. Historical Graffiti In National Parks – What’s The Difference?

Vandalism in its many forms, seems to be continuing unabated in the national parks. The Leave No Trace Seven Principals don’t appear to apply to those who wish to let others know they were there in the form of acrylic paint on 180-million year old sandstone and gouges into rock and living trees in places like Zion, Joshua Tree, Olympic, and Redwood national parks? Is modern graffiti on protected lands considered art and future history for archeologists, much like the ancient petroglyphs and pictographs now safeguarded within the boundaries of natural parks, national memorials, and other park units? Or is it a despoiling of protected National Park Service lands by a selfish few who apparently learned no respect for keeping the landscape unblemished for the enjoyment of present and future generations? Contributing editor and photographer Rebecca Latson offers her own thoughts on the subject.

Where Will You Explore Winter In The National Park System?

Winter, the season with cold, snow, short days and long nights, can be a challenging season to explore the National Park System. Yet it also holds surprises that reveal themselves in shimmering lights darting across the night sky, in tracks of what passed the night before across the snowscape, and in congregations of wildlife.

National Parks Quiz And Trivia #18 – The Haunted Edition

National Park Service units are not immune from ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night. In honor of Halloween, here’s a quiz and trivia piece that’s all about those ghosty ghoulies and their associated protected lands. You might learn a little something as your spine tingles and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. BOO!!

Working For The Parks

As nice as it might be, the federal government does not fully fund all the needs and challenges the National Park Service faces. And that's where friends groups, cooperating associations, and even for-profit businesses come into play. Some of those organizations even help National Parks Traveler bring news and features about the park system to these pages every day of the year.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.