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An image of a serene beach with vivid blue water

It’s summer. Not officially, but close enough. Many schools have already taken the next few months off, others will soon join the summer break.

Summer for many is the peak travel time. Parks are a great destination, whether in summer or just about any other month of the year. To help you come up with some ideas of which parks to visit and why, we’ve invited two members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks – Maria Burks and Phil Francis – who collectively have spent more than eight decades working in the National Park System to discuss their favorites.

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
:50 Beyond the Reef - Tim Heintz & Grant Geissman - Seascapes: A Musical Journey
1:15 Yosemite Conservancy
1:37 The Everglades Foundation
1:48 Potrero Group
2:17 Hidden National Park Gems
19:25 Almost Home - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains
19:39 Traveler Promo
19:51 Interior Federal Credit Union
20:11 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
20:40 Washington’s National Park Fund
21:16 Hidden National Park Gems Continues
39:27 Torch - Bill Mize - The Sounds of the Everglades
39:43 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
40:05 Great Smoky Mountains Association
40:26 Friends of Acadia
40:54 Hidden National Park Gems Continues
57:45 Wonder Lake - Various Artists - The Spirit of Alaska
58:04 Episode Closing
58:33 Orange Tree Productions
59:06 Splitbeard Productions
59:16 National Parks Traveler footer

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 323 | Walt Dabney and Public Lands

It’s fair to say that the nation’s public lands, those managed by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and other federal land-management agencies are at risk under the Trump administration.

There’s no hyperbole in that statement if you pay attention to what the administration already has done in terms of downsizing those agencies’ workforces, and when you listen to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum say he wants to open more public lands to energy development and mining.

May 4th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 322 | Congressman Jared Huffman

The first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term might be the most tumultuous first 100 days of any president. He certainly came in prepared to move his agenda forward, no matter what barriers to it existed.

We don’t usually discuss presidential politics, but President Trump has released a blizzard of executive orders and directives touching all corners of the federal government, including the National Park Service.

April 27th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 321 | National Park Science At Risk

There has been much upheaval in the National Park Service this year, with firings, then rehires, and staff deciding to retire now rather than risk sticking around and being fired. There have been fears that more Park Service personnel are about to be let go through a reduction in force.

While Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered the Park Service to ensure that parks are properly to support the operating hours and needs of each park unit,” that message said nothing about protecting park resources.

April 20th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 320 | George Wright Society

George Melendez Wright was a brilliant young scientist with the National Park Service back in the 1920s and 1930s. You could say he was ahead of his time, in that he wanted the Park Service to take a holistic role in how wildlife in the parks was managed.

April 6th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 319 | Kilauea's Unrest

One of the greatest shows on Earth has been going on now for several months in Hawaii, where the Kīlauea volcano at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park has been erupting since late December. The Kīlauea volcano is the most active volcano on Earth.

March 30th, 2025 Read More

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The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

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

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

FREE for iPhones and Android phones.