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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 328 | How Wild

Today our guest is Marissa Ortega-Welch, a San Francisco-based freelance journalist who focuses on environmental issues. Last year she generated a series of podcasts surrounding the topic of official wilderness – the history of official wilderness and the idea of wilderness. It’s an interesting series that you can find by searching for How Wild wherever you download your podcasts.

June 8th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 327 | Plight of the Parks

So much is happening so quickly to the National Park Service. There have been staff reductions, hiring freezes, spending freezes, orders from the Interior Secretary to make sure that visitors find national parks welcoming, no matter what it takes.

June 1st, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 326 | Environmental Partisanship

Is green a red and blue construct? Put another way, is there a political partisan divide over the environment?

That’s a particularly interesting question, no doubt more so in recent years as the country seems to have drifted farther and farther apart because of our political beliefs. To that point, a reader reached out the other day to say our stories shouldn’t be negative on the Trump Administration because the national parks are going to need the help of all of us - Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and everything in-between - to survive.

May 25th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 325 | Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

News around public lands these days seems to revolve entirely around the Trump administration. In the case of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, many of the steps the administration is taking with the operational efficiencies of the National Park Service and other land management agencies certainly are keeping PEER busy.
 

May 18th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 324 | North American Bird Declines

True birders are some of the most determined and persistent hobbyists out there. If you want to call bird watching a hobby. For many, it’s more like a passion. Many look forward to “Big Day” competitions, where individuals and teams strive to see how many different bird species they can spot in a 24-hour period.

May 11th, 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.