News From America's Parks

Alexander Backs New Source of Funding for National Parks

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today announced he will cosponsor bipartisan legislation to create a new source of funding for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and other national parks across the country as part of the “Centennial Challenge” celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park System in 2016.

“The Centennial Challenge could bring up to $4 million to the Smokies – the country’s most visited national park – and will go a long way toward improving park facilities, aiding conservation efforts, and helping build upon the excellent visitor services already offered. This 4th of July, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our country’s birthday than backing legislation that will aid efforts to preserve and celebrate our national parks, one of America’s greatest treasures.”

EPA's Pollution Plan Slammed

City officials and business leaders here Wednesday warned that a federal proposal to relax air quality standards for the nation's national parks will ultimately be bad for business.

Simply put, they said during a news conference at the entrance to Zion National Park, lower air standards being proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hurt this gateway city economically if fewer tourists visit the park.

"Air pollution could damage the stars, vistas and clean air we enjoy," Springdale Mayor Pat Cluff said. "Some places deserve to be preserved and it is my responsibility to preserve [the park] for those who come here."

Dinosaur Fossils In Utah Inspire 'Jr. Paleontologists'

Millions of years ago, northeastern Utah was a hot spot for dinosaurs. Today, people travel to the Dinosaur National Monument located on the borders of Colorado and Utah to see the leftover dinosaur bones. Visitors can see as many as 1,500 Jurassic-era fossils exposed on the cliff face of the Douglass Quarry.

A Paiute Take On Bryce Canyon's Hoodoos

The red spindly rock formations that make up the views at Bryce Canyon National Park are called hoodoos. Geologists say they were formed by erosion, but Kevin Poe, chief of interpretation at Bryce, shares his take on the Paiute legend about hoodoos.

Can The Everglades Be Saved?

Environmentalists have been issuing dire warnings about the deterioration of the Florida Everglades for years, saying these wetlands have to be restored in order to revive fragile ecosystems and increase scarce fresh water supplies. Over half of the Everglades are gone, irreversibly converted to urban or agricultural development.

But this week, in an attempt to save what's left, the state of Florida announced a plan to buy nearly 200,000 acres of former wetlands from a sugar cane producer. Advocates say the plan is the largest restoration project in American history.

Tale Of Lost Love Haunts White Sands

When the wind blows at White Sands National Monument, legend has it that the centuries-old ghost of a Mexican maiden can be seen in the shifting sands. It is said that the maiden is still searching for her betrothed, whose body was never found.

Cast Of Thousands Keeps Grand Canyon Humming

Grand Canyon National Park may be one of the planet's Seven Natural Wonders, but few realize how many people it takes to keep the 4.4 million annual park visitors safe, fed and happy.

For Casey Murph, who manages mule operations on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, the day starts well before sunrise. Beginning at about 4:30 each morning, he goes over the day's schedule, sets out buckets of oats for the mules and opens up the tack rooms in a huge, surprisingly clean 101-year-old barn.

A Brief History: The Smallest National Park Site

This summer, intrepid travelers will spend weeks in the great outdoors, exploring national parks across the country. For those who don't have that kind of time, you can always take a few minutes to tour the smallest attraction in the National Park System.

Don't bother with the sunscreen and bug repellent. The Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial is inside a narrow row house in Philadelphia.

Best National Park Lodges

If your idea of a wilderness adventure is kicking back in a cushioned Adirondack chair by a roaring fire while wildlife does its thing safely outside the window, you may find staying in an old-school National Park lodge to be the perfect mix of nature vs. nurture. Especially in the West, some of the wildest park environments are softened by some of the most beautifully constructed and comfortable lodgings this side of paradise (Paradise Inn, in Mount Rainier National Park, that is).

David Scott, with his wife Kay, wrote the book on park lodges: "The Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges." "The National Parks are special places," he says, "and staying in these lodges gives you a chance to actually live in the park and feel that you're a part of it. The settings are spectacular, they're close to activities and attractions, and many have great histories themselves."

Comparing Cellphone Reception in National Parks

Now that it's officially summer, Californians are running for the hills, mountains, deserts and oceans for a bit of vacation time. But if you're one of those people for whom vacation means obsessively checking Gmail on your BlackBerry, the time away can be maddening.

That cottage in the mountains is charming enough until Day 3 without cellphone reception.

So we did some homework for those of you considering excursions into the boonies this summer. We compared the coverage maps of the big four cellphone providers (available on their websites) with the boundaries of five of California's most popular national parks: Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Sequoia, King's Canyon and Yosemite.

National Park Service Chief Historian Dusts off Memories in Vancouver

As chief historian of the National Park Service, Bob Sutton oversees the settings of some of the nation’s most dramatic conflicts. And for more than 12 years, he was superintendent of Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia — site of two great Civil War battles.

But when Sutton reviews his own history as a historian, he likes to recall the gun he discovered on his first day on the job at Fort Vancouver.

The Oregon native was working on his master’s at Portland State University when his professor asked Sutton if he wanted a part-time job.

“I said sure. I didn’t even ask what it was,” Sutton said recently when he returned to Vancouver to give a talk at his former work site. “The staff at Fort Vancouver was tiny and needed someone to work weekends and holidays. I went in for the interview on Friday and started on Saturday.

Advocate Ralph Regula Honored for Park Service

U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula, R-Navarre, got a new hat on Sunday.

Regula, who is retiring from Congress after 34 years, was honored in ceremonies that drew about 100 people to an oversize tent near the Everett Road Covered Bridge in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

He was awarded the post of honorary National Park Service ranger, which came with a flat-brimmed hat like that worn by Smokey the Bear, from Sue Masica, chief of staff in the park service's headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Denali Park’s New Eielson Visitor Center Is a Marvel of ‘Green’ Engineering

Paula and George Hatchman rode a shuttle bus into Denali National Park this month. When the bus driver announced their arrival at the new Eielson Visitor Center, they wondered if he was joking.

“You wouldn’t even know it was here,” said the visitor from Australia. “It just blends with the environment.”

The new structure has been built into the hillside, so the first view is of … well … the view.

Group Gives National Park System ‘Fair’ Grade

National parks across the country, including ones in Washington, face obstacles to protecting their natural and cultural resources because of underfunding and understaffing, according to a new report by a national conservation group.

The report released Tuesday by the National Parks Conservation Association gives the National Park System only a “fair” grade. The assessment, “The State of Our National Parks: A Resources Index,” was based on studies since 2000 of 54 parks, including Washington’s Olympic National Park, San Juan Island National Historical Park and Nez Perce National Historical Park.

'Stage of Our Democracy' in Disrepair

"America's front yard" needs a cleanup crew. Several million in cash would help, too.

From afar, the National Mall, the majestic expanse of parkland from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, looks postcard-perfect. But don't get too close.

The famous Reflecting Pool is stagnant and full of muck. The lawns are flattened in places and just patches of dust. The sidewalks are cracked, the walking paths are crumbling and public restrooms need repairs.