The lawless early days at our first national park tell us where a gutted National Park System could be heading. Read the story at www.outsideonline.com!
Is Yellowstone National Park (Back) In Its Wild West Era?
Category: National Parks & Public Lands
The Newest Presidential Library Teaches Vital Lessons About Public Lands. It’s First Visitor Didn’t Get the Message.
My wife and I were invited to preview the new Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library in the North Dakota Badlands. This impressive museum is dedicated to the father of American conservation. A few days later, the TRPL’s first official visitor was President Donald Trump, whose administration has been dismantling public lands protections. (photo credit: TRPL) Here’s my take on the ironic grand opening for Outside Magazine.
Was This the First Reported UFO?
A private pilot named Kenneth Arnold kicked off a worldwide craze when he claimed he saw a string of shiny saucers fly over Mount Rainier National Park in 1947. Read this excerpt from Chapter 1 of my recent book Mysteries of the National Parks online at American Heritage Magazine!
The Long Way West
A modern road trip along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail in Missouri and Illinois reveals forts, mounds, river towns, outdoor adventures, and quiet surprises. Check out the story and photos in the digital edition of Terrain Magazine!
The Other Parkway
A springtime road trip along the Natchez Trace Parkway, which stretches 444 miles across the Deep South, reveals fascinating historic sites and fun woodland adventures. Come along for the ride at Blue Ridge Outdoors!
The Strangest Unsolved Mysteries in America’s Great Outdoors
From a half-million symmetrical lakes to a lost gold mine, our national parks and public lands are home to fascinating and bizarre mysteries you can unravel on the ground. Read more at outsideonline.com!
Seven Mysteries You Can Explore in America’s National Parks
From unexplained phenomena to baffling disappearances, follow the clues while discovering our country’s treasured protected areas.
“It felt like paddling through soggy cereal. My wife and I were deep within Everglades National Park, struggling to kayak past dense mats of periphyton, a mass of algae, fungi and other organisms. Making matters worse, numerous water trail markers were missing, seemingly swept away by recent hurricanes. After several confusing detours, the sun was getting low, and we were getting worried…”
Help Protect National Parks and Public Lands
UPDATE: Recent legislation to sell-off public lands in the West was defeated due to widespread public disapproval.
However, other threats continue against the national parks and public lands.
Please consider following Outdoor Alliance, whose mission is conservation powered by outdoor recreation. They post frequent updates on social media, including Instagram @outdooralliance.
They also have a helpful form for contacting your lawmakers on their website: www.outdooralliance.org.
Some recent threats have been stopped, with the help of organizations and constituent outreach, including the sale of 500,000 acres of public land in UT and NV.
Other threats continue, such as mass layoffs and budget issues within the National Park Service, the Forest Service, and other land management agencies.
You can express your concerns directly to lawmakers by…
- writing your U.S. senators via the official Senate website using www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
- writing your U.S. rep using the Find Your Representative feature on the HOR website: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
About the photo, I took this shot during summer in Doughton Park, a popular NPS hiking area on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. It’s an area that was already under construction before being hit by Hurricane Helene. Staff disruptions seem likely to further delay the recovery of this already challenged region.
Mysteries of the National Parks – new book available!
Featuring 35 puzzling true stories, my new book takes readers to every corner of our diverse and beautiful country. Learn about baffling disappearances, unexplained phenomena, and the secret history of our national parks (from Sourcebooks). For more info and sales links check out the book page here!
Passing Through Cumberland Gap
At this national historical park at the junction of three Southern states, you can explore the paths of bison, Native Americans, and Daniel Boone. With camping, hiking, and stunning views, this is a hidden outdoor gem in the Appalachian Mountains. Read the story at Blue Ridge Outdoors!