Tagged: national-park-service

Understaffing Could Make National Parks a Real Mess This Summer

The temporary hiring freeze that has been ordered across the entire U.S. federal government by the Trump administration could wreak havoc on national parks this summer, observers…

Chuckwalla: Some of U.S.'s Oldest Land Becomes Newest National Monument in California

In 1906, the United States Congress passed the Antiquities Act to help prevent the looting and destruction of tribal lands by greedy and careless people. That law is being invoked by…

America Names Newest National Park Units, Including One for This Trailblazing Woman

The U.S. National Park System got its 433rd addition this week, when President Joe Biden established the Frances Perkins National Monument in Newcastle, Maine. Though not exactly a…

National Park Free Days in 2025: When All U.S. National Parks Waive Entry Fees

Around 100 of the more than 430 sites in the U.S. National Park System charge entrance fees—and those include many of the most-visited parks. But on a few select dates each year, the…

All About USA’s Newest National Park: Texas' Blackwell School National Historic Site

A former school that was built in west Texas for Mexican and Mexican American students during the era of "separate but equal" education has become the newest addition to the U.S.…

Biden Creates His First National Park Unit: Amache in Colorado

Update: Amache officially became a Natonal Historic Site on February 15, 2024. Here is its official National Park unit page.Last Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the paperwork…

The Cost of Going Cashless at U.S. National Parks As Many Switch to Plastic-Only

A growing number of sites operated by the U.S. National Park Service no longer accept cash for entrance fees or other services.  In 2023, Badlands National Park in South Dakota, Crater…

Three New U.S. National Park Units Were Just Announced, And Hikers Will Love Them All

Three networks of hiking trails have been added to the National Park Service, the highest designation for public recreational spaces in the United States. The newly elevated trails…

Best National Parks in the USA

What are the best national parks?  There are dozens of U.S. national parks to choose from, starting with the first national park (and still one of the best national…

Biden Names Two More National Monuments, Expands Marine Reserve

President Joe Biden has designated two more national monuments that are precious to the history, culture, and natural resources of the United States. Combined, the newly protected…

Days in 2023 When All U.S. National Parks Are Free to Enter

Sometimes you need a little motivation to plan that trip you always wanted to take. Fortunately, every year the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) sprinkles some incentive across the…

San Francisco’s New Answer to NYC’s High Line Promises Prime Views of Golden Gate Bridge

A hotly anticipated new outdoor attraction in San Francisco finally has an opening date.  Presidio Tunnel Tops, a 14-acre addition to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, will…

4 Tips for Staying Safe on a Solo Hike

For those looking to explore the outdoors in peace and quiet and at their own pace, it's easy to see the appeal of a solo hike. But there are obvious dangers to heading into the…

Which U.S. National Park Is Deadliest? Two Studies Have Different Answers

During the pandemic, U.S. national parks have been a haven for cooped-up Americans who are starved for wide open spaces. And while we'd never want to spoil anybody's haven, it's…

West Virginia Is Home to the USA's Newest National Park

You might have missed a noteworthy provision in the funding bill that was passed by Congress last week and finally signed, after a surprise delay, by Pres. Trump on Sunday night.  In…

America's Greatest National Historic Trails: Scenic Routes in the Footsteps of History

Unknown to many travelers, the National Park Service of the United States has established a National Historic Trails system that's perfectly designed for planning patriotic versions of…

Make Plans: National Parks Are Free on September 26

Each year, the U.S. national park system sprinkles a few days across the calendar during which the government collects no entrance fees. The next date comes on September 26, 2020.…

Listen to These Soothing Nature Sounds When You Can’t Explore Outdoors

Heading into the woods is usually a smart strategy for lowering your stress levels—unless, of course, you’re a character in a fairy tale, in which case your nearest woods are…

Closed for Three Years, D.C.'s Washington Monument Finally Has a Reopening Date

The Washington Monument in America's capital will reopen to the public on Thursday, September 19, the National Park Service has announced. The 555-foot-tall marble-and-granite obelisk…

Most Visited U.S. National Parks and Monuments in 2017

The National Park Service (NPS) has released its visitor numbers for 2017. A total of 330,882,751 people spent time at American national parks, monuments, and other sites deemed worthy…

Free National Park Entry on Nov. 11 & 12, But for Which Parks?

This weekend, Nov. 11 and 12, entry to many (but not all) national parks will be free in honor of Veterans Day.The National Park Service has posted a state-by-state list of the free…

Fewer Flights to Cuba, Closed Historic Sites in Philly, and Trump's Call to Privatize Air Traffic Control: Today's Travel Briefing

MARCH 17, 2017 — Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's airlines, airports, and national parks. * FRONTIER AND SILVER SUSPENDING SERVICE TO CUBA (Travel…

New National Monument in Maine, Tourism Decline in Paris, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Welcome to the working week. Here's what's going on in the world of travel.* OBAMA NAMES NEW NATIONAL MONUMENT IN MAINE (Associated Press). On Wednesday of last week—the day before the…

Passports with Purpose: Send Your Money on a Trip to Help Those in Need

We're taking a break from the regularly scheduled deal-of-the-week column to tell you about something that's in keeping with the holiday season: giving back. In 2008, that's just what…

Memorial Cruises Honor the 100th Anniversary of the Sinking of the "Titanic"

It's coming up on the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster, and the fascination lives on. Movies have been made about it, books have been written, and numerous websites, blogs,…