Parkography

The National Park Lodge That Almost Disappeared | Paradise Inn, Mount Rainier National Park

Hidden beneath hundreds of inches of snow each winter, there’s a historic lodge sitting high on the slopes of Mount Rainier National Park that almost didn’t survive.
In this episode of Parkography, we’re exploring the incredible story of the Paradise Inn—a lodge built in 1917 that helped shape what America’s national parks would become. From its origins as a luxury resort in the wilderness to its near-demolition in the mid-20th century, Paradise Inn stands as a symbol of how our relationship with national parks has evolved over time.
Written by Lizzie Tesch
#MountRainier #NationalParks #USHistory
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News: Zion Dispersed Camping Ban, Boundary Waters Mining, Yellowstone Jail Time, Grand Canyon Water Crisis

In this episode: the BLM’s plan to ban dispersed camping on nearly 14,000 acres near Zion National Park—shifting use to designated areas and two proposed campgrounds, a resolution that could overturn a 20-year ban on copper-nickel mining near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters watershed,  a Texas man sentenced to five days in jail for stepping off boardwalks onto Yellowstone’s thermal features, a settlement to keep the pride flag flying at Stonewall National Monument, tightened South Rim water restrictions at Grand Canyon due to pipeline breaks, Big Bend’s Chisos Basin closure being put on hold, and Yosemite’s historic Ahwahnee dining room moving to a required prix-fixe menu starting at $95.
00:00 Public Lands News Roundup00:29 Zion Dispersed Camping Ban02:37 Boundary Waters Mining Fight04:29 Yellowstone Boardwalk Jail05:34 Stonewall Pride Flag Returns07:08 Grand Canyon Water Restrictions08:14 Big Bend Closure Delayed09:04 Yosemite Dining Goes Prix Fixe10:52 Wrap Up and Subscribe

NEWS: Forest Service Completely Restructuring, Group Sues to Allow Guns In Parks & A New National Park?

This week in national park and public lands news: A major US Forest Service overhaul, including relocating its headquarters from Washington, DC to Salt Lake City by 2027; a bill to redesignate Chiricahua National Monument as a national park passed the House and heads to the Senate; National Park Week in 2026 will move to August; a lawsuit challenges firearm bans inside NPS buildings; Grand Canyon’s South Rim enters Stage 3 water restrictions after a Trans-Canyon Waterline break, and more.
00:00 Intro00:38 Forest Service Overhaul02:32 New Arizona Park Push03:39 Mammoth Cave Expansion04:05 National Park Week Moves05:14 Firearms Rules Lawsuit06:29 Grand Canyon Water Crisis08:23 Idaho Wildlife Charges09:22 Millions of Bees Spill10:35 Wrap Up and Goodbye

Theodore Roosevelt National Park: Where a President Was Made

Before he was president… before he was a Rough Rider… Theodore Roosevelt was a sickly kid struggling to breathe.
Then he came to the Badlands.
In this episode of Parkography, we explore how the rugged landscapes of Theodore Roosevelt National Park transformed Roosevelt’s life—and ultimately helped shape the future of conservation in America.
From cattle ranching along the Little Missouri River to devastating personal loss, this is the story of how one wild place forged one of the most influential presidents in U.S. history.

News: Parts of Big Bend To Close, Sequoias in Danger, Rushmore Fireworks Return

This week in national park news: The National Park Service reports 323 million recreation visits in 2025 (down 2.7% from 2024), Mount Rushmore will host fireworks for the U.S. 250th anniversary amid ongoing regional wildfire concerns. A new CBP map no longer shows a primary border wall through Big Bend, instead labeling the area as detection technology, while Big Bend’s Chisos Basin will close starting May 1 for up to two years for lodge replacement and water infrastructure work. Lawmakers introduce the Save Our Sequoias Act to fund reforestation, monitoring, and forest management after major tree losses, and Indiana will add all-terrain track chairs to every state park at no cost.
00:00 Big Changes Ahead00:34 2025 Park Visitation Report02:19 Mount Rushmore Fireworks Return04:08 Big Bend Border Wall Update05:41 Chisos Basin Two-Year Closure07:03 Save Our Sequoias Act08:47 Indiana Parks Accessibility Upgrade09:46 Wrap Up And Thanks

The Dark and Surprising History of Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore is one of the most famous monuments in the United States. Nearly everyone can recognize the towering faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln carved into the granite of the Black Hills of South Dakota.
But the real story behind Mount Rushmore is far more complicated—and far more fascinating—than most people realize.
In this episode of Parkography, we explore the surprising history behind America’s most recognizable monument. From the unlikely idea of South Dakota historian Doane Robinson, to the larger-than-life and controversial sculptor Gutzon Borglum, to the hundreds of workers who risked their lives carving the mountain with dynamite and hand tools during the Great Depression.

NEWS: New Volcano & Geyser Eruptions, Border Wall May Go Through Big Bend, Big Sur Wildflowers Destroyed

This week in national park news:
Mount Rainier National Park has officially dropped its timed entry reservation system for 2026 — joining Yosemite, Arches, and Glacier in abandoning the pandemic-era crowd management experiment.
Meanwhile, one of Yellowstone’s most unusual geothermal features — Echinus Geyser — has suddenly begun erupting again after years of dormancy.
We also cover:
• A fatal incident near the Kīlauea caldera in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park• A controversial proposal to build new border barriers through Big Bend National Park• One of the best wildflower blooms in Death Valley since 2016• A strange act of vandalism at Big Sur’s famous Calla Lily Valley• Possible campground closures in Washington state parks• And the opening of a brand-new Texas state park for the first time in 24 years
00:00 Intro00:46 Mount Rainier Drops Timed Entry02:01 Hawaii Volcano Fatal Incident02:57 Yellowstone Geyser Returns04:47 Big Bend Border Wall Proposal06:58 Death Valley Wildflower Bloom08:14 Big Sur Flower Vandalism09:46 Washington Campground Cuts10:58 Texas Opens New State Park12:05 Wrap Up

The Darkest Day in Carlsbad Caverns History

In 1979, armed men took control of one of America’s most famous national parks — 750 feet underground.
More than 100 visitors were trapped inside the Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns while gunshots echoed through the darkness. The hostage takers demanded money, a flight to Brazil, and a reporter to tell their story. What happened next became one of the strangest and least-known incidents in National Park Service history.
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