Parkography

Ring, Grandfather, Ring

 Too often we look at our symbols and see them as the enduring legacy of our past, when in reality, symbols have always been mirror for us to reflect our current moments in, in order to inform our life’s direction. In the united states, the American Flag gets a lot of play, as does the Statue of Liberty, and the bald eagle. But there’s one symbol that we all know, but doesn’t always immediately come to mind as a representation of the American experience. And that’s a shame, because it’s a better representation of America than planned and designed effigies like the flag and Lady Liberty. Today on the America’s National Parks Podcast, the Liberty Bell.

Changes to Free National Park Admission,World's Longest Fossilized Footprints | National Park News

The world's longest fossilized footprint tracks have been uncovered in the White Sands of New Mexico, the National Trail system has grown by more than 1300 miles, two YouTubers are fined $1000 for filming in parks without a permit, a hiker lost in Zion for 12 days has been found, but questions abound about her disappearance, and a big change in policy will allow America’s more than 20 million veterans access to National Parks for free. It’s time for this month’s National Park News.

Nevermore

When you ask Americans to list some of our country's most famous poets and short story tellers, you’ll rarely hear mention of one of the most well-known authors of all time. Perhaps it’s because most think he was British, or perhaps it’s because most of his macabre stories seem a genre all of their own. Today on America’s National Parks, Philadelphia’s Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, and his masterpiece, "The Raven," just in time for Halloween. 

Marconi

National Park sites, even the natural ones, have seen many uses over the history of America, often due to the unique features that make them worth preserving in the first place. From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches to its open grasslands, brushy hillsides, and forested ridges, Point Reyes offers visitors over 1500 species of plants and animals to discover. 
Today on America’s National Parks, the historic RCA/Marconi wireless stations that sent morse code across the pacific during one of the most difficult times in American history. 

Second Century Camping

On last week’s episode, we took a look at early road planning and design in the parks, and we’re continuing with the theme this week, by looking at the history of National Park Campgrounds. 
You might not realize it, but so much of modern campground design, whether it be state and federal parks or privately ran facilities, was developed through the National Park Service throughout the 20th century. And now, the park service is taking a fresh look at campground design. Not to re-invent them, or turn them into gaudy spaces for glamping. The new national park service second century campground strategy is all about making camping spaces more user friendly, efficient, and inclusive, all while respecting the natural resources of the given park. You can comment on the Second Century strategy here:
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=415&projectID=97629&documentID=106910
 

A Tale of Two Roads

As the National Park idea began to inspire Americans far and wide, a major problem arose: how to provide safe access to these often wild and dangerous places, especially as the automobile began to make cross-country travel easier and more affordable. Today on America’s National Parks, two roads that taught the National Park Service some of the major lessons that have been applied to park design over the past century: Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park.

New NPS Units, Bears, Rescues, and Fires | National Park News

It's time month’s News from the Parks episode of the America’s National Parks Podcast, where we round up the latest happenings at America’s Greatest Treasures. On this episode, we have 2 new National Park Service units, bear attacks, fire & hurricanes, a terrible vandalism to a cave, news from National Parks in other countries, and so much more!

Leave No Trace (or...How to Poop in the Woods)

This week we learn about reducing impact on the environment when visiting National Parks and other public lands, along with a lesson on what to do when nature calls out on the trail from rangers at Yosemite National Park.