Shows
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Podcast | Government Shutdown BluesWe’ve made it past Labor Day. Which means fall colors in some parts of the country aren’t too far off, seasonal wildlife migrations are getting under way, and summertime crowds in the national park system have thinned out. Fall is a glorious time to be out in the park system. The question right now, though, is how will the park system be functioning come October? That’s a very pertinent question, because the federal government is facing a shutdown on September 30 if Congress can’t come to terms on a budget for fiscal year 2026, which starts O...
2025-09-0744 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Podcast | Threatened and Endangered ParksWe’re five days into 2025, and already there’s a lot of news concerning national parks and the National Park Service. Traveler Editor-in-Chief Kurt Repanshek is joined today by Contributing Editor Kim O’Connell to discuss the Traveler’s 4th Annual Threatened and Endangered Park Series and other recent park-related news.
2025-01-0550 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Podcast | Into the ThawMost, if not all of us, have bucket lists. Places we want to visit…but don’t always get the opportunity. This is Kurt Repanshek, your host at the National Parks Traveler. One of the destinations on my bucket list is Gates of Arctic National Park and Preserve and the Noatak River that runs through it. A week or two floating the river sounds pretty ideal to me. While it’s debatable whether I’ll cross that off my bucket list remains to be seen, today’s guest has floated the river more than once and backpack...
2024-12-0842 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Podcast | Letters from the SmokiesThere is so much rich history across the National Park System, from chapters of the Revolutionary War held in parks in the eastern half of the country to stories from the gold rush that stampeded through Alaska during the late 1890s. This is Kurt Repanshek, your host at The National Parks Traveler. I’ve always been fascinated with history. And when you look at parks in the eastern half of the country, the reservoir is so much deeper than in the western half if only for the reason that more was written down. Michael Aday has...
2024-06-0952 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Podcast | Traveler's Summer OutlookSummer is almost here. The upcoming Memorial Day weekend is the official kickoff to the summer travel season, and I’m happy to say that the National Parks Traveler will be continuing to bring you news about the parks and how you can enjoy them. As much as Editor-in-Chief Kurt Repanshek was looking forward to retiring, listener and reader support has enabled the news organization to continue on with its editorially independent coverage of National Parks and protected areas. Kurt and Lynn will be discussing this good news this week, as well as exploring some of t...
2024-05-1951 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Podcast | Music Inspired by the ParksWith March madness down to the Sweet 16, and Opening Day of Major League Baseball having arrived, we’re going to take a break this week and dive into our podcast archives for this week’s show. This is Kurt Repanshek, your host at the National Parks Traveler. My NCAA bracket was busted the very first day, and while the Yankees won their opening day game against the Houston Astros, I don’t think they’ll go undefeated this year. While I ponder the sports world, we’re going to let Lynn Riddick reprise her interviews with Nationa...
2024-03-3146 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Podcast | State of the Parks 2024While most visitors to the National Park System view the parks as incredibly beautiful places, or places rich in culture and history, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes within the parks, and with the National Parks Service. Traveler editor Kurt Repanshek has closely followed the parks and the Park Service for more than 18 years. Over that timespan, he’s seen a lot of changes in the parks, and the agency itself. In today’s show we are going to offer a sort of “State of the Parks” with you. After all, as much as you enjo...
2024-03-1047 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Podcast | National Park GuidebooksWith nearly 430 units in the National Park System, of which 63 are National Parks, we all probably could use a little help in planning our adventures into the park system. But do you simply visit a park’s website to plan your trip? Find an online guidebook? Buy a hardcover guidebook? Or simply wing it when you reach your destination? This is Kurt Repanshek, your host at the National Parks Traveler. I must confess, I’ve taken all three approaches, and I’ve even written a guidebook to the parks, and there’s probably a fair amount of guideboo...
2024-03-0347 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Podcast | Support Keeping the Lights OnWhen Kurt Repanshek launched the Traveler back in August of 2005, it was primarily to find stories that he could pitch to magazines. But the magazine world took a nosedive, while at the same time readership on the Traveler continued to grow. Today, between 2.5 and 3 million readers and listeners a year turn to the Traveler to learn more about the National Park System, both its wonders and how it’s being managed. Unfortunately, the Traveler hasn’t been financially sustainable, and can’t continue unless we can attract the funding necessary to employ a small staff, upgrade IT resources, and all...
2023-12-1037 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Podcast | The State of Yellowstone National ParkIt's easy to take the status of national parks for granted. We read wonderful beckoning stories about them in magazines and newspapers. And we watch gorgeous travelogue pieces about them on television. But how much do we know about the operational status of the national parks? How much do we know about the health of the natural resources, the condition of historic structures, the state of the workforce that operates and manages the national parks? In short, we know really very little about those things. But at Yellowstone National Park, staff has been preparing "State of the...
2023-04-3050 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Podcast | Overlooked Gems Of The National Park SystemThis year has been a year of firsts for the National Parks Traveler Editor Kurt Repanshek. First-time visits to units of the National Park System, that is. This year Repanshek has taken road trips through Nebraska, Kansas, and New Mexico to explore overlooked gems of the park system. To discuss these and other must-see sites with us today are Rebecca Latson, Traveler's contributing photographer, and Kim O’Connell, a Traveler contributing editor.
2022-11-2045 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler | Drive National Parks Traveler's CoverageNational Parks Traveler Founder Kurt Repanshek and contributing editors Kim O'Connell and Lynn Riddick discuss the Traveler's role in reporting on national parks and how reader and listener support make that role possible.
2022-10-3044 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler|Homestead National Historical ParkHomestead National Historical Park near Beatrice, Nebraska, isn’t that big, just 211 acres, but as the saying goes, it plays much, much bigger. Here you’ll find the National Museum on Homesteading, historic buildings including the Palmer-Epard log cabin that despite its small size – just 14 feet by 16 feet – was home to a family of 12, along with agricultural equipment, genealogy research opportunities, an education center, hiking trails through 100 acres of restored tallgrass prairie and a burr oak forest. This is Kurt Repanshek, your host at the National Parks Traveler. On a warm, late June day I caught up with Jona...
2022-07-2439 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler| Walking The Oregon Trail At Scotts BluffThe Oregon Trail stretched roughly 2,170 miles from Missouri to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. It rambled across prairie, sagebrush desert and mountains. From the 1840s into the 1880s, hundreds of thousands of immigrants made the challenging journey, and not all survived. Today more than 120 historic sites, auto tour routes, and markers show us where the Oregon Trail traveled. One of the choke points, if you will, is in western Nebraska at a place preserved today as Scotts Bluff National Monument. Here the Oregon Trail runs across Mitchell Pass, a low spot squeezed by buff-colored bluffs that tower to the...
2022-07-0332 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Podcast - Episode 176NPT Ep 176 Spot List - Run Time - 41:40 :02 National Parks Traveler introduction :12 Episode Intro with Lynn Riddick :34 The Road Scholar - Bill Mize - The Spirit of South Dakota :44 Eastern National Passport 1:27 Interior Federal Credit Union 1:45 Washington’s National Park Fund 2:18 Wild Tribute 2:39 Great Smoky Mountains Association 3:04 Kurt’s Travels with Lynn Riddick 28:33 Black Woods - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia 28:54 Grand Teton National Park Foundation 29:22 Potrero Group 29:48 Yosemite Conservancy 30:08 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation 30:27 Everglades Foundation 30:39 Friends of Acadia...
2022-06-2641 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks TravelerWaking up in the middle of the night in the backcountry of a national park can often be an interesting, or even unnerving, experience. What was it that caused you to wakeup? Fourteen years ago, deep in the interior of Yellowstone National Park it was the howling of a wolf that woke me, and when I think about it, it still seems like it was just yesterday. The melodic howl hung in the air, seesawing up and down as the wolf sang his song. We go into national parks to view spectacular scenery, hike, and see wildlife...
2022-06-1235 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: A Conversation With Everglades National Park Superintendent Pedro RamosEverglades National Park very easily can be viewed as the poster child for invasive species. It’s infested with non-native Burmese pythons, Argentine black and white tegus are making inroads, there is invasive vegetation like Melaleuca and Brazilian pepper, and nonnative fish are making their way into the park’s ecosystems. Kurt Repanshek, editor of the National Parks Traveler, recently had a chance to sit down with Pedro Ramos, superintendent of Everglades National Park, to discuss the battles against these invasive species and look ahead to the park’s 75th birthday this fall.
2022-05-0130 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Glen Canyon NRA's Thirst For WaterLake Powell long has been the shimmering heart of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah and Arizona, but it’s not the only asset of the NRA that covers 1.25 million acres. This is Kurt Repanshek, your host at the National Parks Traveler. Last year I had the good fortune to visit Glen Canyon NRA twice –- once in May to kayak Lake Powell -- and then in July when I backpacked into the park’s backcountry to not just admire its beauty but watch efforts to reverse the spread of invasive vegetation in the park. But not a...
2022-04-2438 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Slogging Through A Cypress Dome At EvergladesA great way to experience Everglades National Park is to go on a "slough slog" into a cypress dome. Ranger Yvette Cano led National Parks Traveler Editor Kurt Repanshek on such a wet hike in search of a gator hole.
2022-04-1735 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Exploring Big Bend And Chuck SamsLast week the National Parks Traveler took you to Big Bend National Park in far west Texas with a discussion with Chief of Interpretation Tom Vandenberg. This week, Traveler's Lynn Riddick provides a first-hand, more personal glimpse into this vast remote park. Afterwards, Traveler Editor Kurt Repanshek shares a short conversation he had with Charles Sams, the new director of the National Park Service.
2022-01-0936 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: News From Around The National Parks Editor-in-Chief Kurt Repanshek and Contributing Editor Kim O'Connell discuss news from around the National Park System, from black bear incidents along the Blue Ridge Parkway to a Yellowstone visitor being sentenced to jail for getting too close to a grizzly bear sow and her cubs.
2021-10-1742 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: What's In Your National Park LibraryNPT Ep 136 Spot List - Run Time - 48:00 :02 National Parks Traveler introduction :12 Episode introduction with Kurt Repanshek 1:05 Parks Book Reviews 23:14 The Offering - Bill Mize - The Sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains 23:33 WNPA 23:54 Yosemite Conservancy 24:17 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation 24:38 Potrero Group 25:06 North Cascades Institute 25:24 Nova Scotia 25:56 Parks Book Reviews Continue 43:22 Bass Harbor - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia 44:07 Episode Closing 44:50 Washington’s National Park Fund 45:26 Interior Federal Credit Union 46:00 Friends of Acadia 46:27 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
2021-09-1848 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler's Postcard From The Parks: Yellowstone's Other SideHave you ever visited the "other" side of Yellowstone? Left the Old Faithful and Steamboat geysers behind, fled the conga lines of vehicles mired in bison and bear jams in the Hayden and Lamar valleys, the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds on the boardwalks ... and opted, instead, for the wild side, where you and nature can become one...if you are willing? For a few minutes Kurt Repanshek takes you to Yellowstone's other side with a kayak trip on Yellowstone Lake.
2021-09-1504 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: News From Across The National Park SystemA lot is happening around the National Park System, from the nomination of a permanent director for the National Park Service and higher user fees in the parks to wildfires and ongoing crowds in some corners of the park system. National Parks Traveler's Kurt Repanshek, Kim O'Connell, and Lynn Riddick discuss those and other issues from around the park system.
2021-08-2255 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastAudio Postcard From The Parks: World War I MemorialOne of the newest additions to the National Park System is the World War I Memorial in the District of Columbia. Traveler's Kurt Repanshek and Contributing Editor Kim O'Connell offer this short audio postcard from the site.
2021-07-2104 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: The Plight Of National Scenic TrailsGo take a hike. Wouldn’t that be a great escape this weekend? Some of my most enjoyable hikes have been along the Appalachian Trail. That path was easy to reach when I was growing up in New Jersey. Now based in Utah, the A.T. is a distant aspiration. Much closer are both the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. This is Kurt Repanshek, your host at National Parks Traveler. All three of those trails – the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail – are officially recognized as National Scenic Trails. In all, there...
2021-06-0644 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Discussing The Public Lands RushKurt Repanshek and Joe Miczulski, whose friendship dates back more than 50 years, take time from their sea kayaking trip on Lake Powell at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area to discuss the recent rush to public lands by Americans yearning to get outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic.
2021-05-2344 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Podcast: Threatened Grand CanyonAs glorious as Grand Canyon National Park is, the national park faces a number of significant issues. National Parks Traveler Editor Kurt Repanshek, along with Special Projects Editor Patrick Cone and Jess Repanshek, Traveler’s sound recording engineer, headed to the park in late April to get a better sense of some of the issues that park managers are grappling with and which could alter, possibly significantly, how we experience the canyon. The following podcast previews those issues.
2021-05-1620 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Westward Expansion Through Fort LaramieSearching for the door that opened Westward Expansion? Find yourself at Fort Laramie National Historic Site in eastern Wyoming. The history to find across the historic site's grounds, its restored buildings, and in the surrounding countryside, is deeper than first glance might indicate. It's not just a military relic. Fort Laramie truly was an iconic milepost in the nation's history.
2021-04-2535 min
Reliable SourcesNational Parks Traveler editor-in-chief Kurt Repanshek shares news from America's treasured placesKurt Repanshek is the founder and editor-in-chief of National Parks Traveler, the country's only news outlet dedicated to covering national parks and protected areas, and an early entrant to the now-growing group of nonprofit newsrooms. Repanshek joins Brian Stelter during National Parks Week to discuss his nimble operation, the significance of its nonprofit status, and the immense challenges he faces covering this broad and dynamic beat. He also touches on funding issues within the National Parks Service system, noting that "politics greatly intrude on efforts to cover the parks." Climate change is also an urgent part of the parks...
2021-04-2333 min
S.J. Quinney College of Law Events and WebinarsRE-BISONING THE WEST by Kurt RepanshekA Wallace Stegner Center Green Bag - Kurt Repanshek traces the history of bison from their near extinction to present-day efforts to bring them back to the landscape—and the biological, political, and cultural hurdles confronting these efforts. Repanshek explores Native Americans’ relationships with bison and presents a forward-thinking approach to returning bison to the West and improving the health of ecosystems.Kurt Repanshek is an award-winning journalist well versed in public lands, wildlife, recreation, environmental, and development issues. After graduating from West Virginia University in 1979, he was hired in 1980 by The Associated Press, initially as a temporary leg...
2021-04-221h 13
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Walking The Grounds Of Fort LaramieFort Laramie National Historic Site is a rare, overlooked outpost in the National Park System. It's not the only 19th century fort in the system, but it is richly steeped in Western history, from the fur trappers and the cavalry to the Oregon Trail and the Pony Express. During a recent visit, Kurt Repanshek and Fort Laramie Ranger Clayton Hanson walked the grounds. In this week's episode, they started at the approximate site of original Fort William and headed over to the sutler's store.
2021-04-1838 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Emergency Medicine In National ParksIt’s a sound you instantly recognize, and one you hope isn’t coming to your location. It’s the wailing siren of an ambulance responding to an emergency. In the National Park System during the height of summer, the sound can be very familiar. Kevin Grange, a seasonal paramedic in the parks, discusses his job. It’s a conversation that will leave you with a better understanding and appreciation for the vital role these individuals serve in seeing that national park visitors who are injured or come down with a debilitating illness receive prompt care and are able, if possib...
2021-04-1136 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: A Cape Hatteras ConversationHow is life on Cape Hatteras National Seashore these days? We sat down with Superintendent Dave Hallac for a wide-ranging conversation about the national seashore, touching on topics ranging from beach access to wildlife and even pirates.
2021-04-0451 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Reviving Capitol Reef's OrchardsAt Capitol Reef National Park, you’ll find 100 acres of orchards and pastures, most of which were established more than 100 years ago by Mormon settlers and where present-day park visitors are still invited to pick and eat the fruit. Over the years, about 1,000 trees have been lost to poor soils, disease, and old age. The Traveler’s Lynn Riddick reached out to two park officials to get some historic perspective on the orchards…and the details of the substantial rehabilitation project.
2021-03-2858 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: An Acadia National Park ConversationJust off the coast of Maine lies anchored the oldest national park east of the Mississippi, a park with an artistic flair and blue blood in its founding. Though Acadia National Park is small, coming in around 35,000 acres, it plays much bigger, as they might say in golf. You can explore more than 40 miles of bucolic carriage roads, hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain, search tide pools for marine life at low tide, or kayak the waters surrounding Mount Desert Island. Kurt Repanshek sits down with Acadia Superintendent Kevin Schneider to talk about his park, the...
2021-03-2140 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Great Smoky's Wildlife CorridorsGreat Smoky Mountains National Park is an ideal place to see bear, elk and other mammals, large and small. But too often the place these wild animals are seen most is dead along the side of Interstate 40 in the Pigeon River Gorge, victims of a fragmented habitat combined with an increasing number of motor vehicles. A collaborative effort to study wildlife mortality from motor vehicle collisions and find solutions for wildlife to safely cross this winding highway along the Pigeon River outside the national park is fully underway with nearly 100 stakeholders in North Carolina and Tennessee.
2021-03-1451 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Traveler's Calendar and Supporting Wind Cave BisonContributing editor Kim O’Connell joins me to discuss some of the stories from across the country that we’re working on at the Traveler and will be rolling out on the Traveler in the weeks and months ahead. And Lynn Riddick has a short story about a unique fundraiser that’s giving Wind Cave National Park new tools to manage and learn about the genetically pure bison herd there.
2021-03-0745 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Rebuilding Dry Tortugas National Park's Coral ReefsCoral is a foundation species, one that creates the habitats that support biodiversity and provides essential shoreline protection. The waters of Dry Tortugas National Park are home to some 30 species of coral. One type –- Elkhorn Coral -- rises above the rest, literally and figuratively, for its importance in the region. It also happens to be the most threatened. A team from the U.S. Geological Survey looked into whether Elkhorn Coral grown in nursery conditions could be transplanted in Dry Tortugas National Park and other areas of the Florida Keys.
2021-02-2853 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Yellowstone Needs And Successes, Big Cypress DrillingThis week we our conversation with Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly on the state of his park. We discuss efforts to greatly reduce the number of invasive lake trout in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone’s infrastructure needs, and some of the conservation projects park staff is working on. And we also voice Traveler’s position that the National Park Service needs to conduct an environmental impact statement, not a less rigorous environmental assessment, on plans to drill for oil in Big Cypress National Preserve.
2021-02-2147 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Yellowstone's Covid Storm, Drilling For Oil In Big CypressAs Covid-19 swept across the country last year, it created challenges for the National Park Service. Once parks opened, people flocked to them. But many parks were short of staff. Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly discusses the challenges his staff faced with Covid. Plus, Alison Kelly from the Natural Resources Defense Council brings us up to speed on a proposal to drill for oil in Big Cypress National Preserve.
2021-02-1438 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: The State Of National Park PhilanthropyWhat’s the state of national park philanthropy? The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic a year ago impacted nonprofit organizations that work to support national parks. Many organizations that rely on retail sales for revenues had to close their outlets and layoff staff. How are things today?
2021-02-0744 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: The Ioway Tribal National ParkThe country’s largest tribal national park has been authorized and is now in the early stages of development. The Ioway Tribal National park will sit on 564 acres along the Missouri River on the border of Nebraska and Kansas. The Traveler’s Lynn Riddick spoke with a tribe member who is on the front lines in the development of the park. He shared his thoughts about the park, how it will help the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska… and the history it will honor.
2021-01-3148 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: New River Gorge's New Name, And Expanded SaguaroWhat drove the name change for New River Gorge National River and how does the expansion of Saguaro National Park benefit the park? We discuss those issues this week with Joy Oakes and Kevin Dahl from the National Parks Conservation Association.
2021-01-2443 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Searching For The Missing In National ParksThis week we’re talking search and rescue in the National Park System. Each year, there are thousands of search-and-rescue incidents logged across the park system. The Intermountain Region of the National Park Service is the largest in the agency, and is home to many of the most beautiful, and dangerous, national parks. Yellowstone has boiling waters and grizzly bears, Grand Canyon has that deep canyon, and Rocky Mountain has alluring, and rugged, backcountry. We’re joined by search and rescue experts at Rocky Mountain National Park
2021-01-1741 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Endangered Species And The ESAIn this week’s show, our 100th podcast, we take a look at endangered and threatened species that call the National Park System home and the legal battles that swing to and fro over gaining them Endangered Species Act protections. Joining me for this discussion is Noah Greenwald, the endangered species director for the Center for Biological Diversity.
2021-01-1037 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: A Perspective On Hiking The Appalachian Trail2021 marks 100 years since forester and planner Benton MacKaye conceived a trail connecting farmlands, mountain ranges, camps and towns along the Appalachian Mountain range. Sixteen years later, the Appalachian Trail was completed. Each year an estimated 3 million people take to the trail. In honor of this anniversary, Lynn Riddick met up with one A.T. enthusiast who has experienced the colossal physical and mental challenges of tackling the entire trail…and its immense rewards.
2021-01-0359 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Reviewing 2020 In National ParksIn this, our last episode for 2020, we look back on the past 12 months in the parks with Phil Francis of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and Kristen Brengel from the National Parks Conservation Association. And we also take a peek at the task ahead for the Biden administration in the realm of parks and public lands.
2020-12-2750 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Saving, And Losing, Structures At Cape LookoutYear after year, a little more of the visual history of Cape Lookout National Seashore on the Outer Banks of North Carolina is lost. Hurricanes and nor’easters take their toll on the structures in two small villages there, slowly erasing the reminders of what was once a thriving shipping and fishing hub. The Traveler’s Lynn Riddick spoke with Cape Lookout National Seashore superintendent Jeff West to learn about the efforts to save whatever historic structures they can.
2020-12-2046 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Counting Birds For The HolidaysThis week’s show is going to the birds. Counting, birds, that is, what with the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count officially kicking off Monday and running through January 5. We sat down with Geoff LeBaron, who long has overseen the annual count for the National Audubon Society, to discuss the program.
2020-12-1345 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Canada's Glorious ParksIf you’re a truly devoted national parks traveler, you don’t let political boundaries get in your way when you consider which national park to visit. With that in mind, we’re going to look north to Canada and the incredible parks overseen by Parks Canada. There are some great destinations there, whether you’re a young family traveling with kids, wildlife watchers looking for bison or birds, or more experienced travelers looking for a wild backcountry experience.
2020-12-0646 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Wonders Of Sand And Stone, Utah's Parks And MonumentsFrederick Swanson is a Salt Lake City writer who long has studied public lands issues in Utah, and his latest book delves into the history of the state's national parks and monuments. In our show he discusses the motivation that spurred "Wonders of Sand and Stone, A History of Utah’s National Parks and Monuments."
2020-11-2938 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: The Raucous Crab Island Party At Gulf IslandsGulf Islands National Seashore is developing a Commercial Services Strategy for Crab Island due to the raucous partying that goes on there. Lynn Riddick discusses the matter with Gulf Islands Superintendent Dan Brown.
2020-11-2250 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Glacier Bay, Wildfires, And Rocky Mountain ConservancyEstee Rivera, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, discusses the damage wildfires inflicted on Rocky Mountain National Park and the role the conservancy is taking in helping park staff rehabilitate areas impacted by the fires and interpret the intense fire season. And Kurt Repanshek visits with Kim Heacox, a former park ranger turned writer and photographer at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska.
2020-11-1557 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Chesapeake's Bald Eagles And National ParksDr. Bryan Watts, an authority on bald eagles, discusses his research that indicates that bald eagles that utilize national park lands around the Chesapeake Bay may have a slight advantage over those that use the bay’s other estuarine systems.
2020-11-0842 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Pre-Election Round Table On The ParksHow might the 2020 presidential election impact the National Park Service? Former Park Service Director Jon Jarvis, Kristen Brengel from the National Parks Conservation Association, and Phil Francis, chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, discuss that question.
2020-11-0150 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Beluga Whales And The Pebble MineNational Parks Traveler’s Lynn Riddick connects with Dr. Tracy Romano of Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut to discuss the plight of beluga whales in Cook Inlet in Alaska and the threats they face, including the threats posed by the proposed Pebble Mine project.
2020-10-2539 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: The Wilderness Land TrustThis week we look at a nonprofit organization whose sole existence is to acquire, from willing sellers, private lands surrounded by official, or proposed, wilderness in national parks, national forests, and other publicly owned lands. Once those lands are acquired and transferred to federal land managers, The Wilderness Land Trust will put itself out of business. But that’s not going to happen overnight, as the Trust’s executive director, Brad Borst, explains during our conversation.
2020-10-1835 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: High Heat At Death Valley National ParkIn this week’s show, we look at one of the hottest places on Earth, Death Valley National Park in southeastern California and western Nevada. And this summer was especially hot. The park broke records in a number of categories as it experienced some of the hottest days ever recorded on Earth. August was particularly brutal, with record temperatures reached 12 times for both the daily high and the daily low. To take a closer look at these numbers and why they don’t seem to be a deterrent to visitors, Traveler’s Lynn Riddick spoke with Death Valley Superinten...
2020-10-1149 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Roundtable Discussion On National Park NewsLife in the National Park System doesn’t pause for presidential elections. Indeed, there have been many issues across the parks to pay attention to and discuss. To help us with that task, we’ve invited Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, and Sheridan Steele, a Park Service veteran who sits on the executive council of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.
2020-10-0447 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Visiting The Blue Ridge Music CenterIn this week’s show, we look at a national park site that celebrates distinctly American music -- the Blue Ridge Music Center near Galax, Virginia. Traveler’s Lynn Riddick visits with Richard Emmett, director of the center, to find out what’s happening in the interpretation, presentation, and promotion of traditional American mountain music. We’ll kick it off with a clip from the Chatham Rabbits, who recently performed at the center.
2020-09-2742 min
Nature and Science PodcastNational Parks Traveler Founder Kurt RepanshekSend us a textNational Parks Traveler founder and editor-in-chief, Kurt Repanshek will discuss the destructive behavior in national parks caused by the Covid19 virus and other topics about our National Parks. Kurt is the founder and editor-in-chief of National Parks Traveler, the No. 1-ranked, editorially independent nonprofit media organization that provides daily news, feature, and commentary coverage of national parks and protected areas.Traveler's journalists work to inform the general public of environmental, scientific, and newsworthy developments surrounding, involving, and affecting these areas and their governing bodies. As the Covid19 pandemic has t...
2020-09-2238 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Fall Lodging In The Parks And Migratory AcadiaIn this week’s show, we welcome you to fall with a conversation with lodging experts David and Kay Scott on where best to relax and enjoy the fall foliage in the National Park System. And Lynn Riddick catches up with Seth Benz, the bird ecology director at the Schoodic Institute, to discuss fall migrations at Acadia National Park.
2020-09-2059 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Put Parashant NM On The Bucket List, Gone From The ParksWe’re going to dream a little bit about places in the National Park System we’d like to visit with hopes we can help you discover a new park destination. To launch this audio bucket list, we’re looking towards Arizona and Parashant National Monument, which despite its more than 1 million acres seems to fly below most park visitors’ radar. Following that, we’re going to continue to ponder the topic of species extinction, and whether national parks can help slow the sixth mass extinction.
2020-09-1334 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Covid-19's Impact On Outdoor Rec & Outdoor Afro FundraiserThis week we take a look at the outdoor recreation industry and how it has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. We also take a look at the upcoming fundraiser for Outdoor Afro. Yosemite National Park Ranger Shelton Johnson will host the fundraiser for the organization that inspires and facilitates the connection of Black Americans to natural spaces everywhere.
2020-09-0654 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Yosemite Turns Into Assateague, And Species ExtinctionIn this week’s show, we question whether national parks can serve as a barrier to slow the sixth mass extinction. But first, what can turn a five-day trip to Yosemite National Park into a one-day trip to Assateague Island National Seashore? Covid can. In this lighthearted and informative story of their trip to the beach, the Traveler’s Lynn Riddick and her friend Michele Hogan demonstrate that it’s all about flexibility when trying to find some outdoor space in the age of a global pandemic.
2020-08-3047 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Pandemics And Their Impact On National Park VisitationIn this week’s show, we’re focusing on the current coronavirus pandemic as well as the 1918 flu pandemic and how those diseases impacted national park visitation. After discussing those two pandemics with Professor Terence Young from California Polytechnic State University, we visit with contributing writer Rita Beamish, who tried to escape the current pandemic by taking to the John Muir Trail for nine days. She found that many other hikers were being careful by keeping their distance and wearing face masks when necessary, while others were more cavalier.
2020-08-2343 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Listening To Nature In National ParksNational parks offer a variety of treasures: spectacular views, scenic trails and waterways and vast ecosystems of plants and wildlife. And what would these things be without accompanying soundscapes -- wind howling through a canyon on a scorching afternoon… or the “wall-of-sound” created by insects as soon as the sun sets… or birds singing so loudly outside your tent, they wake you up before you really wanted to wake up. For natural sound, too, is a treasure, and like many other aspects of the national parks affected by too much human activity.
2020-08-1650 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Using Satellites To Spot Wildfires In National ParksAn early detection of a wildland fire in Denali National Park in June brings to light how enhanced satellite technology is catching smaller fires sooner, providing better detail and more accurate fire predictions and assessments. As a result, fire managers are better able to determine needed actions and resources to meet the unique conditions of Alaska’s landscape. National ParksTraveler’s Lynn Riddick spoke with Alaska fire analyst Robert “Zeke” Ziel about this satellite technology, and Larry Weddle, National Park Service fire management officer for the Alaska Western Area and Denali National Park and Preserve, on how the season peake...
2020-08-0947 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: July's National Parks News ReviewWe look back at the top news stories from the National Park System in July. There was the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act by Congress, the ongoing issue of the coronavirus pandemic and how parks have been dealing with it, and news that the renowned Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Program at Padre Island National Seashore is to be greatly scaled back. Joining host Kurt Repanshek to discuss some of the news impacting national parks in July is Mike Murray, a member of the executive council of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.
2020-08-0245 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Great Smoky Mountains Institute At TremontResidential environmental learning centers are nonprofit facilities that connect people to nature. But they are tasked with serving a greater good -- to foster the development of better global citizens. Lynn Riddick speaks with Catey McClary of the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont to better understand this organization whose roots in outdoor learning go back some 50 years.
2020-07-2651 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: North Cascades Institute's Park ConnectionsNature is an incredibly powerful and successful teacher. Of course, students need teachers to deliver the lessons. That’s where Residential Environmental Learning Centers come into play in national parks. Organizations like NatureBridge, the Cuyahoga Valley Institute, the Yellowstone Institute, The Great Smoky Mountains Institute. And the North Cascades Institute. These nonprofit organizations use national parks as their classrooms. Lynn Riddick talks with Saul Weisberg to understand how the North Cascades Institute teaches children well.
2020-07-1947 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: National Park Acoustics, And Wildfire EcologyHave you ever stopped to listen during your national park vacation? What do you hear? We share some of the sounds in this week's episode with hopes they inspire you to let your ears play a greater role in your enjoyment during your national park visit.
2020-07-1237 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Teaching Children Well In National ParksThe survival of Residential Environmental Learning Centers in national parks is in jeopardy. As the president of one such center says, “the impact of coronavirus is an 'extinction-level event.'” Listen to how they are working to keep their doors open.
2020-07-0554 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Monthly News Review With Kristen BrengelJune has been an especially newsworthy month across the National Park System. The U.S. Senate passed what has been called the most important public lands bill in decades, and more national parks have reopened areas to the public. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is proposing a large oil and gas lease auction for lands near Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef national parks, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a natural gas pipeline could be tunneled beneath the Appalachian Trail. Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, discusses...
2020-06-2847 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Oil and Gas and National ParksWe take a look at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s move to offer more than 110,000 acres in Utah for oil and gas development. How might that proposal impact Arches, Capitol Reef, and Canyonlands national parks? Erika Pollard from the National Parks Conservation Association joins us to explain some of the issues in play. After listing to our conversation, take a look at this story that looks at the issue in more detail. Finally, we leave you with a rationale for instituting a reservation system for visiting some units of the National Park Syst...
2020-06-2132 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: The Yellowstone Volcano ObservatoryThere's always a lot of shaking, rattling, and occasional rolling going on in Yellowstone National Park. Keeping track of it is the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, one of five such observatories under the purview of the U.S. Geological Survey. It keeps real-time tabs on volcanic, hydrothermal, and earthquake activity in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field. Lynn Riddick speaks with the scientist-in-charge of the observatory, Michael Poland, Ph.D. From his home in Vancouver, Washington, Poland gives us a glimpse into the latest monitoring systems in Yellowstone National Park and the park’s recent geologic activity.
2020-06-141h 01
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: A Conversation with landscape photographer Clyde ButcherIn this week’s show, we’re going to delve into landscape photography in the National Park System. “Good photography is about creating a feeling of things, rather than a picture of things.” That’s the philosophy of our guest, Clyde Butcher, acclaimed photographer and environmentalist. You might be familiar with his iconic black and white large format landscape photos that often are part of larger efforts to protect fragile ecosystems that he knows so well. And as Lynn Riddick found out in her conversation with Butcher from his home in Venice, Florida, he doesn’t mind wading chest-deep through a cypre...
2020-06-0742 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Monthly News Recap, Endangered Black-footed FerretsWe sit down with Becky Lomax, author of Moon’s USA National Parks, to discuss news stories that arose from the National Park System during May. And we bring you an interesting story about efforts to recover populations of endangered black-footed ferrets in the West. Two places where they’re working on that are Wind Cave and Badlands national parks in South Dakota.
2020-05-3151 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Close The Park, And An Extension To Lewis And Clark National Historic TrailWe're joined this week by Costa Dillon, a National Park Service veteran who ended his long career as superintendent of Indiana Dunes National Park, to discuss a novel management decision in Thailand to close that country’s national parks every year for two months to give wildlife a break from humans. Would such a move be good for America’s national parks? Lynn Riddick returns this week with a story about a roughly 1,200-mile extension to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail that runs from St. Louis to Pittsburgh.
2020-05-241h 10
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Camping's Popularity, And The Dark Side of National ParksIn this week’s program, we talk with Toby O’Rourke, the president and CEO of Kampgrounds of America, about a study KOA commissioned to gauge Americans’ interests in returning to campgrounds on and near public lands as the fight with the coronavirus pandemic continues. The findings are quite interesting and point to renewed interest in camping as a recreational pursuit. After that conversation, we tempt you to explore the dark side of the National Park System. No, not the night skies overhead, but rather the subterranean world of Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park, two parks in...
2020-05-1737 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Sea Level Rise And National Parks, Great Sea Kayaking Park DestinationsThis week we talk with Robert Young, director of Western Carolina University’s Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines about a project to more accurately determine the cost sea level rise could inflict on coastal units of the National Park System. We also take a look ahead to summer in the National Park System, the watery side of the system specifically, with a look at some of the prime sea kayaking destinations awaiting paddlers in the National Park System.
2020-05-1047 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler Episode 64: Artistic Interpretation And The Blue Ridge Parkway FoundationWho makes those colorful interpretive panels found in the National Park System? One person is Steve Patricia. He’s an independent artist and content specialist who provides illustrations and diagrams for waysides, exhibits, and murals at national parks, monuments, and historic sites all over the country. From his home in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania, he shares some insights with Lynn Riddick.
2020-05-0352 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: National Park Nostalgia, Friends Of Acadia UpdateThis week we pick up with the musings of Doug Leen. As a young park ranger in the 1970s, Leen stumbled upon a poster promoting a meet-the-ranger event at the Grand Teton National Park. It turned out to be one of 14 long-forgotten silk-screened posters made under the Works Progress Administration to promote tourism to the national parks. In the 50 years since that discovery, Leen has been searching high and low for the rest of the missing posters. His efforts have yielded noteworthy success, stirring up widespread interest in the posters and evolving into a thriving printing business of h...
2020-04-2638 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Ranger Doug To The Rescue, Rethinking America's Best IdeaLynn Riddick sits down with Doug Leen, the force behind Ranger Doug Enterprises, to discuss his decades long search for original Works Progress Administration posters that depicted national parks across the West. And we leave you with some thoughts on what we all should be thinking about for National Park Week.
2020-04-1945 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Expanding The National Park System and Winter Park DestinationsMichael Kellett, the executive director of RESTORE: The North Woods, discusses a campaign to see the size of the National Park System roughly tripled to more than 182 million acres. And Traveler contributing editor Erika Zambello and Becky Lomax, author of Moon’s USA National Parks, the Complete Guide to All 59 Parks, join Kurt Repanshek to discuss their favorite winter national park destinations.
2020-01-0558 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Counting Saguaros, Off-Season At Cumberland IslandWhile there's concern that one day Joshua trees might no longer grow in Joshua Tree National Park, or that Glacier National Park might lose its rivers of ice, what about Saguaro National Park and its iconic cacti? Kurt Repanshek travels to Saguaro National Park to discuss the decadal survey of saguaros with park biologist Don Swann. Erika Zambello heads to coastal Georgia for an off-season visit to Cumberland Island National Seashore.
2019-11-1745 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Segregation In National Parks, Visiting Everglades In WinterDr. Erin Devlin, a professor of American history from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, discusses her research into sites in national parks in Virginia that were associated with segregation during the first half of the 20th century. Host Kurt Repanshek takes a look at Everglades National Park and why it's a great park destination during the winter months.
2019-08-1144 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Bear Safety, Thomas Moran And The ParksKim Titchener, the founder of bearsafety.com, discusses how humans can stay safe in bear habitat, while Erika Zambello visits Washington, D.C., and tracks down some of Thomas Moran's famed paintings of national parks. Host Kurt Repanshek suggests that the National Park Service be pulled out of the Interior Department and set up as a freestanding agency.
2019-06-1643 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Yellowstone's Photographer And Badlands ParksJacob W. Frank is one of the photographers who frames Yellowstone National Park's wildlife, geysers, lakes and forests for you to enjoy. How did he get his job with the National Park Service, and how many parks has he captured with his cameras? He discusses his job with host Kurt Repanshek. You'll also find an overview of visiting South Dakota's national parks, monuments, and memorials in this episode.
2019-05-2643 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Roundtable discussion on the National ParksPhil Francis, chair of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, and Kristen Brengel, vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, join host Kurt Repanshek for this special roundtable discussion about current events in the National Park System.
2019-05-1947 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Great friends at Grand Teton, Civil War books, and Russell CaveGrand Teton National Park Foundation CEO Leslie Mattson discusses how her organization is able to help raise the visitor experience at Grand Teton National Park. Kurt Repanshek reviews two books focused on the Civil War, and Erika Zambello explores Russell Cave National Monument in Alabama.
2019-04-2839 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Isle Royale's Wolves And Caving In The National ParksDr. Rolf Peterson, a long-time wolf biologist at Michigan Tech University, discusses Isle Royale National Park's wolf recovery program in this week's episode, while host Kurt Repanshek reviews a book on butterflies you might encounter in national parks and another on marine life photography, and ends the program with a look at the many national parks with caves you can explore.
2019-04-1438 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Dan Wenk, Tidal Basin maintenance, and Little River CanyonDan Wenk, who spent four decades working for the National Park Service, shares his views on the current state of the agency and the National Park System. Host Kurt Repanshek discusses efforts to plan a restoration of the Tidal Basin at the National Mall and Memorial Parks with Katherine Malone-France of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Erika Zambello wraps up the show with a visit to Little River Canyon National Preserve in Alabama.
2019-04-0736 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Prey and Predators In Yellowstone, and Birding In Katahdin Woods and Waters National MonumentUtah State University wildlife researcher Dr. Dan MacNulty discusses wolves, bears, elk and other prey and predators in Yellowstone National Park in this week's episode, while Erika Zambello talks birding in Katadhin Woods and Waters National Monument with Doug Hitchcox of Maine Audubon. Host Kurt Repanshek wraps up the episode with a look at where you can find some incredible spring and summer wildflower blooms in the National Park System.
2019-03-3150 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: The Dark Ranger And The Other Half Of The Park SystemKevin Poe, the original "Dark Ranger" of the National Park Service, talks dark night skies in the National Park System in this week's episode. Traveler contributing writer Kim O'Connell discusses what she's learned while researching a story on the state of Venezuela's national parks during the current social and political turmoil in that country, and host Kurt Repanshek concludes with a look at some of the "devilish" places in the park system.
2019-03-2343 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Lionfish InvasionThis week, Traveler Contributing Editor Erika Zambello discusses the lionfish invasion in national park marine waters, while Contributing Photographer Rebecca Latson talks about a winter visit to Olympic National Park. Host Kurt Repanshek wraps up the show with a look ahead at harvesttime in the National Park System and where you can find tasty apples and juicy peaches.
2019-03-1030 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Backpacking Classics And Florida PanthersThere are thousands of miles of hiking trails in the National Park System. Traveler host Kurt Repanshek discusses some of the best with Michael Lanza, who keeps track of his adventures via his blog, The Big Outside. He’s also the author of Before They’re Gone, a Family’s Year-long Quest to Explore America’s Most Endangered National Parks. Also in this week's show, Kurt discusses the status of endangered Florida panthers with Elizabeth Fleming from Defenders of Wildlife. The show concludes with an interesting segment from the backcountry of Shenandoah National Park.
2019-03-0352 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Lodging in the ParksIn this week's edition of National Parks Traveler, host Kurt Repanshek discusses lodging in the National Park System with David and Kay Scott, authors of The Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges, updates congressional efforts to whittle away the park system's nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog, and reviews a once-in-a-lifetime visit to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.
2019-02-2447 min
National Parks Traveler PodcastNational Parks Traveler: Acadia National ParkIn this inaugural National Parks Traveler podcast, host Kurt Repanshek talks with Friends of Acadia Communications Director Earl Brechlin about when best to visit the park, where to go, and what issues the park staff is facing. Traveler contributor Rita Beamish provides a preview of her story on the recovery Santa Monica Mountains NRA is going through following last fall's Woolsey fire.
2019-02-1733 min