Parkography

New River Gorge National Park and the Legend of John Henry

If you take the time to stop in West Virginia's New River Gorge, our newest national park, and listen, you may hear, intertwined with the sound of birdsong, flowing water

News: Parks Busy With Timed Entry Gone, Hunting Expanded in National Parks, New Lincoln Memorial Tour

This week in national parks and public lands news, Yosemite is already dealing with major traffic headaches after dropping its reservation system, Arches could be moving

News: Yellowstone & Glacier Bear Attacks, Grand Canyon Recovery, Alcatraz Coyote + State Park Updates

Back-to-back bear attacks in Yellowstone and Glacier, Grand Canyon officials recovered the body of missing 26-year-old, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is investigati

News: Foreign Visitor Fees Fall Short, NPS Nominee Withdrawn, More

The Trump administration withdraws its National Park Service director nominee, leaving the agency under acting leadership, while a proposed 2027 budget would cut NPS oper

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

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 r

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;

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 Parkog

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

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

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 i

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 Carlsba

News: Entry Reservations end at Arches & Yosemite, New NPS Director, Firefall Chaos

The National Park Service announces Arches and Yosemite will not use timed-entry reservations in 2026, Rocky Mountain will continue timed entry from late May through mid-

News: Pride Flag Removed at Stonewall, LA Coast National Park Proposal, New NPS Media Gag Rules

THIS WEEK’S STORIES: • Pride flag removed at Stonewall National Monument following new federal guidance • New Interior Department communication rules reshape how parks sh

Giant Trees Once Blanketed The Eastern US, Can They Return?

At the turn of the 20th century, the American Chestnut tree was the most important plant in the eastern United States, accounting for over 25% of the forest canopy. But i

News: Sweeping National Park Exhibit Removals, Rescues Surge, and Fossils Found

This week on Parkography, we look at the Trump administration’s directive that’s leading to the removal of exhibits and signs about slavery, Native American displacement,

A Fall in the Rockies: The Death That Wasn’t an Accident

When Toni Henthorn fell to her death during an anniversary hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, it was first reported as a tragic accident in rugged terrain. But almost

UPDATED: National Park & Federal Land Passes Explained - NEW Non-Resident Fee Details and more

In this episode, I'm again breaking down the various types of passes available for national parks and other federal recreation areas, now updated with the new non-residen

NEWS: Nat'l Parks Told To Remove "DEI" Merchandise, Grand Canyon Closes Services, New State Parks

The Grand Canyon's South Rim has closed lodging due to significant waterline breaks, while Theodore Roosevelt National Park completed a $51 million road rehabilitation pr

Early 1900s Christmas at YELLOWSTONE National Park

In this episode, how three young boys petitioned the Department of the Interior to open the gates to Yellowstone National Park each Christmas Eve, in anticipation of Sant