After 18 years of continuous coverage of the U.S. National Park System and the National Park Service, and the issues relating to them —Essential Coverage for Essential Places— the National Park Traveler will go dark after December 31, 2023.
Since 2005 Kurt Repanshek, founder and editor-in-chief of the Traveler, and the news organization’s contributing writers, photographers, and broadcasters have visited parks across the United States and Canada to dive into the heart of stories big and small. We've brought you stories ranging from search-and-rescue operations, climate-change impacts on the parks, and over-crowding issues to questionable institutional decision-making, land-management conflicts, and how to make the most out of your national park adventures.
The Traveler has exposed the woes of underfunded park operations, examined how prospecting for oil has damaged Big Cypress National Preserve, illustrated the threats of invasive species to the parks and the successes the National Park Service has had combatting them, and shone some much-needed light on smaller units of the park system and their wonders.
It is not that the Traveler wants to cease reporting; rather, it is that we have been unable to raise the support necessary to hire and retain both the editorial, fundraising, and support staff and services necessary to run an editorially independent nonprofit news operation. However, if another organization would like to take this on, we would be glad to talk to them.
In 2023 alone, we have had more than 1.5 million readers as readership has jumped 43 percent over 2022 levels, and our popular weekly podcast series has seen nearly 700,000 downloads since 2019, yet not enough followers made the decision to support the Traveler — nowhere near enough to cover the hundreds of thousands of dollars needed annually to fund newsgathering and other operational costs.
To those who have supported us, you have our deepest thanks and appreciation. We are not undertaking a fall fundraising campaign for individual donors or pleading with you to keep the lights on. We have tried that many times, and it did not work.
On behalf of the board of the National Parks Traveler, we wish you all the best and hope that you will keep an eye on the parks even as the Traveler cannot without more substantial, and reliable, support.
Comments
Kurt, I will miss the whole pkg. of Traveler. I would wish for someone or Journalist Org. to take it on, but either way...Thank you for the Park's News over the years, You will be missed by myself and all the people that read your articles.
As a soon to be retired NPS employee, I can tell you Kurt I have very much enjoyed this site over the years. There has been breaking news here that was not coming through other channels and some lively discussions. I wish you well.
Thanks for taking on such a frustrating endeavor.
So very very sorry to hear this Kurt. Best of luck to you in the future! Thank you for all you've done for the National Parks!
Kurt: I just sent in a donation to help you a little, and hopefully help keep National Parks Traveler from going dark. You have provided a service nobody else does, shining a light in places that National Park Service's management would prefer to keep quiet. Once again, thanks for all you have done for the National Parks!
Kurt, what about going supscription based to view articles on NPT? Is this a possibility?
No, Joshua, I'm afraid subscriptions won't carry the day. We need guaranteed funding to enable us to transition to the next editorial generation, bring the website up to the latest version, and ensure the Traveler's long-term stability. Subscriptions are piecemeal, though they can certainly help once the base funding is in place.