You are here

Home

All Recent Comments

Interior Officials Want to Allow Concealed Carry in the National Parks

Jun 27th - 13:04pm | Random Walker

"Guns in the Parks. Do We Need Them?" Not in the least... As a kid, you could find me and my cousin walking down the road with our rifles as long as we were tall. As a teen there was a rifle, shotgun and fishing pole on the rack in the inside back window of my truck. I was in the military for four years as a young adult.

Jun 27th - 10:31am | Scotty

I have a couple of comments.

Jun 26th - 01:29am | MRC

@Avid Family Canoeist: Which part did happen and which was your fear? Let us tell that apart. The guys in question were loud, rowdy, obnoxious and cost you and your family some sleep. What did not happen? They did not attack, maim, rape, pilfer, kill or whatever.

Jun 25th - 18:20pm | Avid Family Canoeist

I had my family and myself threatened in a Wilderness campsite on the Jacks Fork River in Southern Missouri by a bunch of drunk fools at 2 am. They ran their pick-up just a few feet from the tent with thier brights on us, honking shouting obscenities and throwing beer cans at our tent. I have a CCW permit and I kept my gun locked in a case unloaded just as the park rules require.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore Settlement Won't Ban ORV Use, But Will Restrict Travel

Jun 27th - 11:26am | scooter

Rangertoo, with all due respect, you are mis-informed. The Consent Decree and how it was obtained violates NEPA, Federal Admistative Proceedures Act, REG-NEG Policies, US Code 16 Chapter 1, Sect 429 Enabling Legislation, Article 4 Section 3 of the United States Constitution

Celebrating Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road

Jun 27th - 10:18am | Anonymous

My family was out to see the sights last year in the hear wave... We were disappointed only in that it was 95 degrees at 8,000 but the views and the experience was breathtaking... I took 3 teenager (17, 18 and 16) along and they liked it better than Yellowstone. Anytime you can get 3 teenagers to be in awe, it is a good trip...

Jun 27th - 07:07am | Mookie

I have a love-it/hate-it relationship with the GTTS Road. Love it, because it is absolutely spectacular, for all the reasons Kurt mentions above. The vistas, the easy access to hiking, and the convenience to get from St. Mary's to Lake McDonald without having to drive 2 hours out of your way.

Comment Period For Revised Gun Regulations for National Parks About to Close

Jun 27th - 07:57am | Lepanto

Bob Janiskee is exactly right. Read the decision. The identification in the Scalia Decision of government buildings and schools as places guns can be excluded is clearly intended in the Decision as the opportunity to provide carefully targeted regulations for good public policy reasons.

Jun 27th - 06:19am | Bob Janiskee

Frank, let's make it clear to Traveler readers WHICH debate is over. The Supreme Court ruling clarifies that the Second Amendment extends to individuals, not just to militia, the right to bear arms. The debate over that matter (individuals vs. militia) is over. But you didn't mention, Frank, that the Supreme Court ruling didn't sweep away all restrictions on the bearing of arms.

Jun 27th - 04:53am | FrankC

The Supreme Court has ruled that the 2nd Amendment protects an individual right. 67% of Americans also believe it is an individual right. The debate is over. It is time to return constitutional civil liberties to those traveling through and residing in national parks.

Jun 27th - 00:39am | allan samuels

I am retired peace officer. I am authorized to carry concealed weapons anywhere in the US. Is it illeagal to carry in national parks?

Jun 26th - 18:11pm | Fred Miller

You knew I'd have to comment on this one. With today's Supreme Court decision, are we sure we want to try to BAN handguns someplace?? I just checked; there are more than 15,000 comments posted about the proposed rule change. I'm sure all will agree that the vast majority of the posters SUPPORT the rule change.

Oglala Sioux Just Might Reclaim Southern Half of Badlands National Park

Jun 26th - 22:52pm | fhasti

Hopefully but not likely our government will do the right thing and return what was wrongfully taken in the name of suppression.

Jun 26th - 11:58am | Random Walker

There are many instances throughout our park system where this hubris has been confronted and resolved. It is time the NPS as a whole recognizes the indigenous people rights and joins them in the caretaking of Our National Parks.

Jun 25th - 14:42pm | Mandy

Phil, if you read this article carefully it specificaly says that OST owns the land. NOT the federal government. How would you like it if someone else was making all the decisions concerning your yard?

Jun 24th - 18:34pm | Philip W Blais

I do not support giving any portion of our National Parks back to any group. From my view the protection and management of our National Parks have been in capable hands of the National Park Service.

Jun 24th - 11:03am | Anonymous

Don't forget Mo, they probably owned your land at one time also.

Jun 24th - 09:08am | Anonymous

Yeah, Mo...you support returning it, until they start building casinos and other commercial enterprises there!

Jun 24th - 08:45am | mo

Thank you for the detailed and thorough article about this subject. I will be very interested to see what happens with the Badlands. I support returning this land to the rightful owners. The Lakota, the Navajo, the Paiute, and other tribes deserve their land returned to them, and can manage it in accordance with their values and culture.

Bodies of Three Mexican Nationals Found in Big Bend National Park

Jun 26th - 22:43pm | ShaneA

To the author of: "No sympathy here, they were breaking the law. Darwin candidates." They were human beings, Gods children. Flesh and blood. Men with wives and children - whose papa is never coming home again. People trying to better themselves, and in this case trying to reach one of their wifes who was reportedly giving child birth and having problems.

National Park History: Prince William Forest Park Was a Top Secret Spy Training School

Jun 26th - 13:45pm | Anonymous

Yeah, few visitors because no one has heard of it. I am in my 30s and grew up just south of Baltimore. This park is new to me. My family spent time camping everywhere in the mid-Atlantic but not Prince William. I am excited to visit it for the first time!!!

Jun 26th - 13:21pm | Phil

Another great article on the history of the NPS. Keep it up!

Mount Rainier National Park Officials Mulling Future of Carbon River Road

Jun 26th - 11:36am | Random Walker

Having grown up in the shadow of "The Mountain" I have enjoyed the many times this road has been closed by Mother Nature.

Jun 26th - 00:07am | Roger

If the NPS keeps closing roads, perhaps we need to sell these parks off for development since only the young and fit can see them. I don't want my taxes paying for them anymore, and many of my friends feel the same!

Jun 24th - 16:18pm | Betty Howell

In my opinion, this road was never meant to be. Being located in a floodplan doomed it from the start. All places do not have to be accessible by wheeled vehicles ! Some places are too critical to their environment to have stabilized, modern roads built in them. I understand that all people can not get out and hike but all things cannot be for all people.

Yellowstone National Park Relocates the 45th Parallel

Jun 26th - 05:40am | Bob Janiskee

If you want something really weird, contemplate the fact that the Northern Hemisphere 45th parallel most emphatically does NOT mark the halfway point to the North Pole! The actual halfway point is about ten miles north of the 45th parallel. That's because Earth is not a perfect sphere. Due to its rotation about its axis, Earth bulges a bit and is actually an oblate spheroid.

Jun 25th - 23:42pm | Anonymous

wow thats WEIRD. Just watching a show on TV about Nostradamus and he has a prophecy written saying "...and at 45degrees the sky will burn!" FREAKY!!! They (on the show) were trying to link it to the 911 incident. But I think the sky would burn MUCH more if Yellowstone erupted (hence the 45th parallel) which means 45degrees exact

Jun 23rd - 17:44pm | Steve

I passed this sign on June 5, 2008 and noticed it had moved from where I had seen it in previous years. I then stopped at the Visitor Center at Mammoth and asked why. The first ranger did not know and I don't even think he knew the sign existed at all. The second ranger sort of knew why the sign had moved.

National Park Quiz 8: Firsts

Jun 26th - 01:36am | MRC

Tough one. I got my worst result of all quizzes so far (6+1), and I kind of cheated at question 6 by looking up and confirming my first idea. Thanks again. @Rangertoo: Won't do. At least the National Monuments must be kept as such, because according to the Antiquities Act of 1906 the president can only proclaim National Monuments without the Congress.

Jun 25th - 16:00pm | Rangertoo

There is a simple solution to the nomenclature issue. Everything is a National Park or a National Historic Park. Since the 1978 Redwood Act and amendments and NPS policies make it clear that parks are parks, we should get over the idea of some sort of hierarchy in names or protection of "national park" as some sort of sacred higher calling no deserved by Santa Monica Mountains or Amistad.

Jun 25th - 13:11pm | Bob Janiskee

I know you want to college, Sabattis, so I have to ask you this; Are any of your professors still alive? I mean, are there any that you didn't drive to suicide?

Jun 25th - 12:10pm | Sabattis

Terminology is definitely one of the difficulties that Park Advocates have in all aspects, from both the light-hearted (like these quizzes) to even the most serious issues.

Jun 25th - 08:49am | Bob Janiskee

Jeez, Sabattis, now I gotta take ten minutes out of a busy day just to deal with your questions and make sure my weaselspeak is as bulletproof as I can make it. :-) Don't be downtrodden that you missed #1. Until now only four people in the world, all of us insiders, have been privy to that information. Item #4 has obviously sent you into a tizzy.

Jun 25th - 08:04am | Sabattis

Tough quiz this week - only seven right! The first question was a really good one (and one I was unaware of - that Yellowstone was originally desigated as simply "Yellowstone Park"), but question #10 was tough simply for the sake of being tough.

Recalling Yellowstone National Park's Historic 1988 Fire Season

Jun 25th - 14:59pm | jsmacdonald

So far, we've had a remarkably similar spring; a few locals are a little worried especially with all the news stories reminding people of 1988. As for me, I think fire's really beautiful.

Day Hike Turns Fatal at Mount Rainier National Park

Jun 25th - 11:48am | Anonymous

Recreational insurance? That's the most rediculous thing I've heard. It's organized extortion. Complaining about how much SAR costs taxpayers is ludacris. Do you also complain about the cost of police and fire patroling your community? Bad things happen, sometimes to experienced individuals and sometimes not, whether it's high on a mountian or on your local freeway. It's life.

Considering a Hike up Half Dome?

Jun 25th - 02:00am | Susie

All of this talk of "Half Dome is too dangerous" is absurd. Look at the list of deaths! Sheesh. It's a like 2-3 a decade. Sure, it's becoming more popular, but driving in your darn car is more dangerous statistically. Most people know that this is a difficult hike and anyone with a DROP of common sense will be perfectly ok. Don't climb when it's wet... duh?

Coal-Fired Plants Obscuring National Park Vistas

Jun 24th - 21:20pm | Rocinante1

What will economics matter when there is no clean air to breathe, no drinking water left, no arable land?

Deal to Close Sugar Plant and Preserve 187,000 Acres Should Benefit Everglades National Park

Jun 24th - 20:26pm | Barky

This is absolute wonderful news, probably the most significant environment preservation action of the year, if not the last ten years. It's not without economic impact: between the loss of jobs at U.S. Sugar, the debt load on the State of Florida, and the possible increase in the price of sugar due to reduced production, this is not an easy, cheap fix.

Olmsted Island, Great Falls Park

Jun 24th - 07:48am | Rangertoo

I stand corrected. Sabattis is correct. Great Falls Park was a separate park when it was part of the Northern Virginia Parks, but became a part of GW Parkway when it was transferred to the NPS in the 1960s.

Jun 23rd - 22:20pm | Sabattis

P.S. What is the story behind this "photo"? Its definitely an odd one...

Jun 23rd - 22:18pm | Sabattis

Actually, Kurt, you had it right the first time. Olmsted Island *is* part of the C&O Canal National Historical Park, it is located on the Maryland side of the main portion of the Potomac River. The following map from the National Park Service makes that clear: http://www.nps.gov/archive/gwmp/grfa/trails/

Jun 23rd - 16:00pm | Kurt Repanshek

Thanks for the pointer, Rangertoo. That means my search for shots of some of the more obscure units has gone even farther than I imagined when I loaded this shot!

A Sad Sign of the Times: NPS Promotes Body Armor Options To Rangers

Jun 24th - 00:32am | scott

I agree....you must comply with the law. However, sometimes you must choose the safety of your family or friends at any cost. There are many "laws" that need to be changed. For example, there are many very liberal, gun hating Cities, that have strict firearm restrictions.

National Park Quiz 7: Islands

Jun 23rd - 22:27pm | Bob Krumenaker

Bob -- I haven't seen the original article myself, and it doesn't appear to be on line. But here are two links which have the story: http://www.city-data.com/forum/general-u-s/357328-top-ten-national-parks...

Jun 23rd - 05:30am | Bob Janiskee

That's great to hear. Looks like Apostle Islands National Lakeshore may be due for an onslaught of visitors. (That should make Bayfield C/C happy.) Got room for 'em all? BTW, do I have to buy Outdoor Life to read the article that rates APIS the number one park?

Jun 22nd - 22:08pm | Bob Krumenaker

Bob -- Did you see that Outdoor Life just named Apostle Islands the #1 national park? They didn't say what their criteria were but it's always nice to get the recognition. I'll be glad to see you when you visit.

Director Bomar Suggests Special "Parks Edition" Mountain Bike

Jun 23rd - 15:34pm | Rangertoo

I am perplexed by Roger's comment. Are you suggesting that the National Environmental Policy Act be repealed or that just the parts requiring public comment on government action be repealed? My thinking is that NEPA's requirements that the public get a chance to comment on government actions is the very opposite of socialism. It is democracy in action.

Jun 23rd - 10:30am | Roger

"Rangertoo" said "compliance" and "regulation"...code for socialism...equals also reams of paper, which certainly is not very enviro-friendly!!

Judge Orders Cross Removed from Mojave National Preserve

Jun 23rd - 00:09am | Rationalpsychic

How many of the soldiers of WWI (I'm thinking primarily of Jews, though atheists and Muslims would also have been among the dead) had a faith that was not commemorated by this cross? I tire of having the phrase "politically correct" thrown up in our faces when we disagree with government-funded, -sponsored or -approved displays of religious observance.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.