National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 242 | 2023 Government Shutdown

By Jess Repanshek - October 1st, 2023

For the second time in five years, and the third time in the past decade, the United States government was poised to shut down this weekend because of an impasse in the House of Representatives over how to fund the government. And, as a result, the National Park System was poised to shut down.

However, an 11th-hour compromise was reached that will keep the government funded for another 45 days before it again might be poised for a shutdown.

Different administrations in Washington take different approaches to whether to shut down the parks or keep them open during a government shutdown. Back in 2013 the Obama administration elected to close the parks. Five years ago, the Trump administration decided to keep them open, albeit with skeleton Park Service staffs.

To learn more about the impacts of government shutdowns on the National Park System, both physical and financial, we’re joined today by Bob Krumenaker, a recently retired Park Service veteran whose last position was superintendent of Big Bend National Park, and John Garder, the senior director for budget & appropriations at the National Parks Conservation Association.

0:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
0:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
1:00 Caribbean Song - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of the Everglades
1:38 The Everglades Foundation
1:50 Yosemite Conservancy
2:12 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
2:45 2023 Government Shutdown
18:14 Wabanaki - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
18:38 NPT Promo
18:50 Interior Federal Credit Union
19:15 Great Smoky Mountains Association
19:37 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
20:05 2023 Government Shutdown Continues
35:42 Almost Home - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains
36:04 Friends of Acadia
36:29 Washington’s National Park Fund
37:02 Potrero Group
37:33 2023 Government Shutdown Continues
47:04 Shee Beg Shee Mor - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
47:27 Episode Closing
47:45 Orange Tree Productions
48:17 Splitbeard Productions
48:28 National Parks Traveler footer

Big Bend National Park

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 272 | Fossilized Parks

Have you ever closely inspected the landscape when you’re touring the National Park System, particularly in the West? You never know what you might find.
Back in 2010 a 7-year-old attending a Junior Ranger program at Badlands National Park spied a partially exposed fossil that turned out to be the skull of a 32-million-year-old saber-toothed cat.
If you’ve ever visited Petrified Forest National Park you’ve no doubt marveled over the colorful fossilized tree trunks. There are also fossilized trees on the northern range of Yellowstone National Park, but nowhere near as colorful.

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April 21st, 2024 - Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 270 | Cultural Resource Challenge

Spur a discussion about traveling to a national park for a vacation and odds are that it will revolve around getting out into nature, looking for wildlife, perhaps honing your photography skills, or marveling at incredible vistas.
Will the discussion include destinations that portray aspects of the country’s history, or cultural melting pot?

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 269 | Total Solar Eclipse of the Parks

Tens of millions of people in the United States will be able to witness a Total Solar Eclipse on Monday as the rare astronomical event cuts a path from Texas to Maine, up to 122 miles wide in some spots. This is a great opportunity to see the exact moment when the moon fully blocks the sun, creating a blazing corona visible to those observing from the center line of totality.

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 268 | Music Inspired By The Parks

With 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.

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The Essential RVing Guide

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.