National Parks

Emily Pennington. (Courtesy of Emily Pennington)

Visiting (Almost) Every National Park In A Year

The pandemic added some complications, but Emily Pennington made it to all but two National Parks.

In July, Yellowstone National Park saw more car traffic than it did during the same month last year.

'We Had To Get Out': Despite The Risks, Business Is Booming At National Parks

Nathan Rott

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Visits to Yellowstone National Park are higher than last year as Americans look to escape their pandemic confines. Their business is welcome relief, despite worries they'll also bring coronavirus.

Members of the Civilian Conservation Corps were sent to the Big Bend area to work, building roads, trails and other facilities.

Big Bend, West Texas' Sprawling And Historic National Park, Turns 75

Carlos Morales

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It’s time to blow out the candles. Big Bend National Park — home to 800,000 acres of sweeping Chihuahuan desert landscapes, imposing mountains, wiry...

Veterans and their families demolish a wooden foot bridge in Biscayne National Park.

Military & Veterans' Issues

Scientists Are Trying To Measure The Value Of Outdoor Service Work For Transitioning Veterans

Maria Bakkalapulo

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Congress is considering legislation to encourage "outdoor therapy" for veterans with injuries or post-traumatic stress. Volunteer groups are already...

Around 50 tourists and photographers were huddled near Mesa Arch in Utah to catch a glimpse of the sunrise in early May.

Science & Technology

Instagramming Crowds Pack National Parks

Nate Hegyi

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Social media is helping drive more people to visit national parks. While it's getting folks out there, it's also causing traffic jams and congestion in places valued for solitude and reflection.

Mikah Meyer holds up a map of his journey at his 313th stop: Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, the lowest point in North America. (Courtesy of Mikah Meyer)

419 National Parks, 3 Years, 1 Trip: 'I've Seen Every Corner Of America'

In April 2016, Mikah Meyer set out on a journey to visit every single national park, monument, seashore and more — 419 sites in all — in one continuous trip. He's about to finish.

A sign is posted on a fence near an entrance to the Bunker Hill Monument, Monday, Dec. 24, 2018, in Boston. The historic site, erected to commemorate the Revolutionary War Battle of Bunker Hill, and run by the National Park Service, was closed due to a partial federal government shutdown. (Steven Senne/AP)

Trash, Feces, Vandalism: How The Shutdown Is Impacting National Parks

John Garder, senior budget director at the National Parks Conservation Association, estimates the park system is losing $400,000 a day. "That's money that they really need," he says.

Three of the national monuments now under review by the Department of the Interior: (from left to right) Gold Butte in Nevada, the Pacific Remote Islands and Giant Sequoia in Northern California.

PHOTOS: See The Sweeping American Landscapes Under Review By Trump

Colin Dwyer

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President Trump has ordered the Department of the Interior to review the status of at least 20 national monuments. Here's a visual guide to the stunning landscapes now in Trump's sights.

Community

The Source: How To Save The National Parks From Ourselves

Paul Flahive

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Americans love their national parks. According to the National Park Service, the 410 sites, including 59 parks, drew a record-breaking 307.2 million…

People gather to look at a makeshift memorial for victims of the Orlando nightclub shootings in front of the historic Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the West Village, on June 13, in New York.

Obama Names LGBT Landmark As National Monument

Scott Horsley

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The Stonewall National Monument in New York City will be the first addition to the National Park System specifically highlighting the history of the LGBT community.