National Parks Traveler Podcast

  Lyndon Baines Johnson had a staggering impact on the United States during his time as president. Much of his approach to government was instilled during his early life in Texas. In this, part two of her podcast on the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, the Traveler's Lynn Riddick visits the president's boyhood home and ranch. The LBJ Ranch was where he was born, lived, died, and was buried.

Those who have ascended to the presidency of the United States are products of the environments in which they were born, raised, and educated. Their early experiences usually have a significant effect on how they manage their presidency and the subsequent policy and programs developed under their watch.  Lyndon Baines Johnson is a fitting example of that.  His presidency was guided in full measure by his upbringing, his personal experiences with poverty and shame and his observation of racism and hate.  The National Parks Traveler’s Lynn Riddick begins a two-part series on the unique Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, which offers the most complete picture of any American president. Guided by park official Brian Vickers, Lynn takes us through the site’s two distinct districts – the Johnson City District and the LBJ Ranch District –to learn about Johnson’s compelling cradle-to-grave story and the forces that shaped his life.

Some 615,000 visitors a year flock to the hard-packed gray sands of Padre Island National Seashore along the Gulf Coast of Texas. This undeveloped national seashore boasts an abundance of natural wonders in its tidal flats, dunes and grasslands. Ample solitude can be found on it 65-mile stretch of beach, including 60 miles that are only accessible by four-wheel drive. The Traveler’s Lynn Riddick takes an in-depth look at Padre Island National Seashore and finds that not only is it a popular destination for campers, windsurfers, and anglers, but history buffs might find intrigue in the remnants of early settlements, cattle ranches and military installations found there.

Near the very tip of Everglades National Park, the interior wetlands of Cape Sable have long been viewed as one of the most ecologically productive environments left in Florida. It could become even more so thanks to an upcoming restoration project.  Dr. Jerry Lorenz, head of Audubon's Everglades Science Center, explains the project.

Nearly 200 countries have developed various forms of biodiversity strategies, but the United States is not one of them. What exactly would a "national biodiversity strategy" look like? What would it entail? To explore those, and other, questions about biodiversity we’re joined by Robert Dewey, vice president of government relations at Defenders of Wildlife, and Lindsay Rosa, who directs Defenders’ center for conservation innovation.

From coast to coast, national parks, national forests, and state parks are being crowded, if not overrun at times, by visitors.  One part of the country that has seen record-breaking visitation has been the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and the Wright Brothers Memorial combined welcomed nearly 4 million visitors last year. National Parks of Eastern North Carolina Superintendent Dave Hallec discuss that record visitation, and risks to ocean-front homes at Rodanthe.

Across the roughly 85-million-acre National Park System there are, in theory at least, some 70 million acres envisioned as official wilderness. Forty-four million acres have received Congressional blessing as such, while another 26 million acres are in something akin to administrative limbo. Some of those 26 million acres -- including roughly two-thirds of Big Bend National Park -- have been recommended for official wilderness designation...and seen that recommendation languish. There's an effort to turn roughly two-thirds of Big Bend National Park into Congressionally approved wilderness. 

How many are too many? That’s the question to mull in the wake of news from the National Park Service that nearly 300 million visited the National Park System last year. What is the perfect number for annual visitation to the park system’s 423 units?  To help sort out the pluses and minuses of 300 million visitors a year to the park system, and to offer you some suggestions for escaping the crowds, we’ve asked Becky Lomax, author of USA National Parks, The Complete Guide To All 63 Parks to return to the Traveler to discuss visitation.

Should Yellowstone National Park have more bison, should it have less?  Just recently the park embarked on an environmental impact statement to examine that question. Dr. James Derr, a professor of veterinary genetics at Texas A&M University who has spent more than a quarter century directing worldwide research projects in wildlife and livestock conservation genetics, discusses bison in Yellowstone and elsewhere on public lands.

RVing –- traveling by recreational vehicle –- has exploded along with the coronavirus pandemic. Sales have gone through the roof, inventory has been depleted, and would-be customers often have to wait months before they can hit the road with their new rig. Many, if not most, of those RV enthusiasts are heading into the National Park System. And why not? Gorgeous scenery, inspiring landscapes, relaxation. But it’s not as simple as it used to be because of that rush to hit the road with your home either being towed along or on the back of your pickup. Rene Agredano, a full-time RVer since 2007, discusses the challenges of enjoying the parks by RV.