National Parks Traveler Podcast

Have you ever visited the "other" side of Yellowstone? Left the Old Faithful and Steamboat geysers behind, fled the conga lines of vehicles mired in bison and bear jams in the Hayden and Lamar valleys, the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds on the boardwalks ... and opted, instead, for the wild side, where you and nature can become one...if you are willing? For a few minutes Kurt Repanshek takes you to Yellowstone's other side with a kayak trip on Yellowstone Lake.

The National Park System contains more than parks that preserve incredible landscapes or moments in history. There are many units that honor an individual. Today National Parks Traveler takes a look at a national monument in southwest Missouri dedicated to George Washington Carver. Born to an enslaved young woman, Carver dedicated his life to agricultural research and science. His work helped struggling farmers in the south better their lives through better farming practices. The Traveler's Lynn Riddick talks to Ranger Curtis Gregory about this unique site in the park system, and the inspirational legacy of the 20th century's most renowned Black scientist.

Acadia National Park in Maine is a tourist magnet, a problem for those seeking a little solitude with the scenery at the park. Traveler Contributing Editor Kim O'Connell found that out first-hand during her family's visit there this summer, but did manage to find some quiet areas.

Climate change is readily apparent this year, generating surprising heat waves in the Pacific Northwest, scores of wildfires across the West, and an ongoing series of tropical storms and hurricanes spinning out of the Atlantic and barreling into the East and Gulf coasts of the United States. The effects of climate change aren't absent from Yosemite National Park. To discuss some of those impacts, we reached out to Frank Dean, president and CEO of the Yosemite Conservancy, and Cory Goehring, the conservancy's lead naturalist. We also discuss a range of Conservancy projects in Yosemite.

Across the National Park System some 2 million acres have been invaded by non-native vegetation. At Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah, crews physically cut down Russian olive trees and use Roundup to prevent regrowth of this invader.

2020 saw the largest fires on record burn in Rocky Mountain National Park, and this year Lassen Volcanic National Park has endured the flames of the Dixie Fire. To gain a better understanding of the wildfire situation in the West, and how climate change is affecting wildfires, we're joined by Robin Wills, the National Park Service's chief of fire and aviation for the Pacific West Region.

A lot is happening around the National Park System, from the nomination of a permanent director for the National Park Service and higher user fees in the parks to wildfires and ongoing crowds in some corners of the park system. National Parks Traveler's Kurt Repanshek, Kim O'Connell, and Lynn Riddick discuss those and other issues from around the park system.

The ongoing drought in the West has underscored how precious water is in that arid landscape. Photographer Colleen Miniuk explores the dilemma along the rivers that feed the Colorado watershed in a new book that is both a celebration and warning about water in the West.

How is the restoration of "the river of grass," the Everglades, coming along? Eric Eikenberg, president of The Everglades Foundation, discusses that topic on National Parks Traveler's podcast.

Mammoth Cave National Park is a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. It was designated a national park in 1926 and fully established and opened in 1941 -- 80 years ago. At 412 miles, the cave itself is nearly twice as long as any other known cave system. Geologists believe there may even be a couple more hundred miles of undiscovered passageways. The Traveler's Lynn Riddick takes us to Mammoth Cave and taps into insight and anecdotes from park personnel about the historic and geologic wonders that tell the story of this unique geological and biological landscape.