10 Title-Holding National Parks In The United States

by Jessica Festa on

National parks hold some of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes in the country, and sometimes even the world. Not only do these destinations make for great hiking, biking and adventure sports, but they also allow you to view one-of-a-kind facets you can’t find anywhere else on the planet.

While Black Canyon of the Gunnison holds the title of being the country’s newest national park, Yellowstone was the world’s first, being established in 1872. Additionally, Sequoia National Park features the world’s largest tree; Great Sand Dunes National Park holds the highest sand dunes in North America; and Death Valley is said to be the hottest, lowest and driest place in the United States.

For a more visual idea of these title-holding national parks, check out the gallery below.

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[Image above via Jessie on a Journey; Gallery images via Big Stock]

Study Shows Visitors To National Parks Up, Time Spent In The Parks Down

by Kraig Becker on

According to USA Today, a new study indicates that the number of visitors to America’s national parks has risen over the past twenty years, but the amount of time they actually spend in the parks is going down. The National Park Service, which conducted the study, says that even though many of the parks, such as Yellowstone and Yosemite, have seen record numbers of visitors in recent years, those travelers are actually spending 15 percent less time inside the park while they are there.

Park officials say that a major reason why visits are now shorter than they were two decades ago is that an increasing number of travelers are booking their accommodations outside the park boundaries. Many of the larger parks actually have rustic lodges and campsites that have been popular places to stay for years, but it seems that fewer visitors are choosing to book them when they make their vacation plans. This accounts for at least a portion of the decline in the length of visits, as the study showed that 4.5 million fewer guests stayed the night inside the parks in 2011 than they did in 1994. That’s down 25 percent in just 17 years.

It seems that the parks are as popular as ever but camping isn’t as viable of an option as it once was. This runs directly counter to market trends, which show that Americans have increased their spending on outdoor recreation an average of 5 percent over each of the past five years. Apparently that spending is going into other outdoor activities and travelers are electing to stay in a comfortable bed rather than a tent.

For the Park Service these trends aren’t necessarily alarming, just enlightening. The record number of visitors tells the NPS that travelers still want to visit the parks, they just have other plans on how to spend their time there. The challenge for the Park Service will be to adapt to the changes and continue to provide visitors with what they want and need.

Video: The Beautiful Sights And Sounds Of Yellowstone

by Kraig Becker on

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most beautiful locations in all of North America. Its lush forests, snow-capped peaks and unique geothermal activity make it a place that is unlike any other. Those amazing landscapes have been admired by visitors for more than 140 years, but now the park is being recognized for its amazing soundscapes as well.

The video below gives us some great examples of both the landscapes and the soundscapes of the park, where the wildlife, running rivers, geothermal features and other natural elements all blend together to create a sensory experience that will delight visitors of all ages. The howling of a wolf, babbling of a brook and rushing of the wind all contribute to making Yellowstone a special place, and the National Park Service wants to preserve those sounds as much as the sights.

This video was added to Yellowstone’s new YouTube channel a few days ago as the park continues to expand its use of social media. In addition to YouTube, Yellowstone now has a Twitter feed, Facebook page and a Flickr stream, and fans of the park will no doubt find something to like in each of them.


US National Parks May Open To Mountain Biking

by Kraig Becker on

Earlier this week the National Park Service announced a shift in policy that could potentially allow mountain biking in more of the parks. A new rule, that goes into effect on August 6, will give park superintendents the option to decide if they will allow cyclists access to roads that are typically closed to motor vehicles. Those paths would include fire and access roads that are now only used by the park service itself.

This is welcome news for mountain bikers, many of whom have hoped to ride inside the national parks for some time. But while this new rule does open the door a crack, it is unlikely that many of the superintendents will actually grant access to those roads. The policy does provide for greater flexibility of course, but don’t plan on riding through the backcountry of Yellowstone just yet.

Those opposed to allowing mountain bikes in the parks should rest easy, as the new rules stipulate that mountain bikes would be restricted to fire and access roads only. That means you won’t find them on the majority of hiking trails and any newly created trails will have to be closely evaluated before access to bikes of any kind would be granted.

Cycling on paved roads that are shared with motor traffic has always been permitted inside the parks and that hasn’t changed in any way because of this new policy.

Given the multitude of great options, what national parks would you most like to explore by mountain bike? Personally, I think Big Bend would be fantastic, along with Canyonlands and Arches.

[Photo credit: Tom Johnson via WikiMedia]

National Park Foundation Launches 2012 Photo Contest

by Kraig Becker on

The National Park Foundation has launched its 2012 photo contest giving aspiring photographers an opportunity to show off their skills while helping the organization spotlight America’s spectacular public lands. The competition, which is now in its 12th year, draws more than 14,000 entries on an annual basis.

The contest is open to amateur photographers 13 years of age or older. All images submitted for consideration must have been taken on U.S. public lands, such as national parks and forests, between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012. Submissions are being accepted through the end of this year at ShareTheExperience.com.

The winner of the competition will be awarded a $15,000 cash prize, an annual Federal Recreation Lands Pass and have their photograph featured on that same pass in 2014. More than 500,000 of the passes are sold each year, which means that a large audience will have exposure to the winning image. Second and third place winners will receive $10,000 and $2500 and an annual pass respectively, while honorable mention winners will receive a two-night stay at a variety of hotels across the country. For more information about the prizes, click here.

If you’re a fan of the national parks and have taken some great photos over the past couple of years, you can enter your images here. If you don’t have any images to submit you still have plenty of time to visit a national park before the deadline.