US Service Members Now Get Free Entry To National Parks

by Kraig Becker on

Earlier this week the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that all active U.S. service members, and their dependents, will now be eligible to receive a free annual pass to national parks. This new military version of the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass will be available starting tomorrow, just in time for Armed Forces Day.

The new pass grants members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, as well as activated members of the National Guard and Reserves, fee-free entry to over 2,000 national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests and other public lands across the U.S. The pass is available at any park or wildlife refuge that currently charges an entry fee, and of course a valid military ID is required. A complete list of sites where the pass is available can be found by clicking here.

The new national park pass grants free entry to its owner and accompanying passengers in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle at all sites that currently charge a per-vehicle fee. At sites that collect per-person entrance fees, it covers the pass owner and three accompanying adults age 16 and older. There is no entry fee for children 15 and under.

The creation of this new benefit for active military personal comes from the Joining Forces Initiative, which was launched last year by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. The purpose of the organization is to rally all sectors of American society to find new ways to support service members and their families, particularly in these challenging times. So far the JFI has helped thousands of veterans to find jobs, worked with schools to improve educational opportunities for military children and connected with the medical community to improve healthcare for military families as well.

Plenty Of Campsites Available In Yellowstone This Spring

by Kraig Becker on

Unlike last year when late season snows hampered travel, visitors to Yellowstone this spring will find plenty of campsites open and available. The park has 12 campgrounds sprinkled across its 2.2 million acres of wilderness and each of them offers a unique and affordable way to visit one of the most spectacular wildernesses in all of North America.

Spring is the perfect time to visit Yellowstone for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the lack of crowds. By summer the park begins to fill up and during the peak months of July and August it can get quite crowded at times. But book your visit before June 15 and you’ll avoid the high season altogether, giving you peaceful solitude across most of the park.

The return of spring also means that Yellowstone’s trees and flowers are in bloom and its plentiful wildlife is on the move once again. Not only have the bears left their winter dens, cubs in tow, but the elk and bison are also birthing their calves throughout the region. Sharp-eyed visitors might even catch a glimpse of a moose or an elusive wolf as they explore the park’s landscapes.

If you would like to experience spring in Yellowstone for yourself then book a campsite online by clicking here. Reservations can be made at five of the 12 sites online and at a cost of just $20.50 per night it is a real bargain.

Catch The May 20 Solar Eclipse From A National Park

by Kraig Becker on

Later this month, North America will witness its first solar eclipse in more than 18 years. On May 20, the moon will pass between the Earth and the Sun, blocking out most of the light from our star and blanketing much of the western United States and Canada in darkness. For astronomy buffs it promises to be quite a celestial event and most will want to take it all in while surrounded by a beautiful setting.

The National Park Service has a few suggestions for those searching for just such a setting. The NPS says that 33 of its parks will offer prime viewing opportunities with six of those falling directly in the eclipse’s path. Those six include Redwoods National Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park in California; Zion National Park in Utah; Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Arizona; and Chaco Culture National Historical Park and Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico.

If the skies are clear that day, the parks listed above will be the absolute best places to view the eclipse, which at its peak will cover 96 percent of the sun and create a “Ring of Fire” around the edge of the moon. An additional 125 parks, mostly west of the Mississippi River, will be treated to a partial eclipse, which will also be fun to witness.

Many of the national parks are planning events for the day of the eclipse, which just so happens to fall on a Sunday. That makes it a perfect time to pack up the family and head out to a park near you for an enjoyable day with a rare light show. For a full list of events, click here.

[Photo credit: Sancho_Panza via WikiMedia]

New Mapquest Website Allows Visitors To Explore National Parks

by Kraig Becker on

A new website, powered by MapQuest, is giving travelers a unique way to plan their next visit to America’s National Parks. The site, which has launched in beta form, features detailed profiles on all 58 National Parks in the system and provides visitors with information on their history, available activities and much more.

As you would expect, the site offers readers the ability to locate national parks close to home simply by using a map of the U.S. It also lists each of the parks by state, as well as alphabetically, making it extremely easy to find the specific destination you’re looking for. Clicking on the name of any park on the list will open its corresponding guide which includes a general overview of the park itself as well as information about wildlife in the region, insights on what to expect while visiting and useful tips on what to do while you’re there. You’ll find those tips are highly specific to the individual parks, offering suggestions for fishing, hiking and climbing in Grand Teton for example, while also providing options for paddling and scuba diving in Isle Royale.

MapQuest has included plenty of great images to help give readers a good sense of the landscapes they’ll experience while visiting the parks and there are a number of excellent videos as well. For example, the video below serves as an introduction to Yellowstone and includes commentary and insights from several of the park rangers. These videos are a great way to learn more about the parks they feature and are likely to inspire visits to those places too.

This new site is an excellent resource for planning a visit to any national park in the system. If your summer travel plans include a stop in Yosemite, The Great Smokey Mountains or any other national park, do yourself a favor and bookmark MapQuest National Parks now.

Video: Yosemite In Timelapse

by Kraig Becker on

Timelapse videos seem to be all the rage on the Internet these days but when they look as amazing as the one below, you can understand why. The 4 minute-44 second clip was shot in Yosemite National Park by filmmaker Shawn Reeder and it only serves to remind us just how beautiful that place actually is.

If you’ve never experienced Yosemite for yourself, there is no better time to go than in the spring. The crowds remain at a minimum and the weather is generally warm and comfortable, although snow can remain at the higher altitudes. Additionally, the winter run-off makes the park’s numerous waterfalls flow at top capacity making the already picturesque valley even more magical. Find out more about Yosemite and all the national parks at NPS.gov.