News•Mar 11, 2026
Ticket Sales For Crystal Cave In Sequoia National Park To Open March 16
Ticket sales for the 2026 Crystal Cave season open on March 16, 2026 at 9 a.m. online. Guided tours, operated by the Sequoia Parks Conservancy, will run from May 22 through November 1, 2026, offering 50‑minute explorations of the park’s only public cave. The 2025 season sold out, marking strong demand after a four‑year closure caused by wildfire and storm damage. Revenue from tickets supports the Conservancy’s education, restoration, and visitor‑experience initiatives.
By National Parks Traveler
News•Mar 11, 2026
Volcanic Eruption Causes Closure Of Kīlauea Summit In Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
On March 10, 2026, Kīlauea volcano erupted for its 43rd episode, sending lava fountains up to 1,300 feet and generating hazardous tephra. The National Park Service closed the summit area and Highway 11 between mile markers 24‑40 as football‑sized volcanic fragments rained...
By National Parks Traveler
News•Mar 11, 2026
National Park Service Proposes Changes To Buffalo National River Visitor Plan
The National Park Service released a draft update to the Buffalo National River visitor management plan, the first revision since 1983. The proposal calls for roughly 320 new parking spaces, realignment of roads and trails, and moving campsites out of...
By National Parks Traveler
News•Mar 10, 2026
"Football-Sized" Volcanic Fragments Rain Down On Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
The Kīlauea volcano erupted Tuesday, sending football‑sized volcanic fragments onto several overlooks in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. A towering plume rose 25,000 feet, marking the 43rd episode of the eruption that began in December 2024. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory responded by raising...
By National Parks Traveler
News•Mar 10, 2026
Trump Administration Again Sued Over Alaska Public Lands "Giveaway"
Environmental coalitions have filed a new lawsuit against the Trump administration for revoking Public Land Orders 5150 and 5180, which would open roughly 2.1 million acres in Alaska—including a 211‑mile Ambler Road corridor through Gates of the Arctic National Park—to mining...
By National Parks Traveler
News•Mar 10, 2026
First Grizzly Bear Of The Season Spotted In Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park biologists spotted the first spring grizzly on March 9, where the male bear was scavenging a bull bison carcass. The timing matches recent years—2025’s first sighting was March 14, 2024’s was March 3, and 2022‑2023 fell on March 7. Male grizzlies...
By National Parks Traveler
News•Mar 10, 2026
“Report Card” Measures Congress Members’ Commitment To Wildlife Conservation
Defenders of Wildlife released its 2025 Conservation Report Card evaluating the 119th Congress’s votes on federal wildlife protections. The report flags a House vote that removed Endangered Species Act safeguards for the longfin smelt and gray wolf, and a Senate...
By National Parks Traveler
News•Mar 9, 2026
Lawmakers File Amicus Brief Opposing Trump’s Plans For Independence Arch
Six Democratic lawmakers filed an amicus brief in federal court to block President Trump’s proposed 250‑foot Independence Arch on federal parkland in Washington, D.C. The brief cites the Commemorative Works Act and 40 U.S.C. § 8106, which require explicit congressional authorization for any...
By National Parks Traveler
News•Mar 9, 2026
Mountain Goat Populations Have Declined By 45 Percent Across Glacier National Park
Mountain goat numbers in Glacier National Park fell 45% over a 12‑year citizen‑science study, with the steepest losses occurring between 2008 and 2015 before stabilizing. The herd represents the largest non‑hunted native population in the contiguous United States and sits...
By National Parks Traveler