Climate Change Is Altering When Water Is Available, Study Finds
A new study in Nature Water by Colorado School of Mines researchers shows climate change is reshaping not only the volume but also the timing of river flows across the United States. The research highlights that warmer years concentrate runoff into shorter periods, altering the seasonal distribution that water‑rights holders rely on. In the Intermountain West, lower overall water availability often coincides with more evenly spread flows, intensifying drought pressure on junior users. Regional patterns differ, with the Upper Midwest and New England seeing more uniform year‑round flows, while the West exhibits mixed trends.
House Members File Brief In Case Aiming To Remove Trump’s Face From Park Pass
U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman and Pramila Jayapal filed an amicus brief supporting plaintiffs in Center for Biological Diversity v. Burgum, which challenges the Department of the Interior’s decision to place a portrait of former President Donald Trump on the 2026...
Presidio Of San Francisco Receives Five Battery-Electric Buses For Shuttle Fleet
The Presidio Trust has introduced five battery‑electric buses to its free Presidio GO shuttle fleet, part of the broader Presidio Forward infrastructure upgrades. The low‑floor electric shuttles improve accessibility for wheelchair users and families with strollers while reducing maintenance costs and...
Burgum Defends Proposed Cuts To Park System Budget During Committee Hearing
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended a proposed 40% cut to the National Park Service’s maintenance budget and a 13% cut to the Interior Department in the FY2027 budget request during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee hearing on April 29....
Group Intends To Sue Trump Administration Over Expanded Livestock Grazing Plan
The Center for Biological Diversity has announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a new grazing memorandum that would open up to 24 million acres of federal land to cattle, including parts of Grand Canyon National Park. The group argues...
Tours of Lehman Caves In Great Basin National Park Will Resume May 22
Public tours of Great Basin National Park’s Lehman Caves will restart on May 22, offering visitors access to the Gothic Palace and Rose Trellis rooms via a 30‑minute lantern‑guided experience. Up to 13 tours per day will run, with a blend...
Conservation Groups Challenge EPA In West Virginia Regional Haze Lawsuit
Three conservation groups have filed a response in the Fourth Circuit challenging the EPA’s approval of West Virginia’s Regional Haze State Implementation Plan. The groups argue the plan relies on a Trump‑era policy that lets the state skip the Clean...
Bill Introduced To Halt Removal Of Native American History In National Parks
Two Democratic representatives, Sharice Davids and Dan Goldman, introduced the Truth in National Parks Act to stop the removal of Native American historical content from National Park Service sites. The bill mandates that interpretive materials remain historically and culturally accurate,...
How Much Water Erupts From Old Faithful Geyser?
Researchers from the USGS, UC‑Davis, UC‑Berkeley and the National Park Service measured water discharge from 45 Old Faithful eruptions using a portable flume and river conductance monitoring. They found an average volume of 27.9 cubic meters (7,370 gallons), with individual eruptions ranging from...
America's Best Road Trip Is Along A National Historic Trail
David and Kay Scott advocate the historic Oregon Trail as America’s premier road‑trip, guiding travelers from Missouri through Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and into Oregon. They detail accessible paved and gravel routes that parallel the original wagon path, highlighting interpretive...
National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 371 | Chief Storyteller
The National Parks Traveler podcast featured Tom Medema, a former NPS associate director who informally served as the agency’s “Chief Storyteller.” In the episode, Medema discussed how interpretation and narrative weaving enhance visitor experiences across the park system. He highlighted collaborations...
Texas Border County Judges Urge Transparency In Plans For Big Bend Border Wall
Elected county judges from all 14 Texas border counties sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin urging greater transparency and early coordination on the Big Bend border wall. The request follows a series of shifting CBP maps that removed, then...
Grizzly Bear Research Captures Set To Begin Within Yellowstone National Park
U.S. Geological Survey and Yellowstone National Park will resume grizzly bear pre‑baiting and capture operations on May 1, continuing through October 15. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) conducts the field work to monitor population trends and document recovery under the...
Enhancement Project Will Improve Old Rag Trailhead At Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park will launch an infrastructure enhancement at the Old Rag Trailhead on May 4, with completion slated for November 2026. The main parking lot will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians, but visitors can still reach the trail via overflow lots...
Resurfacing Work To Begin On George Washington Memorial Parkway
The National Park Service will begin resurfacing the George Washington Memorial Parkway between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and First Street in Alexandria on April 23, with work continuing through June. Crews will replace worn asphalt overnight and on weekends, while pedestrian‑crossing medians...
Latest U.S. Customs And Border Protection Map Returns Border Wall To Big Bend
U.S. Customs and Border Protection released a new GIS map that marks four sections of wall or vehicle barriers and an extensive technology‑and‑patrol road inside or adjacent to Big Bend National Park in Texas. The plan revives a physical‑border wall...
Reorganization Of Interior Has Not Produced Promised Results, Says PEER
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s 2025 reorganization transferred roughly 5,000 administrative, IT and communications staff to the Office of the Secretary, promising significant cost savings. A FOIA request by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) revealed the department has no records...
Luminescence Dating Helps Determine The Age Of Hydrothermal Explosions In Yellowstone
Recent advances in luminescence dating are allowing scientists to directly date hydrothermal explosion deposits in Yellowstone, a task that has long eluded geochronologists. By measuring the stored radiation signal in sediment grains, researchers determined that the Pocket Basin crater erupted...
House To Vote On Legislation That Would Weaken Endangered Species Act
The U.S. House will vote on Rep. Bruce Westerman’s ESA Amendments Act (H.R. 1897) on Earth Day, aiming to roll back core protections of the Endangered Species Act. The bill would narrow federal consultations, weaken take‑permit safeguards, and extend listing timelines,...
Groups Sue Administration Over Approval Of Ultra-Deepwater Oil Drilling Project In Gulf
Five Gulf and environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for approving BP’s Kaskida ultra‑deepwater drilling project, the first new Gulf oilfield since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The suit claims BP failed to provide adequate safety...
Annual Gray Wolf Counts Find Increased Numbers In Oregon and Washington
The 2025 annual gray wolf reports show population growth in both Oregon and Washington. Oregon’s wolf count rose to 230 individuals, a 13% increase, while Washington reported 270 wolves, up 17% from 2024. Washington also saw a sharp decline in...
A Day In The Park: Effigy Mounds National Monument
Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa safeguards more than 200 prehistoric earthworks shaped like birds, bears, cones and rectangles, created by the Late Woodland Effigy Moundbuilders between 1400 and 750 B.P. The site spans three units—North, South and Sny Magill—offering 1‑7‑mile hiking...
National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 370 | Wildlife Crossings
The National Parks Traveler podcast highlighted the growing toll of wildlife‑vehicle collisions in the United States, which claim roughly 200 lives and injure more than 26,000 people each year. Research shows that dedicated wildlife crossings can slash those incidents by...
Op-Ed | Mining Threats To Boundary Waters Spill Over To Voyageurs National Park
The U.S. Senate voted to roll back long‑standing protections for the Boundary Waters watershed, opening the area to sulfide mining upstream of the pristine freshwater system. The decision threatens the Voyageurs National Park watershed with potential mercury, arsenic and acid...
Legal Challenge Launched To Block Border Wall Through Big Bend Region
The Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Ruidosa Church and a local landowner have filed a lawsuit to stop the Department of Homeland Security from constructing a border wall through Texas' Big Bend region. The suit alleges DHS illegally waived...
UPDATED | Senate Overturns Protections For Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
The U.S. Senate approved HJ Resolution 140 by a 50‑49 vote, overturning a two‑decade mineral withdrawal that shielded the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota. The repeal removes protection for roughly 225,000 acres, paving the way for a Chilean...
A Railroad And Reservoirs
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad built a 3‑ft narrow‑gauge line through the Black Canyon in 1882, a risky venture that cost the equivalent of $5.26 million per mile today. The line spurred the rise of the rail town Cimarron,...
Hyperabundance Of Pink Salmon In Sitka National Historical Park May Put River At Risk
Researchers have documented a dramatic rise in pink salmon in Alaska’s Indian River, with annual numbers soaring from a few thousand in the 1980s to regularly exceeding 100,000 today. The spawning season has lengthened from two months to four, now...
Lawsuit Filed Against Mining Operation In Mojave National Preserve
The National Parks Conservation Association has filed a lawsuit to block Dateline Resources Ltd.’s mining at the historic Colosseum Mine in California’s Mojave National Preserve. The suit claims the Bureau of Land Management improperly allowed the mine to resume despite...
Rehabilitation Of Employee Housing Begins At Great Sand Dunes National Park And Preserve
The National Park Service has broken ground on a $14 million rehabilitation of employee housing at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado. Thirteen units built in the 1960s will be upgraded with fire‑protection, wastewater, water‑damage repairs, interior and...
Reservoir Important To Everglades Restoration Receives Funding To Support Completion
The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir has secured more than $2 billion in federal funding, moving its completion deadline up to 2029 from the original 2034 target. The accelerated schedule is part of a 2023 agreement between the U.S. Army Corps...
Group Challenges ESA Exemption For Oil And Gas Drilling In The Gulf Of Mexico
Defenders of Wildlife has filed a petition in the D.C. Circuit to overturn a March 31 decision by the Endangered Species Committee—often called the “God Squad”—that granted a blanket exemption from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for federal oil and gas...
Great Smoky Mountains National Park To Offer Vehicle-Free Wednesdays For Cades Cove
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will close the Cades Cove Loop Road to motor vehicles every Wednesday from May through September, creating vehicle‑free days for cyclists, walkers and runners. Visitors must purchase a parking tag and park in designated lots;...
USACE To Reconstruct Company Creek Road In North Cascades National Park
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has been awarded a contract by the National Park Service to reconstruct approximately 1,000‑1,100 linear feet of Company Creek Road in Washington’s North Cascades National Park. The road was destroyed by historic December 2025...
Congaree, A National Park As Impressive As Its Trees
Congaree National Park in South Carolina, once a swamp monument designated in 1976, was upgraded to national‑park status in 2003 to protect a 27,000‑acre remnant of bottom‑land hardwood forest. The park boasts five national champion trees, including a 175‑foot loblolly...
2024 Annual Report Highlights Notable Explosions In Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone’s 2024 annual report highlights two unprecedented hydrothermal explosions—an unwitnessed event at Norris Geyser Basin in April and a well‑documented blast at Black Diamond Pool in Biscuit Basin in July. The July explosion hurled mud and rock up to 180 m,...
Getting to Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Theodore Roosevelt National Park comprises three units—North, South and the remote Elkhorn Ranch—spanning 68 miles between the two most‑visited sections. Visitors typically fly into Bismarck Municipal Airport and rent a car to reach the South Unit in Medora or the...
Bridge On Natchez Trace Parkway Will Close For New Pedestrian Safety Barrier
The National Park Service will close the Double Arch Bridge on the Natchez Trace Parkway beginning April 15, initiating a multi‑year project to install a permanent pedestrian safety barrier. The bridge, a 1,572‑foot concrete arch completed in 1994 and a 1995 Presidential...
Deer Test Positive For Chronic Wasting Disease At Catoctin Mountain Park
Two white‑tailed deer at Maryland's Catoctin Mountain Park tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), marking the park's first confirmed case. The detection follows positive results in nearby national parks in 2024 and another in 2026, highlighting a regional spread...
U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Sued Over Plight Of Florida Panthers
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is being sued for approving a 10,000‑acre housing and commercial development that would destroy roughly 5,000 acres of Florida panther habitat. Plaintiffs—including the Center for Biological Diversity, South Florida Wildlands Association, and the...
Study Finds That Devils Tower Is In Constant Motion
A 2026 study using a summit‑mounted seismometer revealed that Wyoming’s Devils Tower vibrates continuously, swaying about once per second with movements measured in fractions of a millimeter. Researchers identified three resonant modes—two lateral sways and one torsional twist—mirroring the dynamic...
A Day In The Park: Curecanti National Recreation Area
Curecanti National Recreation Area, established in 1965, surrounds three reservoirs created by the Wayne N. Aspinall Storage Unit of the Colorado River Storage Project. The park offers year‑round water and land activities, from boating and fishing to hiking, horseback riding,...
Traveler's View | Time To Pass The Torch
National Parks Traveler founder and editor-in-chief Kurt Repanshek announced he will step away after more than two decades at the helm. Over his 21‑year tenure, the outlet has become a leading watchdog on National Park Service management, exposing policy shifts...
National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 368 | Florida’s Ailing Reef
The Florida Reef, a 350‑mile coral system stretching from Biscayne to Dry Tortugas National Parks, now supports living coral on just about 2 percent of its area. Warming seas, pollution, stronger hurricanes, anchor damage, dredging and trawling are driving the decline....
Change In Winds Could Make Kīlauea's Next Eruption Dangerous For Visitors
Kīlauea volcano is showing signs of an imminent eruption, with Episode 44 expected between April 6 and April 14. The National Weather Service predicts a wind shift from northeasterly to southerly breezes, which could trap volcanic gas (vog) and tephra near the summit....
Study Finds Forest Regeneration In Lassen Volcanic National Park After Dixie Fire
A recent study of Lassen Volcanic National Park reveals that despite the Dixie Fire scorching nearly one‑million acres, forest regeneration is already underway. Researchers found that 32% of sampled plots contained at least one seedling shortly after the blaze, and...
Interior Department Planning More Changes To National Park Service Staffing
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced a new reorganization that will shift more National Park Service employees into visitor‑facing roles. The move follows a prior reduction that eliminated roughly a quarter of the 70,000‑person workforce through retirements, firings, and attrition. Critics...
Seventy-Three Percent Of Marine Protected Areas Are Polluted By Sewage, Says Study
A joint study by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of Queensland found that 73% of the world’s 16,491 marine protected areas (MPAs) are polluted by sewage and non‑point source waste. In coral‑dependent regions, contamination rises to 87‑92%, with...
Gun Rights Group Challenges Ban On Firearms In National Park Facilities
The Second Amendment Foundation and partners have filed a lawsuit challenging the 1990 federal ban on firearms in National Park Service facilities, specifically targeting 18 U.S.C. § 930(a). The suit argues the law unconstitutionally bars the roughly 300 million annual park visitors from carrying...
Study Finds Microplastics On 45 Percent Of Beaches
A 2025 study sampled 209 beaches across 39 countries, finding that 45% contain suspected microplastics. The Mediterranean showed the highest contamination at 80%, while the South Pacific recorded none. Polyethylene was identified as the most common polymer. Researchers warn that...