Cecilia Worth's sense of time slows and deepens as she forms a relationship to the land in Denali National Park, click here to read.
At the Park: Spotlight on Reid State Park in Maine
Stephanie Paterson's moving chronology of many summers spent working at Reid State Park spans from her undergraduate years though completion of her doctorate. Click here to read about her lifelong connection to this remarkable coastal park in Georgetown, Maine.
Spirit Lake: Spotlight on Devil's Lake State Park in Wisconsin
In J.d. Lin's essay, "Spirit Lake," a stop in Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, Wisconsin offers a measure of peace during a time of professional transition. Click here to read.
Meet Parks & Points' Poetry Editor
We have been thrilled, in our first Parks & Points & Poetry series, to receive so many entries which express the natural beauty and profound impact parks and designated natural spaces have on visitors. We are doubly thrilled to welcome P&P contributor Celeste Hackenberg as our Poetry Editor.
Celeste Hackenberg earned her MFA in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College in December 2016. As a graduate student, she assisted in planning the Sarah Lawrence College Poetry Festival, and co-created an annual Alumni Festival to showcase the talent of previous students. She also served as Art Director and reader for LUMINA, Sarah Lawrence’s student-run literary magazine, for two years. Currently, she is based in Westchester county, with her three cats and one person. She works as an academic advisor at CUNY Start and writes mostly prose poems and haiku.
Heartbreak and Enduring Love: Two Valentines
For Valentines Day, Parks and Points is proud to publish the two Honorable Mention winners from our Fall 2016 Essay Contest. Allyson Whipple's "Heartbreak on a Hill" describes putting oneself back together after a breakup in Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, in Texas. Jean Jackman's "50th Anniversary in the Wilderness" set in the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado National Forest, gathers nine family members together in celebration of fifty years of marriage.
Heart Lake, Olympic National Park photo by brewbooks / CC BY
Lost in Tikal: Spotlight on Tikal National Park in Guatemala
Click here to read MFC Feeley's essay, "Lost in Tikal," about finding her way though Tikal National Park in Guatemala.
Change in an Unexpected Place: Spotlight on Seoraksan National Park in South Korea
Click here to read "Change in an Unxepected Place" by Maggie Thach Morshed, detailing her self-discovery amidst the trails and temple at Seoraksan National Park, in South Korea.
Preservation and Inspiration at Pinnacles National Park
Click here to read Margaret Young's essay about finding the unexpected at Pinnacles National Park, and to learn more about the California Condor Recovery Program.
The 2017 America the Beautiful Annual Pass is Now Available
The 2017 America the Beautiful passes are now available and feature an amazing photo of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area by Yang Lu. He was the Grand Prize winner of the 2015 Share the Experience Photo Contest, which, aside from cash prizes and gear, gets your photo on the Annual Pass! Hopefully, the Department of the Interior will run the competition again this year. Stay tuned, the photo contest usually kicks off in early May.
Also of importance this year, as has been reported, the cost of the lifetime senior pass is going up from $10 to $80 this year! If you are 62 or older perhaps buy now, as the price increase has not yet been implemented. Or buy two, as after several years of use it's not too hard to misplace or lose it on a trip — as we've sadly found out with our annual pass.
Atop Wind Cave, a Revelation
On the 114th birthday of Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, click here to read Grant Sinclair's moving piece about unexpected moments of discovery and insight while hiking above ground.
And She Walked Barefoot
Click here to read Jennifer Fliss' essay on trading city life for the wilderness, and the challenges in letting go of past comforts.
