The federal government has entered a partial shutdown on 12.22. This means there are some major changes to access to public lands, including NPS and Forest Service lands and sites. Here are 9 things to know:
Why You Absolutely Need to Camp in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland
The greatest, best, and most beautiful place I've ever car camped was on top of a cliff in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. Here's what you need to know.
Find Your Trail
We’re thrilled to share a feature we wrote (as Amy Beth and Derek) for Southwest: The Magazine, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the U.S. National Trails System for the October issue.
#ParkChat
Discovering Night Sky Programs at U.S. National Parks
"Most of us, generally, envision our visits to national and state parks occurring during daytime hours. However, most parks are accessible long after the sun goes down, creating a unique opportunity to be in park environs— desert, wilderness, and mountains—under dark and vast skies." Click to read more about contributor Courtney Johnson's exploration of the night sky programs in our national parks.
Know This Place
Travel with Lauren Smith as she finds a sense of home on the road, much like the migrating birds she studies. "The month after I moved to Montana I went to an environmental conference in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta. There, I heard a Blackfeet elder say this: “We are bound by breath to honor and take care of this place.” The elder was speaking about conservation, and how it is important to care for all parts of an ecosystem—the watershed, the soil, the plants, the animals. To care, the elder said, you need to settle in a place and let it settle in you. Once this happens, you are bound by breath to honor and care for that place." Click here to continue.
Fall 2018 Essay Contest
Our annual fall essay contest invites nonfiction submissions of up to 1,500 words in the form of autobiographical essay, reportage, profile, memoir, or narrative nonfiction. We seek essays that express a moment of significance — personal transformation, awakening, adventure, exploration, reward, accomplishment, revelation — that is inspired by or set within a park space or public land. Essays need not be about a U.S. national park—national forests, municipal and state parks, BLM lands, beaches, lakeshores, campgrounds, designated woodlands—and more—are great subjects.
Find the Best Food In Montana Yellowstone Country
Our friends at Food Travelist have compiled a diverse selection of eateries in the Yellowstone region, from lodges, ranches, and resorts to craft breweries, ice cream parlors, and ideal spots for a tasty lunch. Their post celebrates the best of the region (including local delicacies, like huckleberry ice cream, and perfectly seasoned and prepared game) and we are glad to share it with you! For the nights you are not planning to indulge in s'mores around the campfire, consider these venues...and let us know what you think!
A Case for Bears Ears
Contributor Courtney Johnson journeys to Bear's Ears National Monument to better know this controversial landscape, both as an outdoor enthusiast and public lands advocate—and to better make the case for its continued protected status. Continue reading Courtney Johnson's essay here
Discover Where the National Parks and the Arts Intersect
The National Park Service, we know, protects and preserves important historical landmarks and expansive, undeveloped natural landscapes. However, many NPS units also have ties to the creative arts, and are dedicated to honoring and preserving an artistic legacy. We've taken a closer look at parks that focus upon artists, writers, and important creative and cultural pursuits that uniquely reflect and reexamine American culture. Let's take a look, click here!
Top Tips for the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Discover some top tips when visiting the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Complex, near the Coachella Valley in California. Click here for more!
