Tagged: national-parks

Brazil’s National Parks: How to Pick Which Ones to See

Ask any avid hiker or nature lover to name the best national parks worldwide, and it's likely that Brazil won't make the list. But it should. The huge South American country has dozens…

10 Things to See and Do in Colorado's Most Underrated National Park

At Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in southern Colorado, the jagged, snow-capped peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains plunge into a bowl of undulating sand dunes—North…

A Makeover and New Museum at Gateway Arch in St. Louis

A multiyear, multimillion-dollar project to gussy up the grounds of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis culminates this summer in the July 3 opening of an expanded museum that tells the tale…

U.S. National Park Fees Leap Higher Overnight

When Americans woke up this morning (June 1), they discovered it would cost them a lot more to enter their national parks.Nearly all the major parks hiked their entry rates by a hefty…

The Best of Bryce Canyon and Nearby: 10 Great Things to Do

Most national parks are visually dramatic by nature. But Bryce Canyon in Southern Utah also enjoys the rare distinction of being otherworldly, as in “not from this planet.” Technically…

Arthur Frommer: An Enemy of Our U.S. National Parks is Now in Charge of Them

Of all the members of the Trump cabinet, the one with the most direct control of travel developments is the Secretary of the Interior, one Ryan Zinke. His agency is in direct charge of…

Most Visited U.S. National Parks and Monuments in 2017

The National Park Service (NPS) has released its visitor numbers for 2017. A total of 330,882,751 people spent time at American national parks, monuments, and other sites deemed worthy…

How Not to Do Yosemite in Winter

I sometimes think my real job as a travel writer is to be an idiot. It's my job to make mistakes and then report on them so that my readers can have fun, safe, and error-free…

Days When You Can Visit U.S. National Parks for Free in 2018

Each year, the National Park system throws open its gates for a few days and spreads the good word by admitting everyone without charging entry fees. It's a great way for low-income…

Free National Park Entry on Nov. 11 & 12, But for Which Parks?

This weekend, Nov. 11 and 12, entry to many (but not all) national parks will be free in honor of Veterans Day.The National Park Service has posted a state-by-state list of the free…

National Park Fees May Triple, Become Unaffordable

Entrance fees at many of the country's most popular national parks could soon go way up.To address a backlog of maintenance needs and infrastructure improvements, the National Park…

American Historical Sites People Think Are Real—But Are Actually Fake

You probably went to one of these on vacation or a field trip. You probably thought you were walking in the same rooms as the great figures in United States history. You were wrong.…

Rooted in History: America's 10 Most Astonishing Trees

They are surreal survivalists, living through the harsh new conditions each decade brings: bitter winters, long droughts, floods, fires, vandals, pollution. One specimen has even been…

For Seniors, August 28 Is the Deadline for Enjoying One of the Great Travel Bargains

JULY 20, 2017Hardly anyone is aware of it—though it involves a large potential saving for entire carloads of visitors to the U.S. national parks—but it’s important that you stop for a…

Time Capsules: Perfectly Preserved Sites from American History

Sometimes we're lucky enough to recognize greatness while it's still among us. And when we do, if we're really fortunate, we're also wise enough to preserve history while it's still…

National Parks Pass Price Hike for Seniors, Rome's Public Drinking Ban, and the World's Biggest Indoor Ski Resort: Today's Travel Briefing

JULY 14, 2017 — Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's piazzas, national parks, and winter wonderlands. SPIKE IN PRICE OF LIFETIME NATIONAL PARKS PASS FOR SENIORS…

Our National Parks Are in Peril of Having Their Funding Cut

They were supposed to be sacrosanct. Our national parks—glory of our nation—were supposedly unlike the other institutions threatened by President Donald Trump’s appointees to his…

After a Quiet Winter, the World of Travel Has Suddenly Erupted with Distinctive Developments

Americans are often left unaffected by various changes in the rules and policies of travel—but that hasn’t been the case in recent weeks.  Consider the following:The proposal of the…

Grand Canyon Visitor Numbers, California Highway 1 Closures, Hamilton Tours at Monticello: Today's Travel Briefing

APRIL 7, 2017 — Good morning, everybody! Today's travel news is all about American icons—the Grand Canyon, California's Highway 1, and Broadway's favorite Founding Father. PARTS OF…

Reappraising (And Exploring) Chicago's Underrated South Side

The way Chicago works is the way many big cities work: You can spend your entire life there, being born and going to school and living and working and dying, all without barely…

The Most Popular U.S. National Parks, a Beer Hotel in Ohio, and Skiing in Iraq: Today's Travel Briefing

Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's hotels, national parks, and ski slopes.* MOST VISITED U.S. NATIONAL PARKS IN A RECORD-SETTING YEAR (CNN)The National Park…

Rock Climbing Cliffs Closed at Zion National Park, U.S. Airports with Best and Worst On-Time Performance, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's airports, resorts, and national parks.* U.S. AIRPORTS WITH BEST AND WORST ON-TIME PERFORMANCE (Condé Nast Traveler)The…

Days When You Can Visit U.S. National Parks for Free in 2017

The first of 2017's free-admission days at U.S. national parks is already behind us—it was Martin Luther King Day. But before the year is over you'll have nine more chances to enjoy…

Cliffs of Dover Eroding, Free National Park Admission on Veterans Day, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's trains, national parks, and eroding coastlines.* WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER AND OTHER SITES FACING EXTINCTION (Daily…

Best Parks in Kenya and Tanzania

There's a reason safari means "journey" in Swahili: No other word better sums up the experience of moving from park to park in southeastern Africa. In Kenya, roaring lions, snorting…