National Park Service

Latest Stories

Environment

National Park Reservations Keep Crowds Small. They May Be Unfair to Some Visitors a New Study Says.

A report examining permit systems at seven national parks found that visitors from wealthier zip codes used them more frequently than those from lower-income areas.

Katie RiordanOctober 8, 20262

Environment

Rangers Just Recovered Hundreds of Poached "Green Gold" Roots in the Smokies. Here’s Why It’s a Big Deal.

A bust in Appalachia highlights how understaffed national parks are struggling to protect "green gold" from an escalating underground market.

Katie RiordanOctober 5, 2026

Environment

Tourists Dropped 26,000 Items into Yellowstone Geysers This Year. Here Are the Weirdest Ones.

Crews at Yellowstone National Park recovered over 20,000 pieces of trash, 5,600 rocks, and hundreds of hats from the park’s hydrothermal features in 2026—a 50 percent jump from last year.

Suzie DundasSeptember 14, 20262

Exploration & Survival

Kayakers Find Human Skull Near Popular Ohio National Park Service Picnic Area

Investigators estimate the remains found near the Village of Peninsula had been in the Cuyahoga River for at least two to five years. Here is what forensic experts and rangers know so far.

Madison DapcevichSeptember 4, 2026

Environment

Patagonia Is Suing Donald Trump over Bears Ears—Again

The outdoor retail giant Patagonia has rejoined tribal nations and conservation groups to fight the administration’s attempt to strip protections from nearly three million acres of public land.

Suzie DundasSeptember 3, 2026

Environment

A Watchdog Group Says Yosemite Is Using Flock Cameras

DeFlock claims that Yosemite National Park has installed the controversial surveillance technology. The NPS says the cameras are part of a system to monitor congestion and parking.

Kristy HamiltonAugust 17, 20262

Environment

Bulldozers Just Arrived in Big Bend. Locals Fear a Border Wall Could Cut Off Public Lands.

Photos show that heavy machinery has broken ground along the Rio Grande inside Big Bend National Park. Local outfitters fear a loss of public river access and devastating effects to the outdoor recreation economy.

Kristy HamiltonAugust 11, 20262

Environment

We Now Know What the Trump Admin Did with 51 Removed Signs and Exhibits

According to court documents, officials threw away signs, placards, films, and brochures describing topics like women’s rights, slavery, and Indigenous massacres.

Kristy HamiltonAugust 7, 2026

Environment

After the National Park Service Removed Historic Signs, One Former Ranger Is Fighting to Keep Their Stories Alive

Signs about slavery, climate change, and other historical topics continue to quietly disappear from national parks. Former park guide Melissa Dalley quit over the removals, and now she travels the country handing out the missing texts.

Kristy HamiltonAugust 6, 20265

Environment

Did a Guy in a Bison Suit Really Scare Tourists in Yellowstone? We Asked the NPS.

A trending social media story claims that a 34-year-old man dressed in a homemade bison costume chased tourists in Yellowstone while shouting, “Now you know how it feels!” But is there any truth to the claim? We asked the National Park Service.

Madison DapcevichJuly 28, 20262

Environment

Heavy Flooding Forces Mass Evacuations and Major Road Closures in Glacier National Park

A prolonged, historic rainstorm has triggered evacuations at Many Glacier Hotel and shut down massive sections of Going-to-the-Sun Road. Here is how to navigate the closures and salvage your trip.

Madison DapcevichJune 30, 20261

Environment

The Feds Just Reportedly Ordered NPS to Stay Silent on Visitor Deaths

Newly revealed guidance issued by the Department of the Interior reportedly prohibits National Park staff from publicly releasing information about deaths across 435 sites nationwide. Experts say this puts visitors at risk.

Madison DapcevichJune 25, 20262

Environment

Meet Blue, the Grand Canyon’s New Secret Weapon for Saving Wildlife

As tourists flock to the South Rim, habituated elk and bighorn sheep are moving into hotel complexes—and putting themselves in the line of fire. Outside went on patrol with Brady Dunne and Blue, the Catahoula Leopard Hound tasked with barking wildlife back to safety.

Madison DapcevichJune 25, 20261

Water Sports

America’s Deadliest National Park Site Just Quietly Suspended Its Dive Team

Facing severe staffing shortages and equipment issues, the National Park Service has quietly dismantled its underwater recovery team at America's highest-fatality recreation area.

Owen ClarkeJune 24, 20261

Environment

The Threat of a Border Wall in Big Bend Won’t Go Away. Former NPS Leaders Are Raising the Alarm.

Former leaders of Big Bend National Park and more than a dozen lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to reconsider a border wall through one of America’s most remote national parks.

Gabrielle SaulsberyJune 17, 2026

Environment

A Judge Ordered the NPS to Restore Signs About Slavery and Climate Change. The Trump Admin Is Fighting Back.

A federal judge gave the Department of the Interior until Independence Day to bring back purged exhibits on climate change and slavery. Here is how park staff, advocacy groups, and the White House are scrambling to respond.

Madison DapcevichJune 16, 2026

Environment

The Trump Administration Asked for Tips on Park Signage. It Got Thousands of Roasts Instead.

When a new executive order put QR codes in parks asking visitors to flag "disparaging" history, 35,000 people wrote back. A Sierra Club lawsuit shows they brought receipts—and plenty of sarcasm.

Owen ClarkeJune 3, 2026

Exploration & Survival

Fewer People Are Dying in National Parks. The Ones Who Do Tend to Share This Trait.

National Park Service data shows a significant drop in fatalities from the pandemic peak, but one group of people makes up an overwhelming majority of those deaths. Plus, five parks make up one-quarter of all deaths.

Owen ClarkeJune 2, 20263

Environment

A New Map Grades How Your Lawmakers Voted on National Parks and Public Lands Issues

A new accountability tool shows exactly how every member of Congress voted on national parks, forests, and wilderness areas—stripping away the political noise. Here’s how to see whether your representatives are in support of public lands.

Owen ClarkeMay 20, 2026

Environment

Big Bend’s Border Wall Is Dead—for Now.

In the most remote corners of the Chihuahuan Desert, federal officials say they are now betting that vertical limestone walls and cutting-edge surveillance will be more effective—and sustainable—than a physical fence.

Owen ClarkeMay 15, 2026

National Park Service

Latest Stories

National Park Reservations Keep Crowds Small. They May Be Unfair to Some Visitors a New Study Says.

Rangers Just Recovered Hundreds of Poached "Green Gold" Roots in the Smokies. Here’s Why It’s a Big Deal.

Tourists Dropped 26,000 Items into Yellowstone Geysers This Year. Here Are the Weirdest Ones.

Kayakers Find Human Skull Near Popular Ohio National Park Service Picnic Area

Patagonia Is Suing Donald Trump over Bears Ears—Again

A Watchdog Group Says Yosemite Is Using Flock Cameras

Bulldozers Just Arrived in Big Bend. Locals Fear a Border Wall Could Cut Off Public Lands.

We Now Know What the Trump Admin Did with 51 Removed Signs and Exhibits

After the National Park Service Removed Historic Signs, One Former Ranger Is Fighting to Keep Their Stories Alive

Did a Guy in a Bison Suit Really Scare Tourists in Yellowstone? We Asked the NPS.

Heavy Flooding Forces Mass Evacuations and Major Road Closures in Glacier National Park

The Feds Just Reportedly Ordered NPS to Stay Silent on Visitor Deaths

Meet Blue, the Grand Canyon’s New Secret Weapon for Saving Wildlife

America’s Deadliest National Park Site Just Quietly Suspended Its Dive Team

The Threat of a Border Wall in Big Bend Won’t Go Away. Former NPS Leaders Are Raising the Alarm.

A Judge Ordered the NPS to Restore Signs About Slavery and Climate Change. The Trump Admin Is Fighting Back.

The Trump Administration Asked for Tips on Park Signage. It Got Thousands of Roasts Instead.

Fewer People Are Dying in National Parks. The Ones Who Do Tend to Share This Trait.

A New Map Grades How Your Lawmakers Voted on National Parks and Public Lands Issues

Big Bend’s Border Wall Is Dead—for Now.

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