Search results for “Enhancing the Visitor Experience”
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Park Hot Springs National Park Hot Springs National Park is a unique combination of urban and natural landscapes. The hot springs themselves are in the area known as Bathhouse Row in the heart of downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas, and visitors can still take a traditional bath in several of the bathhouses. Visitors can also hike on 26 miles of trails, camp near Gulpha Creek, or stroll the historic district and enjoy drinking from the water fountains that are fed by the natural springs.
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Blog Post The Only National Park Planetarium National parks are some of the last, best places in the country to experience naturally dark night skies. Only one U.S. national park site features a planetarium to help visitors learn about the cosmos.
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Blog Post Are You Heading for Eclipse Chaos? Me, Too John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon — one of the best spots in the country to view the solar eclipse on Monday — is expecting a quarter of its annual visitors in just one day. Should I brave the crowds?
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Blog Post Haunted Parks: 6 Ghostly Getaways Ghost stories might scare your campfire circle. They can also offer hyperlocal histories for travel destinations around the country. Learn about a few spectral park visitors — if you dare — including kidnapped sailors and a skinny-dipping conservationist.
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Blog Post 7 Photos of Denali in Winter Many people dream of visiting Denali's 6 million acres of forests, glaciers, mountains, rivers, and valleys, all with just one winding road leading into the rugged wilderness. Most of the park's 400,000 annual visitors arrive in the summer, but the long, dark winters offer snowy solitude, stark vistas, and plenty of activities for those who are experienced and comfortable dealing with extreme weather.
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Press Release Parks Group Supports Interior’s Decision to Close National Parks if Congress Unable to Pass Funding Bill "DOI's decision to close national parks is the only way to ensure the safety of park visitors and protection of our most treasured resources." - Theresa Pierno, NPCA's President and CEO
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Blog Post Budget Cuts Hit Home—Harry Truman’s Home Somewhere in the visitor center of the Harry S Truman National Historic Site in Independence, Missouri, I worry that the park rangers pass around my photograph, my name, and a note saying: “Warning! He asks too many questions.”
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Blog Post Plan a Desert Getaway to Arches National Park The cooler months are an ideal time to explore the wonders of the desert, when visitors can see the beauty of the canyons and cacti without the intense sunshine and triple-digit temperatures.
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Press Release National Parks Plagued by Significant Air Pollution Impacts, Finds New Analysis Majority of Parks Experience Days Risky for Vulnerable Visitors; Four Parks Regularly Unsafe for Most People
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Press Release More Action Needed to Hold Polluters Accountable; Toxic Chemicals Continue to Spill into Waterways at Indiana Dunes National Park Lack of enforcement opens the door for future illegal discharges, resulting in more beach closures and potential harm to visitor health and wildlife at Indiana Dunes.
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Blog Post The Most-Visited National Park Site in Alaska Summer is the traditional tourist season in Alaska. One national park site in the state attracts far more recreational visitors than any other. Can you guess which one?
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Blog Post Water You Waiting For? 10 Perfect Parks for Paddling Go beyond the hiking trail and enjoy parks from a refreshing vantage point: water. Rivers and lakes offer adventurous routes through some of the country’s most remarkable landscapes, including views you just can’t see from land. From lazy float trips to exhilarating whitewater, national parks have fun options for visitors of every experience level—sometimes even on different stretches of the same river.
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Blog Post Parks after Dark: 9 Ideas for Nighttime Fun Summer nights may be short, but national parks often host extra activities to educate and entertain visitors during this popular tourist season. Whether you’re exploring on your own or hanging out with a ranger, try a few of these excuses to stay out late in special places.
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Press Release National Park Economic Report at Odds with Congressional Proposals to Slash Funding National park visitors supported record-setting economic benefits in 2022. Why are some members of Congress proposing budget cuts?
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Blog Post A More Complete Story at Gettysburg Marking the 160th anniversary of the Civil War’s bloodiest battle, Gettysburg National Military Park has expanded its historical interpretation. Visitors now can learn more about the history of free and enslaved Blacks and the context of Confederate monuments.
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Press Release Amid Coronavirus Threat, All National Parks Must Close When it’s no longer possible for staff to protect their health, the health of the visitors or the resources they manage, it’s time to close the national parks. And that time is now.
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Press Release Proposal to Allow Commercial Rocket Launches Threatens Cumberland Island National Seashore If this proposal moves forward, rockets would be launched over Cumberland Island National Seashore, putting park resources and visitors at risk.
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Press Release Utah Air Quality Board Approves Regional Haze Plan, Paving the Way for More Air Pollution in National Parks and Local Communities It is unacceptable that Utah is again failing to protect our parks, local economies and visitors, especially at a time when the state so desperately needs bold leadership to combat air pollution problems.
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Magazine Article Finders Weepers Every year, national parks receive dozens of rocks and artifacts returned by remorseful visitors. What are parks to do with the stuff?
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Press Release National Parks Group Disappointed by Lack of Protection for Reefs at Biscayne National Park Marine reserve at Biscayne is needed and vital to improve coral reef habitat, fishing, diving, and visitor experience
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Blog Post How Can Congress Fund More Park Projects for the Next Century? Here’s One Way The Centennial Challenge will leverage funding from a variety of sources to improve the experience for national park visitors.
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Press Release Park Advocates Applaud Decision to Keep Off-Road Vehicles Out of Utah National Parks and Monuments Decision maintains commonsense park resource protections and promotes visitor safety
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Magazine Article Tourist Time Capsule Before selfies were in and big hair was out, Roger Minick traveled the country capturing photos of visitors at national parks.
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Blog Post National Park Construction Projects in Jeopardy In Massachusetts, park officials barricaded a bridge leading into Lowell National Historical Park because bricks in the structure could fall on people's heads. In Washington, D.C., a bridge on the George Washington Parkway that leads to Arlington Cemetery and is used daily by thousands of people is so structurally deficient, the National Park Service could close it to heavy vehicles such as tour buses within two years if it isn't repaired. In Wyoming, important sections of the Yellowstone National Park Grand Loop Road are in such need of repair that they threaten visitor safety.
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Press Release Local Businesses and Park Community Representatives to Secretary Zinke: Don’t Price Families Out of National Parks Increasing entrance fees would harm gateway communities that depend on park visitors.
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Press Release New Legislation Would Protect More Lands, Provide More Access to Katahdin Woods and Waters "Expanding this extraordinary park site will increase recreational access and help protect more forests, wildlife and waterways." - Tucker Johnson, NPCA's Visitor Experience Program Manager
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Blog Post Want to Be a Park Scientist? Counting birds. Looking for dragonfly larvae. Analyzing coyote scat? National park visitors can help the places they love by taking part in meaningful science around the country.
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Blog Post 5 Ways to Chase Awe at Muir Woods National Monument Encountering some of Earth's tallest living organisms is just the beginning of visitors' experience at this California park site.
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Press Release Parks group files lawsuit over off-road vehicle usage at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area The Park Service's decision to authorize off-road vehicles in Glen Canyon will harm the landscape and disrupt other visitors
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Blog Post New "FracTracker" Tool Can Help Safeguard National Parks Concerned visitors are helping to document oil and gas development on the border of Theodore Roosevelt National Park through an innovative crowdsourcing campaign.
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Blog Post 5 Inspirational Stories from the Parks Through their spectacular landscapes, magnificent wildlife and rich history, national parks have inspired generations of visitors. But often, it is the people within those parks who move us most. Here are five personal stories of determination, selflessness and healing that show how parks can bring out the best in people.
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Park Flight 93 National Memorial This site preserves the crash site of Flight 93 commemorates the passengers and crew who, on September 11, 2001, gave their lives to thwart a planned attack on the nation's capital. Visitors can learn about the lives of these brave men and women, see a marble wall inscribed with their names, and walk through a grove of 40 memorial trees planted in their honor.
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Report Made in America: Investing in National Parks for Our Heritage and Our Economy Yellowstone, Gettysburg, the Statue of Liberty and the Flight 93 Memorial are among the many national parks that we, as Americans, own together. Keeping this magnificent collection of places well-managed and open to everyone costs less than 1/13th of one percent of the federal budget—quite a bargain for a park system that inspires visitors from around the world and produces nearly 270,000 private sector jobs across the country.
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Park San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park San Francisco Maritime National Historic Site celebrates the history of America’s relationship with the sea. The site is comprised of three main sections: the Maritime Museum, the visitor center/museum and Hyde Street Pier.
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Park Canyonlands National Park Canyonlands National Park preserves an immense desert wilderness sculpted by the Green and Colorado rivers and featuring hundreds of colorful canyons, mesas, buttes, fins, arches and spires. The Island in the Sky District is the most accessible and popular section of the park — a mesa with spectacular views of the surrounding canyons. The Needles is a vaster territory below the Island in the Sky where visitors can hike among the sandstone spires and breathtaking rocks.
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Report Healthy Parks Healthy People Community Engagement eGuide The Healthy Parks Healthy People Community Engagement eGuide is the first in a digital series to chronicle and share the development of Healthy Parks Healthy People programs in parks and communities all across the country. The eGuide helps park staff and partners discover the diversity of ideas, tools, and practical advice that can serve as an inspiration and resource to launch and sustain Healthy Parks Healthy People programs.
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Letter Opposition to the National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act The House is poised to consider the "Conservation and Economic Growth Act," which includes the title, the "National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act." The undersigned organizations are strongly opposed to that provision and to the entire bill.
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Victory No More Hogwash in Buffalo National River The state of Arkansas is closing an industrial hog farm and will prohibit future large-scale confined animal feeding operations in this protected watershed.
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NPCA at Work Create a Marine Reserve at Biscayne National Park A marine reserve will help protect the incredible resources of Biscayne for the benefit of all Americans, now and for generations to come.
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Park Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park This park preserves the history of the Gold Rush towns of Skagway and Dyea, where prospectors known as "stampeders" flocked in the late 1800s to try their luck at striking it rich.
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Land Based Trip On the Road to Freedom: Understanding Civil Rights Through Our National Parks and Heritage Areas (WAITLIST ONLY) Join NPCA experts on this remarkable journey through some of the most significant sites associated with American civil rights. Along the way, we will have special opportunities to meet with NPCA partners, local historians and even some of the faithful activists known as foot soldiers who actively played a role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Throughout this transformative NPCA small-group tour, we’ll make our way from Birmingham to Memphis, immersing ourselves in the extraordinary stories and culture of this defining period in American history.
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Land Based Trip The National Parks of Hawai‘i (WAITLIST ONLY) Experience the unique cultural and natural beauty within Hawai‘i’s national parks by joining expert biologists, naturalists and cultural interpreters who will share their extensive knowledge and perspectives of this remarkable place. Meet with park rangers to learn more about the work being done to protect vulnerable ecosystems and endangered animals and plants which are found nowhere else on earth. Access locations that are off the beaten path and not readily accessible to the general public. Leave with a greater appreciation of the islands, their natural and cultural history and the ongoing challenges to preserve this unique biodiversity.
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Land Based Trip Acadia to Katahdin: Exploring Maine’s Waterways, Woodlands and Wabanaki Cultural Heritage Welcome to picturesque Maine, home to a rocky coastline, stunning mountain views, lush forests, flowing waterways, and a fascinating natural and cultural history. Here, the charming town of Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island serves as a gateway to the beauty and adventure of Acadia National Park and Frenchman Bay. To the north, the remote wilderness of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and the adjacent Baxter State Park encompass some of the most rugged terrain in the Northeast. Journey alongside NPCA experts and key partners on land and on water to experience these unique places firsthand and get a behind-the-scenes look at how the organization is fighting to protect them.
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Victory Yellowstone Is Worth More Than Gold Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signs 20-year mineral withdrawal that will prevent new mining north of the national park.
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NPCA at Work Save the Wild Natural Sounds of the Olympic Peninsula The Hear Our Olympics campaign seeks to protect the natural sounds of Olympic National Park, an ancient refuge from noise pollution in the Northwest.
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Report Revitalizing Floyd Bennett Field Today we have the unique opportunity to develop a new flagship national park for New York by revitalizing Gateway National Recreation Area. This unpolished gem, with Floyd Bennett Field at its heart, is ready to be brought alive as the great urban national park it was intended to be, elevated to shine as the next jewel in the emerald crown of New York City’s great park system.
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Report Poll: Strong Bipartisan Support For National Parks According to a new poll commissioned by the National Parks Conservation Association and the National Park Hospitality Association, national parks are cherished by Americans and voters want the federal government to ensure they are protected for the future. The survey was conducted by Hart Research Associates and North Star Opinion Research from June 12-17, 2012, among a national sample of 1,004 registered voters.
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Dan Bailey Dan manages NPCA’s conservation campaigns focusing on Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE).
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Staff Michaela Pavlat Michaela Pavlat is the Indigenous Partnerships Field Representative for the Mid-Atlantic Region. She is a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
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NPCA at Work Protect Marine Wildlife at Biscayne National Park We need responsible, science-based policies to manage Biscayne’s threatened fish populations.
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Land Based Trip Bears, Whales and Glaciers: Lake Clark and Kenai Fjords National Parks (WAITLIST ONLY) Explore two of Alaska’s most stunning national parks — Kenai Fjords and Lake Clark — and experience some of North America’s wildest places. Incredible scenery abounds, from Alaska’s rugged coastline and tidewater glaciers to lush mountain valleys covered with colorful wildflowers. This trip is a wildlife lover’s delight — we’ll visit prime habitats to seek whales and bears, among other Alaskan icons. Your NPCA expert guides will lead you through hard-to-access and lesser-known areas of the parks, while providing in-depth information on the important role of NPCA and key local partners in the ongoing efforts to preserve Alaska’s Bear Coast.
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Land Based Trip California’s Desert Landscape: Joshua Tree & Death Valley (REGISTRATION CLOSED) Explore the best of Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks alongside NPCA experts and partners on this exciting journey through the Mojave Desert. Visit three large desert parks that NPCA helped to establish — Sand to Snow National Monument, Mojave National Preserve, and Avi Kwa Ame National Monument — and get a behind-the-scenes look at how NPCA works with local partners to protect these valuable places.
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