Search results for “Enhancing the Visitor Experience”
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Blog Post The First Park with a Million Visitors The 1930s brought big changes to the National Park System, setting the stage for large increases in tourism, including the first national park site to welcome more than 1 million annual visitors.
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Blog Post Why Can’t Visitors Walk In to “Open-Air” Parks? National parks are prominent icons representing the very best of America—so it’s not surprising that losing access to these inspirational places is causing heartbreak and anger around the country. When Congress closed the national parks as part of the government shutdown on October 1, it affected hundreds of thousands of visitors, business owners, and workers. Eleven days later, the standoff on Capitol Hill continues.
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Press Release Parks Group Reacts to Ranger Using A Taser On Native American Visitor at Petroglyph National Monument The excessive use of force by a park ranger on a Native American visitor in a routine encounter was shocking.
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Blog Post FAQ: What the New Fee Increases Will Mean for Visitors and Parks The Trump administration has backed off its original plan to impose steep entrance fee increases at 17 national parks during peak visiting season, opting for more moderate increases at all the park sites that collect fees. Here’s what the plan will cost visitors and where those fees will go.
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Press Release Waive National Park Fees to Protect Staff and Visitors, Not Promote Accessibility Waiving fees prevents park staff and visitors from having close interactions during this ongoing pandemic.
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Press Release National Parks Welcomed Record 331 Million Visitors in 2016 Record-breaking visitation demonstrates love of parks, need for more park staff.
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Blog Post What Does the Government Shutdown Mean for National Parks and Park Visitors? A partial closure of national park sites puts people and places at risk.
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Press Release Grand Teton National Park Wildlife, Visitors to Benefit from Final Moose-Wilson Road Plan The National Park Service's final Moose-Wilson Corridor plan puts Grand Teton National Park on track to preserve the corridor’s unique resources for the long term. The popular road corridor is home to grizzly bears, moose, wolves and other iconic wildlife as well as significant Native American archaeological resources.
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Blog Post Q&A: Do Visitors Really Need to Be Shut Out of National Parks During the Government Shutdown? As we enter week two of the government shutdown, closed signs and barricades at national parks have become powerful symbols of the fiscal standoff’s impact on people around the country.
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Press Release Crowds Flood Grand Canyon and Zion Putting Visitors and Park Staff at Risk The administration needs to immediately close parks that are unable to meet CDC guidelines, before this dangerous situation turns into a crisis.
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Blog Post Park Fees Should Benefit Park Visitors Have you ever marveled at the pink and red sandstone cliffs at Zion National Park while learning about the area’s rich history from the seat of one of the park’s free shuttle buses? Or enjoyed a visit to a working quarry to watch paleontologists preserving fossils at Badlands National Park?
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Press Release New Law to Allow Loaded Guns in National Parks Puts Park Visitors, Wildlife, and America's Heritage at Risk New law creates unnecessary dangers
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Press Release Government Shutdown and Additional Funding Cuts Threaten National Parks, Visitors and Local Communities Nationwide Federal government shutdown threatens to close national parks across the country impacting local economies as well as family vacation and school trips
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Blog Post NPCA Urges Parks to Close and Visitors to Stay Home as Pandemic Worsens in the U.S. Help keep staff and the public safe by enjoying parks from afar.
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Press Release Administration’s Plan to Keep National Parks Open During Government Shutdown Puts Visitors and Resources At Risk The Department of the Interior plans to keep some national parks open through a government shutdown.
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Press Release New Everglades Management Plan Means Improved Visitor Experiences and More Access to the Park After more than a decade of research, planning, and an extensive public comment process, the National Park Service released their final General Management Plan for Everglades National Park.
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Press Release Congress Moves to Limit Methane Waste; Protect Park Air and Visitor Health Senate votes to protect a commonsense policy created to protect taxpayers from the unnecessary waste of natural gas from federal lands
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Blog Post The 10 National Park Sites with More Than 5 Million Recreational Visitors in 2017 National parks continued to serve as popular tourist destinations in 2017, with dozens of sites seeing all-time highs in numbers of recreational visits. Here are the 10 most-visited places in the National Park System.
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Press Release House Votes to Weaken Clean Air Protections for Parks, Visitors Passes “Smoggy Skies Act.”
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Press Release Celebrating Clean Water for National Parks and Park Visitors with Obama Administration's Final Clean Water Rule The final Clean Water Rule will better protect our waters by stating more clearly which waters are protected under the Clean Water Act.
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Blog Post Precaution, Funding, and Science-Based Policy When a team of scientists and conservationists led by A. Starker Leopold wrote the Leopold Report in 1963, national park visitors were still feeding bears through their car windows, nocturnal wildlife still feasted on park garbage dumps, and park rangers still shot cougars and wolves to maximize the number of visitor-friendly elk and pronghorn.
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Park Arkansas Post National Memorial Although the name of this park stems from the French trading post near the banks of the Mississippi River, Native Americans, most recently the Quapaw, inhabited the area for thousands of years before the Europeans arrived. Visitors can learn about the historic nature of the park and of the many stories, ranging from expedition of Hernando de Soto to the Battle of Arkansas Post in the Civil War. Visitors can also stroll the nature trails and try to steal a glimpse of one of the area's American alligators or endangered Traill's flycatchers.
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Park Bluestone National Scenic River This scenic river is named after the rugged blue limestone that lines its bed at its origin in Virginia. The park begins approximately 5 miles south of the New River Gorge National River and is managed by the same park staff. The Bluestone offers hiking, biking, hunting, fishing and camping, and bobcats, otters, bears and a variety of birds thrive in the wild area. Visitors can explore a 10.5-mile trail between the adjacent Bluestone and Pipestem Resort State Parks to enjoy portions of the river. Visitors can also see more of the river by riding an aerial tramway in Pipestem State Park.
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Magazine Article No English? No Problem. As the number of international visitors to national parks rises, the Park Service is speaking up — in multiple languages.
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Blog Post 10 Tips to Respect Wildlife, Stay Safe and Avoid Internet Ridicule Most of us wouldn’t think of putting a bison in our car as two Yellowstone visitors did this spring, but did you know that white shoes and sweat-soaked hiking gear can also cause problems?
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Blog Post The Rise of the National Park Mascots From Major Muskrat to Sunny Saguaro, human-sized mascots help national parks attract new visitors and convey important messages about wildlife and safety.
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Blog Post Tips for Seeing Arches During Peak Season After years of frustrating overcrowding problems, staff at Arches National Park launched a timed-entry reservation system last month to ensure more reliable access for park visitors. Here's what to know before you go.
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Blog Post 7 for 7: How NPCA Is Improving Your Next Visit to Stonewall Stonewall National Monument in New York City was established seven years ago. NPCA is leading improvements at the site in seven ways — including the addition of a visitor center.
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Blog Post Can Technology Improve the National Park Experience? Should national parks be respites where visitors, young and old, are encouraged to turn off their electronic devices? If so, do national parks risk losing relevancy? One youth group explores how technology can improve the park experience.
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Blog Post Masks Required at National Parks: What to Know Before You Go Staff and visitors must now wear masks in federal buildings and facilities, as well as at outdoor attractions where distancing isn't possible.
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Press Release Arches, Glacier and Rocky Mountain to Resume Timed Entry Access in 2023 “Thanks to managed access, visitors to Arches, Glacier and Rocky Mountain saw more wildlife and wild lands than brake lights and traffic jams the last several years" -- NPCA's Cassidy Jones
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Blog Post Is Responsible Travel Possible in a Stressed Park System? A handful of parks around the country saw record-breaking visitation last year due in part to the pandemic, while others were shut down almost entirely. A few strategies can help visitors avoid crowds and be mindful of safety as we enter a second year of COVID restrictions.
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Small Ship Cruise Glacier Bay National Park Adventure Cruise Explore parts of Glacier Bay National Park that 99% of visitors never visit. On this eight-day small-ship cruise, you will get an up-close look at glaciers, old-growth forests, and sea life. Hike remote coastlines and take in diverse birding at South Marble Island. Here, you can search for wildlife like bears, sea lions, seals, porpoises and eagles. With a guest to crew ratio of 3:1, you will enjoy the comfort of having a robust onboard team, each with a fierce love of travel and appreciation for the wilderness, to make your journey unforgettable.
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Joan Frankevich Joan was a Program Manager for the Alaska Regional Office. Since 1997, she has worked on topics in nearly every park in Alaska helping to ensure that wildlife is protected, visitor experience is enhanced and environmental laws are upheld.
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Park Adams National Historical Park Adams National Historical Park is the only place in the country where the stories of two presidents, John Adams and John Quincy Adams, can be told from birth to death. The three properties with flower gardens and orchards transport the visitor back in time to when the Adams family lived on the premises.
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Park Piscataway Park Protecting the view from George Washington's home across the river at Mount Vernon, Piscataway Park offers visitors walks along the Potomac River across freshwater tidal wetlands and on forested trails, and the opportunity to view remarkable wildlife including beavers and American bald eagles.
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Report Gateways To Yellowstone Gateways to Yellowstone: Protecting the Wild Heart of Our Region’s Thriving Economy
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Land Based Trip The National Parks of Hawai‘i Experience the unparalleled cultural and natural beauty within all seven of Hawai'i’s national parks by joining expert biologists, naturalists and cultural interpreters as you journey through four Hawaiian Islands. NPCA experts and local guides will lead you on tours through the most awe-inspiring sites on the islands, including two active volcanoes, lava caves, native rainforests and the tallest sea cliffs in the world. Witness the sacred grounds and endangered species that NPCA is dedicated to saving.
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NPCA at Work Don’t Let a Highway Destroy a Piece of History at Valley Forge A proposal to expand the Pennsylvania Turnpike would put irreplaceable historic structures and a Class A Wild Trout Stream at risk of irreparable harm from flooding because it fails to include a proper stormwater management plan.
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Report Dark Horizons: 10 National Parks Most Threatened by New Coal Fired Power Plants NPCA's report highlights the 10 national parks most threatened by new coal-fired power plants, and calls on the Administration to abandon its effort to permit more harmful air pollution near national parks.
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Report Making Connections: Building a Healthy Future for Shenandoah National Park And Its Gateway Communities Drawing on economic data compiled by state and federal agencies, interviews with local residents and leaders, and a variety of research reports and assessments, this report outlines three findings:
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Victory Local Stakeholders Give Strong Protections to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks Plan finds a unique balance between conservation, recreation, and energy development, and shows just how much Utahans love their national parks.
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NPCA at Work Protect Mojave from the Soda Mountain Solar Project Developers have proposed building the Soda Mountain Solar Project, an industrial-scale renewable energy facility, less than one mile from the boundary of Mojave National Preserve. It would be the closest renewable energy project to a national park site in the entire southwestern United States, in the middle of a critical pathway for desert bighorn sheep.
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Land Based Trip Fa‘a Samoa: The National Park of American Samoa Immerse yourself in the community and culture of American Samoa with a rare opportunity to visit all three of the islands where the breathtaking National Park of American Samoa is located. You’ll spend eight days sampling local food, visiting tropical rainforests and hidden beaches, canoeing and snorkeling above vibrant reefs and discovering NPCA’s role in preserving the park’s diverse ecosystem and cultural sites.
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Land Based Trip Natural Fortunes of the Four Corners Known for sweeping vistas, culturally rich Ancestral Puebloan settlements and internationally recognized dark skies, the Four Corners, connecting NM, CO, UT and AZ, is unlike anywhere else in the world. Journey alongside NPCA experts to experience extraordinary ancient structures at Chaco Culture National Historical Park. You’ll also experience the mystifying cultural sites within Mesa Verde, Aztec Ruins and Hovenweep while learning about NPCA’s important contributions in the region.
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Land Based Trip Natural Fortunes of the Four Corners Welcome to the Four Corners region, known for sweeping vistas, internationally recognized dark skies, diverse plant and animal species, and remains of the homes left behind by the Ancestral Puebloan culture, whose sites are sacred to modern Pueblo descendants. Compare the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde to the structures in Chaco Culture National Historical Park and Aztec Ruins National Monument. This unique and beautiful area is increasingly at risk of oil and gas development, which threatens priceless sacred lands and archeological sites. On this trip, journey alongside NPCA experts to experience these unique places firsthand and get a behind-the-scenes look at how NPCA is fighting to protect them.
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NPCA at Work Don’t Put Endangered Wildlife at Risk to Drill Big Cypress A private energy development company wants to conduct seismic testing on 70,000 acres within Big Cypress National Preserve for oil and gas development — paving the way for drilling to begin on an unprecedented scale on national park land.
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Celia Contreras Celia Contreras grew up in the north east San Fernando Valley. Growing up she didn't do much hiking or camping. Her older sister changed that and exposed her to something that is now a big part of who she is today.
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Staff Theresa Pierno Theresa Pierno is President and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association. She joined NPCA in 2004 after a distinguished career in public service and natural resource protection, and has helped to solidify the organization's role as the voice of America's national parks.
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Jacob Ross Jacob Ross found a love for the National Park Service as an agency of the Federal Government while working as an intern in a congressional office on Capitol Hill.
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Staff Laura Atchison Laura Atchison has been with NPCA since 2005 and is currently Senior Director of Board Relations.
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Victory Grand Teton Expanded by 640 Acres, Protecting Vulnerable Lands A new land exchange will preserve the wildlife-rich “Antelope Flats parcel” with its stunning views and critical habitat.
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Park Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site Get a glimpse into one of the most darkly romantic minds in American literature by touring the apartment once rented by the author and critic Edgar Allan Poe.
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Report San Antonio Missions National Historical Park: Impact and Opportunity The National Parks Conservation Association commissioned a study—conducted by the Center for Community and Business Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio—to comprehensively examine the economic impact of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and ensure the adequate preservation, protection and interpretation of our nation’s largest collection of Spanish colonial resources.
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Report Turning Point Through individual stories from parks around the country, this report describes how air pollution harms our national treasures. The report also recommends ten specific steps that our government representatives and all of us can take to clean up harmful air pollution and protect our national parks for future generations.
Pagination