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 New Report Offers Recommendations for Improving Visitor Experience and Regional Support at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Groups provide roadmap for protecting and enhancing Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
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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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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 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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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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Press Release Pullman National Monument Plans for Future on Display During Metra Train Tour To celebrate Pullman National Monument’s official designation and the National Park Conservation Association’s 100th anniversary, visitors received a one of a kind tour by train.
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Press Release National Conservation Coalition Commends Legislation that Would Prevent $180 Million Loss to National Parks Reauthorization of FLREA allows national parks to continue to retain fees they collect to enhance recreation benefits for visitors
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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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Staff Stephanie Kodish Stephanie Kodish leads NPCA's effort to protect national park resources, visitors and neighboring communities from air and climate pollution.
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Park National Park of American Samoa With rainforests, tropical wildlife, secluded villages, and coral-sand beaches, this remote and relatively new park is a find for adventurous travelers. Situated on three of American Samoa’s islands, the park lacks the visitor facilities of more established sites, but offers much to travelers willing to do a little extra planning. Enjoy uncrowded beaches, stunning hikes, exotic birdwatching, a view into Samoan culture, and opportunities to snorkel among more than 950 species of fish and 250 types of coral.
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Park Lake Clark National Park & Preserve This vast Alaskan wilderness is close enough to Anchorage to be fairly accessible (by plane), yet its wild, stunning offerings are often overlooked. Visitors can kayak on the lake or the park’s rivers and backpack through the tundra amid spectacular mountain scenery, including two active volcanoes smoking in the distance. This park is also an excellent place to observe brown bears—professional guides specialize in trips to see them—as well as other wildlife, including caribou, moose, and a variety of birds.
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Park Cape Krusenstern National Monument For 5,000 years, native people have hunted and fished the shores of the Chukchi Sea, deep inside the Arctic Circle. Trapped in the layered beach ridges, anthropologists have discovered evidence of human life that pre-dates the pyramids. Today, this remote stretch of land is home to the Inupiat, who still hunt seal for food, oil and hides. The national monument encompasses 70 miles of the shifting Chukchi shoreline. Experienced backcountry visitors can hike the wild beaches, watch waterfowl and wildlife, fish, and sea kayak.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Park Denali National Park & Preserve Home to North America's highest mountain, Denali National Park and Preserve encompasses more than 6 million acres of varied settings.
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Park César E. Chávez National Monument This national monument honors one of the most important U.S. labor and human rights leaders of the 20th century. César Chávez co-founded the United Farm Workers of America in 1962, the first agricultural labor union in the nation.
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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.
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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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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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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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NPCA at Work Keep Crater Lake Wild A wilderness designation will preserve Crater Lake, its wildlife and its outdoor recreation opportunities forever. It's time to give this iconic park the protection it deserves.
Pagination