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Episodes from Parkography
NEWS: Forest Service Completely Restructuring, Group Sues to Allow Guns In Parks & A New National Park?
This week in national park and public lands news: A major US Forest Service overhaul, including relocating its headquarters from Washington, DC to Salt Lake City by 2027; a bill to redesignate Chiricahua National Monument as a national park passed the House and heads to the Senate; National Park Week in 2026 will move to August; a lawsuit challenges firearm bans inside NPS buildings; Grand Canyon’s South Rim enters Stage 3 water restrictions after a Trans-Canyon Waterline break, and more. 00:00 Intro 00:38 Forest Service Overhaul 02:32 New Arizona Park Push 03:39 Mammoth Cave Expansion 04:05 National Park Week Moves<br...
Theodore Roosevelt National Park: Where a President Was Made
Before he was president… before he was a Rough Rider… Theodore Roosevelt was a sickly kid struggling to breathe. Then he came to the Badlands. In this episode of Parkography, we explore how the rugged landscapes of Theodore Roosevelt National Park transformed Roosevelt’s life—and ultimately helped shape the future of conservation in America. From cattle ranching along the Little Missouri River to devastating personal loss, this is the story of how one wild place forged one of the most influential presidents in U.S. history.
News: Parts of Big Bend To Close, Sequoias in Danger, Rushmore Fireworks Return
This week in national park news: The National Park Service reports 323 million recreation visits in 2025 (down 2.7% from 2024), Mount Rushmore will host fireworks for the U.S. 250th anniversary amid ongoing regional wildfire concerns. A new CBP map no longer shows a primary border wall through Big Bend, instead labeling the area as detection technology, while Big Bend’s Chisos Basin will close starting May 1 for up to two years for lodge replacement and water infrastructure work. Lawmakers introduce the Save Our Sequoias Act to fund reforestation, monitoring, and forest management after major tree losses, and Indiana will add all-terrain tr...
The Dark and Surprising History of Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore is one of the most famous monuments in the United States. Nearly everyone can recognize the towering faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln carved into the granite of the Black Hills of South Dakota. But the real story behind Mount Rushmore is far more complicated—and far more fascinating—than most people realize. In this episode of Parkography, we explore the surprising history behind America’s most recognizable monument. From the unlikely idea of South Dakota historian Doane Robinson, to the larger-than-life and controversial sculptor Gutzon Borglum, to the hu...
NEWS: New Volcano & Geyser Eruptions, Border Wall May Go Through Big Bend, Big Sur Wildflowers Destroyed
This week in national park news: Mount Rainier National Park has officially dropped its timed entry reservation system for 2026 — joining Yosemite, Arches, and Glacier in abandoning the pandemic-era crowd management experiment. Meanwhile, one of Yellowstone’s most unusual geothermal features — Echinus Geyser — has suddenly begun erupting again after years of dormancy. We also cover: • A fatal incident near the Kīlauea caldera in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park • A controversial proposal to build new border barriers through Big Bend National Park • One of the best wildflower blooms in Death Valley since 201...
The Darkest Day in Carlsbad Caverns History
In 1979, armed men took control of one of America’s most famous national parks — 750 feet underground. More than 100 visitors were trapped inside the Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns while gunshots echoed through the darkness. The hostage takers demanded money, a flight to Brazil, and a reporter to tell their story. What happened next became one of the strangest and least-known incidents in National Park Service history. Join the PARKography Facebook group to discuss this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parkography
News: Entry Reservations end at Arches & Yosemite, New NPS Director, Firefall Chaos
The National Park Service announces Arches and Yosemite will not use timed-entry reservations in 2026, Rocky Mountain will continue timed entry from late May through mid-October. Glacier will not require vehicle reservations anywhere, but will pilot a ticketed shuttle to Logan Pass starting July 1. Yosemite’s Firefall weekend saw full parking, gridlocked traffic, overcrowded shuttles, long lines in near-freezing temperatures, President Trump nominates Delaware North executive Scott Socha to lead the National Park Service, a federal judge orders the National Park Service to restore removed slavery-related exhibits at Philadelphia’s President’s House site, and more. 00:00 Headlines 00:36 Timed E...
News: Pride Flag Removed at Stonewall, LA Coast National Park Proposal, New NPS Media Gag Rules
THIS WEEK’S STORIES: • Pride flag removed at Stonewall National Monument following new federal guidance • New Interior Department communication rules reshape how parks share information • A possible new national park along the Los Angeles coast enters public comment • Special resource study launched on historic lynching sites in the Memphis area • Historic restoration underway at Grand Canyon’s Lookout Studio • Olympic marmot may be headed toward Endangered Species Act protection • Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall “Firefall” returns for 2026 • Oregon State Parks visitation dips after years of record crowds If you care about national parks, publ...
Giant Trees Once Blanketed The Eastern US, Can They Return?
At the turn of the 20th century, the American Chestnut tree was the most important plant in the eastern United States, accounting for over 25% of the forest canopy. But in a period of just 50 years, a mysterious blight, an imported fungus, swept the country and killed over four billion trees. Join Jason Epperson for Parkography as we explore the rise and fall of the majestic American Chestnut and the incredible, ongoing effort to bring the species back. A major part of this mission is taking place on one of our nation’s most hallowed grounds: the Flight 93 Na...
News: Sweeping National Park Exhibit Removals, Rescues Surge, and Fossils Found
This week on Parkography, we look at the Trump administration’s directive that’s leading to the removal of exhibits and signs about slavery, Native American displacement, labor history, and climate change at national parks across the country. We also examine new polling showing strong bipartisan opposition in Western states to the nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management, and a lawsuit challenging new federal rules that limit public input on logging, drilling, and wildlife management projects in national forests. We’ll also cover new policies making it easier to lease public lands for oil and gas de...
A Fall in the Rockies: The Death That Wasn’t an Accident
When Toni Henthorn fell to her death during an anniversary hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, it was first reported as a tragic accident in rugged terrain. But almost immediately, park rangers noticed that the scene didn’t match the story. The location was far from the trail, the drop was steeper than described, and photographs taken just minutes before the fall raised troubling questions. As investigators began to dig deeper, they uncovered another death years earlier — one that had also been ruled an accident, and that now looked disturbingly similar. What followed was a long and comp...
UPDATED: National Park & Federal Land Passes Explained - NEW Non-Resident Fee Details and more
In this episode, I'm again breaking down the various types of passes available for national parks and other federal recreation areas, now updated with the new non-resident pass and non-resident fees. We have all of the details about how that will work for residents and non-residents alike. I'll explain the America the Beautiful Pass, the Senior Pass, the Access Pass, and the Military Pass, detailing their benefits and eligibility criteria. Learn which pass is right for you, how to obtain it, and how to maximize your visits to federal lands. Order your passes online here: https://store.us...