The Grand Canyon's South Rim has closed lodging due to significant waterline breaks, while Theodore Roosevelt National Park completed a $51 million road rehabilitation project. The Interior Department is reviewing park merchandise to remove DEI themes, and the 'American Products in Parks Act' was introduced to mandate that all products sold in National Park Service gift shops be American-made. Additionally, Arkansas is creating a new state park at Blanchard Springs, and Florida State Parks need $760 million in repairs. New Jersey is rebranding its state parks in preparation for the USA's 250th birthday. Finally, there are concerns about reduced wildfire mitigation efforts on US Forest Service land.

Find the  Slinky Stove that's right for your next adventure at: https://www.slinkystove.com/?ref=PARKography

Join the PARKography Facebook group to discuss this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parkography

The video on explaining passes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBfqPOoEu4w&t=357s

Check out our other channels focused on RV travel: 
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00:00 Introduction
00:07 Grand Canyon Waterline Issues
02:05 Theodore Roosevelt National Park Road Rehabilitation
02:59 National Park Service Merchandise Review
04:29 American Products in Parks Act
05:55 Sponsored Segment: Slinky Stove
06:33 Arkansas's Newest State Park: Blanchard Springs
07:22 Florida State Parks Infrastructure Needs
08:07 New Jersey State Parks Rebranding
09:15 Wildfire Mitigation and Forest Service Staffing
10:59 National Helicopter Repel Program Achievements
14:11 Conclusion and Farewell

In this episode, how three young boys petitioned the Department of the Interior to open the gates to Yellowstone National Park each Christmas Eve, in anticipation of Santa's annual visit. 

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In this episode: National park entrance is about to get much more expensive for foreign visitors, plus digital passes are here, and more. 

Find the  Slinky Stove that's right for your next adventure at: https://www.slinkystove.com/?ref=PARKography

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The video on explaining passes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBfqPOoEu4w&t=357s

This week: National parks reopen after the government shutdown — but not before one of them gets hit with a rash of graffiti. Winter closures are rolling in across the park system, including some big changes at Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. The Park Service is trying to hire 500 new law enforcement rangers with an eye-popping $70,000 bonus… while a new academic study shows national parks are still some of the safest places you can visit. We’ll also look at the Justice Department’s renewed crackdown on marijuana use on federal land, the controversy surrounding the nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management. Plus — a presidential pardon for a record-setting trail runner, and the unbelievable moment a man walked straight toward a pack of wolves in Yellowstone.

The full video of the man approaching wolves on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPfVXr4Ap4S/

The National Parks Traveler Article: https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2025/11/national-parks-are-overwhelmingly-safe-spaces-says-study

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00:00 National Parks Reopen After Shutdown
02:36 Winter Closures and Changes in Major Parks
04:53 Recruitment Drive for Law Enforcement Rangers
07:09 Safety in National Parks: New Study Insights
08:22 Federal Cannabis Law Enforcement in Parks
09:12 Controversial Nominee for Bureau of Land Management
10:30 Call for Restoration of National Park Funding
11:36 Presidential Pardon for Trail Runner
12:16 Man's Close Encounter with Wolves in Yellowstone
13:14 Conclusion and Thanksgiving Wishes

In this episode, I'll break down the various types of passes available for national parks and other federal recreation areas. 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.usgs.gov/recreational-passes

Get the Every Kid Outdoors 4th & 5th Grade Pass here: https://everykidoutdoors.gov/index.htm
Find the  Slinky Stove that's right for your next adventure at: https://www.slinkystove.com/?ref=PARKography

Join the PARKography Facebook group to discuss this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parkography

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00:00 Introduction to National Park Passes
01:29 Annual Pass: The Basics
04:03 Special Passes for Kids and Volunteers
05:07 Sponsored Message: Slinky Stove
05:46 Senior Pass: Benefits and Discounts
08:14 Access Pass for Disabled Individuals
09:39 Military Pass: Recent Changes
10:38 How to Obtain Your Pass
12:39 Frequently Asked Questions
15:33 Conclusion

Highlights include the National Park Service prosecuting BASE jumping cases in Yosemite, the Trump administration reopening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas leasing, and closures in the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Mobile District campgrounds. We'll also cover the reopening of the Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground in the Grand Canyon, a new federal coal leasing plan, the loss of the National Park Service's only petroleum engineer, and a controversial owl culling plan. 

Find the  Slinky Stove that's right for your next adventure at: https://www.slinkystove.com/?ref=PARKography

Join the PARKography Facebook group to discuss this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parkography

Check out our other channels focused on RV travel: 
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 @RVMilesPodcast ​

00:00 Introduction
00:21 Yosemite Base Jumping Incidents
03:10 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Oil and Gas Leasing
03:57 Sponsored Message: Slinky Stove
04:34 US Army Corps of Engineers Campground Closures
05:29 Grand Canyon Reopenings and Waterline Project
06:34 Coal Leasing Near National Parks
07:13 National Park Service Loses Petroleum Engineer
07:58 Controversial Barred Owl Culling Plan
08:51 Utah State University's Beaver Relocation Program
09:42 Managing Feral Hogs in National Parks
10:25 Wyoming Corner Crossing Legislation
11:17 Conclusion

“There are no other Everglades in the world. They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions of the earth; remote, never wholly known. Nothing anywhere else is like them…”  In this episode of Parkography, we explore Everglades National Park and the incredible life of Marjory Stoneman Douglas. 

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This week’s national park news roundup covers a wave of potential job cuts across the Department of the Interior — including hundreds from the National Park Service — plus new legislation in Congress aimed at tackling wildfires and forest management. We’ll also look at wildlife making surprising moves in Yellowstone and Michigan, new state parks opening in Tennessee, major campground expansion plans in Michigan, and California’s push to bring art and culture into its parks.

Find the  Slinky Stove that's right for your next adventure at: https://www.slinkystove.com/?ref=PARKography

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On the northern shores of Minnesota lies a remote waterscape steeped in history, nature, and tradition. Named for the wild men who paddled its waterways in the Canadian fur trade, Voyageurs National Park is home to nesting bald eagles, moose, grey wolves, black bears, loons, owls, otters, beavers, and a vast array of other wildlife. Most of its hidden waterways remain untouched, and pristine boreal forests cover the landscape, where on a cloudless pre-dawn morning under the northern lights, you can almost hear the echo of the songs sung by fur traders traveling in their massive canoes. 

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One week in, we have a clear as mud idea about which National Parks and areas of parks are open and which aren't. In this episode, I'll show you where to find the most up to date info, and former National Park Superintendents share with us some more details about how a shutdown works and the concerns over protecting parks during one.

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This week’s National Parks & Public Lands News Roundup covers the impending federal government shutdown and its affect on National Parks, an expansion of coal mining on federal lands, the re-opening of the north rim of the Grand Canyon, vandalism at Gettysburg, and more.

Find the  Slinky Stove that's right for your next adventure at: https://www.slinkystove.com/?ref=PARKography

Join the PARKography Facebook group to discuss this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parkography

Check out our other channels focused on RV travel: 
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00:00 Introduction
01:48 Impact of Government Shutdown on National Parks
02:37 State Responses and Historical Context
03:30 Concerns and Appeals from Park Officials
05:44 Sponsor Message: Slinky Stove
06:22 Grand Canyon North Rim Reopening
08:18 Vandalism at Gettysburg National Military Park
09:01 White Nose Syndrome Detected in Bats
10:02 Federal Land Coal Leasing Announcement
10:26 National Park Service Concessionaire Opportunities
11:41 Conclusion