outdoor recreation
More states strive to make parks, trails accessible to people with disabilities
TWO HARBORS, Minn. — Perched high on rugged cliffs overlooking Lake Superior, Split Rock Lighthouse dominates the shoreline. Visitors from across the country make the 113-year-old beacon one of the most photographed lighthouses in the country. The most spectacular view, many say, is from Pebble Beach, reachable only by a steep, winding forest trail that […]
Lax food storage gives rise to bear problems in North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park has dealt with bear troubles this summer after the opportunistic omnivores had a chance to snack on human food that visitors failed to secure. Portions of the park and a stretch of Highway 20 are closed as the Sourdough Fire continues to burn, consuming more than 4,500 acres near Ross Lake. […]
Don’t poo-poo these states’ pleas to keep the parks pristine
DENVER — Earlier this summer, Adam Ducharme made an unpleasant discovery while helping volunteers install signs telling visitors where to camp, park or launch boats near Leadville, a mountain town surrounded by 14,000-foot peaks in central Colorado. “We were digging holes, putting in signs, and then backfilling the holes with rocks and sort of compounding […]
Backcountry heroes always try to bring us back, but our wilderness adventures are wearing them thin
Editor’s note: This commentary was first published at Writers on the Range. When I was leading groups into the Wyoming wilderness in the 1990s, once we left a trailhead we were on our own. If somebody got hurt, we could walk or carry the injured person out or send runners to the road to call […]
At State Parks, revenue is up and staffing levels are down
Washington State Parks took in more money than expected during the past two years as the pandemic drove a boom in outdoor recreation. State Parks collected almost $123 million between July 2021 and April of this year, $12 million more than anticipated. That’s according to a financial report delivered at a State Parks and Recreation […]
‘Pack your patience’: Busy summer season begins for Washington’s parks
The start of the summer outdoor recreation season is here in Washington. With it comes crowded trailheads, filled campgrounds and congested park roads. Land managers are preparing for the rush as state and national parks are still recovering from a visitor boom during the pandemic. And some agencies are beginning to rethink how best to […]