National Parks

With American vacationers congregating in many of the same destinations, some travel spots — even well-known ones — have fewer people than usual.

The spectacular national park, which is “home to steaming fumaroles” and “numerous volcanoes,” is again clear for warm-weather travelers.

Points of interest, interactive maps, and where to find restrooms: Add this app to your phone before visiting one (or all) of America’s treasures.

The glorious gushers put on some of their gushiest best come May. Good to know? Reservations will be required over several 2021 weeks.

DO: have a nature walk and a good time. DO NOT: eat a poisonous mushroom with a rocket fuel ingredient in it.

Watch out if you go mushroom hunting! It may look similar to an edible mushroom, but the “false morel” contains the toxin monomethylhydrazine which is found in rocket fuel. Mycologist Andy Miller from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explains.

The April celebration will include a host of happenings, from learning opportunities to gorgeous hikes; you can enjoy it all from home, too.

The great outdoors has become the great escape during the pandemic.

Face masks are now required in all National Park Service buildings, and on land maintained by the Park Service when physical distancing is not possible, federal officials announced Tuesday.  Visitors and employees must wear masks indoors, plus outdoors on Park Service land when social distancing cannot be maintained, “including [on] narrow or busy trails, overlooks and historic homes,” a...

Looking ahead to future outings? Discover the enter-for-free dates on the parks’ 2021 calendar.

President-elect Joe Biden has decided on the historic choice of Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico to head the Department of the Interior. The appointment would make her the first Native American Cabinet secretary. But why should we care about the Interior secretary? As NBCLX’s Fernando Hurtado explains, this underappreciated federal agency is more important than you think.

To see the impact of climate change, the first place to look is the U.S. national parks. LX News host Tabitha Lipkin traveled to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in West Texas to see firsthand how its fragile ecosystem is at risk — and how presidential politics will determine the future of some of our country’s most precious resources.

Free access to national parks to wounded veterans in New England and California may become a law.

LX News host Tabitha Lipkin takes us along on her adventure to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, which is in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico and features more than 100 caves.

LX News host Tabitha Lipkin took her GoPro camera when she explored the Guadalupe Mountains National Park recently for a story about climate change. Tabitha gives viewers an inside look of her trip and the behind-the-scenes process of crafting a news story.

The NPS Channel Islands App gives ocean-loving adventurers the e-tools they need for a life-enhancing, salty-of-spirit day out.

“Park Predators” is a new podcast that takes a closer look at true crime cases from national parks in Canada and the U.S. Investigative journalist and host Delia D’Ambra joined LX News for #TrueCrimeTuesday to discuss the new series.

A bill is on its way to President Trump’s desk that would provide billions of dollars for national park repairs and maintenance plus other conservation-related projects. Marcia Argust of the Pew Charitable Trusts joined LX News to discuss how the Great American Outdoors Act will also be a key driver of new jobs.

A bipartisan bill that would spend nearly $3 billion on conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands is on its way to the president’s desk after winning final legislative approval.

Endangered California condors have been spotted in Sequoia National Park for the first time in nearly 50 years as the giant birds reclaim historic habitat lost when the species teetered on the brink of extinction. Condors were observed atop the towering granite dome of Moro Rock in late May, the National Park Service said Tuesday. Condors fitted with GPS transmitters…