America’s National Parks Podcast
274 episodes - English - Latest episode: 18 days ago - ★★★★★ - 827 ratingsExplore our national parks — their history, their people, and their stories.
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Episodes
The Voice of Wilderness in the Storm
August 02, 2019 07:05 - 27 minutes - 15.5 MBIn the early days of what is now Denali National Park and Preserve, one park scientist stood out among the rest. He was known for his tough, adventurous spirit, ground-breaking biological research, and inspiring communication. His name was Adolph Murie.
Restoring the Giants
July 26, 2019 06:59 - 15 minutes - 8.91 MBAwe-inspiring giant sequoia trees are among the largest living things on earth, but the opportunity to experience them is rare. Approximately 75 groves exist, and only along the southern Sierra's western slope on moist sites between about 5,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation. Giant Forest, one of the largest groves, was saved from logging by the establishment of Sequoia National Park in 1890. But national park status did not fully protect the big trees. On this episode of America’s National P...
Rangers Make the Difference III
July 19, 2019 07:46 - 20 minutes - 28.4 MBBeing a National Park Service Ranger is a multifaceted job, one that requires you to call on all your skills to bring a park to life. Whether it be through music, research, education, conservation, or day to day administrative work, Rangers give their all to the places they have sworn to protect, which is why every year the International Ranger Foundation sets aside July 31st as World Ranger Day. If you’ve listened to past episodes, you know our “Rangers Make the Difference” series began in ...
Lincoln's Throne
July 12, 2019 07:18 - 22 minutes - 31.2 MBFor more than 100 years, no national memorial had been contemplated for any president except George Washington, yet talk of building one to honor the monumental legacy left by Abraham Lincoln began even as he lingered on his deathbed. There was an obvious appropriateness to the concept that Lincoln, the preserver of the Union, should join Washington, the founder of that Union, in being honored on the National Mall. On this episode of America’s National Parks, the Lincoln Memorial, part of ...
238,900 Miles from Idaho
July 06, 2019 08:38 - 30 minutes - 9.19 MB50 years ago, in 1969, NASA sent astronauts to a remote location in southern Idaho. Their goal? To learn basic geology and study the local, relatively recent volcanic features located there in preparation for potential missions to the moon. On this episode, Craters of the Moon National Monument.
A $50 Bet
June 29, 2019 08:03 - 11 minutes - 6.5 MBRising high above the prairies west of the Blackhills stands a tower of astounding geological feature. Considered sacred by indigenous people, it's an impressive and striking monument against the flatlands of Northeastern Wyoming. Hundreds of parallel cracks make it one of the finest climbing areas in North America, and for decades this remarkable wonder has drawn daredevils and thrill seekers alike, all hoping to stand atop the tower's flat summit. One person, though, took a very different...
Meaningless Without Sacrifice
June 24, 2019 06:44 - 50 minutes - 68.7 MBThe Emancipation Proclamation has been called one of the two most important American contributions to the world by Martin Luther King, Jr., yet was said to possess "all the moral grandeur of a bill of lading" by historian Richard Hofstadter. Its force and form have been the subject of countless books and papers. Was it a meaningless document? Or did it drastically change America? On this episode, a lecture from ranger Dan Vermilya at Gettysburg National Historical Park breaks through the sou...
Alone on a Winter's Island
June 14, 2019 07:00 - 18 minutes - 25.5 MBNestled at the top of Wisconsin sits a cluster of islands on Lake Superior that is home to what some call the finest collection of lighthouses in the country. Guiding the way for ships on Lake Superior, Nine light stations were tended by keepers. Those that chose to face the winter on their island homes faced unimaginable trials. One woman faced one such trial when her husband left to go fishing and didn't return for days. On this episode of America's National Parks, the Apostle Islands Nat...
On the Oregon Trail
June 10, 2019 15:12 - 16 minutes - 22.8 MBThe first covered wagons would carve a trail towards Oregon Country in 1836. Among them was a missionary party headed by Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. Narcissa kept a journal at the suggestion of her mother, whom she would never see again. In it, she writes to her family of life on the trail, of the oppressive heat, the difficult terrain, the joys, and her faith. On this episode of the America's National Parks Podcast, the Whitman National Historic Site and our slightly edited version of the ...
"We were standing on Ground Zero of World War III"
May 31, 2019 05:32 - 18 minutes - 26.1 MBDuring the Cold War, a vast arsenal of nuclear missiles was placed across the Great Plains. Hidden in plain sight, for thirty years 1,000 missiles were kept on constant alert; hundreds remain today. The Minuteman Missile remains an iconic weapon in the American nuclear arsenal. It holds the power to destroy civilization, but is meant as a nuclear deterrent to maintain peace and prevent war. Today on America's National Parks, the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site near Wall, South Dakot...
Cataloochee - The Center of the World
May 24, 2019 07:23 - 18 minutes - 25.7 MBNestled among some of the most rugged mountains in the southeastern United States is an isolated valley that was home to 1200 people in 1910, who made their living first at farming, and then, as tourism developed, by welcoming weary travelers to the Smoky Mountains. On today’s episode - the Cataloochee Valley in Great Smoky Mountains National Park as told through the people who lived there. The audio for today’s episode is from the short film Cataloochee - The Center of the World, which you ...
A Presidential Barbecue
May 17, 2019 07:37 - 17 minutes - 23.9 MBBarbecued meat has played a surprisingly important role in United States presidential politics over the years. George Washington was a Virginia-style barbecue enthusiast. Recently, archaeologists discovered a barbecue pit on the south lawn of Montpelier that was in use during Madison’s lifetime. After the civil war, and before television, when many Americans weren't guaranteed three solid meals a day, a free barbecue dinner was a compelling incentive to listen to a politician pitch for votes...
River on Fire
May 10, 2019 06:26 - 20 minutes - 28.5 MBIn 2007, a young bald eagle took flight from its nest along the Cuyahoga River. It was the first successful nest in Cuyahoga County in more than 70 years. The eaglet grew up eating fish from the Cuyahoga River, where, throughout most of the 1900s, fish could not survive due to the pollution. Neither could the wildlife that depend on fish as a food source. On Today's Episode, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and the event that helped rally the world to the attention of polluted waterways.
Guardian of the Gulf
May 03, 2019 09:16 - 30 minutes - 42.4 MBWhen we think of America’s National Parks, we often don’t think of the oceans or the Gulf of Mexico, but along our shores are some of the most incredible places our country has to offer. Seven barrier islands along the southern coast protect the mainland, nature, and mankind as they form a damper against ocean storms. They’re teaming with life - scurrying ghost crab, majestic osprey, and loggerhead sea turtles, facing their 1 in 1000 survival odds. But humans have made their mark on these p...
A Race to a Tie
April 26, 2019 07:02 - 16 minutes - 23.3 MBOn May 10th, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, two sets of ordinary railroad tracks met under extraordinary circumstances. Together the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroad companies, building from Sacramento, California, and Omaha, Nebraska, joined to revolutionize travel. Before that day, a single person would pay $1000 to travel from east to west in the United States. On a steam engine train, it only cost $150. More than 1700 miles of track were laid in just seven years, across dese...
The Strange World of National Park Gift Stores
April 19, 2019 07:36 - 25 minutes - 35.6 MBWhen we think about the people that help keep the gears turning in National Parks, it’s easy for us to think about the wonderful rangers that keep us safe and help us interpret and protect these incredible places. But we often overlook the thousands and thousands of other workers that make our visits possible. The cleaning and maintenance staff, the campground hosts, the construction contractors, the trail crews, the lodge employees...On this episode of America’s National Parks, a personal s...
The Night the Mountain Fell
April 12, 2019 08:10 - 22 minutes - 31.1 MBThe Yellowstone Supervolcano snores through the geysers and mud pots, and restlessly tumbles as multiple earthquakes hit the region nearly every day. We don't hear a lot about Yellowstone earthquakes, but each year one to three thousand hit the park and surrounding area. Most can't even be felt, but there have already been four this year in the lower-3.0 magnitude range. Enough to shake pots and pans on the wall. And a 4.4 hit to the west of Yellowstone just a couple days before this recordi...
A Rescue in the Grand Tetons
April 05, 2019 08:22 - 15 minutes - 21.9 MBMountain climbing is surely one of the most dangerous of the extreme sports. It’s a trial of wills that takes a clear head, teamwork, and unflappable trust in your climbing partners. The challenge is magnified ten-fold when the climb is a rescue operation. On this Episode of America’s National Parks, a harrowing rescue of a climber at Grand Teton National Park.
Apostle of the Cacti
March 29, 2019 07:33 - 16 minutes - 23.3 MBIf you're a National Park buff, and you probably are if you're listening to this podcast, you probably know of some of the famous people responsible for the very creation of many of our greatest parks. People like John Muir, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Teddy Roosevelt, and Stephan Mather. But we're guessing you haven't heard of Minerva Hamilton Hoyt. On today's episode of America's National Parks, Joshua Tree National Park, the California Desert, and the woman who made sure they were protected...
9:02 A.M.
March 22, 2019 17:41 - 28 minutes - 39.6 MB24 years ago, a Ryder truck packed with nearly 5,000 pounds of explosives was parked in front of Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. In a matter of seconds, the blast destroyed most of the nine-story concrete and granite building, and the surrounding area looked like a war zone. Dozens of cars were incinerated, and more than 300 nearby buildings were damaged or destroyed. It killed 168 people, among them 19 children—most of whom were in the building’s daycare center. The young...
Rover
March 15, 2019 07:30 - 19 minutes - 27.4 MBOn December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered his famous “Day Of Infamy Speech." The United States had entered World War II. That evening, his wife would call on all Americans to focus on the war effort and to support the nation’s leaders in the difficult days ahead. She had also entered the war. On Today's episode of America's National Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt—the only first lady to have a National Park Service Unit in...
"Goodbye, Death Valley."
March 08, 2019 08:17 - 13 minutes - 18.5 MBIn 1848, gold was discovered in California and people from all over the United States packed their belongings and began to travel by wagon to what they hoped would be a new and better life. It was important to leave Salt Lake City and cross the desert before snow began to fall on the Sierra Nevada, making them impassible. A group of wagons began their journey in October of 1849, much too late to try to cross safely. It was then that they heard about the Old Spanish Trail, a route that would ...
A Century of Progress
March 02, 2019 03:55 - 20 minutes - 28.5 MBSurely if you listen to this podcast you've heard the news — America now boasts 61 National Parks. Buried within a massive spending bill protecting public lands signed by the President on February 15, 2019, was a provision that simply stated: Public Law 89-761 is amended by striking National Lakeshore each place it appears and replacing it with National Park. Today's episode—the new Indiana Dunes National Park. Like Joshua Tree, and Wind Cave, and Petrified Forest, Indiana Dunes National Pa...
Four Voices, Four Missions
February 22, 2019 08:03 - 24 minutes - 33.4 MBThe Alamo is certainly San Antonio’s most famous landmark, perhaps even the most famous building in Texas, because of its pivotal role in the 1836 Texas Revolution. But the Alamo was built over a century prior as Mission San Antonio de Valero, by Spanish settlers on the banks of the San Antonio River. Beginning in 1690, Spanish friars established missions in what is now East Texas as a buffer against the threat of French incursion into Spanish territory from Louisiana. The Alamo is a Texas s...
A Great Obelisk
February 16, 2019 03:47 - 20 minutes - 27.7 MBIn 1833, a small organization formed with the purpose to fund and build a monument "unparalleled in the world," in honor of once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the first President of the United States. Its completion, and its history, not unlike the Statue of Liberty, was fraught with funding issues, construction delays, and outside forces seemingly teamed against it. Today on America's National Parks, the Washington Monument, part of the National Mall and Memorial Parks in W...
Fighting on Arrival, Fighting for Survival
February 09, 2019 09:13 - 20 minutes - 28.1 MBDuring the Indian conflicts on the western plains after the Civil War, Native Americans gave Black regiments of the U.S. Army the name Buffalo Soldiers, after their short, curly hair, which to them, looked like a bison. The soldiers took a liking to the name, and it stuck. The Buffalo Soldiers contributed to the U.S. in many ways over the course of nearly 90 years, but one of their most important was as the first caretakers of our national parks. Between 1891 and 1913, the Army was tasked...
The Chestnut Blight
February 01, 2019 08:06 - 19 minutes - 27.4 MBAt the turn of the 20th century, the eastern half of the American landscape looked very different than it does today. It was blanketed in 4 billion towering American Chestnut trees. Over the course of 50 years, they all vanished. Today on America’s National Parks, a tree disease that altered America and a chance at rebirth on the site of one of our nation’s greatest tragedies.
The Great Smoky Homestead
January 25, 2019 07:45 - 20 minutes - 28.3 MBRidge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, where ancient mountains, covered in pine, glow in purple, pink and blue hues, as a smoky mist rises from their thick cloak of trees. World-renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, this is also a place to explore what remains of Southern Appalachian mountain culture. This is America's most visited national park — the Great Smoky Mountains. On today’s episode, the story of 6 sisters who lived of...
Rangers Make the Difference II
January 18, 2019 08:11 - 17 minutes - 24 MBAs we release this episode, the longest government shutdown in American history is still underway, and 800,000 government workers are on furlough, including rangers and other protectors of our wildlife and national treasures. Those that remain on the job, mainly law enforcement rangers, are working without paychecks, and are facing protecting federal lands that remain open to visitors with very little support. We thought this was an appropriate time to again highlight those rangers and othe...
A White House Burns
January 11, 2019 07:57 - 14 minutes - 20.3 MBOne of the very symbols of our nation is a residence for our highest elected official, designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban in the neoclassical style, using sandstone painted white. When Thomas Jefferson moved into the house in 1801, he and architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe added low colonnades on each wing that concealed stables and storage. Not long after, the house for our Nation's president would almost be obliterated. Today on America's National Parks, The White House, part of t...
A Rocky Mountain Tragedy
January 04, 2019 09:03 - 21 minutes - 29.4 MBThere are a million conspiracy theories about people missing or turning up dead in National Parks and other public lands. But really, when you break down the numbers, the number of disappearances, murders, and accidental deaths are on par with the rest of the country. Still, a lot of those unfortunate events do happen. And many aren't what they seem. On today's episode of America's National Parks the tragic death of a hiker at Rocky Mountain National Park that shocked the nation, and the in...
A Gift from Tokyo
December 28, 2018 07:49 - 15 minutes - 21 MBEach spring, an abundance of winter-weary locals and tourists flock to our nation's capital, hoping to see the blossoming beauty of the famed Japanese cherry trees. You may know that the original trees were a gift from Japan in 1912 symbolizing international friendship, but you may not know that they are also a testament to one woman's persistence and the value of never giving up on a dream. On this episode of America's National Parks, the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C.
Kitty Hawk
December 21, 2018 09:51 - 23 minutes - 32.5 MBOtto Lilienthal was a German pioneer of aviation who became known as the "flying man." He was the first person to make well-documented, repeated, successful flights with gliders. Photographs of his attempts were published worldwide, sparking a fever over the possibility of powered flight in many, including Orville and Wilber Wright. Capitalizing on the national bicycle craze, the Wright brothers had opened a repair and sales shop, and eventually began manufacturing their own brand. Wilbur, ...
An Impossible Climb
December 14, 2018 07:13 - 15 minutes - 21 MBIn July of 1982, 5 men set out to conquer the highest peak in Texas, Guadalupe Peak at Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Every day, many people take the 8.5-mile trip that summits the 8,749' peak, but this party was different—they were all in wheelchairs. For the next 5 days, they climbed their way to the top, building ramps from rocks and crawling up slopes, dragging their wheelchairs behind them.
77 Years Ago
December 07, 2018 07:54 - 22 minutes - 30.4 MBThe day this episode is released, December 7th, 2018, marks the 77th anniversary of the event that would send the United States into World War II, the devastating surprise attack on Hawaii's Pearl Harbor. The U.S.S. Arizona, a Pennsylvania class battleship had been moved from California to Pearl Harbor in an effort to ward off the Japanese from attacking the vulnerable island territory. On December 7th, 1941, the Arizona exploded violently and sank, with the loss of 1,177 officers and crewm...
The Solitude of Self
December 02, 2018 05:15 - 26 minutes - 36 MBOn July 11, 1848, a local newspaper ran an advertisement announcing a meeting that would happen a week later at the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York — the first American Women’s Rights Convention. Today on America's National Parks - The Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York. Despite the minimal publicity, an estimated 300 attendees filled co-organizer Elizabeth Cady Stanton's event. Stanton made her first public speech on the initial day of the conventi...
A Yellowstone Christmas
November 23, 2018 07:40 - 17 minutes - 24.3 MBWhat could be more magical than Christmas at a National Park lodge? Grand log-beamed lobbies, decked out in real pine trimmings, the crackling of massive stone fireplaces, and decadent holiday feasts, while far away from civilization with the glories of snow-blanketed nature in every direction. On this episode of America's National Parks, we take you back nearly 100 years, to an impending Christmas emergency. Three 6-year-olds came to the rescue of Christmas at Yellowstone National Park.
The Lost Horse Mine
November 16, 2018 07:30 - 16 minutes - 22.2 MBEven before the California Gold Rush of 1849, prospectors were finding gold in Southern California. As the rewards from the mines in the Sierras began to wither, miners headed toward the deserts, where hot summers, scarce water, limited wood sources, and the difficulty and high cost of transporting equipment and provisions created a challenging mining environment. But a few hardy adventurers endured, and about 300 mines were developed in what is now Joshua Tree National Park. Few of these m...
Four Men on a Mountain
November 09, 2018 09:08 - 31 minutes - 43.3 MBIn the Black Hills of South Dakota, majestic figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln are said to tell the story of the birth, growth, development and preservation of this country. But how much do you know about Mount Rushmore National Memorial? Even if you think you know the basics, there's a whole lot more that may knock your socks off.
Switchbacks
November 02, 2018 11:29 - 34 minutes - 47.5 MBBefore dawn on what would become a perfect October day in Utah, I set out to attempt a solo hike. It wasn't the type of hike that would have been a big deal to an avid hiker, but for me, it was bound to be. On this episode of America's National Parks, host Jason Epperson's ordinary journey up the side of a cliff at Zion National Park.
Hell, with the Fires Out
October 26, 2018 08:52 - 21 minutes - 30.1 MBIt’s that time of year. You’re getting pelted with the supernatural from every direction - on TV, at the Movie Theater, in the grocery store. Far be it from us to miss an opportunity for a themed episode. On today’s episode of America’s National Parks - Three stories of the supernatural. Myths from the distant past. Ancient gods of Mount Ranier, the evil Queen of Death Valley, and the banshee that haunts Badlands National Park to this day.
How National Parks Stop Thieves
October 19, 2018 06:57 - 19 minutes - 27.4 MBIf you listened to The Curse of the Petrified Forest, our episode on the strange happenings surrounding people who stole rocks from Petrified Forest National Park, you know that the park faced a major identity crisis - people thought all the petrified wood was gone. It isn't, of course, it's pretty much all still there - but theft of small stones is still a problem for the park, just as theft and vandalization are problems throughout the National Parks System. On this episode, we take a look...
At Home with Harry and Bess
October 12, 2018 07:43 - 20 minutes - 27.8 MBOn this episode of America's National Parks, At Home With Harry & Bess, the multigenerational story of a home that would come to be known as the Summer White House, now a part of the Harry S Truman National Historic Site.
The Wonderful Wind Cave
October 05, 2018 06:50 - 23 minutes - 31.9 MBIn 1881, Jesse and Tom Bingham heard a whistling noise coming from a beach-ball-sized hole in a rock formation near Hot Springs, South Dakota. Wind was blowing out of the hole, just as it does today, with such force that it blew off Tom's hat. As the story goes, a few days later, when Jesse returned to show the phenomenon to some friends, the wind had switched directions and his hat was sucked in. The hole was the only natural entrance to a cave...a massive one. We now understand that the ...
Corps of Discovery Part 2
September 28, 2018 03:48 - 23 minutes - 31.9 MBWhen we left off last time Meriwether Lewis had just looked over the crest of the largest mountain range he had ever seen (or summited), hoping to see the Columbia River, and an easy path to the Pacific Ocean. Instead, there were mountains as far as the eye could see. Canoes were useless now, and the Corps of Discovery would need horses. It was Sacagawea's moment. Show notes and National Park Service resources at NationalParkPodcast.com/corps-of-discovery-2.
Corps of Discovery
September 21, 2018 04:28 - 25 minutes - 35.3 MBIn 2018, America is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System Act as well as the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The 1968 National Trails System Act created and protected trails that celebrate outdoor adventure, such as the Appalachian Trail and trails that allow us to walk through history, such as the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. To celebrate this anniversary, on the America’s National Parks Podcast we’re sharing with you a two-part episode following one of...
His Name Was Mudd
September 14, 2018 04:16 - 56 minutes - 77 MBOn a Sunday in November of 1864, John Wilkes Booth first made the acquaintance of Dr. Samuel Mudd. The men discussed a horse sale, and Booth was invited to spend the night at Mudd's home. On December 23, the two men met again, by accident, on a street in Washington, DC. Four months later, John Wilkes Booth shot and killed President Abraham Lincoln. He broke his left leg in the process, leaping to the stage at Ford's Theater. He and his getaway man David Harold knocked on the door of Dr. Mud...
Stories from the Sands
September 07, 2018 07:29 - 24 minutes - 33.2 MBOne of the world's great natural wonders rises from the heart of New Mexico's Tularosa basin. Great wave-like dunes of baby powder-like gypsum sand engulf 275 square miles of desert. Towering mountains ring the spectacular white dunes, crowned with electric blue skies, prismatic sunsets, and mystic moonlit nights. Half a million visitors from all over the world enjoy this beautiful place each year. It's featured prominently in commercials, feature films, fashion catalogs, and music videos. A...
A Strenuous Holiday
August 31, 2018 06:02 - 34 minutes - 47 MBIn 1914, four influential men — Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone and John Burroughs — loaded their automobiles with camping gear and embarked on the first of several historic road trips. They called themselves the “Vagabonds,” and they toured places like the Everglades, the California coast, and the forests of Vermont for two weeks nearly every summer for 10 years. The white-bearded Burroughs chronicled one such trip — the Vagabond journey to the Great Smoky Mountains — in a chap...
America's Spa
August 24, 2018 05:25 - 18 minutes - 25.6 MBIn the mountains of western Arkansas, there's a place where rain waters are absorbed through crevices in the earth's surface, then warmed and enriched with minerals, percolating deep underground. The water then flows back to the surface in steaming hot springs, filling the cool mountain air with steam in the winter. It's a place that humans have been using for millennia for rest, relaxation, and healing. It's also our first piece of federally protected recreation land. On this episode of A...