Jan Wesner Childs

2 weeks ago | nationalparkstraveler.org | Jan Wesner Childs

The National Trails System just got bigger, by nearly 400 miles. Five new trails in six states were recently designated as National Recreation Trails, the Department of the Interior announced Friday. They include land, water and even a section that glows in the dark. The announcement coincided with National Trails Day and Great Outdoors Month. The newly designated trails, which together add up to 387 miles, join a network of more than 1,300 existing National Recreation Trails.

3 weeks ago | nationalparkstraveler.org | Jan Wesner Childs

Some call the Blue Ridge Parkway's Mabry Mill "the most photographed structure in the national park system," but the building had fallen into disrepair in recent years. Efforts to change that continue this summer with a new project to replace the mill's shake roof. The work is being done with an emphasis on historical accuracy, according to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, which is contributing $100,000 to the repairs.

3 weeks ago | nationalparkstraveler.org | Jan Wesner Childs

The elusive ghost orchid, found in just one national park, is one step closer to being saved. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a rule Wednesday for the flower under the endangered species act. Ghost orchids prefer deep, humid swamps and in the U.S are believed to live in only two counties in Southwest Florida, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. The area includes Big Cypress National Preserve, where the flower is perhaps the rarest of the park's 30 orchid species.

3 weeks ago | nationalparkstraveler.org | Jan Wesner Childs

Spring snowplowing and maintenance are underway at Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, but the route is now partially open for some uses. Old Fall River Road is open to pedestrians, cyclists, and dogs on leashes on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and after 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The road remains closed to all users from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Vehicles won't be allowed until the work is complete.

3 weeks ago | nationalparkstraveler.org | Jan Wesner Childs

Weather hampered the search for a man who disappeared on the highest mountain in North America. The 41-year-old was ski mountaineering with two other people when he fell at a location known as Squirrel Point in Denali National Park and Preserve, according to a news release. Ski mountaineering involves a combination of climbing mountains on skis and on foot. The man, who was not roped, fell toward the Peters Glacier, an exposed rough and rocky 3,000-foot face.