A decade ago, the Missoula Parks and Recreation Department used to hold hayrides on U.S. Forest Service land in Pattee Canyon. Now an insurance problem keeps the city government from sending children’s programs into the surrounding Lolo National Forest. A complicated permit system restricts many other educational and nonprofit groups’ ability to get kids into the woods.
— Missoulian
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK – On Wednesday, children waded in a small eddy just 50 yards from the edge. Some playfully teetered on a log that separated the eddy from the river’s torrent. Upstream, a man swam across Emerald Pool and back, crossing the Merced River current and ignoring warnings and prohibitions posted nearby. This just three weeks after three people were swept over Vernal Fall, to their deaths.
— Fresno Bee
OKLAHOMA CITY — Seven Oklahoma state parks that were supposed to shut down this fall because of budget cuts will remain open. Responsibility for the troubled parks will be assumed by municipal and tribal governments.
— Oklahoma NewsOn6.com
Produced by Yellowstone’s interpretation division, the newly improved Accessibility in Yellowstone: A Guide for Visitors who use Wheelchairs breaks the park down into eight zones that include attractions in the Mammoth, Norris, Madison and Old Faithful areas, among others. “Accessibility in the park is a top priority in terms of visitor experience and the design of our facilities,” said Dan Hottle, a park spokesman.
— Yellowstone National Park
Under Denali National Park’s current vehicle management plan, the maximum number of vehicles allowed on the park’s 92-mile road during the tourist season is 10,512. Visitors tend to be more diverse today, including families looking for an educational experience and adventurers who want to take hikes or go on birding expeditions. “They don’t want to sit on the bus, and we’ve started making accommodations for that.”
— Fairbanks Daily News-Miner