News

October 25, 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Signed into law by President Calvin Coolidge, the park was set aside to protect its “…extraordinary proportions and…unusual beauty and variety of natural decoration…”  Yesterday, the park unveiled 20 Story Walk exhibits along the Lake Carlsbad Recreation Area in partnership […]

Months of March and April will see the most visitors Spring in the Chihuahuan Desert has always lured many visitors to remote West Texas, especially during the months of March and April. As travelers seek solace from educational routines, and escape wintry conditions, the park experiences significant increases in visitation. Big Bend is already experiencing

National Park Service protects wildlife by temporarily closing climbing routes As part of the recovery efforts for the peregrine falcons, Zion wildlife mangement monitor nests throughout the spring and summer. Climbing routes on cliffs used by nesting raptors in Zion National Park will be temporarily closed beginning March 1, 2023. These birds are especially sensitive to

With spectacular wildflower blooms expected this spring that may attract thousands of people into the outdoors, California State Parks is providing visitors with tips on how to explore the blooms safely and responsibly. In the interest of safety and conservation, visitors are asked to understand the area they plan on visiting, check the weather, respect

Developed with OuterSpatial, app invites and informs visitors with an interactive challenge that prompts collection of badges across 200+ parks. California State Parks today enters a new era with its new digital Passport Program, driven by OuterSpatial, designed to increase access and engagement with the state’s 280 parks. The digital Passport Program invites people –

How would you communicate your story on stone or pottery? What would your messages to each other look like? How would people in 800 years interpret your drawings? Join a Ranger for a guided adventure to archeology sites found in the backcountry or off the beaten path at Petrified Forest. Hikes are free with entrance

On February 17 at approximately 3 p.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report an unresponsive hiker on the Bright Angel Trail below Havasupai Gardens. National Park Service (NPS) search and rescue personnel arrived on scene at approximately 3:30 p.m. and pronounced the individual deceased. The victim is described as a 56-year-old male

Encourages visits, in spite of no ‘superbloom’ Death Valley National Park opens North Highway, continuing its digging out from last summer’s historic flash floods. However, those intense summer rains do not seem to be triggering a hoped-for ‘superbloom.’  North Highway reopens On Thursday afternoon, the National Park Service reopened North Highway. This paved road had

BULLFROG, Utah –Due to the snowstorm last night, driving conditions in the Bullfrog, Halls Crossing and Hite areas require extra safety precautions. For more information, please check the Utah Department of Transportation website: https://udottraffic.utah.gov/wintertips.aspx

Wildflower Reports Feb. 1st – 8th, 2023 DesertUSA readers have submitted reports and photos of colorful poppies starting to bloom in Southern California and Arizona. Photos submitted were taken in Chino Hills State Park and Griffith Park in California and Estrella Mountain Regional Park near Goodyear, Arizona.  Since November, we have received numerous photos and updates of the early