Best Nationalpark Podcasts (2025)

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Year in Review 52:31

1h ago52:31

52:31

This year, 2025, likely will go down as the most transitional for the National Park Service. We've seen the loss of nearly a quarter of the permanent workforce, efforts to whitewash history in some parks, and the loss of a grand lodge to wildfire. The past 12 months have been full of news impacting the National Park Service and national parks, not …

1
461 Happy Holidays and more from Bob and Kevin 37:11

1d ago37:11

37:11

It's a "Happy Holidays" edition of the podcast, but of course it's more than just that. Bob and Kevin talk about their plans for the holidays and in 2026 and Bob talks about a great customer service experience he had recently, and Kevin talks about a neat new service that can help visualize your hikes. Mentoned in this episode: Cinematic flyovers: …

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Historic Preservation in the Parks 39:27

4d ago39:27

39:27

A century of seasons has worn the appearance of the log cabin Roy Fure built in present-day Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, but his care of the small cabin, and later National Park Service restoration efforts, have enabled it to stand the test of time. Dovetail-notched spruce logs still sit tightly together, the corrugated metal roof F…

1
460 COS Parks 2025 Recap, Director Haley Retirement 55:27

7d ago55:27

55:27

In this week's podcast, Bob chats with Colorado Springs Park, Recreation and Cultural Service Director Britt Haley. Haley discusses the accomplishments and challenges of the department in 2025 and a look forward for the department in 2026. They also discuss Haley's upcoming retirement, including her journey from the city attorney's office to the pa…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Threatened and Endangered Species Intro 45:27

11d ago45:27

45:27

After more than 50 years as one of the country's landmark environmental laws, the Endangered Species Act has gone from one of the most popular measures before Congress to one fueling demands that it be revised, if not discarded. The National Parks Traveler is reviewing the Endangered Species Act's work and its record, spotlighting individual specie…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Endemic Haleakalā 44:14

18d ago44:14

44:14

Haleakalā National Park is deceptively wonderful and rich in biodiversity. But if we're not careful, we could lose some of that biodiversity. Located on the island of Maui in Hawaii, the first thing you notice about this national park is its towering dormant volcano, Haleakalā, which rises from sea level to more than 10,000 feet. While many visitor…

1
459 Hiking new places, 2026 plans, Give Campaign 1:00:16

22d ago1:00:16

1:00:16

On this week's podcast, Bob and co-host Kevin discuss their recent hikes to Picketwire Canyon and Red Canyon Park, both places new to them. They also discuss where they plan to go for adventure in 2026 and encourage listeners to donate during the on-going 2025 Pikes Peak Give Campaign. Give Pikes Peak Campaign: https://campaign.givepikespeak.org/ P…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Staffing and Funding the Park Service 48:47

25d ago48:47

48:47

It's Thanksgiving Weekend, usually interpreted as a bountiful time of year when we can all sit back and be thankful. But can many who work for the National Park Service feel thankful in the wake of the staff reductions this year? This year has been hard on the Park Service, what with the loss of roughly a quarter of the full-time workforce and ques…

1
458 A Thanksgiving message from Bob and Kevin 9:31

29d ago9:31

9:31

This week's podcast is a short Thanksgiving message from Hiking Bob and Wild Westendorf. They'll be back next week with one of their regular episodes. In the meantime, thanks for listening and have a Happy Thanksgiving! Please consider becoming a patron of this podcast! Visit: https://www.patreon.com/hikingbob for more information Hiking Bob websit…

1
Troy Gillenwater 1:10:27

1M ago1:10:27

1:10:27

Troy Gillenwater has got some stories to tell. He sits down with Brian for a wide ranging chat, from Arizona trails to Tibetan rivers and beyond. Enjoy Troy Gillenwater! Mentioned in this episode: Sponsors: Dave Wegner and Steve Carothers Dave Wegner has been a long-time supporter of Big Adventures. He's been in and out of the river for over 50 yea…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Shrinking Mount Rainier 55:49

1M ago55:49

55:49

Gazing up at mountains from their valleys down below, it's hard, if not impossible, to detect any change on the top of the mountains. But change is ongoing, especially in recent history as the climate continues to warm. From Tacoma or Seattle in Washington state, the snowy summit of Mount Rainier National Park appears unchanged from how it's always…

1
457- 2025 Give Pikes Peak- Friends of Monument Valley Park 24:19

1M ago24:19

24:19

In one of four podcasts with participatiing non-profits in the "Great Outdoors" category of the 2025 Give Pikes Peak campaign, Bob chats with Teri Peisner of the Friends of Monument Valley Park (FMVP). They discuss the history of Monument Valley Park, which runs along Monument Creek on the west side of downtown Colorado Springs, and the organizatio…

1
456 - 2025 Give Pikes Peak- Rocky Mountain Field Institute 27:41

1M ago27:41

27:41

In one of four podcasts with participatiing non-profits in the "Great Outdoors" category of the 2025 Give Pikes Peak campaign, Bob chats with Sam Hinkel of the Rocky Mountain Field Institute (RMFI). They discuss the groups work as a boots on the ground organization that does trail construction and trail maintainence in the Pikes Peak Region. They t…

1
455- 2025 Give Pikes Peak- Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance 21:07

1M ago21:07

21:07

In one of four podcasts with participatiing non-profits in the "Great Outdoors" category of the 2025 Give Pikes Peak campaign, Bob chats with Kristen Cannon of the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance (PPORA). They discuss the groups work in bringing together land managers from all levels of government, non-profits, and businesses to help guide r…

1
454- 2025 Give Pikes Peak Women's Mountain Biking Association 30:24

1M ago30:24

30:24

In one of four podcasts with participatiing non-profits in the "Great Outdoors" category of the 2025 Give Pikes Peak campaign, Bob chats with Niki Amidei of the Women's Mountain Biking Association of Colorado Springs (WMBACOS). They discuss the groups mission of "Empowering Women Through Group Mountain Bike Rides", by organizing weekly group bike r…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Park Friends Under Pressure 1:00:40

2M ago1:00:40

1:00:40

The government shutdown has been record-setting in terms of its length. So, too, has been the time that many employees of the National Park Service have been furloughed without pay. How has the shutdown affected the parks, and how have the friends groups that support the parks responded? We're going to discuss that today with Chris Lenhertz from th…

1
453 Author Dr. Rob Scanlon Talks About Surviving The Hike 50:06

2M ago50:06

50:06

On this week's podcast, Bob talks with Dr. Rob Scanlon, the author of "Surviving the Trail- Five Essential Skills to Prepare Every Hiker for Adventure's Most Common Perils" from Falcon Guides. They discuss the common things people do, or don't do, or don't know how to do that gets hikers in trouble, and how to have a trouble free hike. It's a fun a…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | November NewsMatch Fundraiser 42:24

2M ago42:24

42:24

What is a "typical" day at the National Parks Traveler like? When you surf over to the website there's always content there, ready to update you on news from around the National Park System. How is it generated, and who generates it? Editor Kurt Repanshek and Contributing Editor Kim O'Connell dive into the logistics of running a news operation that…

1
452 On the trail with Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates 37:48

2M ago37:48

37:48

On this episode, Bob hits the trail with Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates (MWTA) Executive Director Cory Sutela along side a MWTA team as they construct a new trail. Sutela discusses the history and mission of MWTA and also their advocacy work for not just the cycling community, but also hikers, equestrians and motorized trail users. He talks about h…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | The Battle of Saratoga 53:27

2M ago53:27

53:27

Though the Revolutionary War didn't officially end until September 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, a key turning point in the war for independence occurred six years earlier in a small corner of today's New York state. The Battle of Saratoga stretched out from September 19 until October 7, 1777, and marked the first time the British E…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Government Shutdown Blues 48:09

2M ago48:09

48:09

The federal government is shut down, but the national parks – most of them, anyway – are open. Back during his first term in office President Donald Trump also kept the parks open during the government shutdown that stretched from the end of 2018 into early 2019. That led to some vandalism to the parks and damage to some park resources. How are thi…

1
451 Wheeler Geologic Area, Parks Budgets, Hiking Safety 55:45

2M ago55:45

55:45

On this week's episode Wild Westendorf talks about his hike to the very remote Wheeler Geologic area. He and Bob then discuss the pros and cons of various types of emergency signalling devices, and then wrap up with an early overview of what some local parks departments budgets will look like in 2026. Bob's 1st amendment podcast: https://tinyurl.co…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Kansas Road Trip 33:46

3M ago33:46

33:46

Kansas is a big place, and not one particularly well-known for national park destinations. But that doesn't mean you should overlook the Sunflower State. In the closing days of September, as the country seemed destined for a government shutdown, the Traveler's Kurt Repanshek and Patrick Cone headed into Kansas to visit some of the parks there to be…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Historical Interpretation in the National Parks 54:30

3M ago54:30

54:30

How do national parks develop their interpretive materials? What influences come into play when a park begins to outline its approach and the direction it takes when crafting educational materials for visitors? Is the National Park Service careful to take a truthful path when presenting history? Those are topical questions considering the Trump adm…

1
450 Defending Charlie Kirk, Jimmy Kimmel & the 1st Amendment 10:45

3M ago10:45

10:45

In the 450th episode of his podcast, Bob goes off his usual topic matter and speaks about threats to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and why it's important for everyone to speak out to protect the right to free speech and a free press. Please consider becoming a patron of this podcast! Visit: https://www.patreon.com/hikingbob for more …

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Rebuilding the Appalachian Trail 46:23

3M ago46:23

46:23

Nearly 700 volunteers, including some from as far away as Japan, descended on the Appalachian Trail in the past year in an unprecedented effort to recover a landscape forever scarred by Hurricane Helene. The storm in September 2024 shut down 431 miles of the AT. Trees were snapped in half, piled in what looked like a bizarre game of pickup sticks. …

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Nationalpark Podcasts

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