Best Nationalparks Podcasts (2025)

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | National Park Science At Risk 37:52

3d ago37:52

37:52

There has been much upheaval in the National Park Service this year, with firings, then rehires, and staff deciding to retire now rather than risk sticking around and being fired. There have been fears that more Park Service personnel are about to be let go through a reduction in force. While Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered the Park Serv…

1
437 Retired NPS Ranger and author Laurel Boyers 53:44

8d ago53:44

53:44

On this week's podcast, Bob talks with Laurel Munson Boyers who spent 31 years as a park ranger in Yosemite National Park. She has written "Across Yosemite's Wilderness- A Trailblazing Woman's Career Protecting the Park's Backcountry" about her years patrolling and protecting the park's wilderness and backcountry. They talk about her childhood at Y…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | George Wright Society 42:52

17d ago42:52

42:52

George Melendez Wright was a brilliant young scientist with the National Park Service back in the 1920s and 1930s. You could say he was ahead of his time, in that he wanted the Park Service to take a holistic role in how wildlife in the parks was managed. While Wright tragically left the world too young when he was killed in a car crash in 1936, hi…

1
436 Mandy Horvath from "Naked and Afraid" 54:16

21d ago54:16

54:16

On this week's episode, Bob talks with frequent guest Mandy Horvath, a bi-lateral amputee, she has conquered the Manitou Incline, Pikes Peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, all under her own power. In this episode, she tells the story of doing "No Legs, No Problem" (season 18, episode 1) of the TV show “Naked and Afraid” in which she and a male partner – both …

1
Joseph Day 1:22:21

22d ago1:22:21

1:22:21

Joseph Day has quite a story to tell. He and Brian sit down to chat about his meandering life and how he ended up living and running a store on the Hopi reservation. Enjoy Joe Day! If you like our show and would like to sponser us, please reach out! [email protected] Adventures with Brian Dierker is produced with joy by Big Adventure…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Kilauea's Unrest 50:11

24d ago50:11

50:11

One of the greatest shows on Earth has been going on now for several months in Hawaii, where the Kīlauea volcano at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park has been erupting since late December. The Kīlauea volcano is the most active volcano on Earth. It’s also a relatively safe volcano in that it spends most of its time simmering and bubbling without any …

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Covering the Parks 52:27

1M ago52:27

52:27

There are more stories to be found in the National Park System than one could write in a lifetime. Or several lifetimes. Sometimes those stories can be hard to spot. How many were aware of the factoid from Great Smoky Mountains National Park that Jennifer Bain dug up, that if you stacked up all of the park’s salamanders against its roughly 1,900 bl…

1
435 The True Story of the Stranded e-Bike rider 42:17

1M ago42:17

42:17

On this week's podcast, Kevin "Wild" Westendorf returns, and he and Bob catch up on what he's been doing since he was last on the podcast, including a brief review of his Garmin GPS watch and a comparison of it and his previous Apple watch. Then, they discuss the impacts the drastic federal budget cuts is having on our public lands, and also the co…

1
Peter Weiss 1:09:19

1M ago1:09:19

1:09:19

Peter Weiss is a skydiver, river runner, and adventurer. He and Brian sit down to chat about the Colorado River at high water, skydiving in Arizona, and much more! Enjoy Peter Weiss!Big Adventures with Brian Dierker is produced with joy by Big AdventuresEntertainment LLC.By Peter Weiss, Gavin Boughner, Margaret Knight, Brian Dierker

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | A Little Volcanic Levity 39:15

1M ago39:15

39:15

In this week’s podcast we thought we’d take a break from the unsettling news happening in and around our national parks and federal lands regarding park staff reductions and threats of reducing park boundaries to make way for mining. Instead, the Traveler’s Lynn Riddick catches up with a former scientist who’s now a comedian to hear about his exper…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | National Park Service Upheaval 49:38

2M ago49:38

49:38

There is, across the country, some upheaval going on as the Trump administration works to reduce the size of the federal government. Whether you support that effort or oppose it, you can’t deny there’s not upheaval going on. That upheaval has hit all federal government agencies. At the National Park Service, seasonal ranger job offers were rescinde…

1
434 Author and Survival Expert Creek Stewart is the Guest 29:39

2M ago29:39

29:39

On this week's episode, Bob talks with popular author and survival expert Creek Stewart about his latest book "Disaster Survival 101 - The Essential Guide to Preparing and Surviving any Emergency Scenario". Stewart has appeared on a multitude of news programs, TED talks and more. They discuss how inadequately prepared most households are for any ty…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Threatened Lands 43:06

2M ago43:06

43:06

Across the United States there are hundreds of millions of acres of public lands. Indeed, there are more than 500 million acres of federal lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service, just to name the three largest land managers in federal government. A majority of those lands, the 245…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | NPS Cast Aside 44:23

2M ago44:23

44:23

It was just over a week ago, on Valentine’s Day, that the Trump administration wiped 1,000 employees off the National Park Service staff without any apparent strategy other than that they were dispensable staff still on probation and so lacking any real protection for being fired without cause. Those cuts swept across the 433 units of the National …

1
433 Will AI Photography Affect the Visitors Experience? 1:11:55

2M ago1:11:55

1:11:55

On this week's podcast, the topic is Artificial Intelligence generated photography, and images that are produced that are falsely labelled as being of specific places, such as the Garden of the Gods or other scenic attractions. In the first part of the podcast, Bob chats with Colorado Springs-based photographers Jason Fazio, Daniel Forster and Jae …

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | National Parks in Crisis 42:38

2M ago42:38

42:38

The Trump administration’s determination to reduce the size of government regardless of the cost is having a hard impact on the National Park Service. Last month the agency was forced to rescind job offers to seasonal workers, saw a hold placed on millions of dollars distributed through the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act to address …

1
Harlan Taney 1:00:01

2M ago1:00:01

1:00:01

Harlan Taney is a kayaker, adventurer, and filmmaker. He and Brian chat about everything from boating the Grand Canyon to chasing waterfalls. Enjoy Harlan Taney!Big Adventures with Brian Dierker is produced with joy by Big AdventuresEntertainment LLC.By Harlan Taney, Brian Dierker, Gavin Boughner, Bill Gloeckler

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | The Ghost Forest 50:55

2M ago50:55

50:55

National parks are home to many iconic trees. Bristlecones pines, Whitebark pines, Sequoias, even mangroves. And, of course, redwoods. These trees hold many stories. The size alone of redwoods and sequoias are enough to hold your attention. But there are backstories, as well. In the case of redwoods along the Northern California coast, the backstor…

1
432 A Chat with El Paso County Parks Director Todd Marts 31:33

3M ago31:33

31:33

On episode 432 of the podcast, Bob chats with Todd Marts, Director of the El Paso County Parks and Community Services Department. They discuss what the department did in 2024, and plans for 2025. Topics include newly completed and updated master plans for Paint Mines Interpretive Park and Jones Park, a new trail in Pineries Open Space, continuted w…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Keeping Cape Lookout Above Water 51:37

3M ago51:37

51:37

Rising sea levels, stronger storms, eroding shorelines, and sinking terrain are taking a toll on the fragile ecosystems and historic resources at Cape Lookout National Seashore on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey takes a close look at these threats and predicts how they will impact the national seashore o…

1
431 The Healthy Hiker talks about hiking and balance 43:25

3M ago43:25

43:25

Bob talks with Alicia Filley, a/k/a "The Healthy Hiker" about hiking and building and maintaining balance and why it's important for hiker fitness. They discuss the proper use of hiking poles for balance, how to evaluate your balance, and what kinds of exercises help increase balance. The Healthy Hiker website: https://www.thehealthyhiker.com/ Plea…

1
Mike Boyle 1:07:58

3M ago1:07:58

1:07:58

Mike Boyle is a former river guide and all around adventurer. He joins Brian in the studio to chat about his exploratory trips in South America, New Guinea, and other river trips around the world. Enjoy Mike Boyle!Big Adventures with Brian Dierker is produced with joy by Big AdventuresEntertainment LLC.…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Parks Under Pressure 49:44

3M ago49:44

49:44

Here we are, a week into the second administration of President Donald Trump. It’s certainly a time of change, some of which is expected, and some perhaps not. Do we really need to rename North America’s tallest mountain, Denali in Denali National Park and Preserve? There is much going on in the federal government, and not all is good. Hiring freez…

1
430 A Chat with Colorado Springs Parks Director Britt Haley 1:04:51

3M ago1:04:51

1:04:51

On episode 430 of the podcast, Bob chats with Britt Haley, Director of the Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department. They discuss some of the accomplishments of department in 2024, and plans for 2025. Topics include Blodgett and Fishers Canyon Open Spaces, e-bikes, a comprehensive managment plan for Pikes Peak and the Rin…

1
Ben Perry 55:06

3M ago55:06

55:06

Ben Perry is a flight nurse and skiier, and happens to be Brian's nephew. He and Brian sit down to chat about growing up in Flagstaff, raising family there, and his career working out of helicopters. Enjoy Ben Perry!Big Adventures with Brian Dierker is produced with joy by Big AdventuresEntertainment LLC.…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Yellowstone Wolves at 30 43:11

3M ago43:11

43:11

There are sounds that wake you up out of a deep sleep, only to be dismissed as you fall back to sleep. And then there are sounds that rivet you, make you sit bolt upright. That was the type of sound that woke us while we were deep in the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park. Sunrise hadn’t yet come, yet we were wide awake, listening to one of t…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Threatened and Endangered Parks 50:17

4M ago50:17

50:17

We’re five days into 2025, and already there’s a lot of news concerning national parks and the National Park Service. Traveler Editor-in-Chief Kurt Repanshek is joined today by Contributing Editor Kim O’Connell to discuss the Traveler’s 4th Annual Threatened and Endangered Park Series and other recent park-related news.…

1
429 Happy New Year 2025! 41:51

4M ago41:51

41:51

It's the first ever New Years Day podcast (it just worked out that way) for Bob and Kevin! They discuss how 2024 went for them and reveal if Bob reached his yearly goal of 800 hiking miles, and also review Bob's recent newspaper column on outdoor recreation New Year's resolution. Along with other topics, Kevin also discusses what drove him to switc…

1
428 Holiday Gift Giving, New Years Resolutions, Hiking Apps and more 43:41

4M ago43:41

43:41

Bob's co-host Kevin "Wild" Westendorf returns. After catching up on recent adventures, they discuss last minute holiday buying, setting resolutions, Bob's progress on getting to his yearly goal of 800 miles, donating during the Give campaign and much more. Give Pikes Peak website: https://campaign.givepikespeak.org/ Please consider becoming a patro…

1
National Parks Traveler Podcast | A Walk in the Park 1:07:47

4M ago1:07:47

1:07:47

Many of us like to take a walk in our favorite national park, whether it’s a short stroll down one of the boardwalks at Yellowstone National Park, the hike to the top of Old Rag at Shenandoah National Park, or up the Mist Trail at Yosemite National Park, we like to get out and experience parks up close. As you might imagine, there are walks in the …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Nationalparks Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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