March 30 was the 150-year anniversary of the day the United States purchased Alaska. US Secretary of State William Seward signed a treaty with Russia. In it, he agreed to pay $7.2 million for Alaska. This was not a popular choice.…
On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a law that created the National Park Service. It was designed to manage and care for the U.S. national parks. At that time, the United States had 35 national parks and monuments.…
The tallest mountain in North America is officially taking its name back. President Obama announced in September that Alaska's Mount McKinley will officially be known as Denali. Locals have already been calling the mountain Denali for generations. The name comes from the…
Two climbers made history this week when they became the first people to free-climb the Dawn Wall on El Capitan in California's Yosemite National Park. Considered one of the most challenging climbs in the world, the Dawn Wall is roughly 3,000…
Have you ever considered running 135 miles (217 km)? What about running 135 miles in July in the hottest and driest place in the United States? That's exactly what runners do each summer in the Badwater Ultramarathon at California's Death Valley…
Park officials often warn tourists that if they drop something in the Everglades, it’s gone forever. But occasionally, when water flows or dries up, the Everglades return a treasure. Archaeologists are hoping to find one of these treasures. In the…
Imported snails are threatening the Everglades’ plant life. The snails were introduced to the Everglades as food for the endangered Everglades snail kite. The bird of prey normally eats a native snail whose numbers are declining. The new South American apple…
More American crocodile hatchlings in Everglades National Park indicate the park’s improving health. Researchers counted almost twice as many hatchlings as last year. The park struggled in the '70s when manmade canals allowed saltwater to seep in, and crocodiles lost…
Kīlauea volcano is erupting from two locations, one of which offers visitors to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park some great viewing. The summit eruption of Kīlauea within Halema'uma'u Crater features a robust plume of volcanic gas during the day. After sunset, Halema'uma'u continues to thrill…
This article details some of America's most bizarre and fascinating natural wonders. Included are an eternal flame behind a waterfall and a colorful geyser that repurposed a man-made well in the 1960s. Read more here.