The Ranger Desk
Protect parks. Protect park rangers.
Recent Essays
A national park helped a man find solace from his grief, and I was lucky to be his guide. What I learned from him changed how I view parks.
Why we need national park rangers: how losing one of our most popular American icons would diminish our dreams and harm our national parks.
To build a wall in parks--that was the threat the first time Donald Trump was president. Now he is threatening the parks themselves.
There are countless Native American cultural sites for visitors to explore in the Pacific Northwest. Here are some of the best.
Discover national parks that celebrate American Latino heritage, a community whose stories and culture are woven into the fabric of America.
"What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" The line is not a call to action, but a call to inaction. A call to be free.
Play: it's not just for kids--it's for adults, too. Research shows that play combats depression. Discover ways to add play to your life.
When nature calls: National parks are being overwhelmed with human waste. Here are the reasons why and how not to be a part of the problem.
"You can't climb on her!" a child called out. The forest giants of Bernheim Forest are so realistic they entrance the child in all of us.
Possibly the most famous symbol of American democracy, the White House is a part of the President's Park unit of the National Park Service.
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Popular Essays
Interested in US national parks? What about living a wild life? Get started with these popular essays.
Want more? Peruse an archive of All Essays.
Being a park ranger is not as dangerous as people think, but it can be. My most dangerous ranger job was climbing the side of a cruise ship.
Learn what an interpretive theme is and what it isn't. A theme is not a topic. A theme is the glue that binds the topics together.
An interpretive park ranger conveys a park's story. Every park has a story, a reason that it was protected and staffed with park rangers.
Learn the twelve must-haves for your wilderness first aid kit, including items not found in a traditional first aid kit.
As a former ranger, I'm often asked how to become a national park ranger. These are my tips for prospective park rangers.
In the early days of US national parks, rangers did it all–built trails, fought fires, caught poachers. What do park rangers do today?
Stephanie McCullough
A former US national park ranger with a master’s degree in environmental education, I created The Ranger Desk to share my passion for national parks and the natural world.