About Stephanie
I’m Stephanie McCullough, and I love nature. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee and raised until the age of twelve in Asheville, NC, the Appalachian mountains are in my blood. I grew up exploring the woods around my home and fell in love with the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Eventually I turned this passion into a career.
As a former US national park ranger, I’ve lived in and explored national parks all across the United States, working at eight different national parks in seven different states. I earned a masters degree in environmental education and possess over a decade of experience in the field, teaching students and park visitors about national parks and the natural world.
Here at The Ranger Desk, I use my knowledge and experience to answer common questions about national parks, park rangers, and all things wild. I also share information and stories from my ranger life. My goal is to encourage people to get outside and exploring, whether in their own backyards or in the treasures we call national parks.
US national park sites I worked at:
- Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (Alaska unit)
- Glacier (in Montana)
- Glacier Bay (in Alaska)
- Olympic (in Washington)
- Amistad National Recreation Area (in Texas)
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (in Michigan)
- Zion (in Utah)
- The Blue Ridge Parkway (in Virginia)
About The Ranger Desk
At my first US national park, the place where I learned about things like ranger desks, our visitor center occupied an old and beautiful train station, a piece of local history. The front desk was worn, wooden, and–like the park itself–a historic treasure. I stood behind the desk and answered questions–what hiking trail should I choose, what are the key things to see at this park, where’s the bathroom?
Nestled in the antique desk’s many cubbies and drawers were tickets for ranger programs, animal and plant guides, trail maps, brochures about park history, fliers from local businesses, and a big book containing answers to questions not explained by any of the other bits of paper on hand. The ranger desk was stocked with information, tailored to fit the needs of visitors and rangers. It was Google for park rangers, but in physical form.
My aim in building The Ranger Desk is to create a place similar to that front desk but easier to access from afar. I strive to answer the questions that park visitors and nature explorers ask, as well as some questions posed by rangers themselves. I may not answer all the specific questions for each national park site you visit–for that you may still need to approach one of those visitor center desks in person. My hope though is that The Ranger Desk will help guide you as you venture into national parks or the other outdoor spaces that sing to your heart, and that it will be your companion as you strive to live your one wild and precious life.
Contact The Ranger Desk
Have a question or suggestion for The Ranger Desk? Interested in working with Stephanie? Click the link below.