Essays
Get started on your national park journey by perusing our extensive archive of essays. Whether you want to be a park ranger, learn more about rangers and parks, or cultivate a wilder life, we have an essay that will help.
Parks
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.
Take time for your mental health. When we wake up and are not okay, we should all have the right to take a Karen Day.
Discover 10 wild facts about Everglades National Park, including the best time to visit and how to breakfast with manatees.
Learn lessons from the dead: take a trip to Shiloh Battlefield, where an abandoned ancient village sits amid the relics of war.
Ever wonder how to stay safe in bear country? Here are seven safety tips and several bear stories from a former national park ranger.
Wild Living
Eliza Scidmoore is one of countless forgotten women who helped create a healthier environment and some of our favorite parks.
Completely unique, Reelfoot Lake State Park has bizarre origins, shallow waters, odd-looking trees, and some spectacular eagle viewing.
One man had a dream: the civil rights journey may be ongoing, but the Lorraine Motel is today a signpost, reminding us how far we’ve come.
"You're so brave!" is a common phrase said to women who camp or travel alone. It says more about the people saying it than it does about us.
The book that taught me to fly: though we lived very different lives, my grandmother introduced me to books that sparked my imagination.
Take time for your mental health. When we wake up and are not okay, we should all have the right to take a Karen Day.