The Ranger Desk
Begin your outdoor journey at The Ranger Desk: a resource for parks and all things wild.
Recent Essays
A written snapshot of a solar eclipse. That day we felt aligned with our earth, with our sky, and all the wonders they both provide.
People are not a plague on the Earth. We are not a disease; we are ill, infected with a sense that we are not natural, that we don't belong.
Eliza Scidmoore is one of countless forgotten women who helped create a healthier environment and some of our favorite 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.
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.
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.
The book that taught me to fly: though we lived very different lives, my grandmother introduced me to books that sparked my imagination.
Featured Essay
Ranger Stephanie (who started this site) recently discovered the missing piece to her park ranger origins. Find out what that is in this month’s featured essay.
Attracting half a million visitors a year despite its remote location, Big Bend is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Texas.
Minidoka is a national historic site that memorializes the unfair treatment of Japanese Americans and their internment during World War II.
Kilimanjaro National Park is famed for protecting its namesake Mount Kilimanjaro, one of the highest mountains in the world.
A massive circular volcanic cone, Diamond Head is the most iconic natural landmark in the state of Hawaii.
Mammoth Cave is renowned as the longest cave system in the world, over twice the length of the second largest cave system.
Mount Olympus is one of the most famous mountains in the world, owing to its significance in Greek mythology as the home of its ancient gods.
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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.
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.