Description:
This is episode 6.4, the fourth episode in our series on Great Smoky Mountains National Park. First, Bryan speaks with Dana Soehn, the parks spokesperson. Dana talks about recreation and how to tackle this vast and myriad park. Next, Danielle speaks with Brent McDaniel of the park’s nonprofit partner, Friends of The Smokies about insider tips for visitors.
Discussion includes the following:
· National Park Service plans to close Claude Moore Colonial Farm. Voice your opinion to save the farm. Visit 1771.org/savethefarm (0:28)
· Support the show on Patreon (1:18) 
· Overview of the park’s services and activities (2:34)
· Recommendations for 1 week long trip (5:30)
· Kid-friendly hikes (9:07)
· Front country and backcountry camping (13:39)
· Lodging outside the Park and LeConte Lodge (20:40)
· Trout fishing (24:45)
· Cades Cove 11 mile loop bike ride (27:33)
· Guided horseback ride (28:27)
· Suggestions for mitigating crowds (29:22)
· Dana’s favorite Smokies Experience (32:31)
· Brent McDaniel’s Recommended hikes for families (36:30)
· Alternative activities – horseback riding, ranger programs, tubing, fishing (39:27)
· Other tips for planning a visit (44:34)
· Elk (47:52)
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ENP 6.4 Great Smoky Mountains: Recreation and Insider Tips

Conversations with guests and experts about different aspects of America's National Parks including favorite hikes and activities with kids, nature, wildlife, history and issues affecting the parks.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Everybody’s National Parks returns to family park travel and with that, the podcast after a long hiatus during the pandemic. Hear what we’ve been up to and upcoming episodes to look forward to including Cuyahoga Valley, Indiana Dunes and Glacier National Parks.

Everybody’s National Parks Returns

Yes, you can enjoy the national park system and stay safe during a pandemic. Danielle celebrates the 104th birthday of the NPS with guests Jason Everson of RV Miles Network (https://rvmiles.com/) and Bradley Kerouac of Hello Ranger (https://hellorangercommunity.com/). The trio explores pragmatic strategies for family travel in an otherwise unpredictable year.

Discussion includes the following:
[00:02] Introduction: National Parks Service Founders Day, Bradley Kerouac/Hello Ranger, Jason Everson/RV Miles, Soul Trak Outdoors (https://soultrak.com/)
[03:39] Reports from the road: Dinosaur National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, Saguaro National Park, Mount Lemmon, Yellowstone National Park (https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm)
[08:17] Logistics and locations: Glacier National Park, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Canaveral National Seashore, Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Arches National Park (https://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm)
[11:37] Choose your (safe) adventure: Yellowstone National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak, Garden Of The Gods, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blue Ridge Mountains/Shenandoah National Park (https://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm)
[18:45] Inside jokes 
[20:00] Practical tips for making your choice
[27:28] Backyard parks and return visits: Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Glacier National Park (https://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm)
[33:15] Park safety: Mesa Verde National Parks, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park,

ENP 33: How To Plan A Safe National Park Visit

Nicole Jackson of #BlackBirdersWeek (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/blackbirdersweek/) and the brand new @blackinnpsweek (https://www.instagram.com/blackinnpsweek/) talks about Black in National Parks Week 2020 this upcoming week. Listen to this joint interview phone call with @everybodysnationalparks (https://www.instagram.com/everybodysnationalparks/) and @hellorangerusa (https://www.instagram.com/hellorangerusa/). ⁣Official Hashtag ⁣#BlackInNationalParksWeek (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/blackinnationalparksweek/)⁣IG⁣: @blackinnpsweek (https://www.instagram.com/blackinnpsweek/)⁣
Twitter: @BlackInNPSWeek (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/blackinnpsweek/)⁣
 
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Please tag us from the parks you are visiting at #everybodysnationalparks and @everybodysnationalparks

Black in National Parks Week 2020: August 24 - 29 (Bonus Episode)

For the third in our Big Bend National Park series, Bryan takes an epic trip through eons with Dr. Thomas Shiller, assistant professor of geology at Texas' Sul Ross University. From uplift to erosion, inland seas to volcanic action, the pair discuss this desert park's changing topography and its once-thriving dinosaur population. The hardest hitting questions, however, came from Everybody’s National Parks’ junior geologists, making this episode a real family affair.
Discussion includes the following:
[00:02] Introduction: ENP Big Bend National Park Series, Dr. Thomas Shiller (https://www.sulross.edu/faculty-and-staff/4419/assistant-professor-geology)
[01:13] Geological timeline of Big Bend, Chisos Mountains, Santa Elena Canyon (https://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/secyn.htm)
[12:03] Night Skies program (https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nightskies/index.htm)
[12:30] Big Bend: The once-great western interior seaway
[13:15] Big Bend’s rich deposit of fossils
[17:17] Digging deeper into the park’s Cretaceous Period 
[17:40] Big Bend’s unique flora and fauna fossils
[19:50] Old school tricks of the geologist trade
[20:26] Big Bend fossil stewardship
[24:21] ENP Grand Canyon geology episode (https://www.everybodysnationalparks.com/ENP-83-Grand-Canyon-Geology)
[25:20] More Big Bend fossil stewardship: Paleo Lab at UT Austin (http://utw10107.utweb.utexas.edu/paleo/#:~:text=The%20Paleo%20Lab%20is%20a,handled%20by%20visitors%2C%20are%20available.)
[26:33] Big Bend Fossil Discovery Exhibit (https://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/fossil-discovery-exhibit.htm)
[30:30] Big Bend ranger programs (https://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/ranger-led-programs.htm)
[30:53] Science Knights in the Morning: YouTube, Facebook, KVLF (https://bigbendradio.com/)
[32:47] Missing time: Big Bend’s black conical hills and the great extinction event
[35:40] ENP’s junior correspondents take the mic (Part I): Western interior seaway facts
[35:46] ENP’s junior correspondents take the mic (Part II): A dinosaur census
 
For complete show notes and archive, visit everybodysnationalparks.com (everybodysnationalparks.com).
DUE TO COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS, BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK WAS IN PHASED REOPENING AT TIME OF PUBLISHING THIS EPISODE. PLEASE CHECK NPS WEBSITE FOR ACCESS UPDATES.

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ENP 32.3 Big Bend: Travel Through Geological Time

For the second in our Big Bend National Park series, Danielle chats with Courtney Lyons-Garcia, executive director of Big Bend Conservancy, a major advocate for the park. From scenic drives to family-friendly hikes, and fossil experiences Courtney shares practical tips and activities suited to every kind of traveller
Discussion includes the following:
[00:02] Introduction: HelloRanger 
[02:22] Guardians of Big Bend National Park: Courtney Lyons Garcia and Big Bend Conservancy (https://bigbendfriends.org/)
[03:15] Getting acquainted with Big Bend: An overview of the park and its conservancy
[05:35] Getting to the park: Interstate travel, suggestions for East and West Coast visitors
[09:03] Stocking up: Advice on retail options and supporting special dietary needs
[10:53] Best times of year to visit Big Bend
[13:21] Seasonal explorations
[16:28] An itinerary overview
[17:51] Perfect pairs: Suggestions for combining Big Bend with other areas of interest Big Bend State Park, Balmorhea State Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, White Sands National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Del Rio, Fort Davis
[19:34} Do, see & learn - River District: Rio Grande Village Visitors Center, Nature Walk, Boquillas Crossing Port of Entry, Boquillas Village, Mexico, Ernst Tinaja Primitive Roadside Campsite, Hot Springs Historic Trail (https://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/river_hikes.htm)
[23:05] Do, see & learn - Dinosaurs & Desert District: Fossil Discovery Exhibit, Grapevine Hills Trail (https://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/desert_hikes.htm)
[26:27] Do. See. Learn - Mountain District: Window Trail, South Rim Trail, Emory Peak Trail/The Pinnacles,

ENP 6.4 Great Smoky Mountains: Recreation and Insider Tips

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