Everyone knows about America’s 13 original colonies… but did you know there was almost a 14th?

In 1775, a private land deal known as The Transylvania Purchase sought to create a brand-new colony in the rugged mountains where Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee meet. Frontiersman Daniel Boone carved the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap, opening America’s first true gateway to the West. But the plan was tangled in conflict with Indigenous nations, colonial governments, and the Revolution itself.

In this episode of Parkography, Jason explores the rise and fall of the Colony of Transylvania, the battles that defined it, and how the Cumberland Gap went from a dangerous frontier to a National Historical Park that tells the story of America’s earliest westward expansion.

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A ranger stabbed in a Colorado state park, hundreds exposed to rabies at Grand Teton, Isle Royale wolf put down, plus updates on hurricane closures, statue restoration, peak renaming, and more national park news.

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00:00 Introduction

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt and naturalist John Muir embarked on a legendary three-day camping trip through Yosemite. Away from politics and public life, they huddled under the stars, explored the towering sequoias, and shared a vision that would change the future of America’s wild places.

This unforgettable meeting is often credited with sparking the modern conservation movement—leading to the expansion of national parks and permanent protection for some of our most treasured landscapes.

Join us as we retrace their journey, uncover the stories behind their conversations, and explore how a few nights in the wilderness helped shape the course of American environmental history.

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At Petrified Forest National Park, a strange phenomenon has persisted for decades: people from all over the world mailing back pieces of petrified wood they stole—along with heartfelt apology notes. These “conscience letters” speak of bad luck, misfortune, and regret. But is the so-called curse real, or just a product of guilt?

In this episode of Parkography, we explore the fascinating history behind the curse of the Petrified Forest and the power of a national park to stir the conscience.

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In this episode, we cover the Trump administration's reorganization of the Department of Agriculture and its impact on the US Forest Service, as well as ongoing wildfires, including the Dragon Bravo fire at the Grand Canyon, and debunk myths about animals fleeing Yellowstone. We'll also discuss significant land acquisitions in Texas that will lead to the establishment of new state parks, a tragic incident at Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas, a Netflix series set in Yosemite, and much more.

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00:00 Introduction

In Michigan, the country’s second National Park would be established in 1875, only to be redesignated just twenty years later as the state’s first State Park. Likewise, a cave named for its position overlooking the trail of Lewis and Clark would begin its protected life as an early National Monument before later joining a growing number of State Parks in the United States. And in Oklahoma, a former National Park remains preserved under the jurisdiction of the Park Service, providing key insight into the conversation of how and why we protect the places that we do for generations to come. 

Join us as we explore three parks you won’t find in your National Park Service  Passport: Mackinac National Park, Lewis and Clark Cavern National Monument, and Platt National Park. 

Written by Lizzie Tesch

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Deep within Kentucky's Mammoth Cave National Park, one can find so much more than rock formations. The shale-capped mass of 400 known miles of caverns holds the history of America, told by the Black enslaved cave guides that made it one of the country's top tourist attractions, then and now. 

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In this week's episode, a controversial provision to sell off over a million acres of public land has been blocked, but significant cuts to National Park funding are still proceeding. We cover the construction of a massive migrant detention center inside a national preserve, sparking legal actions and protests. Yellowstone's iconic hot spring tragically claims the life of a bison, and new signs asking visitors to report negative information about Americans are causing quite a stir. We also bring you critical safety updates from Rocky Mountain National Park, the transition to cashless payment systems at two parks, and more.

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00:00 Introduction

Just steps from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall lies the barely visible foundation of a house that once held the weight of a revolution, a presidency—and a deep contradiction.

This week on Parkography, we uncover the story of the President’s House in Philadelphia, a mansion that passed through the hands of a British general, a colonial governor, a wealthy financier, a traitorous American officer, and two U.S. presidents. But beneath its grand halls and bowed windows lived another story—one of enslaved people fighting silently for their own freedom in the shadow of a nation proclaiming liberty for all.

Join Jason Epperson as he walks through the rubble and history of the forgotten home at Sixth and Market, where the founding of the United States unfolded brick by brick—and where the legacy of freedom remains unfinished.

Written by Lizzie Tesch

Hosted by Jason Epperson

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In 1870, Truman Everts set out as part of an exploration of the Yellowstone wilderness. What followed was a harrowing 37-day survival story filled with fire, frostbite, mountain lions, and near starvation. Lost, alone, and presumed dead, Everts defied all odds to become one of Yellowstone’s most legendary figures.

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