Parks | featured news

How much development is too much for Yosemite Valley? National parks officials call for sweeping changes that include eliminating bicycle and horse rentals and remove an ice rink, swimming pools and art center in an attempt to balance nature and recreation.

Spread across nearly 3,500 square miles and home to some 60 animal species and almost half of the world's geysers, visitors could explore Yellowstone National Park for weeks and not see everything in the country's first national park.

What do you call a gathering of princesses? A pack? What do you call a gathering of princesses? A pack? A gaggle? A bevy? We don’t know, either, but travelers heading to Disneyland may find themselves pondering that question when the theme park’s newest attraction, Fantasy Faire, opens on Tuesday, March 12. With the likes of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Belle from “Beauty and the Beast” on hand to meet and greet little visitors, it promises to be a regular princess-palooza.

Using restrictions under state law, officials are building a small park in Harbor Gateway to force 33 offenders to move out of a nearby apartment building.

National parks, forests and wildlife refuges are to receive $12.5 million in grants to improve access to them while supporting greener travel.

People traveling to the nation's parks this spring will find fewer rangers on the job and reduced hours at visitors' centers if the government enacts sweeping budget cuts. Camping and hiking areas might also be closed when the National Park Service cuts $130 million from its $2.6 billion budget under sequestration measures set to start at the end of March.

Pakistani officials say the government plans to build a recreation complex in the town where al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. commandos in 2011. Syed Aqil Shah, sports and tourism minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said Monday the project in Abbottabad will have a zoo, paragliding club and water sports facilities. It will also have cultural heritage park.

Fear of embarrassment and budget cuts led California parks officials to intentionally conceal millions of dollars in a department account, according to an investigation conducted by the state attorney general's office.

To ensure they have future stewards, national parks are changing attitudes and programs to attract and keep younger people.

It turns out most of us value nearby stores and parks rather than McMansions. Luckily, that's probably where we're headed.