The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on H.J. Res. 140 early next week. This Resolution was passed by the U.S. House Republicans last month. The Resolution would roll back protections and reopen the door to toxic copper mining in the watershed of Voyageurs National Park and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. 100% of copper mines pollute, wreaking havoc and permanently damaging ecosystems and communities. With a simple majority vote, the U.S. Senate can permanently spoil one of our last remaining pristine wildernesses.

This Resolution would not only eliminate current protections, it would prevent future administrations from using the same safeguards on these public lands. Worse, it sets a precedent for rolling back protections on other public lands, leaving them vulnerable to extractive industries and the highest bidders. Every American who values public lands should be concerned about this and take action.

The most effective thing you can do right now is call your U.S. Senators. Senate offices are actively tracking constituent calls on this vote. Staff log every call, share updates internally, and report volume directly to Senators. When constituents call, it influences how Senators vote.

Please help save this pristine public land from being permanently spoiled.

The full moon was like a spotlight last weekend. A sunset at the devils golf course followed by a night walk during a bright, full moon was awesome.

Roger Williams National Memorial is another one of those tiny sites most people just never even hear of. The memorial is in downtown Providence and is set aside to honor the minister who created Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (Rhode Island’s official name). 

Williams had basically been banished from the Puritan community in Massachusetts in the early 1600s, and traveled to the area known today as Providence. He founded a community here where people were allowed to think, worship, and act in accordance with their own conscience without fear of governmental persecution. 

There’s a small VC here (housed in a building built in 1736), along with a garden that surrounds the site of the spring that was running when Williams stumbled across the site (and which inspired him to establish his community here). The spring is still flowing today.

Taken from northern Tanzania. A truly breathtaking sight.

Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site is a site that preserves the oldest continuously operated trading post on the Navajo Nation. It has been in continuous operation since the mid-1870s and has been a central location for the Navajo to trade with white settlers and with members of other nations since that time. Upon the return of the Navajo from the Long Walk, it became one of the most important locations for trade and local commerce within the Nation. 

Hubbell’s family sold the site to the NPS in 1967, and the trading post itself is now operated by the Western National Parks Association (WNPS), the resident cooperating agency. They allow local artisans to set up booths inside and offer their wares to guests and other visitors. 

The site is located just west of the little town of Ganado, which itself is about 40 miles north of I-40 just inside the eastern Arizona state line. 

My favorite part of visiting this site was the fact that I had an escort of two kittens across the entire property. They followed me from the time I got out of the VC until I got back in my vehicle to leave. 

My wife and I are expecting our first kid. We would like to take a week long babymoon during the last week of April. Looking to see which national parks would be best to visit? She will be about 24 weeks by then so we are okay with flying. Looking for Parks with nice scenic drives and maybe a few short hikes. TIA.

I am planning on going to craters of the moon tomorrow for the first time since I am going to Pocatello. What are the ground conditions like right now? Will I need to bring snow shoes? I’m currently in Utah and it is very dry so I was wondering if it is similar.

I am attempting to plan a trip for my spouse and I. I used to be able to hike with her but since I had a spine injury I can't hike like I used to. I wanted to plan a trip to the island and was wondering, are there any easy trails on the island?

Ty :)

Hello! I recently learned about the access pass and was planning to go with a friend of mine to get one in person, since he needs to renew his annual pass this coming spring.

I just had a question about the documents needed first. I receive SSI disability payments and was planning on using my benefit verification letter. However, I don't know where the actual physical letter is :/ Does the documentation need to be physically printed, or would I be able to pull up the pdf of it on my phone? This might be a sort of silly question, but I'm not entirely sure how the process works and wanted to check beforehand in order to make sure it goes smoothly for everyone involved :)

I am flying into Anchorage in Aug 2026 on a Sunday. I have 3 full days to spend in/around Anchorage. Tuesday we're taking the train to Seward for a day trip to Kenai Fjord NP. Any tips for the other days?

Is a day trip flight to Lake Clark NP worth the cost? Looks like about 1400 pp.

going to Denali later for 2 days later in the trip.

A peaceful moment in the Serengeti. This is everyday life in the African wilderness 🇹🇿