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Newsletter: Your American West

WNP publishes a digital newsletter several times a year. Your American West, showcases park happenings, research stories, WNP news and more to keep you connected to our national parks. Browse the newsletters or sign up to receive them via email in the footer of this website.

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A Meandering Trek Along the Santa Fe National Historic Trail

By Barbara “Bo” Jensen Day 4 | Crossing the Big Muddy I exit I-70 at Boonville, Missouri, and quickly come to the Franklin Site, the original eastern gateway to the Santa Fe Trail. Traders would have loaded their wagons in St. Louis, then trekked 150...

Lake Culture at the Driest Desert in North America

The California condor ( Gymnogyps californianus) is an endangered New World vulture and the largest bird in North America. In the 1980s, the entire population of California condors was reduced to 22 birds. With the assistance of captive breeding...

The Lure of the Hardy Aspen at Bandelier National Monument

The California condor ( Gymnogyps californianus) is an endangered New World vulture and the largest bird in North America. In the 1980s, the entire population of California condors was reduced to 22 birds. With the assistance of captive breeding...

Following the Road Less Traveled at Guadalupe Mountains National Park

The California condor ( Gymnogyps californianus) is an endangered New World vulture and the largest bird in North America. In the 1980s, the entire population of California condors was reduced to 22 birds. With the assistance of captive breeding...

Stalking the Carnivorous Plants of Big Thicket National Preserve

The California condor ( Gymnogyps californianus) is an endangered New World vulture and the largest bird in North America. In the 1980s, the entire population of California condors was reduced to 22 birds. With the assistance of captive breeding...

A Legendary Cowboy's Connection with Capulin Volcano National Monument

The California condor ( Gymnogyps californianus) is an endangered New World vulture and the largest bird in North America. In the 1980s, the entire population of California condors was reduced to 22 birds. With the assistance of captive breeding...

The Long Road to Justice 

During the month of February, in celebration of Black History Month, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site is overflowing with ranger led discussions, distance learning programs, and more! As a civil rights site, our primary goal is to...

WNPA Honors Noted National Park Historian, Two Students

Tucson, Arizona, (November 22, 2021)—An internationally recognized national park historian and two college students who want to teach their communities about the benefits of national parks have earned annual awards presented by Western National Parks...

What Fueled Sunset Crater’s Explosive Past?

“Long time ago the ground trembled, a big black smoke came,” was the memory the Hopi passed from generation to generation. It was a thick, choking, even poisonous smoke, preceded no doubt by shuddering earthquakes and precipitated by a furious...

Irresistible Distractions At Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

The beginning of winter found me feeling torn between the sleepy comforts of home and the satisfying challenges of rugged wilderness camping. As usual, the mountains won. “I’m headed north on Highway 15 out of Silver City, New Mexico,” I had texted...