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A large rockfall has closed the Big Oak Flat Road in Yosemite National Park. It occurred at about 11:30PM on Sunday evening, the 22nd of January. There is no known timeframe for the road to reopen, as it is a rather large obstruction. This means that it is impossible to access the park via CA-120. Entrance is still possible via CA-140 or CA-41.

The National Park Service released the 2011 visitation numbers for Yellowstone National Park, and the total came in at 3,394,321. That's the second highest annual total ever recorded for the park. It comes in second to the previous year, 2010, when 3,640,184 people came to the park. The top 4 totals have occurred in the past 5 years. While travel in general is down due to the economy, the splendor of Yellowstone continues to draw millions of people from all over the world.

The entrance fee to Mesa Verde National Park is being waived through March 3rd. According to the park superintendent, this is being done to encourage visitors to come to the park while visitation is lower. So, if you plan to be in the area, stop by and visit this fascinating park for free.

The man suspected of fatally shooting Ranger Margaret Anderson was found dead in Mount Rainier National Park today. The body was found lying face down in the Narada Falls area. He has been identified as Benjamin Colton Barnes. The discovery ends the short closure of the park, enacted to protect park visitors and employees.

There is some very sad news to report from Mount Rainier National Park, as today ranger Margaret Anderson, 34 years old, was shot and killed in the line of duty. She had set up a roadblock to attempt to stop a vehicle that had refused to pull over. The driver apparently got out of the vehicle and shot her, then fled into the woods. The shooter is still at large, and visitors in the Paradise area, along with area employees, are on lockdown at the Jackson Visitor Center. Our heart goes out to the family and friends of Ranger Anderson, and the park as a whole.

A change to the way Denali National Park collects entrance fees will go into effect on January 1, 2012. Right now, the park collects either a $10 per person fee or a $20 per vehicle fee. This has always been confusing, since the park does not have an entrance station and collects the fee at the Wilderness Access Center instead. The park has decided to eliminate the vehicle option entirely, and simply collect the $10 per person fee from each visitor 16 or older. As before, this fee is good for a period of one week.

The National Park Service has announced that Furnace Creek Campground in Death Valley National Park will close on February 1, 2012. The closure is necessary to replace the water and sewer lines in the park, which are frequently breaking right now. The work is expected to take several months to complete. This is a significant closure, since Furnace Creek is a very popular campground in the winter months. It will likely put more pressure on the other campgrounds in this area of the park, so those planning to camp after the closure occurs should probably arrive a little earlier to be sure of claiming a site in one of the other campgrounds. Those who already have reservations at Furnace Creek will be relocated to Texas Springs and Sunset Campgrounds.