These National Park Trails Come With a Dark History and a Ghost or Two
Halloween is next Saturday, and some national park trails come with their own ghost stories. At Mammoth Cave, rangers say they’ve run into Stephen Bishop, the enslaved guide who explored and mapped much of the cave in the 1800s, still making his rounds by lantern light. In Death Valley, a 10.5-mile road ends at Barker Ranch, the Manson Family’s last hideout.
Some of these legends are pure campfire material. Others carry a grim history. Either way, all nine make a better Halloween plan than another haunted house.
C A M P I N G
7 Haunted Campgrounds in the US for a Spooky Adventure Getaway
Photo: anatoliy_gleb/Shutterstock
A haunted hotel at least has locks on the doors. These seven campgrounds give you a tent flap and a ghost story, from reports of phantom gunfire near Maryland’s Antietam battlefield to Massachusetts’ Bridgewater Triangle, where the legends cover ghosts, UFOs, and Bigfoot.
N E W S
Say Hello to the 64th National Park
Arizona’s Chiricahua National Monument just got an upgrade: on Tuesday, it became America’s 64th national park, the first new one since 2020.
Hike among rock spires that started as ash from a volcanic eruption about 27 million years ago, then hardened and eroded into what’s known as the “Wonderland of Rocks.” It’s about two hours from Tucson, and entry is free.
W I L D L I F E
Are Wolves Worth the Cost? The American West’s New Wildlife Dilemma.
Photo: Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures/Josh Metten Photo
Wolves returned to Yellowstone in 1995 after being wiped out in the early 1900s, and today they bring in an estimated $82 million a year.
Suzie Dundas’ award-winning feature digs into who pays for that comeback, from the biologists who count every wolf to the people living alongside them.
G E A R
A Mountain Biker’s Guide to Protective Gear
Photo: Suzie Dundas
This guide isn’t just for hardcore riders. It’s a good place for beginners to start, too.
This list covers everything from knee pads to magnetic pedals that give you clip-in power without locking you to the bike in a crash.
S T A Y S
The 17 Best Key Largo Airbnbs for Couples, Families, and Groups
Photos: Airbnb
Key Largo is about an hour south of Miami, next to some of the best diving in the US, including Molasses Reef and the underwater Christ of the Abyss statue. These 17 Airbnbs, from waterfront condos with boat docks to homes with pools, keep you close to the dive shops and marinas.
Travel Well
The Matador Editorial Team
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