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The Atlas Obscura (Audio) Guide to the National Parks
This week on the Atlas Obscura Podcast, we’re hitting the road and heading to the national parks. Along the way, we discover hidden gems beyond the obvious tourist spots, as well as stories and histories that deepen our connection with these wonders in our backyard. Take a Walk, Find a New Species We begin the week in Big Bend National Park in Texas. When a volunteer came across an odd-looking "furry" flower on a walk, she uploaded a photo to a citizen science app and went on her merry way. But the photo caused quite a stir – as it turns out, this volunteer had accidentally discovered an entirely new species. Yellowstone’s Zone of Death Next, we visit a 50-square-mile patch of Yellowstone National Park, which might just be the perfect place to commit a crime. It’s called the Zone of Death, and it begs the question: Can a legal loophole make it possible to get away with murder? Montezuma Well We continue our journey to Arizona, where we visit a national monument called Montezuma Well. For years, this mysterious sinkhole has befuddled an exclusive group of divers who’ve gotten a glimpse of a strange world at its sandy bottom. National Park After Dark: Allaghash Wilderness Next, we take a look at the lesser-known macabre side of the national parks system – because there’s a hidden side to nearly everything, including places we revere. We join forces with the podcast National Park After Dark to hear a story about an out-of-this-world incident that occurred deep in the Northwoods of Maine. The Discovery Tree Finally, we end our journey in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, where we visit the remains of the Discovery Tree. It’s one of California’s longest-running tourist attractions: A giant stump that helped spark the movement to preserve the state’s natural places.
This week on the Atlas Obscura Podcast, we’re hitting the road and heading to the national parks. Along the way, we discover hidden gems beyond the obvious tourist spots, as well as stories and histories that deepen our connection with these wonders in our backyard.
Take a Walk, Find a New Species
We begin the week in Big Bend National Park in Texas. When a volunteer came across an odd-looking "furry" flower on a walk, she uploaded a photo to a citizen science app and went on her merry way. But the photo caused quite a stir – as it turns out, this volunteer had accidentally discovered an entirely new species.
Yellowstone’s Zone of Death
Next, we visit a 50-square-mile patch of Yellowstone National Park, which might just be the perfect place to commit a crime. It’s called the Zone of Death, and it begs the question: Can a legal loophole make it possible to get away with murder?
Montezuma Well
We continue our journey to Arizona, where we visit a national monument called Montezuma Well. For years, this mysterious sinkhole has befuddled an exclusive group of divers who’ve gotten a glimpse of a strange world at its sandy bottom.
National Park After Dark: Allaghash Wilderness
Next, we take a look at the lesser-known macabre side of the national parks system – because there’s a hidden side to nearly everything, including places we revere. We join forces with the podcast National Park After Dark to hear a story about an out-of-this-world incident that occurred deep in the Northwoods of Maine.
The Discovery Tree
Finally, we end our journey in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, where we visit the remains of the Discovery Tree. It’s one of California’s longest-running tourist attractions: A giant stump that helped spark the movement to preserve the state’s natural places.
