National Park Scouts

Meet Canyonlands National Park - one of the most remote and wild places in the lower 48 states. Today, we take an adventure though an unsolved mystery. There's a giant crater in Canyonlands, but how did it get there? Listen to the theories and decide for yourself! Join us as we look through the rock layers in Island of the Sky in this kids national parks podcast.

🎒Scout mission included! Experience our fun mission thats great ...

Colorado's official state animal is built for the impossible. From balancing on two inch wide ledges, jumping twenty feet between cliff faces, to their incredible head on collisions, we cover this bighorn sheep from head to foot. Did you know their horns grow their entire lives? Did you know their thundering battles can be heard from a mile away? Tune in to hear it!

Rocky Mountain National Park has 350 of these amazing animals ...

Think the Rocky Mountains are inhospitable? Think again. Meet the Pika: the alpine tundra’s most adorable and busiest resident. Today, we’re heading into the peaks to hear their cute little mountain eeeps and see their tiny hay piles in action. From freezing temperatures to relentless winds, we’re exploring how nature adapts to live where most wouldn’t dare. Grab your parka—it’s time to go above the clouds!

 🎒Scout mission included...

Let's drive the highway to the sky and thank the sick 14 year old from Kansas who fought for Rocky Mountain National Park. Yes, it's true. A teen arrived in Colorado, loved guiding hikes to the top of Long's Peak and worked tirelessly to preserve Rocky Mountain National Park. Join the adventure as we wind our way from the base of the mountain in the open forest up to the tippy top of the continent. We watch water flo...

Dramatic peaks, feet upon feet of snow, glaciers, alpine lakes, and an invisible line that divides the country. Stand with us on the Continental Divide and watch how the water flows to two different oceans. In this episode, we trace the thread of water. Through glaciers, this park is carved and molded. Melted snow run-off fills the lakes and streams that make this park beautiful. AND we talk about how the Colorado River, the river ...

Most famous resident of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park? The Black Bear. In this episode, we learn all about black bears. Find out how big they are, how fast they are, how SMART they are and... what they like to eat! There's lots of bear eating in this show, because hyperphagia is what bears are known for and comes before hibernation! Or do bears actually hibernate? You'll find out what they actually do and how tho...

Whats small and slimy and so so fun for kids to find? Salamanders of course! Listen to this episode on Great Smoky Mountains National Park and find out why so many different salamanders live here. Next, we meet two special salamanders. One thats really big with a ton of fun nicknames and one thats really small and has a special trick.

🎒Scout mission included! Find out our fun mission thats great for trips or the backyard with your ...

Could anything feel more like summer than fireflies? Listen in to learn how fireflies work, what makes synchronous fireflies so special, and where you can see them at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Did you know some fireflies are different colors? Some flash at different times, some make shapes while they flash! Are fireflies even a fly?

🎒Scout mission included! Tune in to find out our fun mission thats great for trips or...

Why are the Great Smoky Mountains National Park so smoky? And why is it the most visited park? Find out whats up with all that smoke, why this park has so many plants and animals, and five reasons this park is the most visited in the national park system. 

Need an idea of some fun places to visit that are great for kids and families? In the episode, I mention Laurel Falls, Kuwohi Dome, the Appalachian Trail & Newfound Gap, Cades...

What if thousands of bats were living right beneath your feet and you had no idea?

Pinnacles National Park is home to at least 14 species of bats, and some of them are hiding in places you'd never expect. In this episode, we meet the Townsend's big-eared bat. This bat has ears almost as long as its entire body! 

Find out why bats matter way more than most people realize. You'll learn how bats hunt using sound alone, wh...

What if the most important animals in a national park were so small you didn't even notice them?

Pinnacles National Park has nearly five hundred species of bees, more per acre than almost anywhere else on Earth. In this episode, we find out why so many bees call this one small park home, what happens when thousands of ladybugs blanket a rock in red and black, and we meet two bugs that live here and almost nowhere else in the wo...

 What would you do if there were only twenty-two left in the entire world?

The California condor is the largest flying land bird in North America. It has a super important job in nature that keeps the landscape healthy. Once this enormous bird owned the skies from British Columbia to Baja California, and then it almost disappeared forever. In this episode, we find out how the condor population crashed, why scientists made the risky ...

What happens when half a volcano slides 200 miles away and leaves crazy caves behind?

Welcome to Pinnacles National Park, one of the least-visited parks in America that is hiding some big surprises. In this episode, we explore how Pinnacles was born from an ancient volcano that split in two. You'll find out why these rocks don't match anything around them, what happens when giant boulders pile up, and why scientists had to...