THE CAMPBROOD TRAIL REPORT
From The Field
We’ve visited Glacier National Park, and as we wait for the park to fully open we fear the reality on the ground is changing. While we hiked the Highline Trail, we saw hard it might be for limited first responders to reach hikers in need. With a proposed $736 million cut to the National Park Service—a 25% hit to operations—the parks your family loves are at a crossroads. Here’s the unfiltered report on what’s happening and how to protect your summer plans.
THE GEAR LOCKER
Kilauea
Hawaii Volcanoes Nat’l Park
If visiting Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is on your bucket list — this is your sign to pay attention. Kīlauea just wrapped up its 45th episode of lava fountaining inside Halemaʻumaʻu Crater. The USGS confirms all lava flows stayed within the crater, but volcanic haze — what scientists call vog — has been affecting air quality across the Big Island. If you have young kids, or anyone in your family with asthma or breathing concerns, you need to check current air quality conditions before you book. That said, witnessing an active eruption from a safe viewing area inside a national park is genuinely one of the most spectacular things you can do in America's national parks.
Isle Royale Nat’l Park
over at Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior, researchers just released their annual survey — and the numbers are striking. Both moose and wolf populations saw dramatic swings this year with the wolf population growing and the moose population declining. Isle Royale located above Michigan’s upper peninsula is one of the most isolated parks in the country — you can only get there by ferry or seaplane — and it's home to the longest continuously running predator-prey study in the world. This is one park I can’t wait to visit because Wolves keep the moose population in check, which keeps the forest vegetation healthy. When that balance shifts, the whole ecosystem feels it. There is no visitor impact to the least visited National Park right now. But it's a reminder of how much science is quietly happening in our national parks that never makes the headlines
Vermont Wildfires
Did you know a 54-Acre Wildfire Hits Green Mountain National Forest, Vermont The fire broke out this week near Middlebury and Ripton in Vermont's Green Mountain National Forest. North Branch Road was temporarily closed but reopened after crews got it under control. Wildfire season is starting earlier this year — and our national forests and parks are bearing the brunt of it. If you have any spring trips planned to parks in New England or the Northeast, check recreation.gov for current road and trail closures before you load up the RV. It takes two minutes and can save your whole trip.
What You Can Do Next
Even though the Federal Government could reduce the National Park Budget here are 3 things you can do to positively impact the National Parks and your family.
Iceberg Lake
Plan for 2026 before conditions deteriorate
Avalanche Lake
Buy an America The Beautiful Pass to fund park operations
Moose @ Fishercap Lake
Stay Educated - Follow CampBrood and continue learning
A Final Note
"The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value."
— Theodore Roosevelt
See You On the Trail
The CampBrood Team