Saturday, September 30, 2023

MENU

Nature

Nature: Tiny toad has hardened toe, can burrow 15 feet deep

Hurricane Hilary and the regular monsoons brought a lot of moisture recently to remote Great Basin National Park in Nevada. The Great Basin Spadefoot...

Can the Woolly Bear Caterpillar predict winter weather?

Will this Woolly Bear Caterpillar see its shadow, like Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania? Some say the caterpillar can predict winter...

Be warned: Don’t mess with elk in Yellowstone right now

It's elk mating season in Yellowstone National Park right now, and that means you should stay clear of these fellows or risk a trip...

Guess the creature: Have you seen this animal in the wild?

Can you identify this animal? Here's a hint: it lives in a very popular national park. Okay, so that doesn't help. Then we'll tell...

Watch for ‘Trash Badgers’ in Arizona State Parks

Arizona’s wildlife species are as varied as the habitats they call home. From the low cactus studded flats of the Sonoran Desert to the...

Dinosaur exhibits unveiled at National Monument in Arizona

By David Hercher  BLM Paria River District, Utah After many years of preparation by volunteers in the Bureau of Land Management's Paleo lab in Kanab, Utah,...

RVers’ guide to surviving a Mormon cricket invasion

You have probably read the headlines concerning the Mormon crickets overwhelming sections of eastern Nevada. They are invading buildings, covering roads to the point...

It’s summer. Beware of rattlesnakes

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is sharing important information to keep you, your family and your pets safe from rattlesnakes. Recently, an 11-year-old boy was...

Cannibalistic insects swarming town along I-80 eating everything in their path, including their own kind

You have never seen anything like this. Swarms of red-colored Mormon crickets crawling en masse, eating everything they come upon, including the ranchers' crops....

Rare wolverine spotted in northern Calif. Keep an eye out

Keep your eyes open (and your camera handy) if you're RVing in the Sierra Mountains in Northern California now. Multiple sightings of what is...

Video catches bear breaking into pickup truck

Here's a reminder to always lock the door of your car or RV when you are away. In cities and other areas where humans...

As wildlife moves into urban areas, people and pets at greater risk

My recent post about the one-year anniversary of the Marshall fire in Colorado cited a U.S. Fire Administration report, issued last June, that raised the alarm...

Re-wilding: Becoming curious about the big, wide world

After many years of living smack-dab in the center of New York City, I returned to the beautiful Pacific Northwest and settled back into...

National Park Service: ‘Do not lick the toads to get high!’

Licking toads? It’s true. The National Park Service recently warned visitors not to lick the Sonoran Desert Toad. The toad, also known as the...

This is the time of day you’re most likely to hit a deer

It’s a nice evening. Not much traffic on the road. You are a bit tired after a long drive and looking forward to that...

It’s spider season. Know which dangerous spiders to avoid across the U.S.

When you’re outside exploring, there’s always a chance that something will bite you. It might be a mosquito. Or a horsefly. Possibly ants. Or...

Fall migration is for the birds… but why?

I heard them before I saw them, of course. Their distinctive honk-honk-honk alerts me that fall is here and winter is not far behind....

See wildlife up ahead? Great! Here are some tips for safely observing wildlife

You’ve probably seen it: The video of a guy being chased by an elk, the family approaching a bear cub, or the gal trying...

Ways to “winterize” the plants in your RV

My grandma was an expert gardener. She also had a very green thumb when it came to house plants. Come fall each year, she’d...

Why coyotes pose a threat to your pet in campgrounds

National parks require pets to be leashed to protect the local wildlife. But where coyotes roam it's the pets that need protection. As in...

Roadside Geology: The Missoula Floods and the wonders of North Idaho

An RVer traveling on US-95 in Northern Idaho from the town of Athol to Sandpoint, or eastbound on State Highway 200 near Clark Fork,...

Spot a moose at the 12th annual Grand Mesa Moose Day

Did you know moose can run up to 35 miles per hour and are excellent swimmers? Or that a bull moose's antlers can grow...

RVers, these poisonous plants could be lurking nearby. Look out!

With all of nature’s beauty, it has a nasty side. Along with the myriad of beautiful plants come a few of which you should...

These easy-care plants will help purify the air in your RV

Certain pollutants may be released inside your RV. If you have the room, you can minimize the presence of these with a good air...

This man’s injury is proof you don’t want to camp near a hawk’s nest

When you are camping on their land, nesting animals, including hawks and other birds, view humans as predators, making attacks much more possible. With the...

New Canadian prescriptions will interest RVers everywhere

Doctors in Canada are now prescribing what some physicians claim should join the ranks of the other well-known pillars of health (sleep, exercise, and...

Wyoming seeing plenty of grizzlies and cubs. Get your cameras, but stay back!

Grizzly bears with cubs have begun emerging from their dens in Teton County, Wyoming. As bears become active this spring, Bear Wise Wyoming reminds...

The sad truth why the American bumble bee is disappearing

What do the ecosystems of Maine, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Idaho, North Dakota, Wyoming and Oregon have in common? The American bumble bee...

California’s wildflower season off to dry start on some BLM lands

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) advises wildflower enthusiasts to plan ahead. California's wildflower season is struggling after rainfall is at historic lows and...

Whale watching ramping up along Oregon Coast

RV snowbirds aren't the only ones migrating north this time of year. The spring gray whale migration is underway now, too, and Oregon State...

Be tick aware: The three types of ticks most likely to bite you

On occasion you have to walk through some tall grasses just to get to your destination, and therein lies a problem. Ticks, those nasty,...

The world’s largest tree is being eaten alive

Located in the Wasatch Mountains on Utah Route 25 lives a stand of quaking aspens, Utah’s state tree. Nicknamed Pando (Latin for "I spread"),...

Have you ever been lost for 5,000 miles? This Steller’s sea eagle has!

Have you ever gotten lost? Did you follow that GPS through a wrong turn? If so, did you wind up 5,000 miles from home?...

This wonderful place in Arizona is a bucket list destination for animal lovers

If you love animals and nature, you must visit the Salt River Wild Horse Sanctuary in the Tonto National Forest near Phoenix, Arizona. It's...

Keep your feathered friends safe. Here’s what NOT to feed the birds

Many foods are toxic to feeder birds. If you want to keep them coming back, do not kill them with bad foods. Birds visit...

Here are the best “Dark Sky Parks” to stargaze in the U.S.

When we lived in Alaska, I did not see the Northern Lights until December that first year.  Not because they did not exist, but...

What bird is that? Follow these steps for easy bird identification

So, you left home a week ago and finally arrived at your destination. As you sit outside taking in the surroundings, a bird flitters...

Come upon a moose? Keep your distance to avoid trouble

Moose have become a more regular sight within town limits in Silverton and other towns and areas of southwest Colorado. They inhabit other states...

Wildlife safety: Your dog(s) can harm wildlife and natural habitats

It is a wonderful image – a dog running freely in the woods with his human strolling the path, both free to enjoy the nature...

80% of RVtravel.com readers enjoy birdwatching. You’ll enjoy Project FeederWatch

Looking for a project that gets you involved in nature? If you're one of the 80 percent of RVtravel.com readers who enjoys birdwatching, you...

There’s more to these common U.S. birds than you think (can you guess which is the most common?)

It really does not matter where you park that RV, there will be birds. Birds of different sizes, different colors, different calls, and different...

18 things to know about avoiding collisions with an animal while driving

It might be as big as a moose or as small as a mouse. No matter where you’re going, be ready. Ready for the...

Goose gripes: Get ’em out of my campsite!

I like Canada, I just don’t care much for their geese! I understand that Canada geese are unique in many respects: They mate for...

Got a bad travel itch? How to deal with poison ivy

By Russ and Tiña De Maris “Happiness,” wrote the poet Ogden Nash, “is having a scratch for every itch.” We daresay Nash never ran into...

Bird nest blues: It’s illegal to move a bird’s nest – even if it’s on your RV!

An RV neighbor of ours has been engaged in a bird battle for more than a week. It seems a robin has its sights...

Shameful vandalism, trash, human waste at all-time high in recreation areas

According to a TIME magazine article published last July, one mounting reason the National Park Service closed a significant percentage of its parks in...

Traveler warning: Dangerous squirrels rampant in Grand Canyon

By James Raia Besides the usual common sense safety and wildlife guidelines, now there's an increased alert for nature visitors – the finger-eating squirrels of...

Amazing Nature: Meet the Football Fish!

Last Friday morning, May 7, an incredible deep-sea fish washed up on shore in Southern California's Crystal Cove State Park’s Marine Protected Area (MPA)....

The Wild Side: Getting closer to critters is easy for RV travelers

Relaxing at the edge of a sparkling trout stream, I caught movement on the far bank. The undulating form quickly became an otter, in...

‘Tis the season for tick talk

By Kate Doherty Soon school will be out and families will be ready to break out – visiting parks, going hiking and camping in heavily...

Sign up for the

RVtravel Newsletter

Sign up and receive 3 FREE RV Checklists: Set-Up, Take-Down and Packing List.

FREE