Here's Why People Still Live Inside These National Parks (From A Retired Ranger)

📕 Stay Found, my field guide for anyone who heads outdoors: what to carry, what to leave on the kitchen table, and what to do in the first hour if somebody doesn't come back → https://stayfoundbook.com Why do people still live inside America's national parks? A retired search and rescue ranger walks through five reasons, from a schoolteacher who would not sell under the Grand Teton to the families who still come home every summer to graves inside the park. I'm Cliff Hollis. Thirty-two seasons as a backcountry ranger in the mountain West, the last fifteen running search and rescue. These stories come from park histories, court records and the families' own words. WHO IS STILL THERE Reason 1. They were there first, and would not sell. - Geraldine Lucas, Grand Teton: never sold. Her ashes rest in a boulder at the edge of her meadow, now inside the park. - Wawona, Yosemite: private homes still stand. The last census counted 111 people. - Stehekin, Washington: about 80 people live there all year, with no road in. - Fannie Quigley, Kantishna, Denali: her house belongs to the park. Private lodges still run on old claims. Reason 2. A lifetime lease, with a clock in it. - The Walker sisters, Smokies: Louisa held on until 1964. The cabin stands empty at the end of a short trail. - Granny Henderson, Buffalo National River: sold in the end. Her cabin still stands along the river. - Point Reyes: twelve ranches shut down this April. Two ranch families are still in court. - Isle Royale: a handful of family permits, each one ending when its holder dies. Reason 3. The land was theirs before anybody was selling. - Timbisha Shoshone, Death Valley: 314 acres at Furnace Creek, inside the park, held in trust for the tribe. Reason 4. Written into federal law. - Kalaupapa, Molokai: the patients may remain as long as they wish. You can count those left on one hand. Reason 5. The dead stayed too. - Floyd Collins, Mammoth Cave: buried beside his family in the church cemetery. - North Shore, Fontana Lake: the Road to Nowhere still quits at a tunnel. The park still runs boats for decoration days. - Cataloochee: the reunion has come back every summer since 1937. Rules change, so check with the park before you visit any homesite or cemetery. And leave everything where it lies. CHAPTERS 00:00 Why people still live inside national parks 01:37 Reason 1: They were there first (Geraldine Lucas) 04:09 Wawona and Stehekin 04:45 Fannie Quigley and Kantishna 05:49 Reason 2: The lifetime lease (the Walker sisters) 07:40 Granny Henderson's cabin 08:52 Point Reyes: the ranches that ended this year 09:48 Isle Royale: the last permits 10:44 Reason 3: The Timbisha Shoshone of Death Valley 13:25 Reason 4: Kalaupapa 16:25 Reason 5: The dead stayed too (Floyd Collins) 17:47 Fontana Lake and the Road to Nowhere 20:53 Cataloochee: the man who stood up 21:29 The people were there first Stay found, folks. #NationalParks #ParkRanger #AmericanHistory