Tezels on the Road
We’re Mark and Alicia Tezel, and we like to see how far a road goes. Sometimes it ends at a trailhead in Big Bend, sometimes at a cruise port in the Caribbean, sometimes at a diner in a town we’d never heard of. This is where we share what we find: park stories and trail guides from Ranger PamPaw, and travel notes from wherever we’re headed next.
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RANGER PAMPAW™
Stories, wisdom, and trail knowledge from a lifetime in America’s National Parks.
35 years. 200+ park units. One ranger who never stopped exploring.
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Ranger PamPaw’s Park Report
A short weekly look at what’s happening across the National Park System, from a retired NPS employee who worked inside it. Three stories told straight, then perspective from the ranger’s chair, with news and opinion kept separate so you always know which one you’re hearing.
Visit the Park Report ▶ Listen to the Latest ▶ Watch the TrailerWant more? Park Report Extra arrives by email every Wednesday at noon. Subscribe free
S1E10 — Why I’d Do It All Again: A Ranger’s Final Reflection
Closing out Season 1 with an honest look back — 35 years in the National Park Service, the moments that mattered, and why, given the chance, the answer is still yes.
Season 2 returns in early 2027.
Watch the Finale All EpisodesWhat Ranger PamPaw Offers
Park stories, trail knowledge, and ranger wisdom — built from a career spent in the places you’re planning to visit.
Park Report
A ten-minute weekly look at news from across the National Park System, with a ranger’s perspective kept separate from the facts.
Hear This Week’s Report →The Podcast
Park stories, ranger wisdom, and behind-the-scenes insight from 35 years in the National Park Service. Season 2 returns in early 2027.
Catch Up on Season 1 →Park & Trail Guides
In-depth guides written from experience — history, planning, trails, and what the brochures leave out.
Browse the Guides →First Encounters
Every park deserves a first visit. Watch us experience iconic and overlooked park units for the very first time.
Watch the Series →Tuesdays on the Trail
One trail at a time — distance, difficulty, highlights, and the story behind the path.
Watch & Hike →Join the Ranger Circle
Go deeper with Ranger PamPaw. Members get seasonal park picks, planning tools, exclusive content, and a shop discount — all built around the parks you love.
See Membership OptionsFresh from the Trail
Our most recent guides, episodes, and trail adventures.
Grand Teton National Park – Ranger PamPaw’s Guide
October 11, 2026
The Tetons rise straight out of Jackson Hole with no foothills, a wall of rock and snow above glacial lakes and the winding Snake River. Explore Jackson Lake,…
Read more →Yosemite National Park
October 2, 2026
Yosemite is three places in one: the rim at Glacier Point, the granite valley, and the open meadows of the high country. Ranger PamPaw's Guide to Yosemite National…
Read more →Badlands National Park
September 20, 2026
Ranger PamPaw’s Guide Badlands National Park Interior, South Dakota ⬇ Download the PDF Guide A Note from Ranger PamPaw “We came in February. Most people will tell you…
Read more →Gold Rush Cemetery & Lower Reid Falls
September 18, 2026
Ranger PamPaw’s Trail Guide to the Gold Rush Cemetery & Lower Reid Falls trail in Skagway, Alaska. To access this post, you must purchase Trail Friend Membership.
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Field guides written from experience, planning checklists built for real trips, and gear that shows where your heart is. Take the parks home with you.
Visit the Trading PostNow Exploring: 2026
Southern Caribbean, Big Bend, Chicago, Virginia/Maryland/DC and wherever the road takes us next.
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