MYSTERIOUS: 5 | Mind Blowing Facts

In A Hidden Hawaiʻi Gulch, A Wartime Secret Opens To The Public

The National Park Service has opened Honouliuli, a former internment camp in Hawaii, to the public for the first time

The Independent UK · Aug 14

Small businesses at the gateways to America’s national parks face 4 big risks – including changing boundaries and extreme weather

A record 332 million people visited U.S. national parks in 2024, followed by roughly 323 million in 2025.

The Conversation · Aug 14

Batman would have a field day at this under-seige National Park

One even got caught in a woman’s hair last weekend, says the National Park Service

The Independent UK · Aug 13

Trump’s pet DC golf project is literally sinking into the Potomac

‘Are they completely ignoring the landscape here?’ wonders Ed Stierli of the National Parks Conservation Association

The Independent UK · Aug 12

Miami-Dade Regains Control of 'Alligator Alcatraz' Site, Opening Door to Everglades Restoration

Miami-Dade County has officially regained control of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, ending the state of Florida's temporary use of the remote Everglades property as the immigration detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz."

Latin Times · Aug 12

A hidden wonder in Yosemite was disappearing for more than 100 years, in 2023, a massive restoration began filling a 3.5-mile erosion gully with 162,000 cubic yards of soil and woodchips, restoring 94 acres of lost wetlands

In the heart of Yosemite National Park, where granite cliffs rise above ancient forests and waterfalls cascade into deep valleys, lies a quieter kind of wonder: Ackerson Meadow. One of the largest mid-elevation meadows in the Sierra Nevada, and the largest in Yosemite, it is a place of stillness, wildlife…

The Times of India · Aug 12

In 1977, California removed the last herbivores from San Miguel Island after years of overgrazing. Decades later, the barren landscape produced a stunning ecological comeback, transforming into an island covered with native vegetation

San Miguel Island tells a powerful conservation story. Once called a “barren lump of sand,” the 9,500-acre California island suffered more than a century of sheep grazing and erosion. By 1966, the last 148 sheep were removed. Feral burros followed in 1977. Since then, native plants have spread across the…

The Economic Times · Aug 11

In the 1930s, two New York properties stood in Rockefeller Centre’s path; 30 Rockefeller Plaza was built around them, leaving permanent notches in the design

The construction of the Rockefeller Centre faced unexpected hurdles due to two small properties that were not acquired—Hurley's pub and John F. Maxwell's store. To integrate these holdouts, architects designed unique notches in the RCA Building, showcasing how property rights can shape urban environments. This blend of the original vision…

The Times of India · Aug 11

California built Shasta Dam in the 1940s, but the project flooded Kennett, a copper-mining town that now lies beneath Lake Shasta

Once a bustling northern California mining hub, Kennett was swallowed by the depths of Shasta Lake following the construction of the Shasta Dam. This ambitious federal project aimed at water management inundated the town, which thrived on copper mining and railroads. Today, only historical accounts and the lake itself hint…

The Times of India · Aug 11

A ghost town disappeared beneath 60 feet of water after Hoover Dam was built; Lake Mead’s decline is bringing it back to life

A submerged ghost town named St. Thomas is reappearing as Lake Mead's water levels drop. This former Mormon settlement was flooded after the Hoover Dam's construction decades ago. Visitors can now walk through the revealed streets and building foundations of the old community. The town's reappearance highlights the severe drought…

The Economic Times · Aug 10