Winter is often a time when we hunker down, shield ourselves from the cold, and sleep off the dark evenings. But it can also be an ideal time to visit parks, once we find a little motivation to turn off Netflix, put on a coat and venture outside.

In this episode, host Jennifer Errick turns to some of her favorite outdoor enthusiasts — her colleagues at the National Parks Conservation Association — for inspiration on where they love to travel in winter. She speaks with Michael Jamison, campaign director for NPCA's Northern Rockies Regional Office, on skating wild ice and finding meditative bliss on rigorous mountain climbs; Theresa Pierno, president and CEO, on the joys of toasting Yellowstone at negative-20 degrees; Miché Lozano, Arizona program manager, on the heritage area that changed their life and career; Cassidy Jones, senior outreach and engagement manager, on the romantic challenge that cleared up a misconception at Acadia National Park; and John Adornato on one of the most remote and idyllic stargazing excursions on the East Coast and how to plan a trip there.

This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton, Vanessa Pius and Linda Coutant.

Original theme music by Chad Fischer.

Special thanks to the staff who contributed their stories, including Southern Appalachian Director Jeff Hunter, whose story we ultimately did not include.

Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org

The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.

Learn more and join us at npca.org