Park Ranger: True Stories from a Ranger's Career in America's National Parks

by Nancy Eileen Muleady-Mecham

What Park Rangers really have to deal with in any given day and how training, stamina and attitude make all the difference. Theis book could almost be a reference manual, training tool and recruitment handbook for any one interested in wearing a Smoky Bear hat. The author has lived and worked in parks ranging from USS Arizona in Hawaii to the Florida Everglades with most of her career at Grand Canyon.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Adventure

244 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2004

Reviews

[Carianne Carleo-Evangelist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spotted this book at the Denali bookstore in August and it looked interesting. Managed to lose track of it until November but when I found it again, it was a quick read. Rangers wear a lot of hats, especially this ranger who has spent time working in the Grand Canyon, Death Valley among others. In addition to her stories, she shared those of other rangers. It started out stronger and toward the end some of the stories got into the minutiae of "I performed this medical procedure this way" "I put on my turnout clothes that way" but overall an interesting read. This was pre cell phone days and I wonder how some of the stories - especially fellow ranger Nancy's - would have differed if she were to experience them now.

[Mpcheek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this kind of all encompassing ranger is an endangered species. In a matter of years, extinct. Makes me sad. We used to be trained and good at so many aspects of the job. Now, you really don’t have to be trained in anything when you start. It’s a bit scary. Many people, over the years, have told me to “write a book”. This woman did and I’m sure she could write many more. New Rangers won’t be able to write a book like this. Times have changed and in my opinion, not for the better. Memories of what the agency used to be.

[Dante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Intense. You think stories from a park ranger would involve cute anecdotes about children's curiosity or silly animal behavior. Not this one. It is a no-nonsense collection from this lady ranger who no doubt could pull my head off with one hand. Bloody and freaky, rife with drunks and psychotic behavior. Solid and informative.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. Each chapter is really a story in itself, all from the author's experiences working in the U.S. National Park Service as a park ranger, emergency medical technician, firefighter, etc.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

More short stories! Easy to read, commical and serious at times.

[Russ · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a number of books written by rangers, but this is one of the best collection of ranger stories out there. This woman is tough, and she stays calm under the most daunting of circumstances. The epilogues at the end of some chapters were great, and really helped you know the rest of the story when possible. Some were poignant and intense and I needed a short break after finishing a chapter. The phone call with her dad, whew. They guy who probably got away with murdering his girlfriend, dang. The man she almost had to shoot, tough. Story after story, you just don't want to put this book down. If you don't like stories of EMT's, this book might not be your thing, but if you like good, real life stories that you don't get to hear from your regular circle of friends, then this book is one fine read.

[Roy McCullough · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you think being a park ranger is all about hiking beautiful trails, enjoying spectacular vistas, and breathing in fresh mountain air, this book will quickly disabuse you of such notions. The author recounts her experience as a Protection Ranger in a number of National Parks (with the bulk of the book detailing her service at the Grand Canyon) This experience consisted of handling countless medical emergencies, subduing armed and dangerous drunks, firefighting, responding to plane crashes, engaging in dangerous technical rescues, and dealing with the horrific consequences when careless visitors fall from great heights. While the book presents the reader with a rather grim litany of tragedies, it is still a good and informative read.

[Aj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the thorough procedural explanations of everything the author did, all of the training that she accomplished and how it helped in the context of the stories she tells.

I didn't find there was much of a theme tying the book together like I found in Ranger Confidential: Living, Working, and Dying in the National Parks.

[Steve Bera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of short stories. They are heavily weighted with medical information which was very interesting. Most of the stories were dramatic. I finished this book in record time. I recommend it.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for new rangers... interesting stories and good advice about how to handle different situations.

[Rory Eisele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Some unbelievable stories from a long career. Author is a bada$$. Thank you for your service, Nancy.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read about the training and the calls they make.

[Noah Hartzell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good! She went way into detail on certain things but overall the story telling was phenomenal

[Grace Becken · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book, found it so interesting as someone potentially interested in being a park ranger/emt. really well written and deep

[Scott Foshee · Rating 4 out of 5]

After hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim I bought Park Ranger at the North Rim Lodge along with Andrea Lankford's Ranger Confidential. I liked Park Ranger more than Ranger Confidential because it concentrates on the stories of the daily life of a park ranger more than being a cynical indictment of the service and the visitors to the parks. Ranger Nancy Muleady-Mecham tells it like it is without forgetting that the National Parks are meant to be visited and experienced responsibly by the people who pay for them.

Many will be surprised about exactly what a National Park ranger actually does. Yes they wear the iconic hats and give nature talks to curious visitors, but they also serve as paramedics, firefighters, law enforcement, rescue personnel, and whatever else may be needed at a moment's notice in their often remote back country outposts. The author describes the exhilaration of doing short-haul rescues dangling from a helicopter headed over the lip of the Grand Canyon. She makes arrests, gets shot at, transports prisoners to jail, and gets her car totaled by an elk all in the same night. She investigates mysterious deaths, treats broken limbs, makes Colorado River rescues, and much more.

My only problem with the book is that it has several grammatical errors and could have been written better. Overall, however, Park Ranger is an informative, exciting read. It should be required reading for EMTs, paramedics, and anyone thinking about working in America's National Parks.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories are fantastic, but the writing isn't. Some of the stories are little more than incident reports with unnecessary definitions added in. Does anyone really need EMT defined? And other terms are defined repeatedly. There is a glossary. Instead of having the cumbersome definitions in the text, (many for common abbreviations that the average reader already knows), the author could have used an asterisk to point those who need it to the glossary.

The stories really are amazing! But I gave the book 3 stars, because it really could use some editing. The stories seem disconnected from one another. No sense to the order. Jumps around from park to park and back again. The writing is often stiff. Muleady-Mecham has some incredible stories to tell, but she isn't a writer.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea that a park ranger could be a medic, a helicopter pilot, a swiftwater rescue person, a law enforcement officer and a firefighter all in one. Nancy Muleady-Mecham is just that. She has been assigned to various national parks in the US and these are the stories of her adventures. Some of the things that have happened to her are beyond belief. The only slightly annoying quality in her writing is constantly throwing in acronyms. She explains what JVDs are (jugular venous distension) and explains it quite well so I don't see the purpose in adding (JVD) after the explanation! Other than the acronyms--and I got used to that--I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to see behind the scenes in our national parks.

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting a book about living and working in the woods, but apparently I’ve romanticized the life of a park ranger. These stories are mostly about arrests and medical procedures, with a healthy dose of emergency rescues and firefighting. I may need to rethink my dream of working for the park service when I retire.

Clearly the author is a formidable woman, but her writing leaves more than a little to be desired. For the most part, the book reads like a case report - technical and dry, even when describing emotions. The stories are interesting enough, but are in need of some very serious editing.

[Chris Seals · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for more Grand Canyon stories when I bought this one, and I found the author's experiences of being a Ranger in the other National Parks fascinating too. Nancy's writing style is not as engaging as some authors, but the stories themselves are fantastic. I am in awe of the work that Park Rangers do, they are truly unknown heroes. I would love to sit at a campfire and hear their tales. I loaned this book to my hiking girlfriends and they all loved it too.

[Todd Kruse · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an outdoors enthusiast who loved the time I spent living in Arizona hiking the mountains I really enjoyed her stories. The most educational part of the book was the new appreciation I have for park rangers given the wide range of professions/roles they are trained for - paramedic, naturalist, law enforcement officer, search and rescue, etc. At some level I regretted not pursuing such a career.

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The stories were intense. I bought this book while at the Grand Canyon. Many of the stories took place there and it was fun to recognize and to have been to some of the places she talked about.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. This author details the medical procedures. Her writing teaches the reader and I learned a bit more about emergency situations, how best to survive unexpected events, and maybe even help others in a tight spot.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I love the crazy stories about what Park Rangers encounter and have to deal with. This book most of the stories take place in the Grand Canyon and so it felt similar to a previous Ranger book I had read. Still interesting, but at times the story gets bogged down in medical details.

[Bekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome book, and a great read since each chapter is it's own complete story. loved it!

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Planning to read on my Yellowstone trip.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, quick read about a National Park Service ranger's experiences. Deals mostly with medical rescues.

[Patricia]

Doc Nancy is my granddaughter's EMT teacher and she loaned me this book. Pretty astonishing to read about the responsibilities and adventures of Park Protective Rangers. Doc Nancy has done it all, from fire abatement to law enforcement to emergency medical care. I found many of the stories to be full of tension like a mystery. At the same time that had a lot of factual information related to medical treatment. In many ways, I think this would make a great supplemental text book for EMT training.