The Ranger PamPaw Podcast
Stories, perspective, and park wisdom from a lifetime in the National Parks
Ranger PamPaw Podcast is a podcast from Tezels on the Road about America’s national parks, the stories they hold, and what a lifetime of experience inside the National Park Service can teach us about the places we share.
Hosted by Mark Tezel—known to his grandkids as Ranger PamPaw—the show reflects a transition from active service to reflection, storytelling, and legacy. After nearly four decades with the National Park Service, Mark brings a personal, ranger-honest perspective shaped by years as an interpreter, supervisor, trainer, and servicewide support professional working with parks across the entire National Park System.
Each episode blends park news and context, behind-the-scenes insights, thoughtful storytelling, and practical visitor advice grounded in real experience. Instead of focusing on hype or checklists, Ranger PamPaw Podcast explores why national parks matter—as shared civic spaces shaped by history, stewardship, and people.
This podcast is for park lovers, travelers, history enthusiasts, and anyone curious about how national parks actually work. The tone is conversational, reflective, and earned—the voice of a ranger who has stepped out of the uniform but continues to care deeply about the places it represents.
The Ranger PamPaw Podcast
A Lifetime in the National Parks
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In Episode 2 of the Ranger PamPaw Podcast, Mark Tezel (Ranger PamPaw) shares how a lifetime connected to America’s national parks changes the way you see them—and the responsibility that comes with that perspective.
This episode is story‑forward (not a résumé): from growing up around the San Antonio Missions to serving in the National Park Service, traveling across the system, and discovering how ‘deep time’ reshapes what matters.
In this episode:
• 01:16 - Before the Uniform
• 03:17 - Entering the National Park Service
• 05:03 - Seeing More of the System
• 07:24 - How Perspective Changes Over Time
• 12:53 - What Parks Teach Us
• 18:11 - Coming Up
Ask a question for a future episode: rangerpampaw@tezelsontheroad.com
Podcast hub + resources: https://www.tezelsontheroad.com/rangerpampaw/
#RangerPamPawPodcast #NationalParks #ParkRanger #PublicLands
Thanks for joining me on the trail today.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who loves our national parks as much as you do.
If you have a question, a story, or a park memory you’d like to share, I’d love to hear from you.
Visit www.tezelsontheroad.com/rangerpampaw or email me at rangerpampaw@tezelsontheroad.com.
Thanks for walking the trail with me.
I’ll see you in the park.
