Send a Ranger

Send a Ranger: My Life Serving the National Parks is the story of one park ranger’s journey from Gettysburg to Denali and back, raising a family, contending with bears, and rescuing hikers, in four national parks over more than 30 years. Interspersed with real-time journal entries, these reflective, engaging, stories illustrate the real life of a national park ranger.

Tom Habecker’s 32-year career in the National Park Service brought him to some of America’s most beloved scenic and historical sites as he took on the iconic role of a National Park Ranger. He began learning the ropes as an intern at Gettysburg National Military Park, and after earning his degree in park administration, worked as an urban ranger at National Capitol Parks.

After a four-year stint in the US Coast Guard, he moved with his wife Donna to Yosemite National Park, California. His experiences there, from rowdy campers, to mischievous bears, to providing emergency medical caring for sick and injured persons, formed the foundation for the rest of his career.

He also had the unique experience of raising a family in the national parks. After 11 years in Yosemite, he moved with his wife and young daughters to Glacier National Park, Montana, where he served as the Lake McDonald subdistrict ranger.

In 1990, Tom realized a life-long dream when he and his family moved to Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska. For the next fifteen years, Tom oversaw protection operations in the four-million-acre North District. After a lifetime of adventure and unforgettable experiences, he retired in 2005.

Tom has written short stories for Backpacker magazine and a feature story for the NPS Centennial book The Wonder of it All.

He and Donna live in their dream home near Bozeman, Montana.