Wanted: National Natural Landmarks Photos

RVers traveling the country in search of unique places to explore could be in a perfect position for the National Park Service's newest contest.

Their new National Natural Landmarks photo contest could be a perfect fit with your RV Lifestyle.

“We’re in search of images that capture our nation’s diverse and scenic natural features,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis. “The contest is an opportunity to learn about these nationally significant natural features and share the experience through photography.”

Winning photographs will be featured in the 50th Anniversary Commemorative National Natural Landmarks calendar. The National Park Service’s National Natural Landmarks Program recognizes significant examples of biological and geological features and supports the cooperative conservation of these important natural areas.

These landmarks include features on private, state, municipal, and federal lands. Program participation is voluntary. Not all landmark sites are open to the public. For a complete list of National Natural Landmarks, accessibility, and information about the National Natural Landmarks Program, visit the  NPS website.

There are nearly 600 national natural landmark sites. Some are well-known and close to metropolitan areas: the striking uplifted red rocks of the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the dramatic waterfall of the Great Falls of Paterson, New Jersey.

Other sites – while just as impressive – are off the beaten path: the parting of the waters at Two Ocean Pass deep in the Teton Wilderness outside of Jackson, Wyoming, and the serene ponds and diverse birdlife at Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson, New Hampshire.

Contest entries will be accepted through June 30. Winners will be announced in September. Each photographer can submit up to three entries. Each photograph must be from a different national natural landmark. Images of the 13 sites featured in the 2011 calendar will not be accepted. Those winning photos can be viewed here.

A new national park in Maine?

I'm all for national parks. We have more than any nation in the world and I've visited many of them around the country. I'd like to see even more, places where RVers could camp, hike, and explore and see parts of the natural beauty of this country that are not permitted as the land is privately owned.

And Roxanne Quimby, founder of Burt's Bees cosmetics, seemed to follow suit by  purchasing more than 120,000 acres of forest land in Maine's fabled North Woods (photo) and, as usual with large land holders, forbid the public--namely hunters, loggers, snowmobilers, and all-terrain vehicle riders--to use the land.

But in a surprise move she went even further. She intends to turn it over to the federal government to establish a Maine Woodlands National Park for use by the public. But it would be a different public, as the users that she forbid to use her land are also--for the most part--the same user groups that would not be able to use the land if it were a national park, i.e. hunters, loggers, ATV users.

The public that would get to use the park would, of course, be hikers, birdwatchers, and campers. As you might guess, there are some that oppose the gesture. And I bet you can guess who they are. But, if anything, Ms. Quimby doesn't get pushed around, and she is also pragmatic and smart. So the solution she came up with, is to allocate 30,000 of those acres to be managed like a state park, with hunting and snowmobiling allowed.

Her detractors have now become fans. What a great concept. Please everyone. A Win-Win situation. Let's hope the project goes ahead, and we soon have even more preserved and protected land to explore.

National Park Week Celebrates healthy parks, healthy people with FREE entry April 16-24

Need some fresh air to clear your mind? How about a stroll through a garden to mellow out the stress of a busy day? Or maybe winter has packed on a few extra pounds and it’s time to hit the biking and hiking trails again.

America’s 394 national parks offer many close-to-home opportunities for outdoor recreation. A growing number of doctors even write “Park Prescriptions” to get patients outside and active.

The growing connection between public lands and public health is the focus of National Park Week, April 16-24. Entrance to all national parks is free throughout the week.

“National parks have always been great places to go on vacation, have fun, and learn something, but for millions of Americans national parks are also a daily part of a healthy lifestyle” National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said. “If you’ve never thought of your national parks that way, we’d like to invite you to come out to see how parks can help you meet your fitness goals. Getting outside and moving is the first step.”

However, you don’t have to work up a sweat to enjoy a national park. Take in a ranger talk or join a free guided tour. Or add some superlatives to your life list: the world’s tallest trees (sequoias), longest cave (Mammoth Cave), largest carnivore (Alaskan Brown Bear), or the United States’ highest peak (Mount McKinley), lowest point (Death Valley), or deepest lake (Crater Lake). Plan your visit at the National Park website.

In addition to waiving entrance fees throughout the week, national parks and park partners are offering programs as part of National Park Week festivities. On Saturday, April 16, many parks will be looking for volunteers to help with projects and on Saturday April 23, kids will be the special guests for the 5th annual Junior Ranger Day. More details at the National Park Service's web page.

Additional fee-free days scheduled for 2011 are June 21 (the first day of summer), September 21 (National Public Lands Day), and November 11-13 (Veterans Day Weekend).

Updates from the Civil War: National Park Service “Reporter” Tweets Coverage

The Civil War Reporter, an engaging new feature on the National Park Service’s website, offers daily dispatches from reporter Beglan O’Brien, a (fictional) Civil War era correspondent. The website is part of the National Park Service’s commemoration of 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

“From politics to eyewitness accounts, O’Brien’s nose for news delivers fascinating updates, reporting on the people and events of the times,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “We hope this ‘real-time’ reporting will give modern day Americans a unique insight into the war as O’Brien follows the story wherever it takes him, from assignments embedded with Union and Confederate soldiers, to covering President Lincoln at Gettysburg.”

Follow O’Brien on the National Park Service Civil War website, on Twitter,  or search CivilWarReportr), or on Facebook (search Civil War Reporter).

Cycling Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks

If you are physically fit, athletic, adventuresome, not put off by erratic weather, like shoulder season camping, and are a bicyclist, the shoulder seasons in Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks are for you. During certain periods, the parks open the roads to just bicyclists--not motorized vehicles.

This is when you can quietly visit the parks, not motor noise, see wildlife up close (watch for grizzlies, though), see the Spring wildflowers popping up through the snow banks, stop wherever you want (not just at designated scenic viewpoints), and wander as slowly or as adrenaline pumping as you wish.


What you need to know before you go

Glacier National Park

The plowing begins on the Going-to-the-Sun Road the first week in April. Plows start at the bottom and work their way up to the pass, clearing the way for bikes as they go. The road opens for cars in late May or June. Camas Road is also open to bicycles, but it isn't plowed, so bikers might hit snowdrifts along the way.

From June 15 through Labor Day, the following sections of the Going-to-the-Sun Road are closed to bicycle use between 11a.m. and 4 p.m.:

From Apgar turnoff (at the south end of Lake McDonald) to Sprague Creek Campground
Eastbound from Logan Creek to Logan Pass
Because of ongoing road rehabilitation on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, portions of the roadbed might not be paved. Bicyclists should use caution riding on gravel portions of the road.

Best park rides

Going-to-the Sun Road — 32 miles from Apgar Village to the Continental Divide at Logan Pass (6,646 feet). The first half is fairly flat and follows Lake MacDonald's shore; then expect to climb.

Inside North Fork Road from Polebridge to Apgar Village — 28 miles one-way on a gravel road.

Camas Road from Apgar Village to Outside North Fork Road — 11 miles one-way with lovely views.

Call 406-888-7800 for more info.

Yellowstone National Park

From about mid-March (depending on the weather) until the third Tuesday in April, the road between the west entrance to Yellowstone and Mammoth Hot Springs is plowed and open to nonmotorized traffic.

Yellowstone National Park snow removal efforts might allow for a brief period of bicycle-only access into the park sometime in May from the east entrance to the east end of Sylvan Pass (six miles from the entrance) and the south entrance (to West Thumb Junction) depending on road conditions for these early spring activities. The road from Madison Junction to Old Faithful and from Norris Junction to Canyon won't open for spring activities during this time.


Best park rides

Upper Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris Junction —about 18 miles one-way. The first three miles through the Golden Gate is a bit of a climb, but it gets easier and flatter after that.

West Yellowstone to Madison Junction — 14 miles one-way along the Madison River. Watch for bald eagles and bison.

Call 307-344-2109 or visit http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/springbike.htm

Zion visitor facilities reopen for 2011

Superintendent Jock Whitworth has announced the reopening of the Zion Human History Museum and South Campground in Zion National Park. Both of these visitor facilities have been closed during the winter months. In addition, the park horse concession will begin operations for the season.

The Zion Human History Museum will reopen on Saturday, March 5. Hours of operation will be 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. The museum highlights the interaction of humans with the natural resources of Zion Canyon. The park's 22-minute orientation film is shown in the museum auditorium by request on the hour and half hour from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Rotating art exhibits, books, and other items of interest can be found at the museum bookstore operated by the Zion Natural History Association, the park's non-profit partner.

South Campground will reopen on Saturday, March 5. South Campground's 127 campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Watchman Campground, which has been open for the winter on a first-come, first-served basis, will now require reservations. Reservations for Watchman Campground can be made by calling 877-444-6777 or visiting www.recreation.gov.

Canyon Trail Rides, the park horse concession operator, will offer one and three-hour guided horse trips on the Sand Bench Trail starting Saturday, March 12. For more information or to make a reservation, call 435-679-8665 or visit www.canyonrides.com.

The Zion Canyon Visitor Center and Kolob Canyons Visitor Center are open year-round. Current operating hours for the Zion Canyon Visitor Center are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. The Kolob Canyons Visitor Center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Both visitor centers offer park information, backcountry permits, and bookstores.

For detailed information on Zion National Park, visit the park's website.

Washington's famed cherry trees about to bloom

National Park Service Chief Horticulturalist, Rob DeFeo says Washington's famed cherry trees will be in peak bloom from March 29 to April 3. 
The annual Cherry Blossom Festival will run at roughly the same period. To get a list of the activities and other information on visiting DC for the festival go here.

Minute Man National Historical Park

Concord, Mass. – This week, the National Park Getaway series of travel articles will have you itching to follow in the footsteps of Paul Revere and the minute men of 1775.

The now-tranquil North Bridge spanning the Concord River; the Battle Road, with its stone walls that afforded Colonials cover as they fired on British troops; and a swath of land that epitomizes the variety and beauty of New England’s terrain, with its forests and fields, wetlands and orchards, all await visitors to Minute Man National Historical Park, the latest Getaway destination.

The park also includes a tavern dating to 1733 and the home of 19th-century American authors Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott. The connection to storytellers is fitting for a place that relates one of the most exciting narratives in American history. Though many of us became familiar in grade school with the story that climaxes in “the shot heard round the world,” the tale still captures our imagination.

This week’s installment in the Getaway series introduces the minute men—ordinary citizens who unwittingly wrote themselves into history by standing up for their rights—as well as the women of colonial Lexington and Concord—less well-known but equally important characters in the story of America’s entrance into its fight for independence.

Into this story, in which Americans take rightful pride, Minute Man National Historical Park weaves the subplots of individual visitor experiences. These can include outdoor recreation and encounters with history brought to life, as it is for Patriot’s Day in mid April. For a fuller sense of all that a visit to Minute Man can offer, check out the Getaway article. The same website connects you to all previous Getaways, which take you to about 90 (and counting) of America’s 394 national parks.