Are National Park visitor centers diminishing in importance to visitors?

In a talk to students at the U of Virginia School of Architecture, National Park Service (NPS) Director Jonathan Jarvis asked them to look at the concept behind the park’s visitor centers.

“We have long believed that the visitor center was the gateway to the park; the first stop to learn all that the park had to offer– where to go and what to see,” Jarvis said.

 “Today’s visitors are more technologically attuned than ever before. Many people – and not just those under 30 – plan their visits online, using the National Park Service’s website and other sources to find interactive maps, watch videos of the trails they will hike, listen to podcasts about the wildlife they will encounter, and study online exhibits on the history of the place.

“They download everything they need to iPhones, iPads, Droid, devices that also tell them where they are and where they want to be, and allow them to share the experience in real time with friends and family anywhere on the planet.”

The current plan for visitor centers was hatched in the 1950s, and may be due for a reconsideration. For instance, is the visitor center the best format for real visitors to interact with real rangers and information docents?

Do budget constraints, and the need for funds to tackle the $10 maintenance backlog of existing infrastructure, demand that funds be pulled from building additional visitor centers on the scale that has been the rule up until now?

Will designs of the future be more focused around online information, which is now quite extensive on the NPS website, and away from large buildings, personal contact, and paper maps and brochures? The struggle for funds will certainly be a contentious issue as the park service looks ahead to its second hundred years.

Touring national parks with RV easier with new smart phone apps

The wave of new-tech gadgets seems to be forcing some of us "old dogs" in the RV lifestyle to learn new tricks. Have you got an Iphone? If you do, you probably already know about "apps" that make your phone do tricks you never dreamed of.

Chimani, a mobile phone application developer, says lots of people turned up for a free app giveaway that turns your Iphone or Droid into a personal tour guide of some of America's best-loved National Parks. During National Park Week, Chimani says folks downloaded over of their 100,000 apps for free, covering (in order of the greatest number of downloads): Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Acadia, Cape Cod (National Seashore), and Cayahoga Valley National Parks.

A company news release touts, "Each of the five national park apps are an indispensable resource for anyone exploring some of the most visited national parks. Each delivers constantly updated content, including ranger led activities, free shuttle bus schedules and news alerts. Users can view sunset and sunrise times for the most memorable scenic overlooks, access tide schedules along the coast, review lodging options, plan hikes, and much more." That much more business includes turning your smarty phone into a GPS-enabled map, guiding you through the ins and outs of these national treasures.

Since you missed the free give-aways, the price you'll pay now is $4.95 per app. The Chimani iPhone apps can be downloaded from Apple's iTunes App Store and the Android versions from the Android Marketplace (keyword: "chimani").

Park Service wants your National Historic Landmark photos

RVers are a fortunate lot: Our travels take us around the country, or just around a region. Wherever we travel though, we're surrounded by beauty and interesting stops begging for a visit. Across the United States nearly 2,500 designated National Historic Landmarks (NHL) cry out for attention.

To better publicize these national treasures, the Park Service is putting out a call for photographers of every level and stripe to enter their pictures of NHLs in the agency's 12th annual photo contest. Winning photos will be published in the National Historic Landmark 2012 Event Planner.

“Not all national historic landmarks are battlefields, high-style architecture, or associated with the Founding Fathers,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “But all are places with extraordinary significance to our American story. Through the photo contest we invite people to explore these amazing places and to share their favorites.”

Perhaps a side-benefit of the contest for RVers is the answer to the question, "What do we do on our trip this year?" For a list of National Historic Landmarks, follow this link. Want to learn more about the contest? Your information is here.

Photo: Staircase at Auburn National Historic Landmark, Natchez, Mississippi by E.L. Malvaney on flickr.com.

Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site

This National Park Getaway series takes you to Fort Union Trading post National Historic Site, situated on the North Dakota-Montana border. Within the palisade walls of the trading post, a fascinating era has been preserved – that of the 19th-century fur trade.

“Fort Union was the most important trading site on the upper Missouri River between 1828 and 1867,” said Chief Ranger Loren Yellow Bird. “We bring that period back to life everyday, through talks and demonstrations, in our visitor center, in the trade house, and throughout the grounds of the fort. Come visit us and see for yourself.”

This week’s Getaway article provides a sound introduction to the rich history that surrounds Fort Union. The article orients you before a visit to this national historic site and contains practical information for planning a trip.

Check out this week’s Getaway and also take a look at the archive of previous Getaways. Fort Union Trading Post is the 97th destination in a series that allows you to travel cross-country vicariously. Start your journey today!

Free App to National Parks during National Park Week April 16-24

(April 13, 2011) -- Chimani, LLC announced today that all iPhone national park apps will be free during National Park Week, April 16-24. The Android versions of each national park app will be available for only 99 cents. The Chimani national park apps normally sell for between $4.99-$9.99 each.

The Chimani suite of national park apps include Acadia National Park, Cape Cod National Seashore, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Grand Canyon National Park and Yosemite National Park.

Each of the five national park apps are a handy resource for anyone exploring some of the most visited national parks. Each delivers constantly updated content, including ranger led activities, free shuttle bus schedules and news alerts. Users can view sunset and sunrise times for the most memorable scenic overlooks, access tide schedules along the coast, review lodging options, plan hikes, and much, much more.

Each of the apps boasts a rich and impressive map interface that is custom-made, GPS enabled, and includes all hiking trails in the parks. Designed from the ground-up using the National Park Service geographic information system data, the maps are all pre-installed in the app and work without any cell or WiFi connection.

“Most smartphone users who visit the national parks find their traditional navigation tools are useless because they depend on a cell or WiFi connection. The Chimani national park apps are designed to work completely offline,” explained Chimani President Kerry Gallivan.

The national park apps also include an audio tour designed to work while visitors are driving, walking or taking the shuttle buses around the parks. All content is written by professional travel writers and include the most essential information, such as the location of every restroom. “The number one most asked question in every national park is the location of the closest restroom”, said Gallivan. “Chimani apps give you just-in-time information, just in time.”

Each of the Chimani iPhone apps can be downloaded from Apple's iTunes App Store and the Android versions from the Android Marketplace (keyword: "chimani"). The iPhone apps will be free, and Android version only $.99 cents for the entire National Park Week. After that, the apps will return to the regular price of $4.99 to $9.99.

Best national parks to see wildlife

Our national park system is unmatched in the rest of the world. Fortunately, the diversity of our parks has something for everybody, from Civil War historic parks to seashores to natural history.

A favorite national park activity for many is wildlife watching. Since hunting and harassing wildlife is prohibited in the parks, wildlife has become accustomed to people, and do not avoid areas inhabited by people or hide when they hear people approach.

This has made our national parks among the best places to watch wildlife in natural habitats. Following are the best national parks for wildlife watching.

• Yellowstone (Wyoming) - View herds of free ranging bison (photo) and elk. One of the few places to see gray wolves. With 67 different mammal species it is the largest concentration in the lower 48 states. 
• Everglades (Southern Florida) - Over 1.5 million acres and the place to see crocodiles and pink flamingos, as well as alligators and several species of large wading birds. 
• Glacier (Montana) - Large population of grizzly bears, as well as mountain goats, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, moose, and over 270 species of birds. 
• Hawaii Volcanoes (Hawaii) - Ninety percent of plants and wildlife on this isolated, volcanic, tropical park is found no where else on earth. 
• Rocky Mountain (Colorado) - Vast herds of elk, deer, moose, and bighorn sheep, and yellow-bellied marmots too. 
• Saguaro (Arizona) - All the desert critters--gila monsters, jack rabbits, javalinas, desert tortoises, kangaroo rats, and desert iguanas. 
• Denali (Alaska) - A six-million acre sanctuary for wildlife, especially large ones like grizzly bears, caribou, Dall sheep, moose, and wolves--and birds from six continents.
• Olympic (Washington) - The largest population of Roosevelt in the world, as well as marine wildlife such as seals, sea otters, and sea lions and further offshore, migrating gray whales. 
• Great Smokey Mountains (Tennessee and North Carolina) - Contains over 1,500 black bears and is one of the few refuges east of the Mississippi River for bison, elk, mountain lion, and white-tailed deer.
• Acadia (Maine) - At this 47,500 acre archipelago where the mountains meet the see you will find both arboreal wildlife and marine mammals.  

Park Service planning special events for Civil War anniversary

The National Park Service is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War by offering special events and informational resources. April witnesses the commemoration of the bombardment of Fort Sumter (April 9-17) at Fort Sumter National Monument in Charleston, S.C., and a national symposium on “The Ordeal of the Border States” (April 15) sponsored by Fort McHenry National Monument and partners in Baltimore, Md.

July marks the 150th anniversary of the First Battle of Manassas, which will be marked with four days of events at Manassas National Battlefield Park in Va., July 21-24. North of the Mason-Dixon Line, at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (Mass.), the Youth Ambassador Program created a song about the first all-black regiment commissioned by the Union Army.

The National Park Service has also launched a new website devoted to the 150th anniversary. This site features a comprehensive calendar of events at more than 70 national parks and partner sites, as well as essays, web links, and daily Tweets from a fictional Civil War-era reporter.

Lassen Volcanic National Park looking for volunteers

Lassen Volcanic National Park is looking for volunteers for various summertime jobs, including campground hosts, visitor center assistants and interns for interpretive programs.

Duties of a campground host include walking the campgrounds, answering visitor questions, distributing information, keeping statistics, and assisting with fee collection.

Positions are available at Summit Lake and Butte Lake (photo) campgrounds. Commitments vary from two to four months, May through September.  A campsite with a generator, water and sewer is provided, and applicants should have a self-contained recreation vehicle.

Visitor center assistants help at the information desk and bookstore May through October at Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. An RV site with full hookups is provided in nearby Mineral.

For information about volunteering, contact the park volunteer program coordinator at 595-6133. Applications are also available at www.volunteer.gov/gov. Park information is available at www.nps.gov/lavo or by calling 595-4480.