Lock of Lincoln’s hair donated to Gettysburg National Military Park

President Abraham Lincoln is now on permanent display at Gettysburg National Military Park. Well, a lock of his hair, at least.

Heritage Inns, Inc., of Gettysburg, has donated an unusual artifact to the park. The lock of hair was collected by Dr. Robert K. Stone during the autopsy conducted following President Lincoln’s death. This framed lock of hair was later presented by Dr. Stone to Enoch Pratt, a prominent unionist and philanthropist in Baltimore. The hair is framed and dated by Dr. Stone, “April 1865.”

“The lock of Lincoln’s hair will become part of the permanent collection of Gettysburg National Military Park and will go on display in the museum later this year,” said Bob Kirby, Superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park. “This is one of those special objects that gives you the chills when you see it.”

Heritage Inns, Inc. operates the Hall of Presidents Museum, Soldiers Museum and Jennie Wade House Museum. It is a locally owned company that has provided quality visitor services since 1969. Gettysburg National Military Park is a unit of the National Park Service that preserves and protects the resources associated with the Battle of Gettysburg and the Soldiers' National Cemetery, and provides an understanding of the events that occurred there within the context of American History. Information is available at www.nps.gov/gett.

America's great outdoors: Secretary of the Interior designates 14 new National Historic Landmarks

Secretary Ken Salazar today announced the designation of 14 new national historic landmarks in 11 states and the District of Columbia that have played an integral role in the development of the country.

“Each of these landmarks represents a chapter in the story of America, from archeological sites dating back more than two millennia to historic train depots, homes of famous artists, and buildings designed by some of our greatest architects,” said Salazar.

“These new listings will join approximately 2,500 other sites in the National Historic Landmark Program,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis. “These places showcase our rich and complex history – from prehistoric time right up to the modern era.”

The new national historic landmarks include:

• The Lightship LV-118 Overfalls (photo), now a museum in Lewes, Delaware, is the last lightship constructed for and commissioned by the U.S. Lighthouse Service.
• Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC, and Woodlawn Cemetery in New York City are early examples of collaborative landscape architecture and contain some of the finest examples of funerary art in the nation.
• Four national homes for disabled volunteer soldiers – Western Branch in Leavenworth, Kansas; Mountain Branch in Johnson City, Tennessee; Battle Mountain Branch in Hot Springs, South Dakota; and Northwestern Branch in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – reflect the development of a national system of veteran health care in the United States.
• The Olson House in Cushing, Maine, and the Kuerner Farm in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, are both intimately tied to the renowned 20th-century artist Andrew Wyeth. Wyeth spent 30 summers at the Olson House and is buried on the grounds. The house is depicted in many of his works including “Christina’s World,” one of the most famous American paintings. The Kuerner Farm was the inspiration for more than 1,000 Wyeth paintings over a 64-year period.
• Grand Mound in International Falls, Minnesota, is an interconnected archeological landscape of mounds, seasonal villages, and sturgeon fishing sites going back to 200 BC.
• Split Rock Light Station near Beaver Bay, Minnesota, appears virtually the same as it did when completed in 1910. The station greatly aided navigation in the busy and narrow shipping lanes of Lake Superior.
• The Pennsylvania Railroad Depot and Baggage Room in Dennison, Ohio, is the only surviving station in the country that reflects the important role of trains and train stations in the transportation and care of troops during World War II. During the war, about 4,000 volunteers provided moral support and served meals around the clock to 1.3 million soldiers in the depot’s Salvation Army Servicemen’s Canteen.
• The Arch Street Friends Meeting House in Philadelphia, PA, was built by noted Federal period architect and author Owen Biddle and has been in continuous use since 1805. It is also the largest Quaker Meeting House in the country.
• The Mountain Meadows Massacre Site in Washington County, Utah, marks the location of the September 11, 1857, massacre of 120 emigrants by militiamen associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The event was the apex of decades of violence, mistrust, and fear.

The program, established in 1935, is administered by the National Park Service on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior.  Additional information on the designations can be found on the NPS website.

Yellowstone's Lamar Valley cut off by washed out road

Crews are working to repair a section of road in the Lamar Valley (photo) in the northeast section of Yellowstone National Park that has been damaged by high water, according to the National Park Service, reports the Wyoming Business report.

Flooding water between the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek washed out a 30-foot section of the park’s Northeast Entrance road just west of Soda Butte and there has been no estimate as to how long it will take to repair and reopen the road.

Visitors can still enter the park at the Northeast Entrance from Red Lodge, Mont., or Cody, Wyoming, over the Beartooth Highway or the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway.

The road is open as far as the Lamar River Stock Trailhead, west of Pebble Creek Campground, approximately 13 miles from the Northeast Entrance. It also is open east of Tower Junction as far as Fisherman’s Pullout, approximately 8 miles from the junction.

All other park roads and entrances are open. Campgrounds are open also, though not all sites, due to flooding and poor conditions. In some cases drinking water is not yet available, and if so no fees will be charged for camping.

Updated information on park road conditions is available 24 hours a day by calling the park’s road information hotline at 307-344-2117. Go online to: www.nps.gov/yell for further information and updates.

Beartooth Highway Opens for Season

June 23, 2011 -- After two weeks of delays caused by heavy, late spring snow conditions, U.S. Highway 212, known as the Beartooth Highway, has opened to vehicle traffic.

Through a joint effort conducted each spring, snow plowing crews from both Yellowstone National Park and the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) cleared the famous 67-mile passage that links the park’s northeast entrance with the community of Red Lodge, Montana.

This year a majority of the road spent well past its traditional opening date of May 30 buried under more than 25 feet of snow and ice.

Each year the National Park Service clears the road from the park’s Northeast Entrance at Milepost 0.0 through Wyoming to the Montana state line at Milepost 43.1., meeting up with MDT crews that have plowed the road from Red Lodge. MDT and NPS then coordinate closely to keep the road open throughout the summer.

Cutting through the Absoroka-Bearthtooth Wilderness, the Beartooth Highway is the highest elevation highway in Wyoming (10,947 feet) and Montana (10,350 feet), and is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies, passing through one of the highest and most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks reaching over 12,000 feet in elevation. Because of the road’s altitude, extreme weather conditions including snow, ice, rain and high winds can force road closures at a moment’s notice. In 2008 the road was closed for nearly the entire season when a rock slide caused by heavy rains buried the road.

Because of rapidly-changing conditions, motorists are encouraged to check the status of the road in advance by contacting the proper state transportation departments.

Travelers in Montana may dial 511; those outside Montana may call 800-226-7623, or visit the Montana Department of Transportation website at http://mdt511.com/. Travelers in Wyoming may dial 511; those outside of Wyoming may call 888-996-7623, or visit the Wyoming Department of Transportation website at http://www.wyoroad.info.

For road conditions inside Yellowstone National Park, visitors can call the parks’ 24-hour road hotline at (307) 344-2117 or visit http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit.

Zion joins iPhone Adroid app tour list

Techo-tourists to one of America's national park jewels will find their trip, oh so much easier. Flip your iPhone or "Droid" and you can tour Zion with your own e-tour guide. Chimani announces it has added Zion to its list of apps which already include Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Parks.

The app includes a 45-minute professionally narrated tour of the park, high-res GPS enabled map, photos, and real-time updated information on ranger-led activities. "Visitors to national parks welcome the simple design of the app and how it so easily compliments their experience in the park," crows a Chimani press release.

Looking for the nearest comfort stop? Need to know what time sunset is to be at the best location for photos? Time for lunch and need a picnic table? Ah, forget about all those old-school paper based directories, Chimani's app says it will help out in all these areas.

To promote their new app, Chimani is giving away the iPhone at Apple's iTune App Store, and the Android version is just 99 cents. Both offers are for a limited time.

stock photo: R & T DeMaris

Kick-off Summer with a free visit to a national park!

Start summer with a free visit to a national park. The National Park Service is waiving all entrance fees on June 21 – the first day of summer.

“The longest day of the year is the perfect time to take a short trip. Celebrate an extended Father’s Day with Dad, the start of summer break with the kids, or a job well done with your favorite graduate,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “With 394 national parks across the country, you could opt to visit an old favorite or explore a new place. Find a reason to get outside and enjoy the extra sunshine at a national park near you.”

Every park has something for everyone; plan your visit at the National Park website. Soak in the day’s first rays on top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park (ME), a traditional spot to watch the sun rise, or at the annual summer solstice program at Casa Rinconada in Chaco Culture National Historical Park (NM).

If you aren’t an early bird, don’t worry, there’s plenty going on throughout the day. Take a free bus tour of Zion National Park (UT) or Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (KS) or a scenic wagon ride at Oxen Cove Farm (MD); get a free Cajun dance or music lesson at Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve (LA); watch a sled dog demonstration at Denali National Park and Preserve (AK); visit with White House (DC) artist Peter Waddell; or tour the Three Sisters Lighthouses (photo) in Cape Cod National Seashore (MA).

Commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War with a Camp for Kids at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park (VA); a guided caravan tour of Stones River National Battlefield (TN); or a living history event at Vicksburg National Military Park (MS).

As the longest day of the year draws to a close, watch the sun set at a beach party at John Muir National Historic Site (CA) or during a guided stroll at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (GA), Padre Island National Seashore (TX), Frederick Law Olmstead National Historic Site (MA), or White Sands National Monument (NM).

The action continues into the night with a Star Party at Grand Canyon National Park (AZ) and a Night Sky program at Chaco Culture National Historical Park (NM).

Forty one new trails added to National Recreation Trails network

The 41 new additions will add almost 650 miles to the National Trails System. Spanning across 17 states, the land and water trails provide opportunities for communities to connect with nature and enjoy the great outdoors as part of a healthier lifestyle.

The announcement took place on the Lake Michigan waterfront at the new Lake Michigan Water Trail, the Chicago to New Buffalo Section. This will be the first leg of a shoreline trail that will circle the entire Lake.

The following 41 trails have been newly designated as National Recreation Trails.

ALABAMA
· Chattahoochee Valley Railroad (CVRR) Trail – Northern Section
· Chattahoochee Valley Railroad (CVRR) Trail – Southern Section
· Chewacla State Park Trail System
· Chief Ladiga Trail (Jacksonville Section)
· Chief Ladiga Trail (Piedmont Section)
· Citronelle Walking Trail

· City of Foley Antique Rose Trail
· DeSoto State Park Trail System
· Florala-Lake Jackson Scenic Trail
· Lake Guntersville State Park Trail System
· Lake Lurleen State Park Trail System
· The Larry and Ronna Dykes Trail
· Montevallo Greenway Trail
· Queen City Park Trail
· Sunset Drive Trail
· Swan Creek Greenway Trail
· Talladega-Lincoln Outdoor Park Trails (T.O.P.TRAILS)
· Tannehill Tramway Trail
· Village Pointe Preserve Park Trail System
· Wind Creek State Park Trail System
· Yoholo-Micco, The Creek Indian Trail

ARKANSAS
· Old Post Mountain Bike Trail
· Springhill Park Mountain Bike Trail

CONNECTICUT
· Quinebaug River Water Trail – Thompson Section

FLORIDA
· Tom Varn Hiking and Jogging Trail
· Withlacoochee State Trail

ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MICHIGAN
· Lake Michigan National Water Trail – Chicago to New Buffalo Segment

INDIANA
· Ray Yellig Memorial Trail

KANSAS
· Sand Creek Trail

MARYLAND

· Catoctin Trail (Blue Trail)

MASSACHUSETTS
· The Waverley Trail

MINNESOTA
· Froland Waterfowl Production Area Interpretive Trail

NEW JERSEY
· Barclay Farm Trails
· Croft Farm Trails

NEW MEXICO
· Berg/Animas Trail

OKLAHOMA
· Sandtown Nature Trail

PENNSYLVANIA
· Blue Marsh Lake Multi-Use Trail
· Susquehanna River Water Trail – West Branch

TENNESSEE
· Warriors' Path State Park Mountain Bike Trail System

WEST VIRGINIA
· McTrail
· Ralph S. Larue/West Fork Trail

The National Recreation Trail designation recognizes existing trails and trail systems that link communities to recreational opportunities on public lands and in local parks across the nation. These trails join a network of more than 1,100 previously designated trails that total more than 13,000 miles.

The National Recreation Trail program is jointly administered by the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service in conjunction with a number of other federal and nonprofit partners, notably American Trails, which hosts the National Recreation Trails website.
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Yosemite's waterfalls roaring again

The record toppling Sierra snowfall this winter has resulted in swelling Yosemite National Park’s rivers and streams as the snow melts, raising the water flow in Yosemite's iconic waterfalls to their most spectacular levels in years.

Vernal Falls (photo), one of the wettest waterfall hikes you can take, is a deafening roar that spills over a ledge just scant yards from the hiking trail that winds up along its right side to an overlook at the top.

Yosemite Falls, at 2,425 feet the nation’s tallest, is flowing with enough water to fill a tanker truck every two seconds. Bridalveil Falls across the valley sends out a mist that covers the meadow below.

These falls, which will peak by mid-June, are prompting more superlatives than even the most lavish travel brochures. The Merced River, roaring by at about 10 mph, bellows with a sound that overpowers all other background noise in the valley.

Even minor creeks and streams are racing through the valley, prompting closure of a few campsites.

Yosemite Valley was carved eons ago by the ebb and flow of glaciers over many ice ages. The sheer 3,000-foot granite cliffs drain multiple watersheds, each sending a cascade of water into Yosemite Valley. Some flow for only a few weeks — or in dry years not at all - but this year looks like they will last much longer.