One hundred years of US National Parks -- get ready for the BIG movie

For many RVers, the year 1916 should go down as a date of celebration. That was the year the National Park Service got its start. For you park trivia fans, you'll already be able to name the first of the nation's parks [pause for head scratching]: That's right! Yellowstone. In fairness, Yellowstone was recognized as a park back in 1872 when the federal government took steps to protect it, but the Park Service had to wait a while for its own birthing.

From small beginnings, the National Park System has expanded, and today, America holds title to 58 "National Parks," but really, counting National Monuments and other holdings, the service manages affairs on about 409 different "units," comprising 84 million acres. Across those 84 million acres there are only 8,500 miles of roadway, meaning to really get out and see these great treasures, a lot of us would have to get out of our rigs and do the walkabout.

Obviously, it's not possible for a lot of us to do that. So what's the next best thing? Walk or roll into an IMAX theater next year, and celebrate 100 years of the parks watching the movie, National Parks Adventure. Not only will you get out on the trails of some of the most magnificent protected areas of the U.S., in many cases you'll get an eagle's eye view through some great aerial shots.

To whet your appetite, take a look at the trailer for the upcoming show.



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Experience historic Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

This month's National Park Getaway
By Amanda Corman, Park Ranger, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia

Photo: NPS

Nestled between the historic cities of Kennesaw and Marietta, Georgia, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park preserves nearly 3,000 acres of a strategic battle site of the American Civil War. Appealing to history enthusiasts, nature lovers, and hikers alike, the largest continuous green space in metro Atlanta provides more than 20 miles of trails.

Museum. Photo: NPS/Jason Martz

If you start your visit by watching the award-winning film “Kennesaw: One Last Mountain” and exploring the museum in the visitor center you'll gain invaluable insights into the lives of the soldiers and civilians who were affected by the horrors of war. Once you leave the visitor center you might make the trek, by foot or by car, to the crest of Big Kennesaw. At the summit you're greeted by Confederate gun emplacements guarding the panoramic view of Atlanta and the surrounding Georgia Piedmont region.

Your next steps should lead to the 24-gun battery. The hike up Pigeon Hill, a popular next destination, leads to the Confederate earthworks that were instrumental in overcoming a major attack by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman.

The journey continues as you reach the location of Cheatham Hill and the Illinois Monument. You can walk the Confederate battle line to the monument or take the Union approach by hiking the Union Assault Trail. Each provides a different perspective on the deadly attacks of June 27, 1864. The now-quiet battlefield offers an oasis for nature and history lovers alike.

Kolb's Farm. Photo: NPS

For the final leg of your journey at Kennesaw Mountain, head to Kolb's Farm. The park's last remaining Civil War-era structure adds a personal touch to the battlefield. This 1830s home, with a family cemetery adjacent to the house, is the surviving witness to the battle.

Whether you walk or drive through this battlefield park, you leave behind the hustle and bustle of the surrounding metro Atlanta area and discover the natural beauty and rich history of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

Read more here. 

Four new National Historic Landmarks designated

WASHINGTON, August 4, 2015 – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis today announced the designation of four new national historic landmarks.  The designation recognizes the sites as places that possess exceptional value and quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States.

“Though very different from one another, these places reflect the creatively and ingenuity of the American spirit,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “National historic landmarks are an example of how the mission of the National Park Service extends beyond park boundaries to recognize additional places of national significance in communities throughout the country."

The four national historic landmarks announced today are:

• First Peoples Buffalo Jump, Cascade County, Mont.

Photo: stateparks.mt.gov

First Peoples Buffalo Jump is one of the oldest, largest, and best preserved bison cliff jump locations in North America.  Its monumental record of stone surface architecture, deeply stratified bison bone deposits, multiple tipi ring concentrations, and extensive evidence of ceremonies indicate that, for approximately 5,700 years, First Peoples Buffalo Jump held the paramount position in the Northern Plains “bison culture.”  This site holds the potential for defining the evolving sophistication of mass-procurement strategies of hunter-gatherer societies in the Northern Plains, and may also provide insights regarding cultural development of Precontact hunter-gatherer societies in the western United States.

• George Washington Masonic National Memorial, Alexandria, Va.

Photo: gwmemorial.org

The George Washington Masonic National Memorial stands among the most architecturally significant projects to honor George Washington and one of the boldest private efforts to memorialize him. The Grand Lodges of the states and territories, which usually operate independently, joined forces to build this national memorial. This eclectic building combines neoclassical architecture common to American memorials and civic buildings with a modern skyscraper design.

• Lafayette Park, Detroit, Mich.

Photo: nps.gov

Lafayette Park is one of the earliest planned and most fully-realized urban renewal projects of the mid-twentieth century.  It succeeded in creating an ethnically-diverse community that continues to thrive today and is generally regarded as one of the best and most successful examples of a residential urban renewal development in the nation.  It was a collaborative design endeavor between architect (Ludwig Mies van der Rohe), developer (Herbert Greenwald), planner (Ludwig Hilberseimer), and landscape architect (Alfred Caldwell).

• Red Rocks Park and Mount Morrison Civilian Conservation Corps Camp, Jefferson County, Colo.

Photo: nps.gov

The outstanding architecture and landscape architecture of Red Rocks Park and Mount Morrison Civilian Conservation Corps Camp illustrate the principles and practices of New Deal-era naturalistic park design and master planning in a metropolitan park as well as the use of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) labor to develop such a park. Mount Morrison CCC Camp is one of the few surviving camps in the nation that retains a high concentration of original resources. The amphitheater in the park is one of America’s best known performing arts venues, famous for its natural acoustics, design, and setting.

Visit beautiful Greenbelt Park, Maryland -- an urban oasis

GREENBELT PARK, Maryland
This month's National Park Getaway
By Kevin P. Barry, park ranger, Greenbelt Park

Photo: NPS

Welcome to an urban oasis. Although most visitors find it hard to believe, Greenbelt Park is just 12 miles from Washington, D.C. The peace and quiet that you'll find here evoke images of a dense forest or mountain resort. That's what you’ll experience when you visit Greenbelt Park -- untrampled nature in a region where most wild spaces have disappeared.

Despite its primitive setting, the campground is close to public transportation. Even the train to Washington, D.C., is within walking distance from campsite loops. Leave your car or camper on-site and take the train to such places as Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Mary McLeod Bethune Council House, the National Mall, the Smithsonian Institution's museums, and a host of other sites in and around the city. After you've enjoyed the sights of the city, enjoy a campfire and a quiet night's rest at your campsite.

Photo: NPS

Greenbelt Park attracts visitors from across the country and around the world, drawn by the recreational opportunities, stunning natural beauty, and a campground that is open year-round for RVs or tents at an affordable rate of $16 per night ($8.00 for Golden Age, Golden Access, and the America the Beautiful Senior pass card holders). The campground offers more than 170 campsites, nine miles of trails, and several day-use picnic areas. Make online reservations to guarantee your site up to three months in advance.

Wild yet accessible, Greenbelt Park is one of those places that you may not have heard of, but once you visit, you'll be back and telling friends about the national park treasure you discovered. The memories you create will be lifelong.

Read more here. 

Relive the Old American West at Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site

 GRANT-KOHRS RANCH NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, Montana
This month's National Park Getaway
By Julie Croglio, Chief of Interpretation and Education, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site

Wide open spaces, the hard-working cowboy, his spirited cow pony, and vast herds of cattle are among the strongest symbols of the American West. Once headquarters of a 10-million-acre cattle empire, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site preserves these symbols and commemorates the role of cattlemen in American history.

Kohrs family ranch house - NPS

Today the main house and its original furnishings are preserved intact, along with the bunkhouse, blacksmith shop, horse barns, cattle sheds, and other outbuildings dating back to the 1860s. Cattle graze on the lush grasses of this working ranch, much as they have since the 1860s.

Kohrs dining room - NPS

Johnny Grant had the main house built in 1862 and used it as a trading post and headquarters for his ranching operations. In 1866, Grant sold the house to Conrad Kohrs, who was to become known as Montana's "cattle king." Guided house tours are offered year round. Filled with original furnishings, the house is a great example of one family's success in a business that was filled with uncertainties.

Warren blacksmith shop - NPS

If touring historic homes is not your thing, not to worry. Self-guided exhibits allow you to explore a number of historic buildings and trails at your own pace. The cowboy bunkhouse, blacksmith shop, and thoroughbred barn are just a few of the buildings where you can gain a greater appreciation for the open-range era and cowboy way of life. Seven miles of walking trails take visitors across the river through park pastures and fields.

Ranger-led activities such as chuck wagon programs, cowboy talks, blacksmith demonstrations, and wagon tours are offered seasonally. For kids, there are Junior Ranger booklets, roping lessons, cowboy clothing to try on, and visits with the horses, cows and chickens.

Mid-summer marks the start of haying season. Visitors have a unique opportunity to watch historic field demonstrations using draft horses and horse-drawn haying implements. Check the calendar for events that offer exceptional opportunities to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of an operating ranch.

There's always plenty to see and do at Grant-Kohrs Ranch. Open daily except for Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1, the park charges no entrance fee. For directions and more information, visit the park website.

Bryce Canyon parking restrictions will impact RVers this season

Hoodoos  R&T De Maris

Along the "grand staircase" of National Parks in the midsection of the U.S. is Bryce Canyon National Park. It's a bit of misnomer, because Bryce Canyon really isn't a canyon, but rather a collection of colossal rock-formed amphitheatres. Perhaps best known for its odd erosion created hoodoos, it's a picturesque – and wildly popular – destination.

That popularity led to the introduction of a voluntary shuttle bus system, in an attempt to alleviate vehicle traffic in 2000. But RVers, perk up your ears, while the shuttle service may be voluntary for most, there are some restrictions now in place that could have an impact on your visit – at least through September 30.

Parking restrictions will basically force most all RVs to park only in a few designated lots and in campsites, whereafter you'll be in your toad car, tow vehicle, bike, foot, or shuttle bus to get around. Here's the finer points of the rule: Restrictions apply to all vehicles in excess of 25 feet, including motor homes and vehicles with trailers. You'll not be able to park anywhere in the park with the exception of:

• Shuttle Station in Bryce Canyon City (3 miles north of park). 
• Bryce Canyon overflow parking lot (across from visitor center at entrance to North Campground)
• Campsites in North, Sunset, and Ruby's campground (for those who are camping)
• Sunrise Point Loop Road (use ONLY parallel parking spaces along one-way road)
• All viewpoints and parking lots south of mile marker 3. 

Put another way, RVs will not be allowed at the visitor center, Sunrise General Store, Sunset Point, Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, Paria View or Fairyland Point, among other places. However, you can grab a shuttle bus to the park's most popular viewpoints and destinations. The busses run on a 15-minute schedule, but the routing times will vary through the season. Here's the skinny: Now through May 17, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; May 18 through September 8, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; and September 9 through the 30th, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Camping in nearby National Forest

What about camping? Glad you asked. Bryce Canyon National Park has two campgrounds, North and Sunset, located in close proximity to the visitor center, Bryce Canyon Lodge and the geologic wonder that is the Bryce Amphitheater. Both have restrooms with flush toilets, and drinking water. During the summer months coin-operated laundry and shower facilities are available at the general store nearby. There are no hook-ups in the campgrounds, but a fee-for-use dump station is available for RV users at the south end of North Campground.

Both of these campgrounds are located in a Ponderosa Pine forest habitat with equal amounts of shade and sun, giving them a similar appearance. All sites are limited to 10 people (with no more than 6 adults (adult=16 and up)), 3 tents and 2 vehicles and cost $15 per site/per night. Holders of special Park Passes; Senior Pass, Access Pass (part of the America The Beautiful - National Park Service & Federal Lands Pass System) or the Golden Age & Golden Access Passes, receive a 50% discount. Sites fill by early afternoon during the summer months.

We've camped both inside the park, and outside in "dispersed" camping in nearby National Forest Service land. While "free" in the National Forest is certainly an advantage, the convenience of camping in the park itself has its advantages.

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All photos, R&T De Maris

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, Virginia

This month's National Park Getaway

By Jim Godburn, park ranger, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

NOTE: Five days of 150th anniversary (click for schedule) commemorative events are planned from April 8 to April 12, 2015, at Appomattox Court House to mark the end of America's Civil War. 

Photo: NPS Image of "The Surrender"
by contemporary artist Keith Rocco

Appomattox – the name echoes through history, beckoning people worldwide to this historic village nestled in the quiet Virginia countryside.

Stroll into the village and stop at the court house, a re-creation of the building that was the 19th-century seat of government in Appomattox County and today serves as the park's visitor center. There, you can talk with a ranger and find park brochures. Head to the second floor to tour the museum and view a short film in the theater.

NPS Photo of Appomattox County Court House

Just a two-hour drive west from Richmond, Virginia, Appomattox Court House is the site where Robert E. Lee surrendered Confederate forces to the Federal command of Ulysses S. Grant. The surrender, on April 9, 1865, ushered in the final days of the American Civil War as well as the first, halting footsteps of the journey toward citizenship for former slaves.

At the court house, join one of the scheduled talks, presented daily from May through October. You'll hear about military events and village life from a 21st century perspective from a uniformed ranger. Gain a 19th century perspective from staff or volunteers outfitted in attire of the 1860s: you might meet a soldier, a former slave, a doctor, or a citizen of the village. For these characters, the year is always 1865.

You can tour the village at your own pace. Visit a lawyer's office, county jail, general store, and tavern to get a feeling for 19th century village life. At Clover Hill Tavern, the neighborhood's oldest building, you'll learn how 30,000 paroles were printed and distributed to surrendering Confederate soldiers. A small bookstore is located in the kitchen building behind the tavern.


Appomattox Court House is open 360 days a year, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Read more here.