Category: National Parks

Descriptive information about America’s national parks, monuments and memorials, often with a photo or two.

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site …

was authorized on this date in 1998. The National Park Service tells us:

On the morning of September 23, 1957, nine African-American high school students faced an angry mob of over 1,000 whites protesting integration in front of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. As the students were escorted inside by the Little Rock police, violence escalated and they were removed from the school. The next day, President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered 1,200 members of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell to escort the nine students into the school. As one of the nine students remembered, “After three full days inside Central [High School], I know that integration is a much bigger word than I thought.”

This event, watched by the nation and world, was the site of the first important test for the implementation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision of 1954. Arkansas became the epitome of state resistance when the governor, Orval Faubus, directly questioned the authority of the federal court system and the validity of desegregation. The crisis at Little Rock’s Central High School was the first fundamental test of the national resolve to enforce African-American civil rights in the face of massive southern defiance during the years following the Brown decision.

The 57 National Parks


State

Park

Year

Alaska Denali National Park 1980
Alaska Gates of the Arctic National Park 1980
Alaska Glacier Bay National Park 1980
Alaska Katmai National Park 1980
Alaska Kenai Fjords National Park 1980
Alaska Kobuk Valley National Park 1980
Alaska Lake Clark National Park 1980
Alaska Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 1980
American Samoa National Park of American Samoa 1988
Arizona Grand Canyon National Park 1919
Arizona Petrified Forest National Park 1962
Arizona Saguaro National Park 1994
Arkansas Hot Springs National Park 1921
California Channel Islands National Park 1980
California Death Valley National Park 1994
California Joshua Tree National Park 1994
California Kings Canyon National Park 1940
California Lassen Volcanic National Park 1916
California Redwood National Park 1968
California Sequoia National Park 1890
California Yosemite National Park 1890
Colorado Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park 1999
Colorado Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve 2004
Colorado Mesa Verde National Park 1906
Colorado Rocky Mountain National Park 1915
Florida Biscayne National Park 1980
Florida Dry Tortugas National Park 1992
Florida Everglades National Park 1947
Hawaii Haleakala National Park 1916
Hawaii Hawaii Volcanoes National Park 1916
Kentucky Mammoth Cave National Park 1941
Maine Acadia National Park 1919
Michigan Isle Royale National Park 1931
Minnesota Voyageurs National Park 1975
Montana Glacier National Park 1910
Nevada Great Basin National Park 1986
New Mexico Carlsbad Caverns National Park 1930
North Dakota Theodore Roosevelt National Park 1978
Ohio Cuyahoga Valley National Park 2000
Oregon Crater Lake National Park 1902
South Dakota Badlands National Park 1978
South Dakota Wind Cave National Park 1903
Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains National Park 1930
Texas Big Bend National Park 1944
Texas Guadalupe Mountains National Park 1972
Utah Arches National Park 1971
Utah Bryce Canyon National Park 1928
Utah Canyonlands National Park 1964
Utah Capitol Reef National Park 1971
Utah Zion National Park 1919
Virgin Islands Virgin Islands National Park 1956
Virginia Shenandoah National Park 1935
Washington Mount Rainier National Park 1899
Washington North Cascades National Park 1968
Washington Olympic National Park 1938
Wyoming Grand Teton National Park 1929
Wyoming Yellowstone National Park 1872

The year indicates when the park was established or when an existing area was redesignated as a National Park.

Grand Teton National Park …

was formed on this date in 1950 by combining the much smaller National Park established in 1929 (which included just the Tetons and the lakes) and the Jackson Hole National Monument established in 1943. From the National Park Service:

Teton.jpg

Located in northwestern Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park protects stunning mountain scenery and a diverse array of wildlife. The central feature of the park is the Teton Range — an active, fault-block, 40-mile-long mountain front. The range includes eight peaks over 12,000 feet (3,658 m), including the Grand Teton at 13,770 feet (4,198 m). Seven morainal lakes run along the base of the range, and more than 100 alpine lakes can be found in the backcountry.

Elk, moose, pronghorn, mule deer, and bison are commonly seen in the park. Black bears are common in forested areas, while grizzlies are occasionally observed in the northern part of the park. More than 300 species of birds can be observed, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons.

Canyonlands National Park …

was authorized on this date 40 years ago. From the National Park Service:

Canyonlands.jpg

Canyonlands National Park preserves a colorful landscape of sedimentary sandstones eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River and its tributaries. The Colorado and Green rivers divide the park into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze and the rivers themselves. While the districts share a primitive desert atmosphere, each retains its own character and offers different opportunities for exploration and learning.

Fort Bowie National Historic Site …

was authorized on this date in 1964. According to the National Park Service:

FortBowie.jpg

Fort Bowie commemorates in its 1000 acres, the story of the bitter conflict between the Chiricahua Apaches and the United States military. For more than 30 years Fort Bowie and Apache Pass were the focal point of military operations eventually culminating in the surrender of Geronimo in 1886 and the banishment of the Chiricahuas to Florida and Alabama. It was the site of the Bascom Affair, a wagon train massacre, and the battle of Apache Pass, where a large force of Chiricahua Apaches under Mangus Colorados and Cochise fought the California Volunteers. The remains of Fort Bowie today are carefully preserved, the adobe walls of various post buildings and the ruins of a Butterfield Stage Station.

Visiting Fort Bowie requires a three mile round trip hike — unless you use the handicap entrance, which they keep a secret until you show up after walking a mile-and-a-half on a July afternoon with a daughter eight months pregnant and a two-year-old grandson.

They crash quickly and often unexpectedly

Article from Christopher Reynolds in the Los Angeles Times on the dangers of dehydration —

It’s nearly noon, and the morning’s hikers scramble out of the baking inner canyon, wheezing and dripping. In a room a few hundred yards from the South Rim, supervising ranger Marc Yeston touches a green pen to a wall map and traces a long, wriggling path. Then he makes a triangle.

Here, he says, is the spot where they found Margaret Bradley, a 24-year-old University of Chicago medical student and marathoner.

Just three months before, the 115-pound Bradley had finished the Boston Marathon in a few ticks over three hours, a solid performance in temperatures well over 80.

“I focused on keeping myself hydrated,” she told the magazine Chicago Athlete afterward, “and not letting the adrenaline from the crowd make me do something stupid.”

But last month, when she and a companion decided to try a 27-mile trail run in a single day, that caution was missing. A cascading series of miscalculations, say rangers, turned this scholar-athlete into the Grand Canyon’s first dehydration fatality in four years.

The article details what happened.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore …

was established on this date in 1937. The National Park Service tells us:

Hatteras.jpgStretched over 70 miles of barrier islands, Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a fascinating combination of natural and cultural resources, and provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities. Once dubbed the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” for its treacherous currents, shoals, and storms, Cape Hatteras has a wealth of history relating to shipwrecks, lighthouses, and the U.S. Lifesaving Service. These dynamic islands provide a variety of habitats and are a valuable wintering area for migrating waterfowl. The park’s fishing and surfing are considered the best on the east coast.

Not all the great places are in the west

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area was authorized on this date in 1978.

The National Park Service tells us:

Chattahoochee.jpg

The Chattahoochee River and its valley is a place rich in natural and cultural resources. Sometimes the river is clear, cold, and slow-moving, while at other times it is a muddy torrent, plunging through rocky shoals. The valley contains a rich, diverse mix of plants and animals that represent an environment much larger than itself. For centuries, humans have been drawn to this river valley for life’s basics: food, water, and shelter as well as transportation and power to support the increasing numbers of mills and factories. By the 1970’s, the resources that made the river valley a special place to so many people were being threatened. On August 15, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed the legislation that set aside a 48-mile stretch of river with a series of parklands to preserve a part of the river valley for future generations.

Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?

Grant.jpgUnion General and 18th President of the U.S., Ulysses S. Grant, and his wife, Julia Dent Grant. The General Grant National Memorial in New York City became part of the National Park Service on this date in 1958. General Grant died of throat cancer in 1885.

“No other terms than unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works.”

The Rock

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary accepted its first prisoners 70 years ago today.

Alcatraz is a 22-acre rock island in San Francisco Bay, 1½ miles from shore. For 29 years the federal prison system kept its highest security prisoners there, including Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, and the famous Birdman, Robert Stroud (played by Burt Lancaster in the film Birdman of Alcatraz). Reportedly, no one was ever known to have successfully escaped from Alcatraz.

From 1868 to 1934, Alcatraz was a military prison. In 1969, American Indian activists occupied and claimed the island. Their occupation lasted 19 months.

Alcatraz Island became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area of the National Park Service in 1972.

Alcatraz, for the original Spanish Alcatraces, is usually defined as meaning “pelican” or “strange bird.”

Click photo to enlarge.

Lassen Volcanic National Park…

was authorized on this date in 1916.

Lassen.jpg

Beneath Lassen Volcanic’s peaceful forests and gem-like lakes lies evidence of a turbulent and fiery past. 600,000 years ago, the collision and warping of continental plates led to violent eruptions and the formation of lofty Mt. Tehama (also called Brokeoff Volcano.) After 200,000 years of volcanic activity, vents and smaller volcanoes on Tehama’s flanks-including Lassen Peak-drew magma away from the main cone. Hydrothermal areas ate away at the great mountain’s bulk. Beneath the onslaught of Ice Age glaciers, Mt. Tehama crumbled and finally ceased to exist. But the volcanic landscape lived on: in 1914, Lassen Peak awoke. The Peak had its most significant activity in 1915 and minor activity through 1921. Lassen Volcanic became a national park in 1916 because of its significance as an active volcanic landscape.

All four types of volcanoes in the world are found in the park.

Source: Lassen Volcanic National Park

Capulin Volcano National Monument…

was authorized on this date in 1916. The monument is located in northeastern New Mexico.

Mammoths, giant bison, and short-faced bears were witness to the first tremblings of the earth and firework-like explosions of molten rock thousands of feet into the air. Approximately 60,000 years ago, the rain of cooling cinders and four lava flows formed Capulin Volcano, a nearly perfectly-shaped cinder cone, rising more than 1000 feet above the surrounding landscape. Although long extinct, Capulin Volcano is dramatic evidence of the volcanic processes that shaped northeastern New Mexico. Today the pine forested volcano provide habitat for mule deer, wild turkey, and black bear.

Souce: Capulin Volcano National Monument

Management problems at Interior, ya’ think?

First part of editorial from The Salt Lake Tribune —

It’s hard to imagine that one person could be responsible for misspending millions of taxpayer dollars, leaving national park construction projects unfinished, subcontractors unpaid and contracts awarded with no regard for rules and policies.

Yet contracts for $17 million in construction projects at Grand Canyon National Park were awarded by the park’s contracting officer to Pacific General Inc. without the insurance bonds required by federal law to guarantee that the work is finished and subcontractors are paid.

The company, whose license had been suspended in Arizona for two years before it got the park contracts, went out of business after being paid but before completing a number of major projects and without paying subcontractors an estimated $2.5 million for the work they did.

It may be true that one man, who, not surprisingly, retired abruptly when the mismanagement was uncovered, was the primary culprit in this financial morass that has pushed some of 50 subcontractors near bankruptcy. But where were those who should have been overseeing him?

If oversight was as scandalously lacking at Grand Canyon as it appears, what might auditors find if they checked into the $94 million the Park Service extravagantly spent in overseas travel the past two years, or the major construction projects under way without congressional approval?

Cape Cod National Seashore…

was authorized on this date in 1961.

CapeCod.jpg
Cape Cod National Seashore comprises 43,604 acres of shoreline and upland landscape features, including a forty-mile long stretch of pristine sandy beach, dozens of clear, deep, freshwater kettle ponds, and upland scenes that depict evidence of how people have used the land. A variety of historic structures are within the boundary of the Seashore, including lighthouses, a lifesaving station, and numerous Cape Cod style houses. The Seashore offers six swimming beaches, eleven self-guiding nature trails, and a variety of picnic areas and scenic overlooks.

Source: Cape Code National Seashore

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument…

was established by President Wilson on this date in 1918.

CasaGrande.jpg

For over a thousand years, prehistoric farmers inhabited much of the present-day state of Arizona. When the first Europeans arrived, all that remained of this ancient culture were the ruins of villages, irrigation canals and various artifacts. Among these ruins is the Casa Grande, or “Big House,” one of the largest and most mysterious prehistoric structures ever built in North America. Casa Grande Ruins, the nation’s first archeological preserve, protects the Casa Grande and other archeological sites within its boundaries.

Source: Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Yosemite

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Land Grant on this date in 1864. According to the Library of Congress:

The legislation provided California with 39,000 acres of the Yosemite Valley and the nearby Mariposa Big Tree Grove “upon the express conditions that the premises shall be held for public use, resort, and recreation.”

The newly-appointed Yosemite Board of Park Commissioners confronted the dual task of preserving the magnificent landscape while providing for public recreation. With amazing foresight, board member and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted noted these goals could conflict. In his August 9, 1865 Draft of Preliminary Report upon the Yosemite and Big Tree Grove, Olmsted warns “the slight harm which the few hundred visitors of this year might do, if no care were taken to prevent it, would not be slight, if it should be repeated by millions.”

Predators, an integral part of nature (who would have thought?)

An intriguing report from Scientific American on the wolves in Yellowstone:

The wolf-effect theory holds that wolves kept elk numbers at a level that prevented them from gobbling up every tree or willow that poked its head aboveground. When the wolves were extirpated in the park as a menace, elk numbers soared, and the hordes consumed the vegetation, denuding the Lamar Valley and driving out many other species. Without young trees on the range, beavers, for example, had little or no food, and indeed they had been absent since at least the 1950s. Without beaver dams and the ponds they create, fewer succulents could survive, and these plants are a critical food for grizzly bears when they emerge from hibernation.

After the wolves’ reintroduction in 1995 and 1996, they began to increase their numbers fairly rapidly, and researchers began to see not only a drop in the population of elk but a change in elk behavior. The tall, elegant mahogany-colored animals spent less time in river bottoms and more time in places where they could keep an eye out for predatory wolves. If the wolf-effect hypothesis is correct, and wolves are greatly reducing elk numbers, the vegetation should be coming back for the first time in seven decades.

The national parks

The Rocky Mountain News laments cutbacks at the national parks in Colorado:

For instance, hours at Rocky Mountain National Park’s visitor centers were trimmed from 390 hours per week to 260.

Patterson said the centers will all close at 6 p.m., instead of staying open until 9 p.m., because visitor traffic slows in the evening.

The Casper Star-Tribune tells about the impact in Wyoming:

[At Devil’s Tower, the] park’s 2004 annual budget is $3,000 less than its 2003 budget, dropping from $771,000 to $768,000.

Wade said the public should know that when they travel to national parks, they will likely see fewer rangers, fewer educational services, and less maintenance of campgrounds and picnic areas.

The Salt Lake Tribune looks at the situation in Utah:

“We are not providing the same level of service that we have been able to in years past,” said Paul Henderson, chief of interpretation at Arches and Canyonlands. “Things are definitely tight.”

Managers at Utah’s five national parks said last year that they need to increase their annual operating budgets by $12.1 million to keep up with visitor demand and to run the parks in a way that fulfills the Park Service’s other mission of protecting resources.

Canyonlands, for example, needs $359,000 more each year to boost visitor information services and backcountry management, while Zion needs $422,000 to hire additional interpretive rangers.

But, last year, Utah’s parks saw no increases to their budgets.

The Denver Post has an editorial:

Instead of following optimistic talking points, the Bush administration needs to take a realistic look at the deterioration of the Park Service’s finances.

Yellowstone-area grizzly count dips

News report from The Billings Gazette

Observations of female grizzlies with cubs – an important indication about how well the overall population is faring – dropped from 52 in 2002 to 38 last year, according to the grizzly study team’s annual report. More than likely, that drop is tied to a poor food year in 2002 and a slight reproductive increase in recent years that left few females available to breed and show off their offspring in 2003, Schwartz said.

NewMexiKen is amused to think, what if the bears were in charge and humans were the object of their observations?

National Parks fast falling into disrepair

The Christian Science Monitor has a report on the state of the national parks. Nothing new, but still worthwhile. The article lists these particular problems (from the National Parks Conservation Association):

• Hikers cannot reach backcountry cabins at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State because necessary bridges and trails need repair.

• Large sections of a historic lighthouse and Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park in South Florida are unsafe.

• The visitor center at the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii is sinking.

• Yosemite National Park needs more than $40 million for backlogged projects, including trail and campground maintenance, sewer system replacement, and electrical upgrades.

• Ancient stone structures are collapsing at Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico.

• At Yellowstone, 150 miles of roads have not been repaired in years, and many of the park’s several hundred buildings are in poor condition.

The Orgy in Your Backyward

University of Wyoming Professor Jeffrey A. Lockwood celebrates the cicadas. His essay in The New York Times concludes:

We would do well, I believe, to begin to think of periodical cicadas as moving, living national parks. Maybe the Department of [the] Interior should declare a new category: national events. These would be wondrous natural happenings that define the character of our nation, occasions that warrant our attention, or processes that merit celebration. These events would honor the ways in which we are connected to the earth, recognizing that we are embedded in a marvelous natural world.

As candidates, I’d propose the migration of monarch butterflies from Mexico to Canada that unites our continent, the flickering of fireflies that turns suburban hedges into enchanted forests, the bugling of elk in the Rockies that is as primordial a sound as one could ever hear, and the turning of leaves in the New England autumn that reminds us of the cycle of life and death in which, for all of our medical technology, we are still a part.

And I nominate the exuberant arrival of the periodical cicadas as the inaugural national event. Rather than a few million of us visiting Yosemite or Yellowstone this summer, a few trillion cicadas will come to visit us. They will remind us that the world is yet to be tamed and that wonder is our birthright. Even staid scientists are entranced by these creatures — why else would the genus have been named Magicicada?

NewMexiKen notes that Professor Lockwood does not reside where he has to deal with these trillions of pests.