Infos querbeet zu NPs, NMs, SPs, etc.

Everglades Celebrates 75th Anniversary

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On Sat., Dec. 3, Everglades National Park will celebrate its 75th Anniversary with a rededication ceremony, live music, historic reenactors, and tours of the new facilities in Flamingo. Participants will be among the first to see inside the newly renovated Guy Bradley Visitor Center.

The event is free and open to the public. Entrance fees will be waived for Dec. 3.

Everglades National Park was dedicated on Dec. 6, 1947, in Everglades City, Fla. The anniversary theme is “75 years old, but still brand new.” From Everglades Restoration to rebuilding and remodeling park facilities to the dynamic diversity of plants and animals in the park, each visit brings a new experience.

The schedule is as follows:

1:30 Historic reenactors and live music by singer/songwriter Grant Livingston
2:00 Re-dedication Ceremony with emcee Ron Magill of ZooMiami
3:15-5:00
Reception hosted by the Florida National Parks Association
Open House of the newly renovated Guy Bradley Visitor Center
Tours of the rebuilt Flamingo Lodge - Because the Flamingo Lodge is still an active construction site, closed-toed shoes are required and hard hats will be provided for participants to wear.

The ceremony will take place outdoors under a tent adjacent to the Guy Bradley Visitor Center with a view of Florida Bay. A sign language interpreter will be present during the ceremony.

The Guy Bradley Visitor Center, also known as the Flamingo Visitor Center, is located in Flamingo, 38 miles from the park’s main Homestead entrance (approx. 50-minute drive). Guests should allow ample time to travel to the site, park and walk to the ceremony location.

Handicap parking is available, and guests may be dropped off closer to the venue if needed.

Restrooms are available at several locations in Flamingo.

The Flamingo Marina Store and food truck will be open for drinks, snacks, sandwiches and a special “1947 Burger.” Boat tours, camping, Eco-Tents and houseboat rentals may be booked through the park’s authorized concessioner in Flamingo, Flamingo Adventures.

For those looking for a full-day adventure, Artists in Residence in Everglades (AIRIE), one of the park’s partners, is hosting a couple of events for the anniversary. From 9:30-11:30 a.m., AIRIE will wrap up Miami Art Week with an immersive Photo Walk at Royal Palm; and from 11 a.m.-12 p.m., they will be previewing a new exhibition in the AIRIE Nest Gallery at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center. More details are available on their website.

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National Christmas Tree wird 100 Jahre alt

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Der berühmte National Christmas Tree gilt in Washington D.C. als Touristenattraktion. Und zum 100. Mal hieß es vor wenigen Tagen "Push the button".

Eine Weihnachtstradition des Weißen Hauses – mit Lichtern, Dekorationen, Musik und einem Auftritt des amtierenden Präsidenten – wird dieses Jahr 100 Jahre alt. Am 30. November 2022 schaltete US-Präsident Joe Biden gemeinsam mit First Lady Jill Biden das Licht am wohl berühmtesten Weihnachtsbaum der USA ein.
Diese Tradition wurde an Heiligabend im Jahr 1923 von US-Präsident Calvin Coolidge eingeführt. An diesem Tag ging er vom Weißen Haus zum Park "The Ellipse", wo sich Zuschauer versammelt hatten, um 2500 rote, weiße und grüne Glühbirnen auf einer 15 Meter hohen Balsamtanne aus Vermont einzuschalten.
Die National Park Foundation schreibt Coolidges Frau, First Lady Grace Coolidge, die Entstehung der Veranstaltung zu, weil sie einen Monat zuvor den District of Columbia Public Schools erlaubt hatte, den Weihnachtsbaum aufzustellen.
Die diesjährige Zeremonie wurde von zahlreichen Künstlern wie LL Cool J, Shania Twain, Joss Stone und vielen mehr begleitet. Der National Christmas Tree steht unter der Schirmherrschaft des National Park Service und der National Park Foundation und kann täglich zwischen 10 und 22 Uhr (Freitag und Samstag bis 23 Uhr) besucht werden.
Die Baumbeleuchtung wurde 2020 während der Covid-19-Pandemie eingeschaltet, jedoch ohne Live-Publikum. Das Publikum kehrte 2021 zurück. Biden sagte, dass der immergrüne Baum "uns daran erinnert, dass selbst in den kältesten, dunkelsten Wintertagen Leben und Fülle zurückkehren werden".

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Glacier National Park Announces Plans for 2023 Reservations

Two Medicine and Many Glacier valleys added to reservation system in 2023.

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Visitors to Glacier National Park in 2023 can expect to use a vehicle reservation system to access Going-to-the-Sun Road via the West Entrance and the North Fork area of the park from May 26 through September 10, 2023, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Vehicle reservations will also be required for Two Medicine and Many Glacier valleys and the St. Mary Entrance to Going-to-the-Sun Road on the east side of the park from July 1 through September 10, 2023, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This will be the third year of the pilot reservation system in the park; designed to manage high traffic volumes within the park to protect natural and cultural resources while delivering quality visitor experiences.

The decision to add Many Glacier and Two Medicine valleys to the reservation system was based on review of data collected during the two previous years. Patterns show an increased need to restrict traffic when parking capacity was surpassed. Park officials held meetings with businesses and stakeholders this fall to share the data and solicit input. Based on feedback, park officials chose to limit the reservation time period at Two Medicine, Many Glacier, and the St. Mary Entrance to Going-to-the-Sun Road to July 1 through September 10 and to limit the hours of the reservation period to 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors to the east side of the park without a reservation will still be able to visit Two Medicine and Many Glacier before 6 a.m. and after 3 p.m. and will be able to visit the St. Mary visitor center for access to free shuttles to Going-to-the-Sun Road.

As in 2021 and 2022, landowners inside the park are not required to have a vehicle reservation to access their properties. Pursuant to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, vehicle reservations are not required for tribal members throughout the park.

Vehicle reservations will be available on Recreation.gov. Each of the specified areas of the park will require a separate reservation. Like last year, visitors will need to set up an account on Recreation.gov to obtain reservations. The only cost associated with booking a reservation is a $2 Recreation.gov processing fee.

New for the 2023 season, vehicle reservations will be available through two types of booking windows. A portion of reservations will be available approximately four months or 120-days in advance, using a block-release system. The first block of advanced reservations will be available through Recreation.gov at 8 a.m. Mountain Time on February 1, 2023. This round of reservations will be available to enter Going-to-the-Sun Road or the North Fork for May 26 through June 30. The next release will occur on March 1, 2023, for July 1 through July 31, including the reservation areas for Going-to-the-Sun Road, North Fork, Two Medicine, and Many Glacier. On April 1, 2023, reservations will be available for all areas for August 1 through August 31. On May 1, 2023, reservations will be available for all areas for September 1 through September 10. Like last year, a portion of reservations for all areas of the park will be available on a rolling basis at 8 a.m. 24-hours in advance.

One reservation per vehicle will again be required to enter Going-to-the-Sun Road at the West Entrance, and the Camas Entrance from May 26 through September 10, 2023. Reservations are good for three days. Like last year, Apgar Village and the Apgar visitor center are located inside the West Entrance and require a vehicle reservation to access. New in 2023, reservations will only be required until 3 p.m. In 2022, reservations were required until 4 p.m.

As in 2022, one reservation per vehicle will be required at the Polebridge Ranger Station to visit the North Fork area of the park in 2023. Reservations are good for one day. New in 2023, visitors can enter before 6 a.m. or after 3 p.m. without a reservation. In 2022, reservations were required until 6 p.m.

New in 2023, one reservation per vehicle per valley will be required to access Two Medicine and Many Glacier valleys on the east side of the park from July 1 through September 10 from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations are good for one day.

Also new in 2023, reservations will not be required at the St. Mary Entrance until July 1. Beginning July 1 through September 10, 2023, a vehicle reservation will be required to access Going-to-the-Sun Road from the St. Mary Entrance. Like last year, vehicle reservations will be checked at the Rising Sun check point, six miles inside the St. Mary Entrance, and visitors will have access to the St. Mary visitor center and park shuttle outside of the vehicle reservation area.

In addition to a vehicle reservation, each vehicle entering the park is required to have an entrance pass for any entry point into the park. These passes could include any one of the following: a $35 vehicle pass, good for seven days; a valid Interagency Annual/Lifetime Pass; or a Glacier National Park Annual Pass.

Visitors with lodging, camping, transportation, or commercial activity reservations within Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor, Many Glacier, or Two Medicine can use their reservation for entry in lieu of a $2 reservation to gain access to the portion of the park for which they have a reservation.

Prior to July 1, when the reservation requirements begin, the park anticipates congestion at Two Medicine and Many Glacier valleys. As in past years, entry will be temporarily restricted if these areas reach capacity. Visitors are encouraged to plan their visit outside of peak hours (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Visitors with service reservations (e.g., boat tours, lodging, horseback ride, guided hikes) in these valleys will be permitted entry during temporary restrictions.

Visitors should anticipate up to a 30-minute wait due to construction on Going-to-the-Sun Road along Lake McDonald starting in June. Additional details about construction will be posted on the park website as they become available. Entry to Going-to-the-Sun Road from the West Entrance before the 6 a.m. reservation period will not be possible due to construction activities. To avoid congestion-related delays, visitors are encouraged to use the St. Mary Entrance to access Going-to-the-Sun Road, including popular attractions such as Logan Pass and Avalanche.

Through the pilot process, the park is engaged in continued learning about the various strategies used. The park has also engaged with stakeholders and local communities to inform the design of the pilot each year. This information will help inform long-range visitor use management planning, which the park is expecting to begin in 2023. Through the long-range planning process, there will be opportunities for public input once the planning process is initiated.

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Rocky Mountain National Park continues pilot timed entry permit reservations from May 26 through October 22

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Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) will implement another pilot temporary timed entry permit reservation system beginning on May 26, 2023. Previous use of the reservation system has eased congestion impacts and improved the visitor experience in the park.

The reservation permit system is similar to that used in 2022, with two types of reservations available. One permit will be for the Bear Lake Road Corridor, which includes the entire corridor, as well as access to the rest of the park. This reservation period will be from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. The second permit will be for the “rest of the park,” excluding the Bear Lake Road corridor. This “rest of park” reservation period will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Permits issued using the reservation system will allow park visitors to enter the park within two-hour windows of availability, with no set time for departure. The reservation system will apply to all areas of the park. The only cost associated with booking a reservation is a $2 recreation.gov processing fee.

Reservations to enter the park will be available through http://www.recreation.gov at 8 a.m. MDT on Monday, May 1. This round of reservations will be available to enter the park from May 26 through June 30. The next release will occur on June 1, for the month of July and any remaining days that have not been booked for June. On July 1, reservations will be available for the month of August and any remaining days that have not been booked for July. On August 1, reservations will be available for the month of September and any remaining days in August that have not been booked. On September 1, reservations will be available for October and any remaining days in September that have not been booked.

Modifications from the 2022 pilot system to the 2023 pilot system include making 40 percent of all reservations available the day prior at 5 p.m. through recreation.gov. These are expected to run out quickly and visitors are encouraged to plan ahead when possible. Other modifications will include extending the pilot permit system through October 22 and reducing the time period and number of hours daily that a reservation is required for “rest of park.” This reduced reservation period will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This system spreads use throughout the park and throughout the day to better use all parking/trailhead areas.

The park is continuing to work on its long-range visitor use management plan including public meetings in December and a public engagement comment period from December 12 through February 1.

RMNP is one of the busiest national parks with over 4.6 million visitors in 2019, representing a 44 percent increase in visitation in seven years. In 2021, under a pilot timed entry system, RMNP’s visitation was 4.4 million. Visitor crowding and congestion at the park have led to increased negative impacts to visitor and staff safety, resource protection, visitor experience and operational capacity.

The park has experimented and piloted various visitor use management strategies over the last six years, including managing vehicle access to first-come, first serve (2016-2019) in highly congested areas. These first-come, first-serve restrictions had some limited success initially, but over time began to lose effectiveness; the length of time they were necessary kept expanding and impacts were pushed elsewhere. The park piloted park wide timed entry permit reservation systems (2020-2022) and will be piloting a similar system again in 2023 while the park works to complete its long-range visitor use management plan. During all the pilots the park has collected extensive traffic, trail, and visitor movement data, and collected baseline data on social trails, bare ground areas, and human waste along highly visited trail corridors. Additionally, timed entry pilot related research was conducted on parking lot turnover rates at key trailheads. The park is learning from these various strategies since 2016, to help inform long-range day use visitor access strategies.

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Statement on P-22 from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

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The National Park Service joins our partners, friends, and community members here in Los Angeles, and around the world, in remembering mountain lion P-22.

Mountain lion P-22 was more than just a celebrity cat. He was also a critical part of a long-term research study and a valuable ambassador for the cause of connectivity and for wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains and beyond.

He was one of the oldest mountain lions in a study that the National Park Service has been conducting since 2002 and one of its most interesting. When he was captured and collared in March 2012 by National Park Service biologists, he was estimated to be about 2 years old.

Likely born in the Santa Monica Mountains as the son of adult male P-1, he somehow found his way to his tiny, nine-square-mile home in Griffith Park, separated from the Santa Monicas by the 101 and 405, two of the busiest freeways in the world. Defying expectations, he persisted for more than 10 years in the smallest home range that has ever been recorded for an adult male mountain lion.

Although he made frequent appearances on the streets of the Hollywood Hills and even, more recently, of the Silver Lake neighborhood, he was also clearly a wild cat, doing so mostly late at night, and subsisting largely on natural prey such as deer and coyotes.

In the end, he found his way into many Angelenos' hearts and home surveillance camera footage.

Park biologists aim to understand and conserve the species that live in and around the park for generations to come. Although P-22 is now physically gone, scientists will be analyzing his data for years to come.

This animal's life and safe passage to Griffith Park are a testament to both the challenges and the possibilities for wildlife in Los Angeles. He showed us what mountain lions must do to survive in our urban landscape, as he dispersed through it to find a remaining island of habitat.

He also showed us what they are capable of: surviving and co-existing with millions of people in a city as dense and sprawling as Los Angeles.

Goodbye, P-22. Your scientific legacy will live on.

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New Philadelphia National Historic Site

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New Philadelphia National Historic Site was established as a national park on December 29, 2022. In the coming months, the National Park Service will develop plans to welcome visitors. Visit partner organization New Philadelphia Association for more information on the townsite, which is located two miles east of Barry in western Illinois.

New Philadelphia was the first known town planned and legally registered by an African American before the Civil War. Frank McWorter, a formerly enslaved man from Kentucky, founded the town in 1836 and bought his freedom and the freedom of 15 family members. The rural community situated near the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers flourished at first, but later declined when the railroad bypassed the community in 1869. The community dissolved in 1885. By the 1940s, nothing of the town remained above ground. New Philadelphia disappeared as plows turned over the soil and buried any material remains left behind. Today, historical documents, oral histories from town descendants and community members, and artifacts keep the town's story alive.

The New Philadelphia site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, designated as a National Historic Landmark, and included in the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Several organizations and individuals have worked together for years to protect and interpret the New Philadelphia site and conduct archeological and historical research. Most active among them are nonprofit organizations including the New Philadelphia Association, the Archaeological Conservancy, the Philadelphia Land Trust, the McWorter family, and the faculty and students from the Universities of Illinois and Maryland. New Philadelphia Assocation manages a website and social media, an informational kiosk, and an “augmented reality” cell phone tour of the history of the site. The National Park Service will work to establish a presence at New Philadelphia National Historic Site so that visitors can journey to the park and learn from the legacy of Frank McWorter.

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US-Nationalpark wegen Flüchtlingsansturms aus Kuba geschlossen

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Die Ankunft von ungewöhnlich vielen kubanischen Flüchtlinge in Floridas Dry Tortugas National Park in nur wenigen Tagen zwingt die Behörden zur vorübergehenden Schließung des Parks.

Die US-Behörden untersuchen eine ungewöhnliche Flut kubanischer Migranten auf den Florida Keys, die bis zum Neujahrstag auf fast 500 angestiegen war, als der National Park Service ankündigte, den Dry Tortugas National Park vorübergehend für die Öffentlichkeit zu schließen, um sich um einige der Ankömmlinge zu kümmern.

Adam Hoffner, Abteilungsleiter der US-Zoll- und Grenzschutzbehörde in Miami, erklärte gegenüber dem des Tageszeitung Miami Herald, dass die mehrfachen Anlandungen von Kubanern "noch immer untersucht" würden. Nach Angaben des Nationalparkdienstes vom Neujahrstag waren in den letzten Tagen etwa 300 Kubaner im Dry Tortugas National Park angekommen.

"Die Homeland Security Task Force - Southeast weiß von mehreren Anlandungen von Migranten an diesem Wochenende auf @DryTortugasNPS, sagte die Heimatschutz-Task Force in einem Tweet und fügte hinzu, dass die U.S. Küstenwache Südost und Partner auf Bundes-, Landes- und Heimatschutz-Ebene "die Bemühungen koordinieren, um die derzeit auf den abgelegenen, unbewohnten Inseln Gestrandeten zu retten".

Am Neujahrstag bestätigten die US-Grenzschutzbeamten außerdem, dass sie mehr als 160 kubanische Staatsangehörige festgenommen hatten, die am frühen Sonntagmorgen eingetroffen waren. Bis zum Nachmittag hatten die Beamten mindestens 10 verschiedene Anlandungen von Migranten gezählt, die sich von Key Largo bis zu den Florida Keys erstreckten.

Die ungewöhnlich hohe Zahl von Kubanern in nur wenigen Tagen hält nicht nur die US-Strafverfolgungsbehörden auf Trab, sondern wirft auch die Frage auf, was hinter dem plötzlichen Ansturm auf die Keys stecken könnte, die mit dem größten Anstieg der Seemigration aus Kuba und Haiti seit fast einem Jahrzehnt konfrontiert sind, da sowohl Haiti als auch Kuba eine sich verschlimmernde Krise und wirtschaftliche Turbulenzen erleben.

Im Falle der Kubaner kommen die Migranten auf kleineren, selbstgebauten Schiffen. Die haitianischen Staatsangehörigen hingegen reisen in größeren, überfüllten Schiffen. Da ihre Ankunft in den Florida Keys dank der verstärkten Bemühungen der US-Küstenwache vor der Nordwestküste Haitis seltener ist als die der Kubaner, ist ihre Zahl seit den frühen 2000er Jahren nicht mehr so hoch.

Mit der Ankunft der letzten Gruppe von Kubanern am Sonntag auf den Inseln in der Nähe von Fort Jefferson wird der Dry-Tortugas-Nationalpark am Montag um 8.00 Uhr geschlossen, teilte der National Park Service mit. Die Schließung wird voraussichtlich mehrere Tage andauern. Nach Angaben der Parkverwaltung ist die Sperrung des öffentlichen Zugangs zum Park für die Sicherheit der Besucher und des Personals notwendig, da die Ressourcen und der Platz für die Versorgung der Migranten und die Koordinierung des Transports nach Key West benötigt werden. Auch die konzessionierten Fähr- und Wasserflugzeugdienste sind vorübergehend eingestellt.

"Wie anderswo in den Florida Keys hat der Park in letzter Zeit eine Zunahme von Menschen erlebt, die mit Booten aus Kuba ankommen und auf den Inseln des Dry Tortugas National Park landen", so der National Park Service in einer Erklärung. "Die Ersthelfer des Parks versorgen die Menschen mit Lebensmitteln, Wasser und medizinischer Grundversorgung, bis das Department of Homeland Security eintrifft und die Führung übernimmt."

Die Dry Tortugas sind eine zu Florida gehörende, unbewohnte Inselgruppe im Golf von Mexiko. Sie stellen die äußerste, westlichste Gruppe der Florida Keys dar. Die Inseln wurden 1513 von Juan Ponce de León entdeckt, der ihnen den Namen „Tortugas“ gab, nach den zahlreichen dort beobachteten Meeresschildkröten. Der Zuname „Dry“ (= trocken) wurde später hinzugefügt, um das Fehlen von Trinkwasser anzuzeigen.

Die Inselgruppe steht bereits seit 1908 unter Naturschutz und wurde 1992 mitsamt den sie umgebenden Gewässern zum Dry-Tortugas-Nationalpark erhoben. Die Gegend ist bekannt für ihre berühmte Vogel- und Meeresfauna, ihre Legenden von Piraten und versunkenem Gold sowie ihre militärische Vergangenheit.

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Hawaii: Vulkan Kilauea ist wieder aktiv

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Auf Hawaii ist der Vulkan Kilauea ausgebrochen. Einer seiner Krater hat am Freitagmorgen mitteleuropäischer Zeit begonnen, bis zu 30 Meter hohe Lava-Fontänen zu spucken. Die größte Aktivität beschränke sich auf die Gipfelzone des über eintausend Meter hohen Vulkans, hieß es wie die US-Erdbebenwarte (USGS) mitteilte.

Er war zuletzt im September 2021 ausgebrochen und hatte 16 Monate lang Feuer gespuckt. Im November desselben Jahres gesellte sich der große Bruder des Kilauea, der mehr als 4000 Meter hohe Mauna Loa, dazu. Ein Schauspiel, das Vulkanbegeisterte aus sicherer Entfernung bestaunen konnten.

Beide Vulkane liegen innerhalb des Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, weit entfernt von Wohngebieten und befinden sich auf der größten Insel der Kette, auch "Big Island" genannt.

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park announces early sale of ‘Park it Forward’ annual parking tags

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On March 1, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will launch the ‘Park it Forward’ program which requires visitors to buy and display a valid parking tag for any vehicle parking for more than 15 minutes. To make the transition as smooth as possible, the park will offer early sales of annual parking tags starting January 17.

“Park it Forward is crucial to the future of the park and its resources,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “Parking tag sales will provide critically needed support to protect and enhance the visitor experience, not just for tomorrow, but for generations to come.”

The $40 annual parking tags will be available for purchase online through Great Smoky Mountains Association or at any of the park's visitor centers. Annual tags purchased prior to March 1 will be valid through the end of March 2024. The $5 daily and $15 weekly parking tags will become available for purchase February 21 at 10 a.m. EST at recreation.gov.

Park users will directly contribute to protecting the park when they buy a parking tag. All revenue generated through the Park it Forward program will remain in the park to support operational costs for managing and improving visitor services such as trail maintenance, custodial services, and trash removal. The program will also support more resource education programs, emergency responders, and law enforcement staff across the park.

Parking tags cannot be transferred between vehicles and must include the license plate number matching the vehicle in which it is displayed. Obtaining a parking tag will not guarantee a parking spot at a specific location. Parking will continue to be available on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the park. Visitors are reminded to plan ahead when visiting busy locations like Laurel Falls Trail or Clingmans Dome by considering visiting during off-peak hours, mid-week, and during the cooler months to increase chances of securing a parking spot. With more than 800 miles of trails and nearly 400 miles of scenic roadways, there are ample opportunities for recreation across the park each day.

To raise awareness for the Park it Forward parking tag program, Great Smoky Mountains National Park launched a comprehensive campaign that includes public service announcements on radio, television, and social media. The PSAs share important and detailed information about how, where, and why to buy a parking tag. The park also created a Park it Forward communications toolkit for partners and media.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park leadership announced the decision to adopt the Park it Forward parking tag program in August of 2022 following a robust civic engagement process that included feedback from more than 2,700 people from all 50 states.

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Arizona's Havasu Falls Will Reopen to Visitors for the First Time in 3 Years

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The falls will require permits for hiking.

After three years of being closed, Havasu Falls in Arizona will be reopened to visitors beginning on February 1, 2023. According to USA Today, going to the falls will require a permit for the hike and a reservation if you intend to camp in the area.

The cost of the hiking permit is $100 Monday through Thursday and $123 Friday through Sunday. To reach the falls, it is an eight-mile hike, plus an additional two-mile hike to reach the campground.

However, because the park was closed when people still had reservations, the Havasupai Tribe is not taking new reservations for entry in 2023. People with previous reservations will be given priority rebookings. Those who don't wish to be rebooked can place their reservations for sale. For more information about permit fees, reopening information and how to make reservations, head to HavasupaiReservations.com.

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20 of the strangest natural phenomena in America

From features in national parks to regional quirks, Stacker compiled a list of 20 of the strangest natural phenomena in the U.S.

Link mit vielen Bildern

Manches kannte ich und war evtl. auch schon mal dort.

Von einigem habe ich vorher noch nie gehört.

Hovenweep National Monument Celebrates Centennial Year

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Hovenweep National Monument kicks off its centennial year with a birthday party on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Please join us for birthday cake from 1pm to 2pm at the Hovenweep visitor center.

Hovenweep was proclaimed as a national monument by President Warren G. Harding on March 2, 1923. One hundred years later, thousands of people from across the globe travel each year to experience this special place. To celebrate this historic milestone, the monument and its partners are inviting the public to enjoy a year of special programs and events.

Other events include:

June 18 – 24: Summer Solstice, Holly Solstice Panel viewing and solar activities

August 25: Founders Day (National Park Service birthday)

September 15 – 17: Astronomy Festival, special astronomy activities

October 14: Annular Solar Eclipse viewing

There will also be centennial activities available throughout the year, such as a special centennial junior ranger badge (available only in person) and a variety of ranger programs.

Superintendent Vernon Cody said, “Hovenweep National Monument is thrilled to celebrate this important milestone with our visitors, tribes, local communities, and partners. We hope to make the most of this centennial year by reflecting on the past, celebrating the present, and looking ahead to an optimistic future. In the next 100 years, may we continue to protect, educate, and inspire for future generations.”

All centennial events will be open to the public, though some may require advance registration through the park. Visit our centennial webpage for detailed information about the events and activities (https://www.nps.gov/hove/learn…lture/hove-centennial.htm).

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Carlsbad Caverns Begins Centennial Celebration

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October 25, 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Signed into law by President Calvin Coolidge, the park was set aside to protect its “…extraordinary proportions and…unusual beauty and variety of natural decoration…”

Yesterday, the park unveiled 20 Story Walk exhibits along the Lake Carlsbad Recreation Area in partnership with the City of Carlsbad and the Carlsbad Public Library. Mayor Dale Janway and Library Director Sarah Jones joined in the celebration. The exhibits showcase the park's history, cave formations, and plant and animals that make Carlsbad Caverns their home. The exhibits will be on display throughout the park’s centennial.

“Carlsbad Caverns’ anniversary celebrates a century of discovery, preservation, and protection,” said Superintendent Carmen Chapin. “It’s an important time to look back on the lessons of the past as we move forward to the next 100 years of stewardship and continued partnerships with the community.”

Carlsbad Caverns is located in the northern most part of the Chihuahuan Desert—the largest desert in North America. The park is home to 67 species of mammals (including 17 species of bats), 357 species of birds, 55 different reptiles and amphibians, and about 900 species and subspecies of plants.

For thousands of years, the area has been an important place to Native Americans for hunting, gathering plants, and for religious and medicinal purposes.

The Story Walk exhibits were produced through the generous support of the Western National Parks Association, the park's non-profit partner.

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Besucher reist in amerikanischen Nationalpark – und findet drei Karat schweren Diamanten

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Im US-Bundesstaat Arkansas hat David Anderson im Diamonds State Park einen 3,29 Karat braunen Diamanten gefunden.

Ein besonderer Fund in einem Nationalpark sorgt für Aufsehen: Im US-Bundesstaat Arkansas hat David Anderson im Krater des Diamonds State Park einen 3,29 Karat schweren braunen Diamanten gefunden. Für Anderson, der in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, lebt, ist es nicht der erste Diamant, den er gefunden hat. Seit 2007 habe er schon mehr als 400 Diamanten gefunden, sagt er. "Nachdem ich meinen ersten Diamanten, einen 1,5-Karätigen in Weiß, gefunden hatte, war ich süchtig".

Der Park ist bei Diamanten-Fans nicht unbekannt: Täglich werden ein bis zwei Diamanten in der 37,5 Hektar großen, offiziellen Diamantensuchzone gefunden. Seit dem Jahr 1906 wurden hier insgesamt bereits mehr als 75.000 Diamanten gefunden, darunter sogar der größte Diamant, der jemals in den USA entdeckt wurde. Die meisten von ihnen sind allerdings kleiner – auch kleiner als der mehr als drei Karat schwere Diamant von David Anderson.

Der letzte größere Fund stammt von Ende 2021: Damals fand ein Besucher einen 4,38 Karat schweren Diamanten. Anderson selbst fand im Nationalpark zudem bereits einen 3,83 Karat und einen 6,19 Karat schweren Diamanten. Beide konnten es aber nicht mit dem absoluten Rekord-Fund im Nationalpark aufnehmen: Der war mehr als 40 Karat schwer und wurde bereits 1924 entdeckt.

Für den Park ist die Diamantensuche ein einträgliches Geschäft: Besucher können vor Ort Grab- und Siebwerkzeuge mieten, im Gegenzug können sie alle gefundenen Steine mit nach Hause nehmen. Die Parkwächter bieten den Besuchern zudem Hilfe bei der Identifizierung der vor Ort gefunden Felsen und Mineralien an – kostenlos. Für David Anderson war der erbsengroße hellbraune Diamant bestimmt nicht der letzte Fund.

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Glacier National Park 2023 Construction Updates

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Glacier National Park has announced plans for major construction areas during the 2023 summer season. Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and prepare for traffic delays at the West Entrance and closures in the North Fork due to construction.

Bridge Preservation Project

Glacier National Park is continuing a construction project to rehabilitate 13 bridges throughout the park. The work will take place over the next year. This is the continuation of a two-year project that began last summer.

Due to bridge construction and road conditions, all roads in the North Fork area of the park are expected to be closed to vehicle traffic until May 25, 2023. Early season work is proposed to complete bridge approach excavations in the Spring. All spring work is dependent on weather conditions and site accessibility.

The Bowman, Kintla, Akokala and Ford bridges, located in the North Fork, are anticipated to have short delays May 26 to early September 2023. Kintla, Akokala and Ford bridges will likely be closed to all traffic starting September 5 through mid-November. The Bowman Bridge is expected to be closed to all traffic September 11 through mid-November. The park anticipates visitors will not have access to Bowman and Kintla areas during the construction closures, including campgrounds and trailheads. In addition to the Bridge Preservation Project, the GNP Road Crew will also be grading the last five miles of the road to Kintla Lake July through fall 2023. Visitors need to use caution as there will be heavy truck traffic and minor delays. Roads in the North Fork area typically close at the end of November due to winter conditions.

If early season work is completed in spring, Bowman Creek Bridge will only require a short duration closure in the fall.

The Fish Creek Bridge will be paved in late May before Fish Creek Campground opens for the season. The bridge is anticipated to have limited delays in traffic until its expected closure to motorized, pedestrian, and bicycle access May 1 through May 25, 2023.

The North Fork Bridge, located on the north end of Camas Road, will be resurfaced and the roadway leading up to the bridge will be milled, paved, and graded. Work on the North Fork Bridge is expected to start in April and go through late fall 2023. Visitors should expect short delays when crossing the bridge.

The Lee Creek Bridge, located along Chief Mountain Highway, will have short delays starting September through late fall 2023.

Since the last construction season, work has been substantially completed on the Anaconda, Camas, Dutch Creek, Quartz and Logging Creek bridges located on the Inside North Fork Road.

Improvements to the bridges include bridge deck and approach repairs, timber pile replacement and repairs, timber curb replacement, painting, concrete repair, erosion control measures, and more. The work is being completed to preserve the existing bridges and ensure continued usage by preventing failure which would require full bridge replacement.

Lake McDonald Utilities Project Construction on the Lake McDonald Utilities Project is expected to continue along Going-to-the-Sun Road from the south end of Lake McDonald near Apgar Campground to Sprague Creek Campground until May 15, 2023; however, the park anticipates visitors will have vehicle and recreational access on Going-to-the-Sun Road up to Lake McDonald Lodge by May 5 at 6 a.m. Visitors should drive and bike with caution in this area due to uneven surfaces and potholes.

Going-to-the-Sun Road Rehabilitation

The west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road, from the foot of Lake McDonald to North Lake McDonald Road, will undergo three phases of rehabilitation work. 9.3 miles of Going-to-the-Sun Road is expected to be milled and repaved starting May through fall 2023, weather permitting.

Visitors should anticipate up to a 30-minute wait due to construction on Going-to-the-Sun Road along Lake McDonald starting in May. Entry to Going-to-the-Sun Road from the West Entrance before the 6 a.m. reservation period will not be possible due to construction activities. To avoid congestion-related delays, visitors are encouraged to use the St. Mary Entrance to access Going-to-the-Sun Road, including popular attractions such as Logan Pass and Avalanche, when the road fully opens for the season.

All pull-outs in the construction zone along Lake McDonald are anticipated to be closed through late fall 2023. Visitors should drive and bike with caution in this area due to uneven surfaces and potholes.

The construction zone is anticipated to be closed nightly until late fall with opportunities to go through at scheduled times. Please check our website for the latest construction updates.

Upper McDonald Creek Bridge

In early April, bridge replacement will begin on upper McDonald Creek. The bridge provides access to the northwest shore of Lake McDonald including private homes, the Lake McDonald Ranger Station, and trailheads. The new bridge will be built approximately 30 feet upstream of the existing bridge, requiring a realignment of the road approaches.

There will be a full closure during construction to North Lake McDonald Road at the intersection with the Going-to-the-Sun Road. There will be no public access, including vehicles, hiking, or biking and no parking at this intersection. Visitors intending on hiking the Johns Lake Loop Trail will need to turn around where trail closed signs are posted. Hikers will not be able to complete the loop.

Bridge construction is expected to go through the entire 2023 construction season and conclude in late 2024.

Outside the Park

Polebridge

Starting July 10, 2023, a portion of Glacier Drive, which is just north of the Polebridge businesses to the bridge entering the park, will be under construction.

Construction within the business area of Polebridge will begin on August 14, 2023. Parking will be restricted to outside the work area until construction is completed.

Visitors to the Polebridge area should expect 30-minute delays before arriving at and departing the park entrance. Updates for the construction project can be found on Montana Department of Transportation's website. Visitors should know, this 30-minute construction zone will be in addition to construction zones inside the park. Please see the “Bridge Preservation Project” above.

U.S. Highway 2

Paving and chip reseal work will resume in the Marias Pass area of U.S. Highway 2 in spring 2023. Expect some traffic control, with single lane restrictions and short delays through summer 2023. More information about the construction project can be found on Montana Department of Transportation's website.

U.S. Highway 89

The section of U.S. Highway 89 immediately east and south of St. Mary, MT will be under construction this summer. This is the continuation of a multi-year project that has been ongoing for the last few summers. Expect some traffic control, with single lane restrictions and short delays between Hudson Bay Divide and Kiowa. More information about the construction project can be found on Montana Department of Transportation's website.

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Wetherill Mesa Closed for the 2023 Season Due to Construction

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The Wetherill Mesa area of Mesa Verde National Park will be closed for the 2023 season to accommodate the demolition and construction of a new visitor contact station in the Wetherill area. The existing contact station was damaged by the Pony Fire in August 2000 and needs to be replaced. The lightning-caused Pony Fire devastated many of the day-use facilities in the Wetherill area that year and burned 1,352 acres, but no ancestral sites were damaged.

Demolition of the current structure is expected to begin in late April and will involve the removal of large amounts of concrete and steel. Material staging and construction will occur in visitor use areas large truck traffic will be on the narrow roadway resulting in visitor safety concerns.

The project was originally scheduled to be completed in time to open the Wetherill Mesa area to visitors in July. Late winter snowfall will delay contractor access to the site. Additionally, the manufacturing and delivery schedule for the new structure has been delayed by many weeks. Construction of the new contact station may not be complete until late October.

After much discussion regarding safety and the quality of visitor experience, the decision was made to not open Wetherill Mesa to the public in 2023. An additional large waterline replacement project may extend the Wetherill closure through 2024. Visitors and those making travel plans are encouraged to check for closures and alerts on the park website.

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Historical Photos of Mount Rushmore Before the Famous Faces

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This fantastic set of historical photos shows how Mount Rushmore went from being a distinct rockface known as the Six Grandfathers to the national monument it is today.

The photos, pulled from the National Park Service and the Library of Congress, detail how the 60-foot high faces of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln came to look out from the Black Hills of South Dakota.

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US President Biden designates two new national monuments in the American Southwest

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Both sites contain examples of Indigenous art including petroglyphs and pictographs

The United States has designated two new national monuments in the American Southwest, President Joseph Biden announced this week, designations that will provide additional protections to areas in Nevada and Texas that are home to Indigenous art, including pictographs and petroglyphs.

The move will protect more than half a million acres of land in southern Nevada that contains a large section of what’s known as the Spirit Mountain area, or by the Mojave name Avi Kwa Ame. The region is one of the largest contiguous wildlife corridors in the US, rich in biodiversity and contains “sacred lands that are central to the creation story of so many [Native American] tribes that have been here since time immemorial”, Biden said Tuesday (21 March) at the White House. Some 33,000 acres of the Avi Kwa Ame area were already under national protections from the Wilderness Act of 1964.

The Avi Kwa Ame area is also home to multiple examples of petroglyphs that depict nearby resources like water, large game and acorns, and even pictographs that appear to show directions for migration, according to the White House. Along with Indigenous petroglyphs, rock etchings made by late 19th century Euro-American settlers have been found in some areas.

Biden also designated the Castner Range in Texas as a national monument, more than 50 years after residents of nearby El Paso first began appealing for safeguards for the area located at the Army base Fort Bliss. The area is still filled with unexploded munitions left from when the fort was used as a training site during the Second World War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Castner Range’s federal protections will extend to 6,672 acres of the region, which stretches from the Franklin Mountains at Texas’s westernmost point down to the plains of the Chihuahuan Desert on the Mexican border. Novelist Jack Kerouac described the area in his 1950 book The Dharma Bums, writing that from the Franklin Mountains he could see “all of Mexico, all of Chihuahua, the entire sand-glittering desert of it, under a late sinking moon that was huge and bright”. Castner Range is also known for the Mexican Gold Poppies that bloom in the area each spring.

Archeologists have identified 41 archeological sites within the Castner Range with ties to the Apache and Pueblo peoples, Comanche Nation, Hopi Tribe and Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma. The Castner Range is also home to sites containing Indigenous rock art from as far back as 1350 CE.

Biden put both areas under protection using the Antiquities Act, a law dating back to 1906, when President Theodore Roosevelt designated Devils Tower in Wyoming as the US's first national monument.

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Exploring U.S. National Parks Just Got Easier With This New Google Maps Feature

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Want to see a trail route? If the path is paved and/or dog friendly? There’s now a helpful app update for that.

It’s now easier to get lost in the United States’ national parks without actually getting lost.

Google and the National Park Service have partnered to help make visits to the nation’s 63 national parks safer and more seamless.

As of today, a handful of new updates have launched on Google Maps (both on iOS and Android) to help parkgoers better find their way around the protected lands. Those updates, which include detailed trail maps, were informed by both park rangers and directors, who had heard plenty of visitor feedback about Google Map accuracy within the national parks.

One of the new features will highlight trails from start to finish (previously, Google just used a red pin to mark the trail’s center) and share walking, biking, and driving directions from a user’s location to the trailhead. The site will also tease out helpful details from Google reviews, displayed on a sidebar, such as:

What type of trail it is (paved? dirt? loop or in-out?)

Level of difficulty

“Good for” suggestions (is it wheelchair accessible? are dogs allowed?)

Best time to go to avoid crowds

Google will make detailed, interactive maps of the national parks downloadable for offline use as well. It’s a handy feature considering that even though the national parks are popular (312 million people visited U.S. national parks in 2022), it doesn’t mean cell phone reception is always available.

Beyond the various trails, significant attractions (like Old Faithful in Yellowstone and the Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite), campgrounds, and visitor centers will be displayed as photo icons, which users can click to get more information and read reviews. They can also add these destinations to their itinerary and share thoughts afterward for future users to see.

The features will be available in all U.S. national parks by the end of April, in conjunction with National Park Week (celebrated April 22–30). Entrance fees at all parks (which range from $5 to $35, depending on the park) will be waived on April 22 for the first day of National Park Week. It’s one of five fee-free days NPS will offer in 2023.

Google plans to add the same features to national parks worldwide in the coming months.

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