A glance around the National Park System reveals that sometimes it's just too hot to hike, and that historic photos can better inform visitors. Those are just two of the items that can help you have a better experience in the parks in the coming weeks and months.

Tonto National Monument, Arizona

In an effort to mitigate heat-related incidents and promote visitor safety, Tonto National Monument will enter into annual summer hours to hike to the Lower Cliff Dwelling. Now through August, hiking hours will be 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Visitors who wish to hike to the Lower Cliff Dwelling need to begin their hike before 12 p.m.

No fees will be charged after 12 p.m. and Interagency Passes will not be available. The visitor center will remain open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring an engaging 20-minute film about the park, a view of the Lower Cliff Dwelling, the park museum, and opportunities to find items to remember your visit in the Western National Parks Association Park Store.

Historic photo of a member of the U.S. Colored Troops will be on display at Manassas National Battlefield Park/NPS

Manassas National Battlefield Park, Virginia

The National Park Service invites you to a commemoration of Juneteenth National Independence Day at Manassas National Battlefield Park. The battlefield will host the exhibit “African American Faces of the Civil War” from Saturday, June 18 through Sunday, June 25, featuring 27 Civil War-era images from the Ross. J. Kelbaugh collection, enlarged to more than two feet tall. The exhibit will be on display throughout the park visitor center, located on Henry Hill on Rt. 234, just north of Manassas, Virginia.

The exhibit will kick off with a special presentation of the in-depth stories the photographs tell on Sunday, June 19 at 2 p.m. in the park’s visitor center auditorium. Many of the 27 photographs have never been on public display. Filling the visitor center with these images is a powerful reminder that African Americans have been an integral part of the Manassas community before, during and after the Civil War. The “African American Faces of the Civil War” collection is presented by Historic Graphics of Woodstock, Maryland.

In honor of Juneteenth, rangers will provide programming on Saturday, June 18, exploring the deep connections between African Americans and the Manassas battlefield landscape. A 2 pm battlefield hike will explore the life and military service of James Peters, who served in the 1st United States Colored Troops during the Civil War and settled on the Manassas battlefield after the war. A 7 pm ‘History at Sunset’ program, “Family on the Front Lines: One African American Family's Experience with the Civil War,” will explore how James Robison and his family lived on the front lines and played a role not just during the Civil War, but also in the struggle for equality.

Pecos National Historical Park, New Mexico

Pecos National Historical Park will reopen to the public on Thursday, June 2. The park’s grounds will be open 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and the visitor center (including film, museum exhibits and bookstore) and Ancestral Sites Trail will be accessible 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Please note the difference.

Due to Stage III fire restrictions, the summer fishing season at Pecos National Historical Park is delayed indefinitely. Ranch House, Civil War, and backcountry pueblo tours are also canceled until fire risk abates. These restrictions are being put in place to help the National Park Service provide for public safety and reduce fire risk.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia

On June 13, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park will transition to digital, cashless payment of park entrance fees in the Lower Town Train Station parking lot. Visitors will be able to purchase park entrance passes on the park website before their visit or upon arrival at the park.

The move to cashless payment in this busy area of the park aims to help visitors quickly and smoothly get from entrance fee payment to park enjoyment. It will also address staff safety concerns and streamline the fee collection process for visitors and staff at the Train Station.

A roofed information kiosk recently installed in the Train Station parking lot will guide visitors through the payment process and provide instructions on how to log on to the park’s Wi-Fi network and use the digital payment options. Visitors will need access to a smartphone, plus a credit or debit card to pay the entrance fee.

All park visitors are required to have an entrance pass upon entering Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Digital passes are connected to the user’s license plate number. Proof of entrance fee payment should be displayed on your vehicle’s dashboard:

• Printed online pass, purchased prior to visit
• America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes (annual, military, 4th grade, senior, access, volunteer) – signature side up
• Harpers Ferry NHP annual pass – signature side up
• Receipt from entrance station

Visitors planning to come to Harpers Ferry NHP have several options to pay the park entrance fee:

• Purchase the entrance pass prior to their visit on the park website, which provides direct access to the Recreation.gov platform. Visitors will have a digital pass they can print out to display on their vehicle’s dashboard.
• Purchase the entrance pass upon arrival with a smartphone and credit or debit card in park-maintained parking areas. New signage in the Train Station parking lot provides step-by-step instructions on how to pay.
• Purchase the entrance pass at the park entrance station, located at 171 Shoreline Drive in Harpers Ferry. Visitors who choose this option can pay using cash or credit/debit and can access the Visitor Center and shuttle bus system to Lower Town.
• Park entrance fees provide access to park facilities, exhibits, trails, parking lots, shuttle buses and programs. The $35 annual park pass, which provides access to Harpers Ferry NHP for one full year from the month of purchase, is available on the park website, or visitors can purchase a durable plastic pass at the park entrance station.

Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska

This summer Katmai National Park will pilot a permit system for the Brooks River Corridor (within the Brooks Camp Developed Area). This corridor includes the river itself and 50 yards from the water on either side along the banks of the river. This does not include trails, boardwalks, or wildlife viewing platforms. Permits will be needed to access the Brooks River Corridor from July 1 until October 31 when the salmon are spawning. Each permit will be valid for seven days with a maximum group size of six individuals. Permits are free but there is a $6 booking fee that will be charged. Commercial Users and Visitors will be able to obtain permits before arriving to the Brooks River on www.recreation.gov. Interested parties can reserve their permits online beginning June 28.

The Brooks River Corridor is used primarily for fishing, bear viewing and photography and the intent is that the introduction of this new permit system will ensure a safer and more compliant experience for visitors using the river. Currently, there is unregulated use and unlimited access to this area. The permit system will also serve as an integral planning and management tool to enhance visitor safety, compliance, and resource protection. The new permit system would build on other actions taken to manage the Brooks River Corridor within the park’s 1987 General Management Plan (GMP).

The Brooks River is an important food source for the Alaskan brown bear. Bear populations and human presence have been steadily increasing to levels that pose an inherent risk to visitor and resource safety.

Reproduction howitzers will be fired at Fort Pulaski National Monument/NPS

Fort Pulaski National Monument, Georgia

Starting June 1, Fort Pulaski National Monument will offer cannon firings on Wednesdays throughout the summer season in June and July. Learn about the destructive power of artillery in the American Civil War and how the Battle for Fort Pulaski led to the emancipation of countless freedom seekers in the surrounding Savannah area.

Your senses will be overloaded with history as you’ll be able to see, hear, and smell the National Park Service’s largest fully functional reproduction cannon. The past will come alive as park staff lead programs about Fort Pulaski and delve into the many stories of this important national monument.

Wednesday Program Schedule (June & July)

• 10 a.m. Ranger Program
• 11 a.m. Cannon Firing
• 1 p.m. Cannon Firing
• 2 p.m. Ranger Program
• 3 p.m. Cannon Firing