Every NPS area, even if it wasn't created specifically to commemorate a historical event, includes some interesting tales from the past. At Big Bend National Park, one of those stories involves Pancho Villa and the Army Air Corps.
In the fall of 1941 the Tower made the headlines of the nation's leading newspapers. This was brought about through the fool-hardy stunt of a professional parachutist named George Hopkins. Without the consent or knowledge of National Park Service officials, Hopkins, who held a number of United States and world's records for spectacular jumps, on October 1 parachuted from an airplane to the top of the Tower.
For those who see the national parks as being preserved time immemorial under gigantic bell jars, there is evidence that each succeeding generation makes an imprint or two on the parks. It wasn't too terribly long ago, for instance, that you climbed into the bleachers to watch the bear buffets in Yellowstone National Park, or that the El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon National Park had separate dining areas for men and women.
It's been nearly 67 years since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, yet it still is sharp in many Americans' minds. Spanning nearly all of the Pacific Ocean, World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument preserves and interprets the stories and key events in the Pacific Theater during World War II. A new video sheds some light on the history of those who went down with the USS Arizona.
Well, the big event is over. If you managed to make it through each and every minute of The National Parks: America's Best Idea, congratulations! If you're wanting more, read on to find out where you can get another fix of national parks.
South Carolina ETV’s new documentary “Roots in the River: The Story of Congaree National Park” will be aired in association with Ken Burns’ six-part documentary on America's national parks. A sneak preview of clips from both documentaries will be screened for the general public at the Congaree National Park visitor center on Sunday, September 20.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of two related events: the establishment of the park and a landmark court case that helped lay the foundation for modern environmental law.
In the early 1900s, there were plenty of ideas for ways the new agency called the National Park Service could "improve" the parks. Here are a couple whose time never came, perhaps in part due to the "bad times" during World War I and the Great Depression.
Over 39 million vehicles a year travel across a famous bridge—and pass over an NPS historic site, both literally and figuratively. The park under the bridge is often overlooked by locals and tourists alike, but it offers both interesting history and a fine scenic view.
Abraham Lincoln said, "Vicksburg is the key. The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket." A new virtual exhibit on the siege of Vicksburg is now available on-line for the enjoyment of history buffs, and its also a useful tool for teachers.
Congress authorized a Zuni-Cibola National Historical Park several decades ago, but no such NPS unit ever materialized. The people of Zuni Pueblo didn’t like the idea.
In the early 1900s, some national parks existed, but getting to them was problematic. Then was born the idea to develop a "National Park-to-Park Highway," one that would run through 11 states and connect 13 national parks.
Despite it's name, Glacier National Park is a pretty great place for boating and fishing. And, as this vintage film clearly shows, that's been true for a long time.
Sure, the 1920s footage is grainy and just black and white, but this vintage home movie of the Grand Canyon is worth watching. Be sure to look for the pack trains headed down into the canyon.
The nearly 400 units of our National Park System include the names of some famous men and women, along with those of natural features and historical events, but the origin of one of those monikers is a bit more obscure.
It could be argued that the two most important jobs along the Eastern seaboard during the 19th century were that of lighthouse keeper and life-saver. The former worked hard to warn ships off shoals, while the latter worked to save those who ships foundered.
Today practically all you need to say is "Bryce Canyon" to create a colorful mental picture of this Southwestern gem of the National Park System. But back in the early 1900s when a travelogue of the park was filmed, the color had to be in the narrative.
Navajo National Monument includes great history, fine scenery and an off-the-beaten-path location that allows you to escape the crowds. The park also includes an interesting wildlife species—a carnivorous mouse with a call said to resemble the howl of a wolf.
This unit of the National Park System commemorates an event that was once celebrated as a national holiday, helped put a general in the White House, and inspired a popular song a few decades ago. Just for good measure, the park story also includes a legendary pirate.
It is one of the oldest parks in the National Park System, having been established on this date in 1899, and yet ... there's a decidedly new face to Mount Rainier National Park.
March 1st is a landmark date for our national parks—and not only because it's the birthday for Yellowstone. Another park became the first of its kind exactly one century after Yellowstone was established. This one includes cliffs, caves and canoeing in its list of attractions.
One of the more enduring stories about America's national park movement is that it was spawned in the early fall of 1870 during talk around a campfire deep in the heart of today's Yellowstone National Park. But did it?
Bob Janiskee posted a recent story on the Traveler entitled, "Believe it or Not, Yosemite National Park Once had a Zoo." Some wags might suggest that title could also refer to campgrounds in Yosemite Valley in times past—and a old government report suggests they'd be correct.
Say what you will about corporate altruism, whether it's self-serving or truly benevolent, but in the case of Grand Teton National Park without it the park would be a shell of its present form.
Houses made of tuff blocks and axes made of Fibrolite may sound like a workshop in high-tech building materials or "green living," but you'll find examples of this very old technology in a park with great scenery and top-notch archeology. If you visit this area, keep your eyes open for squirrels with tufted ears.
Though covering fewer than 36,000 acres -- and most folks simply gaze down on most of that acreage -- Bryce Canyon National Park carries the impact of a park much, much larger.
This park includes a unique visitor center and an excellent living history program, but before it was added to the National Park System, it was primarily known as a memorial to the mother of one of our most famous presidents. Mom still gets plenty of respect, but her son is now the focus in a small park that has lots to offer.
Curecanti National Recreation Area includes not one, but three mountain lakes, and can claim bragging rights in several categories. It also offers some surprising attractions not found in most reservoir-based recreation areas, including a "fluffy muffin" and a treat for railroad history buffs.
The events of this past week and the advent of a new government cannot help but take our minds back to other times in our history, particularly to 1933. It was in that winter, another troubled time in our national history, that Franklin Roosevelt assumed the presidency. As it does now, the United States in 1933 faced severe and unresolved economic problems.
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