National Mall and Memorial Parks

As people become more and more wedded to mobile devices, the National Park System is trying to keep up—and so are its friends. To engage visitors and potential supporters, national park friends groups and foundations are enticing the public with high technology. Here are some savvy ways that’s happening.

Ten million dollars are heading to the Trust for the National Mall over the next five years to help the organization preserve and protect the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C.

Wood stoves are great generators of heat, but some are not the most efficient in terms of dispersing that heat and when it comes to generation of particulate matter and smoke. To improve on that efficiency, the Wood Stove Decathlon will be coming to the National Mall this fall to see who can design and build the most innovative and affordable next generation wood stove.

The term “national park” has a kneejerk meaning to many—only the clued-in know how diverse “units” of the park system really are. Towering Half Dome in Yosemite National Park isn’t the only grand granite monument protected by the National Park Service—and you don’t even need to look beyond the borders of Washington, D.C., to prove it.

Traveler's 2nd Annual Essential Friends + Gateways publication, a collaboration between the Traveler and a core group of national park foundations, cooperating associations, trusts, friends groups, and gateway communities, is aimed at enhancing and furthering the now nationally significant role of these organizations and entities in the preservation and enjoyment of our parks.

Construction soon will begin at the National Mall on a new plaza to improve the accessibility and sustainability of the area around the Japanese Stone Lantern, the historic centerpiece of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.

The nation's front yard -- the National Mall in Washington, D.C. -- is hammered pretty hard each year by more than 25 million visitors. To reduce their impact on the grassy expanse, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has directed the National Park Service to better manage the promenade that stretches from the Lincoln Memorial to the U.S. Capitol.

Hurricane Sandy's approach has prompted the closure of a number of National Park System units, including Shenandoah National Park and parks in the Washington, D.C., area.

True, the year-end holidays are a ways off yet, but the lights on the National Christmas Tree in Washington will be turned on December 6, and if you want to be there in person it's time to start planning.

First came two years of renovations at a cost of $34 million, then a slow filling, and then the invasion of algae. Now the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is dry once again while officials ponder how to ensure it does indeed reflect when full.

If you've ever stood in the middle of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., you can imagine what a chore it must be to cut the grass, trim the shrubs, prune the trees, and keep the flowerbeds tidy. And mowers, clippers, and trimmers for that sizable task aren't cheap, which is why Honda is being applauded for donating more than $70,000 worth of power equipment for the job.

It's difficult to miss them on the National Mall: They're dressed in yellow shirts and khaki pants or shorts, wear ball caps with the National Park Service and Trust for the National Mall logos, and heft backpacks filled with information and, if you're thirsty, water.

Not quite two years after it was drained, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., will soon be reflecting again.

This year marks the centennial for Washington, D.C.'s famous cherry trees, and that adds a little extra drama to the "big question" facing organizers of the National Cherry Blossom Festival every year: Will the trees bloom on the same schedule as the Festival events? The official "peak bloom" prediction for 2012 has now been released.

Are short-term bike rentals one solution for easing traffic congestion around the National Mall in Washington, D.C.? The NPS has proposed allowing five stations on NPS managed property for the growing Capital Bikeshare system, and is accepting public comments for the idea.

Navigation around the nation's capital has often been regarded as a bit challenging for tourists, but a new app developed by the National Park Service can make a visit to the National Mall a bit easier for smart phone users.

The nation's front yard, frayed, rutted, and overwhelmed by millions of feet and years of neglect, is going to be given a much-needed makeover if the Interior Department can figure out how to raise at least $650 million, and likely quite a bit more.

Wondering why all the fuss over the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.? This short video from the 2009 festival helps explain the attraction.

How did the unusually snowy winter in Washington, D.C. affect the timing of blooms on the city's famed cherry trees? The annual Cherry Blossom Festival is now underway, along with the guessing game about the period of peak blooms. What do the experts say about the best time to view the blossoms in 2010?

The National Mall is often described as the nation's front yard, and the lawn has bare spots, the walks are cracking, the porch is sagging. It's time for a serious facelift, the NPS is working on a plan to restore the Mall, and your comments are welcome.

NPS areas in and around the nation's capital will host or assist in special activities during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, including an unusual concert and opportunity to view the city from a unique location.

The Big Day on the National Mall has come and gone, thankfully without major incidents. The National Park Service has compiled a few behind-the-scenes facts and figures, but contrary to published reports, there won't be an official estimate of the crowd from that agency.

With crowds predicted to number three-four million or more, the National Park Service is scrambling to accommodate the largest event in its history.

If you were a duck flying over Washington, D.C., you just might think the Capitol Reflecting Pool would be a pretty good place to splash down upon to give your weary wings a break. Unfortunately, it seems as if that murky pool of water has turned into a deadly disease-carrying environment for waterfowl.

Springtime must be right around the corner. Why else would the chief horticulturist for the National Park Service's National Capital Region be issuing his forecast for the peak color during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival?

Twenty-five million visitors a year visit the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C. And for those millions, there are 80 public toilets and 26 urinals. What's a guy or gal to do when nature calls?