Owen Hoffman


Biography

Former NPS Park Ranger-Naturalist, Crater Lake National Park (1966-68), Zion National Park (1969), Yosemite National Park (1969-71).

Member of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (www.npsretirees.org)

Member of the Board, Crater Lake Institute (www.craterlakeinstitute.com)

President and Director, SENES Oak Ridge, Inc., Center for Risk Analysis (www.senes.com)



Owen's Most Recent Comments (view all)
  • 5/08/2008 7:13 am - Where Are the Best Sunrises in the National Park System? : I would vote for sunrise (and pre-sunrise) at Canyon Overlook above the Great Arch of Zion in Zion National Park, looking west at Bridge Mountain and across Zion Canyon into Oak Creek Canyon. There is a dramatic change of color on the Great West Temple, the Temples of the Virgin ...
  • 4/23/2008 12:53 pm - Traveler's Top 10 Picks For Movies Involving National Parks : I'm surprised you haven't listed my personal favorite: "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969), with Robert Redford, Paul Newman and Katharine Ross. Much footage was filmed in and near Zion National Park, UT. The famous Rendevous House was located in the present ghost town of Grafton, UT, on the ...
  • 3/24/2008 8:25 am - Whatever Became of the Decommissioned National Parks? : Due to the powerful economic forces of modern-day tourism, as well as community pride in local green spots on the map officially designated as part of the NPS, I think it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to decommission any unit of the NPS. The only way I see ...
  • 2/25/2008 7:07 pm - A Winter Visit to Grand Canyon National Park's Phantom Ranch : Ken, Thanks for identifying yourself. Although we've never met in person, it's indeed a very small world. When I was in college, I also ran track (middle distance, San Jose State). Sharing roots as former seasonal employees of the National Park Service, we probably know some of the same persons. ...
  • 2/25/2008 9:28 am - A Winter Visit to Grand Canyon National Park's Phantom Ranch : Diane, Are you spending the night at Phantom Ranch? If so, will you be eating meals there as well? I found that the Phantom Ranch breakfast of hotcakes, eggs, and bacon was quite good, especially the bacon. If you have them prepare a sack lunch for the hike out, it ...
  • 2/20/2008 2:25 pm - A Winter Visit to Grand Canyon National Park's Phantom Ranch : Ken, Here are some additional pictures to wet your appetite for your upcoming trip and hike into the Grand Canyon. http://www.parksonline.org/parks/owenhoffman/grandcanyon2007/index2.html You won't need to worry about ice on the trail at that time of the year. The inner canyon will be much warmer than in winter, but still more ...
  • 1/29/2008 11:54 am - Winter Visits to the National Parks : I can highly recommend a winter visit to Carlsbad Caverns. Although the bats are gone, so are the summer crowds. The silence while strolling slowly down into the Natural Entrance to the cave along the dimly backlit self-guided trail is overpowering. It's like entering a sacred underground gallery of art, ...
  • 1/22/2008 10:16 am - A Winter Visit to Grand Canyon National Park's Phantom Ranch : Hi Carol, It's great to see you contributing to the commentary on [i]National Parks Traveler[/i]. To answer your question, yes I met several women on the trail who were in our age bracket. No one in the women's dorm at Phantom Ranch complained of snoring either. Owen Owen Hoffman Oak ...
  • 1/21/2008 8:34 am - A Winter Visit to Grand Canyon National Park's Phantom Ranch : Yes, I used two hiking poles (that I purchased in Glacier National Park almost ten years ago). Both the Bright Angel and the South Kaibab trails show signs of recent trail mainentance, so they were not as rocky or eroded as I remembered from previous trips. I recall that in ...
  • 1/19/2008 6:05 am - A Winter Visit to Grand Canyon National Park's Phantom Ranch : One of the really pleasant surprises of this trip was encountering NPS park interpreter Stewart Fritts while he was conducting a guided walk along the rim at the Grand Canyon Village. His walk focused on the historic architectual accomplishments of Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter. Mr. Fritts is among the most ...


Owen's Most Recent Articles (view all)

A Winter Visit to Grand Canyon National Park's Phantom Ranch

From the South Kaibab Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, the first view of Phantom Ranch reveals that the trees, Fremont cottonwoods, do not know that it's winter.

Interpretation on the Tallgrass Prairie

Owen Hoffman has just returned from a trip across Kansas. He has provided us with a detailed trip report from his visit to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The wide open skies and history of the area piqued his interest, but the interpretive program on-site left something to be desired.

How Are Entrance Fees Affecting Visitation?

Two weeks ago, on Earth Day, I had the opportunity to visit Shenandoah National Park. The drive along

Centennial Listening: First Impressions

    I attended yesterday's National Park Service first "listening session" on the needs and goals for the 2016 NPS centennial.  The meeting was held at the Mills Auditorium near the Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a major gateway community to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.