National Park News

SRC Agenda

The holiday season is a great time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. In addition to beautiful scenery, wildlife viewing and a variety of winter recreational activities to do on your own, some fun activities with park rangers are offered.

Holiday hours for Voyageurs National Park’s Rainy Lake Visitor Center.

Yellowstone National Park will open to the public for the winter season as scheduled on December 15.

Mount Rainier National Park has just begun a research project to assess visitor impacts on Cascade foxes.

The Furnace Creek Campground in Death Valley National Park will close February 1, 2012 for the replacement of the sewer and water lines. Frequent pipe breakages require that the work be started as soon as possible. The project is scheduled to take several months to complete, requiring the work to be completed before the extreme heat of the summer.

A body found below Navajo Bridge on November 17,2011 has been identified.

Looking for a unique gift idea for the holidays? A Rocky Mountain National Park Annual Pass is a great gift for that person who enjoys visiting the park or would like to visit more often.

“Vole wranglers, it’s time to head out,” announces Melanie Flamme, biologist with the National Park Service. And so begins the annual effort to monitor the small mammal population in Denali National Park. The small mammal monitoring project has been running for almost 20 years, but it’s just not the large dataset and informative science that makes this project so interesting. Each year, field work for the project is conducted by high school and college students – the next generation of scientists.

Have you always wanted to make your own snowshoes or perhaps finish a pair you have started? Here is your chance! Pre-registration and a fee are required.

The Superintendent of Denali National Park and Preserve has determined that there is adequate snow cover for the use of snowmobiles for traditional activities in areas of the 1980 park additions that are south of the crest of the Alaska Range.

All areas of the 1980 park additions north of the crest of the Alaska Range remain closed to snowmobile use for traditional activities due to inadequate snow cover.

After a temporary closure, the Tioga Road in Yosemite National Park will reopen to the public at 3:00 p.m. today, Wednesday, December 07, 2011. The Tioga Road, the popular east-west crossing of the Sierra Nevada in the northern portion of the park, has been temporarily closed due a high wind event in the Yosemite area.

The ice that has formed is highly variable in thickness and is not strong enough to support snowmobile or vehicle travel. At this time ice travel is not recommended on any lake surface due to inadequate ice thickness.

Superintendent Susan L. Boudreau is soliciting comment on the proposed cruise ship use day quota for the 2013 season.

Comments must be received by February 29, 2012.

Calling all birders! This year the annual Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) for Death Valley NP, Ash Meadows NWR, and the town of Shoshone will take place on three consecutive days in December. By coordinating the counts on consecutive days, people can participate in multiple counts and experience the diversity of habitats and birds in the Amargosa/Death Valley region. The public is invited to participate in any or all of these counts. All skill levels are welcome. For beginners, this is a great opportunity to learn about birds in the area, get identification tips and meet others interested in desert environments.

Yosemite National Park has positively identified the body of Ramina Badal, 21 year old female, of Manteca, CA. Badal was found in the Merced River, approximately 120 yards below the Vernal Fall footbridge, by a Yosemite National Park Ranger at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 3, 2011. The footbridge is located approximately a half mile below the base of Vernal Fall.

On Saturday, December 17, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host a Holiday Homecoming at the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Park staff and volunteers will provide hands-on demonstrations of traditional crafts from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Efforts remain on track for Yellowstone National Park to open for motorized oversnow travel as scheduled on December 15.

Yosemite National Park has positively identified the body of Ninos Yacoub, 27 year old male, of Turlock, CA. Yacoub was found in the Merced River, approximately 100 yards below the Vernal Fall footbridge, by a Yosemite National Park Ranger at approximately 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 29, 2011. The footbridge is located approximately a half mile below the base of Vernal Fall.

Explore the new Bathhouse Row Emporium opening at Hot Springs National Park on Friday, December 2, 2011, located inside the Lamar Bathhouse lobby at 515 Central Avenue.

Hot Springs National Park will close Gulpha Gorge Road for litter cleanup Saturday, December 3 from 9 to 11 a.m.

Mesa Verde National Park fire management staff plans to implement two pile burns within the park in December.

After a temporary closure, the Hetch Hetchy Road in Yosemite National Park has reopened to the public at 11:00 a.m. today, Friday, December 02, 2011. The Hetch Hetchy Road was temporarily closed on Wednesday, November 30 due to a high wind warning in the Yosemite area. Several trees fell along the roadway during the event, causing blocked access to the Hetch Hetchy Dam and the Hetch Hetchy area. Forestry crews were able to access the area this morning and clear the roadway of any remaining debris.

Celebrate Christmas in Appalachia at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Handmade ornaments, holiday stories, and a cast of characters will bring historic Christmas in Appalachia to life.

The National Park Service today released the Ross Lake National Recreation Area Final General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. “This final plan is the culmination of five years of planning and work with people that love the North Cascades,” said North Cascades National Park Complex Superintendent Chip Jenkins.

Crater Lake National Park is accepting applications until February 1, 2012, for the 2012 Artist-in-Residence program.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced the 36th annual Festival of Christmas Past celebration scheduled on Saturday, December 10, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Sugarlands Visitor Center.

Wholesome Wave support expands purchasing power of area low‐income families