National Park Traveler's Essential Park Guide, Fall 2016 by Kurt Repanshek

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Inside Essential Park Guide / Fall 2016

Gateway Treasures By Kim O’Connell Cast your eyes down onto the valleys below Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and you’ll find charming gateway towns rich in history and welcome.

Watery Everglades There’s a side to Everglades National Park that most visitors don’t truly explore, one you have to wield a paddle to enjoy.

Three Magical Days By Kurt Repanshek Birds, ‘gators, and incredible biodiversity all are within your reach if you follow our three-day itinerary for exploring Everglades National Park.

The Golden Hour Fall in Yosemite National Park is the scent of autumn hanging in the air, fewer crowds on the hiking trails, and a kaleidoscope of color.

Costa Rica’s Pura Vida By Kim Mills Within the rainforests of Manuel Antonio National Park, amid the cacophony of howler monkeys and screeching birds, you’ll enjoy a “relaxed vibe.”

What’s That Sound? By Kurt Repanshek The call of the wild comes in many different forms. During fall at Rocky Mountain National Park, it summons the ladies.

A Trio Of Good Reads By Patrick Cone and Kurt Repanshek An old wreck in Yellowstone, one man’s year in the parks, and poignant peaks are the themes of three good reads.

A Weekend’s Too Short Snorkeling, birding, and stepping back in time can make a weekend stay at Dry Tortugas National Park pass much too quickly.

Editor: Kurt Repanshek Art Director: Courtney Cooper

Friends of the Parks Connecting youth with nature, preserving landscapes, funding tomorrow’s needs, and inventorying wildlife are all possible thanks to these organizations. Fill ‘Er Up! Combine Vapur’s collapsible bottles with their hydration stations and there’s no need to go thirsty in the parks.

Special Projects Editor: Patrick Cone Senior Editor: Scott Johnson Contributors: Kim A. O’Connell Kim Mills

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Essential Park Guides are published by National Park Advocates, LLC, to showcase how best to enjoy and explore the National Park System. National Park Advocates, LLC, P.O. Box 980452, Park City, Utah, 84098. © 2016 Essential Park Guide, Fall 2016. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

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•••• from the publisher

A Second Century Road Map...

What might the second century of the National Park Service bring us?

an we expect an Ancient Forest National Park in California and Oregon, a Big Bend Marine Park and Preserve in Florida, or a Maine Woods National Monument? All three would protect incredible ecosystems that preserve and promote biodiversity. Establishment of these and other possibilities within the National Park System also can reinforce how we as a nation seek to conserve and protect waning vestiges of culture, natural resources, and national identity. With continued expansion of the human footprint and efforts to replace fossil fuels with “green” but land-intensive solar and wind power, the National Park System is arguably our last best sanctuary for nature in the United States.

But along with seeking new units for the system, its current lands, waters, and skies require our help. We need stronger, more visible support in order for the National Park Service to fulfill its mandate to protect these special places. As record crowds flock to America’s wonderlands, the agency’s resources—its employees and its infrastructure—are stretched and strained like never before. We can help by applying greater pressure on Congress to properly fund the Park Service, getting involved with a park friends group, and considering the parks when estate planning. But there are also little things we can do. Enjoy the parks, and then leave them better than when you arrived: Pick up someone

else’s trash. Don’t park on road shoulders or native vegetation. Be careful with fire. And before heading home, make a ranger’s day by thanking them for their help and protection of these special places.

on the cover

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During his National Park Service career, Rodney Cammauf has been able to focus on many aspects of Everglades National Park, such as this Purple Gallanule.

Connect with National Parks Traveler on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! Share how you experience our national parks by posting your favorite vacation story or sharing a photo. Join in the conversation and keep up-to-date on park news around the country.

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016

~ Kurt Repanshek

NationalParksTraveler @ParksTraveler @National_Parks_Traveler

Shenandoah’s Small-Town

Charm When you’re done hiking in the park or touring Skyline Drive, these Blue Ridge small towns have much to offer visitors.

By Kim O’Connell

Front Royal, Virginia, offers a colorful and charming entry point to Shenandoah National Park / Front Royal Visitors Center

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henandoah National Park, located in the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, has a secret: it’s just as beautiful in the fog and mist as it is on sunny days. My family and I experienced this on a rainy Saturday last November as we drove along the park’s famed Skyline Drive, located less than two hours from our home just outside Washington, D.C. Even though the scenic overlooks were shrouded in clouds, we enjoyed the mystical, foggy landscape, which resembled something out of The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. Not wanting to end the trip too soon, we made our way out of the park, and decided to take in a few stops on the Artists of Rappahannock Studio & Gallery Tour. Held annually on the first weekend of November, the tour showcases local galleries and art spaces throughout Rappahannock County, just east of the park. We began our trip at the Old School House in Washington, Virginia, a quaint and historic village full of inns, cafés, and historic buildings. We viewed a representative sampling of participating artists’ work and picked up a driving map of the various tour stops, including eight galleries and nearly two dozen studios. With the mountains and blustery sky as a backdrop, our first destination was the Gay Street Gallery, located just a few blocks away. We enjoyed the work of painter Kevin Adams, whose bucolic mountain and farm scenes capture the surrounding landscape and other locales. After stopping for hot chocolate to warm up, we drove a little farther north, then down a country lane to the studio of Phyllis Northup. She specializes in watercolor paintings of Shenandoah and many other national parks. At every stop it’s a treat to talk to the artists and hear how the nearby national park has informed their work. Then, we headed back home with a new original painting and two prints for the kids’ rooms.

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016

“It is clear why such a high concentration of artists live and work in this inspiring location,” says Heather Wicke, chairperson of the Art Tour planning committee. “Whether it’s abstract or realistic paintings of the scenery and country life, ceramics made with local clay…or artworks fashioned by traditional methods, the park is reflected as the place that ties together the Rappahannock community of artists.” Make sure you visit one or more of the picturesque small towns that surround Shenandoah, whether for an art tour, festival, fine-dining experience, or just a country drive. These towns will give you an authentic taste of the Old Dominion. This year’s Rappahannock Studio & Gallery Tour will take place November 5-6, and you may visit www.raac.org for more information.

Elkton Located just west of the park’s Swift Run Gap entrance, Elkton is the kind of historic town that instantly lowers one’s blood pressure, with quiet charm and a slower pace. If you have some time, stroll the aisles of McGuire’s Country Store, which is chock full of antiques, prints and fabrics, and other country-style decorative items. History buffs should plan a stop at the MillerKite House, a brick Colonialstyle home that was built in 1827 and used by Confederate General Stonewall Jackson during his famous 1862 Valley Campaign. Terri’s Country Café also offers comfort food staples like meat loaf, fried chicken, and homemade pie.

Civil War history abounds throughout Virginia and around Shenandoah National Park. At Elkton you can tour Gen. Stonewall Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1862 headquarters (left). In Front Royal, the gazebo is a perfect backdrop for family photos / Allison Morris, Front Royal Visitors Center

Front Royal The northern gateway to Shenandoah, Front Royal, is one of the larger towns near the park. Park enthusiasts can choose from several hotels and motels and a range of restaurants, from national chains to local establishments such as the Castiglia Italian Eatery. Those who want a sweet treat can stop at The Apple House in nearby Linden, Virginia, famous for its sugary apple donuts. Local outfitters will set you up for a day of canoeing on the Shenandoah River, and the Royal Oak Bookshop will help you find something to read after a day spent in the park.

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Essential Park Guide | Summer 2016

Luray Ever since its discovery in the late 19th century Luray Caverns has delighted visitors, who are drawn to its labyrinth of stalactites, stalagmites, and other geological wonders. The cathedral-like caverns are Luray’s best-known attraction, but certainly not the only one. Located west of Thornton Gap, Luray boasts galleries, museums, restaurants, and other attractions. Downtown is a National Register Historic District, and Luray is an ideal jumping-off point for a Shenandoah vacation. Make sure you stop by Flotzie’s for some softserve ice cream or a banana split.

Sperryville Quirky and quaint, the town of Sperryville is nestled in the foothills just east of Thornton Gap. One of its best-known roadside attractions is Cooter’s Place, a store and museum owned by Ben “Cooter” Jones of Dukes of Hazzard fame, where Daisy Duke and “General Lee” paraphernalia abound. Sperryville has also become a destination for wine and spirits enthusiasts, home to the Copper Fox Distillery and Sharp Rock Vineyards, among others. Art lovers can visit the Middle Street Gallery and Haley Fine Art. A few miles up the road sits the Griffin Tavern, a fine restaurant in Flint Hill, Va., in a converted circa-1880s house.

A welcoming view from Skyline Drive is the Shenandoah Valley just west of the national park / Kurt Repanshek

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Washington Washington, Virginia, has the distinction of being the first of many places named for the country’s first president, George Washington, who surveyed the town in 1749. The town is now famous for the Inn at Little Washington, which has received widespread acclaim for its food and accommodations. Owned by Chef Patrick O’Connell (no relation to this author, sadly), the restaurant has world-class cuisine at a steep price that is, by all accounts, worth the indulgence. Can’t get a reservation? No problem—Washington boasts several other worthy eateries, such as Tula’s Restaurant.

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016

Give your legs a break from hiking in Shenandoah by taking to the Shenandoah River for some paddling / Weatherly Morgan

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Paddling Winter’s Blues Away

eady for the adventure of a lifetime? Then take some time to really get to know Everglades National Park, by kayak. Not many people get the opportunity to truly explore the park’s hidden waterways, find solace in the wilderness, observe animals and birds up close and personal, and marvel at the starry night sky in the middle of nowhere. This is a unique ecosystem, and after you return home you’ll remember the tranquility and beauty of the Sea of Grass. This subtropical wilderness is closer than you think. Escape the winter chill during Florida’s dry season, with cool nights, warm days, and plenty of sunshine. See the “Real Everglades” as your guides with Florida Outdoor Adventures reveal the secrets along the intersection of Florida Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, and coastal marshes. Camp along the Gulf’s white sands and watch the sun seemingly submerge into the 10

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016

ocean. Food never tastes as good as it does outside after a wonderful day of exploration. Whether you spend three days to get a sense of this place, or head out for more than a week to immerse yourself in this tropical climate, it’s all fantastic. You’ll become familiar with crocodiles, thousands of birds, and maybe even spot a panther or bobcat. Dolphins and manatees pay frequent visits as well. And there are fish everywhere. For a birdwatcher this is a paradise. Wind your way down hidden waterways, through mangrove forests, and past cypress trees. You’ll get an understanding of the complexity and variety of life, and come away with a terrific insight into the Everglades. Your guides are at home here, and they will teach you the natural and human history of this place. They are experts in wilderness travel, and while this is true backcountry camping, with no running water, they make the expe-

Easy paddling, panoramic views, and solitude greet visitors to Everglades National Park who explore the park’s 10,000 Islands and Desolation Coast / Florida Outdoor Adventures

rience easy and enjoyable. You’ll be in good hands. Sign up for the 3-day kayak tour and paddle through the 10,000 Islands for a total of 18 miles. It’s an easy trip, with simple kayaking. You’ll spend two nights out under the skies, listening to the birds and gazing at the Milky Way that stretches the sky overhead. This trip is perfect for beginning kayakers and families with children. On their 5-day trip, you’ll paddle a 48-mile loop that touches on all of Everglades different habitats. It’s a bit more strenuous, but worth it. This is the most popular trip because you’ll visit every Everglades’ habitat and stay

Sunsets on your tour provide an indelible memory, but bring a camera just the same / Florida Outdoor Adventures

Gliding quietly through the park’s coastal marshlands can provide unique closeup views of wildlife / Florida Outdoor Adventures

Campsites include elevated “chickees” that provide sweeping views of Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico / NPS

at every type of campsite. This trip is best for those with some kayaking and backcountry camping experience. The ultimate trip, of course, is to spend eight days paddling through the Everglades. This is a strenuous backcountry trip of 99 miles, and follows the Wilderness Waterway Trail. You’ll want to be in shape for this trip. You’ll go from the park’s southern tip at Flamingo all the way to Everglades City in the north. In between, there’s no road access and you’ll pine for this kind of solitude and peace-ofmind once you’re back in civilization. There is nowhere else in the Eastern United States where you will experience this sort of isolation. Covered by your fee are shuttles, gear, camping permits, and trained guides. You’ll camp in 2-person tents, with mattress, sleeping bag, and even a camp pillow. After a day of paddling you’ll have no trouble falling asleep. There

are no freeze-dried meals out here, just fresh, tasty and delicious meals, and carry-along brown-bag lunches. From Day 2 you’ll be immersed in this experience after the camp at Cape Sable. A day-by-day itinerary outlines your path as you paddle north, floating past keys, bights, and rivers flowing into the ocean. There are plenty of chances to stretch your legs along the way. Then, it’s along the Desolation Coast on the Gulf, until you reach Ponce de Leon Bay. Here you’ll see dolphins, sea turtles, and white pelicans en route to your camp along Graveyard Creek. The next day, you’ll paddle the shallow waterway inland, the Nightmare Route. Despite the name it’s a pleasant paddle beneath the shady mangroves, and you’ll spend the night on a camping platform, referred as a “chickee” by park officials, at Roger’s River Bay. You’ll

hear the fish jumping all night long. The next day, you’ll be floating next to alligators in fresh water along the Wilderness Waterway, an entrancing but completely safe experience. The guides will thrill you with stories of lost Spanish sailors and Native American outposts. Finally, you’ll approach the 10,000 Islands area, a vast region of mangrove trees in a tidal estuary. It’s here that you’ll want to bring out your binoculars and observe the migratory birds, as well as resident ibis, osprey, pink spoonbills and eagles. A week in the Everglades, paddling slowly through the wilderness, can change your life, and put some needed perspective on your modern existence. You’ll carry these memories with you forever, and maybe just need to return again, and again, to the Sea of Grass.

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3 DAYS IN

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK Swaying to and fro in the afternoon breeze, the River of Grass appears more like a wind-tussled meadow than a river. But beneath the sawgrass the water gurgles and creeps. It flows slowly south from Florida’s great inland sea—Lake Okeechobee—and into Everglades National Park, headed towards its final destination in Florida Bay.

Pitch your tent at the Flamingo campground and, if you rise early enough, you just might experience this type of sunrise / NPS

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016

By Kurt Repanshek

long the way the water nourishes this incredible landscape in a park that boasts the largest official wilderness in the Eastern United States. It’s a mesmerizing landscape, fascinating, and even a bit dangerous. It’s a place that humans have been trying to tame for more than a century. Fortunately, we’ve only been slightly successful in that endeavor, and luckily this national park has protected a rich and vivid ecosystem, one lush with both vegetation and wildlife. Everglades. It’s rich in colorful birdlife, home to both alligators and crocodiles, festooned with delicate and fanciful orchids such as the Cowhorn (Cyrtopodium punctatum), layered with both hiking and paddling trails. Fall and winter are the perfect time to tour the park, for those are the dry seasons in Everglades. The bugs aren’t too bad, the rains are infrequent, temperatures are mild, and the waterholes draw in the wildlife. It’s a much more comfortable park experience, climate-wise, and a much easier time to spot birds and animals. But how can you even attempt to explore this land-and-waterscape in just three days? How can you do more than merely scratch the surface? While you can’t see it all, here’s a 72-hour itinerary that will let you get a taste of this magnificent wilderness.

DAY

At Shark Valley you can board a tram to tour a 15-mile loop, including a stop at the Shark Valley Observation Tower. The Pineland Loop Trail at Long Pine Key leads you through a forest of saw palmetto and pines / NPS photo

o matter the season, you need a solid plan before you begin to explore the Everglades. Start off with a stop at the Shark Valley Visitor Center near Miami. This recently refurbished visitor center is the perfect place to begin your Everglades adventure. Shark Valley is roughly midway between Miami and Naples, the two most popular visitor gateways. It will give you a chance to understand the magnitude and character of the expansive freshwater prairies that form the River of Grass. Peruse the visitor center’s exhibits, stock up on reading materials, stamp your Passport to Your National Parks booklet, then hop on the tramway. These daily, twohour guided tours explore the 15-mile Shark Valley Loop. The tram stops at the Shark Valley Observation Tower, letting you stretch your legs a bit while you climb to the top of the 65-foot-tall tower, via the curlicue ramp.

The view is one of unbroken wilderness, stretching endlessly to all horizons. If you brought your bike, or decide to rent one from the concessionaire, you can skip the tram tour and pedal the loop. It will take you two to three hours, and park staff recommends that you start early enough to return to the parking lot before it closes at 6 p.m. And, make sure you keep a healthy distance from any alligators you encounter. Wildlife does tend to congregate around the borrow pits near the loop road. During the dry season, these areas hold water, which attracts animals and birds. You can’t miss the humps, or wooded islands, which are scattered about the landscape. These are tropical hardwood hammocks, which “grow on low limestone ridges that rise a few feet above the seasonally wet sawgrass prairie,” park staff note. “These flood-free ‘hills’ allow tropical and temperate trees to thrive.”

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Pro Tip—Pick the Season to Match your Reason: If you’re hoping to see wildlife, then visit the Everglades during the dry winter months when animals concentrate around rapidly diminishing watering holes throughout the park. Winter months are better in terms of both temperatures and insects, but it’s also the busy season, so expect to share trails and campgrounds with lots of fellow travelers. Summer visitors should be prepared, however, for high humidity, daily thunderstorms, and incomprehensible swarms of mosquitoes, biting flies, and no-see-ums. The shoulder seasons are the best of both worlds.

DAY

Even a short visit to Everglades can add greatly to your birding life list, with Roseate spoonbills and Anhingas in abundance / NPS

egin your second day at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center in Homestead, where you can learn about the southeastern portion of the park. After spending your first day exploring the Everglades proper, you will now head further south to explore the diverse communities nourished by the flowing waters of the River of Grass. Head out on foot into the park via the Gumbo Limbo Trail at Royal Palm just four miles from the Ernest Coe Center. Along this quarter-mile trail you’ll get a rare glimpse of one of the hundreds of compact, canopied forests that grow here. After this walk, if you’re in no hurry, explore the Anhinga Trail that is also at Royal Palm. But, be sure to keep your eyes open. As Traveler’s birding expert, Kirby Adams, has noted, “If you’re looking at a heron or egret in Everglades National Park, there’s likely an alligator in your field of vision at the same time.”

According to Kirby, the Anhinga Trail is among the most famous bird walks in the world, a spot where normally reclusive birds like the American Bittern will show themselves. You might get glimpses of Short-tailed Hawks, Snail Kites, Flamingoes, Roseate Spoonbills, Gray Kingbirds, and many more. It’s a great place to add different species to your life list. Make sure you visit Long Pine Key, just to the west of Royal Palm. You’ll find numerous hiking and biking trails, which crisscross the rocky forests of the key. These pine rocklands are found in only four locations throughout the Caribbean, and they have the most biodiversity in the entire park. If you still have time and energy, consider joining a park ranger on a guided, off-trail hike, and explore the secretive, inundated cypress forests of the Everglades. During the winter months, you can even go on a slough slog.

DAY

Got an Extra Day? Get off the beaten path and explore the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness, the largest congressionallydesignated wilderness east of the Rocky Mountains. The wilderness spans roughly 86 percent of the 1.5 million acres of Everglades National Park, and there are plenty of opportunities for recreation and solitude in a unique and challenging environment.

Everglades National Park boasts the largest contiguous stand of protected mangrove forest in the hemisphere / NPS

n your third day visit the Flamingo Visitor Center, near the southern tip of the park and on the edge of Florida Bay. While Everglades National Park might evoke images of swamps and scaly denizens, Florida Bay’s waters cover one-third of the park. There are mangrove channels in this vibrant estuary, which is of national significance. Emerald mangrove islands stipple the bay, and punctuate the horizon in all directions. You might get an idea of what the Florida Keys were like before T-shirt shops and Jimmy Buffett. During the winter months sign up for guided cruises, offered daily to both Florida Bay and the backcountry. You’ll see crocodiles, manatees, dolphins, sea turtles, and all manner of shorebirds, so be sure your camera is fully charged and ready. Also consider renting a kayak or canoe

to explore the park’s mangrove forests. Everglades National Park protects the largest stand of mangrove forest in the northern hemisphere. These salt-tolerant trees are photogenic with their exposed and twisted roots. They’re also important wildlife habitat, so watch for wading birds that cluster in these forests during the dry season. If you don’t mind sleeping on the ground, spend your last night in the Flamingo Campground. You can go home and boast that you pitched your tent at the southernmost point of the mainland United States. Summer visitors brave enough to spend a night at the Flamingo Campground get to brag about surviving the buggy ordeal. Three days are too few to truly experience Everglades. But hopefully they’ll lure you back in the future for a more extensive visit.

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Capture The “Golden Hours” At Yosemite National Park This Fall

Photographers know the golden hour as those fleeting minutes in the early morning and again in the early evening when the angle of sunshine creates softer, more vibrant lighting for photos. In Yosemite National Park, the golden hour is more like the golden season: autumn.

all, in Yosemite, represents the golden hour of seasons in the park. The sunlight highlights the cliffs, as it plays across the Yosemite Valley. Oaks and dogwoods add their own flaming colors to the scenery. The moldering leaves have a distinct seasonal fragrance, while deer, squirrels, and perhaps a black bear or two, feast on acorns. Plus, in fall the park isn’t as crowded as it is during the high season of summer. The air is cooler and crisper, with warm days and chilly nights. It’s a near-idyllic time to explore the park on foot. And there is so much to see, so much to explore.

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016

A cinnamon phase black bear forages on the Merced River / Patrick Cone

Once in the Yosemite Valley, head over to Happy Isles and check out the Nature Center before heading up the Merced River’s Mist Trail. Stone steps, following a route dating to the 1860s, lead you through the mist tossed off by Vernal Fall. Then head up to Nevada Fall and, finally, wander into the Little Yosemite Valley. Here you can hike for miles—deep into Sequoia National Park if you have the time—along the John Muir Trail. You can ascend Half Dome (with a permit), or

loop back down to the valley via the John Muir Trail. The park museum is a perfect stop down in the Valley. Through November 1 they are exhibiting more than two dozen Native American baskets made by Julia Parker. Ms. Parker dedicated her life to this art, making sure that American Indian culture and basket-weaving skills were passed down from the Native elders. The Yosemite Museum houses one of the largest and most diverse collections of artifacts in the National Park System, with a large collection of Native American material. Adjacent to the museum is the reconstructed Indian Village of the Ahwahnee. You can learn both the history of whites in the valley, and of the Native American tribes—the Miwoks and Paiutes—who occupied the valley before being forced out. The Ansel Adams Gallery is a treat. Located in the heart of the Valley, not far from Upper and Lower Yosemite Fall, the historic gallery has been in the same family since 1902. If you’re familiar with Adams’ work, the gallery feels like entering a photographic cathedral. There are copies of his works to admire and purchase, a well-stocked

The placid Merced, colorful forests, and Half Dome in the distance help define fall in Yosemite / Yosemite Scenic Wonders

book section and scores of prints from a wide range of artists. But there’s so much more to Yosemite than its iconic Valley. Meander up the Tioga Road, which crosses nearly 60 miles from Crane Flat to the park’s Tioga Pass Entrance Station, above the town of Lee Vining. No car’s windshield is broad enough to capture the entire splendor of the high country along this route. Take your time exploring this route. Pull over to spend some time scrambling across the granite domes, which are studded with conifers, plan a picnic on the shores of Tenaya Lake, walk the banks of the Tuolumne River, or spend an afternoon hiking down to Cathedral Lake. At the southern end of Yosemite, at Wawona, head to the Pioneer Yosemite History Center. This collection of historic buildings (pulled from various locations elsewhere in the park), include a Wells Fargo office, blacksmith shop, ranger cabin, and an early jail. Enter the Artist Cabin for a history lesson on the artists who were drawn to Yosemite, and the impact their works had on

the growing popularity of Yosemite. Don’t miss the Glacier Point Road, a 16-mile trip to one of the world’s best viewpoints. While many aspire to stand atop Half Dome so they can gaze down into the Yosemite Valley, the view from Glacier Point (3,200 feet above Yosemite Valley) is even more stupendous, plus you can see Half Dome in the distance. If you need a place to stay, a fine collection of handsome vacation homes is managed by Yosemite’s Scenic Wonders Vacation Rentals in Yosemite West not far south from Yosemite Valley. Previous guests have rated these properties so high that TripAdvisor inducted them into its ranking hall of fame: Number 1 for five years in a row, for specialty lodging in Yosemite. There are more than 100 properties, from retreats for a large family or group up to 16, or an intimate getaway for two. After a long day in Yosemite, you can kick back, relax, and get a good night’s sleep, ready for another day of wonder. NationalParksTraveler.com

“...the subtle discoveries that keep this place on visitors’ must-see lists: creatures that meld into their environment, screeches from the treetops, and the flash of tropical color...”

Photo by Sam Lightner

Finding Pura Vida in

Costa Rica By Kim Mills

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Aerial view of Manuel Antonio National Park / Wikipedia, Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz

y first day in Costa Rica’s famed Manuel Antonio National Park was, surprisingly, underwhelming. We set out to find sloths and Technicolor birds, but instead we were greeted by dense vegetation, a few spiders, and crowded beaches, with sand too hot to walk on. We left, not understanding what all of the hype was about—much like the first time I went to Yellowstone National Park and didn’t see a bison. As we sat by the pool that evening, watching our resident toucans and listening to the cicadas, I realized I needed a dose of the pura vida attitude that permeates the nation. That’s Spanish for “pure life.” In Costa Rica it means everything from “take it easy” and “enjoy” to “hello” and “goodbye.” Here time slows down, with an appealing, relaxed vibe. I’d mistakenly tried to take in this tropical country’s smallest national park at my normal sprint, which works for touring vast U.S. parks where rock formations are the size of apartment buildings and the animals are as big as cars. In the rainforest, though, I’d completely missed the subtle discoveries that keep this place on

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016

visitors’ must-see lists: creatures that meld into their environment, screeches from the treetops, and the flash of tropical color. I decided I needed to go back. Day two in Manuel Antonio revealed a landscape literally crawling with life, and all it took was a meandering pace with a reasonably priced, knowledgeable naturalist. “When you hire one guide, you hire us all,” said Maurico Godinez Mesén, the owner of Costa Rica Green Experience. I understood what he meant once I noticed the network of men and women texting, phoning, and whispering about the land crabs hidden among dead leaves, the lesser white-lined bats clustered on a tree trunk, and even a stick bird’s egg in a nest. It’s a world that I’d just walked right past during my first visit. Take a look at any promotional information about the park and you’ll see inviting beaches, white-faced monkeys, and reclining sloths. The warm Pacific water draws crowds of sun-seekers, yet other visitors wander the network of trails in hopes of seeing the area’s elusive wildlife. Protected in 1972 and expanded in 2000, Manuel Antonio is a 7.6-square-mile paradise roughly

Getting There Manuel Antonio is 132 km from San Jose and south of Quepos, a busy central Pacific coastal town located on Route 34 Carretera Nacional Pacífica Fernández. It’s a winding, crowded drive through Quepos to the park. Google Maps is spot on for directions in this part of the country. The last small stretch of road to the park can be chaotic, packed with hotel and tour vans, pedestrians, and vendors. Parking is easy in the $6 private lot on the right side of the road. Buy a pass just before the park gate; bathrooms are nearby. Find Mauricio on Facebook at Costa Rica Green Experience, or other independent guides on the road outside the park gate. Tauck, a U.S.based luxury tour operator, uses local guides to explore the park. Costa Rica has a petty crime problem, and you’ll be warned repeatedly about leaving anything in your car. White-faced capuchin monkeys and refreshing drinks of coconut water are part of the park’s lure / Sam Lightner (monkey) and Kim Mills

one-sixth the size of Walt Disney World. The theme of this park, though, is primary and secondary forest with lagoons, beaches, mangrove swamps, and a sprinkling of small islands. There are 144 species of mammals and 184 resident bird species, a number that grows to 278 bird during migrations. Most wildlife enthusiasts know Costa Rica as home to two species of sloth and some of the world’s showiest birds. On our outing we found a brown-throated threetoed sloth quietly making his way across a limb. And, we were lucky to see the nocturnal Hoffman’s two-toed sloth tucked in the bend of a limb. Every animal living in the rainforest needs to be fast, venomous, out of reach, or camouflaged to survive. I think the most fascinating of these adaptations is the ability to blend in. A motionless lesser nighthawk sat on a mottled tree branch, a perfect match for its feathers that make it hard to see even with the spotting scope. The blue morpho butterfly, iridescent in its bouncy flight, closed up its jeweled wings when it landed, revealing a speckled brown underside that helped it disappear, too. Insects that resembled leaves and statue-like lizards hid in plain sight. The green backdrop was compelling, once I stopped

to take a closer look. We smelled citronella leaves (that can be boiled for mosquito repellant) and touched waxy calathea leaves, the forest’s answer to furniture polish. A palm protected its tasty fruit with a trunk wrapped in thorns, which native people once used to make blow darts. The sap can be distilled into an intoxicating drink that produces a stomach-churning hangover. Costa Rica tops many Best-Of lists for eco-lodges, surfing, yoga retreats, and, of course, providing shelter to an estimated 5 percent of the globe’s biodiversity. It’s also a leader in environmental sustainability, with a goal to become the first carbon-neutral country by 2021. In 2015, the country produced 99 percent of its own energy. “A quarter of Costa Rica is preserved, and the government is still trying to conserve more,” Mauricio told me. “It’s known as the lung of the Americas.” He also said that strong measures to protect the wildlife and landscape mean residents need permits to cut trees, even on their own land. Sport hunting is also prohibited. “Some people complain that the entrance prices ($16 per day for visitors 13 and older) are too expensive, but we are using that money to protect the national parks,” he added. Part of the revenue from ticket

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Tico Treats

Start or end your national park visit Costa Rica style with: • Costa Rican coffee • Gallo pinto (typical breakfast dish) • Pescado entero frito (whole fried fish) • Ceviche (marinated fish) • Fresco de Cas (Sour guava drink) • Jugo de Sandía (watermelon juice) • Pipa fría (coconut on ice, hacked open with a machete) • Biriba (custardy fleshed fruit, tastes like lemon meringue pie)

A refreshing break from the rainforest can be found on the park’s beaches / Kim Mills

Exploring Parks in the Region sales buys land near Manuel Antonio’s borders before it’s developed. It also pays for rangers who guard against hardwood and turtle egg poaching and funds remote parks that lack significant tourist dollars. Despite the positive conservation news, places like Manuel Antonio face numerous threats. “We close on Mondays and control for too many people,” Mauricio said. “The park allows 600-1,000 people in, depending on the day. When people come out, others can go in.” More than 150,000 visitors stop here annually, and rangers search backpacks to limit the amount and the type of food that passes through the gate. Junk food attracts wildlife, causing health problems for the animals that ingest it. And just like the bears in U.S. national parks, food conditioning leads to aggressiveness. Here some monkeys have lost their fear, intimidating visitors in hopes they can cop a snack. Wandering back down the wooden boardwalk, I heard mantled howler monkeys growl from the canopy. Their haunting, guttural calls are one of the many brushes with wilderness that park guests come to experience. Mauricio not only shares moments like this from his progressive country, he also feels it’s his job to educate visitors. And that begins by slowing down and taking time for conversation. After all, this is the land of pura vida, and it’s much too hot for a fast hike.

There are 26 national parks across Costa Rica. Check out a few in the southern and central region. v Parque Nacional Volcán Poás Just outside San Jose, this is the country’s first national park and its most visited. v Parque Nacional Marino Ballena A lovely stretch of beach known for spotting migrating whales and dolphins. Visit during January, the southern coast’s busiest time, and it will be packed with tourists and Ticos (what Costa Ricans call themselves). In quieter seasons, you may have the beach, crocodiles, and howler monkeys to yourself. v Parque Nacional Los Quetzales The country’s newest national park, located in a cloud forest off the PanAmerican highway near San Gerardo de Dota. It’s sleepy and manned by one ranger but it’s home to the resplendent quetzal, a bird native people honored in ceremonies for centuries. Come early on a clear day for the best chance to see these flamboyant birds. v Parque Nacional Carara One of the best places to see the scarlet macaw. Spot poison dart frogs in early morning.

Three-toed sloth on Cecropia insignis in Manuel Antonio National Park / Wikipedia, Michelle Reback

Kim Mills spends her days writing about and raising private funding for Grand Teton National Park. She continues to be inspired by the beautiful landscapes and the cultural sites she’s visited around the world and is always planning the next destination.

v Parque Nacional Corcovado The country’s wildest area is home to numerous endangered species. A permit and a guide are required. v Parque Nacional Chirripó Hike the country’s highest peak. Permit required.

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By Kurt Repanshek

Rocky Mountain National Park Style Fall brings elk out into the open to build harems and entertain park visitors / NPS

Rocky Mountain National Park elk are not shy about posing for you. Indeed, they are the ubiquitous ambassadors for the park, and appear seemingly everywhere, at any time.

The season also is a good one for birding, as migration brings species such as Western tanagers through the park / NPS

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016

ne summer, not too many years ago, the elk were browsing the vegetation just off the shoulder of Trail Ridge Road, and crossed the road right in front of me near the roof of the park. Two youngsters pranced around Horseshoe Park, and a cow and calf paralleled my path to Emerald Lake. They say elk are highly social, but I figured that was among their own kind, not us humans. However, elk weren’t always this plentiful in Rocky Mountain National Park. Heavy hunting during the late 1800s drove the species nearly to extinction. In 1913, determined to see the species rebound, the Estes Valley Improvement Association and U.S. Forest Service were able to negotiate the transplant of 49 Yellowstone National Park elk, and they quickly settled in. Two years later, Rocky Mountain National Park was established, and the growing elk herds were safe from hunters. While I found elk just about everywhere during my summer visit to Rocky Mountain National Park, the best season, when it comes to these

animals, is during fall, peaking in October—or, in Estes Park, officially declared “Elktober.” Autumn is when the massive bull elk are driven to spread their genes during the rut, or mating season. It’s a noisy, raucous show (with sounds, sights, and smells) as the males compete for females. Their haunting, eerie, bugles echo throughout the alpine valleys every morning and evening (in places such as Horseshoe Park) as the males try to entice females. “Bull elk signal the mating season with a crescendo of deep, resonant tones that rise rapidly to a high-pitched squeal before dropping to a series of grunts,” park biologists say. “The elk bugle gave rise to the term ‘rut’ for the elk mating season. ‘Rut’ is derived from the Latin word meaning roar. The eerie call echoes through the autumn nights and serves to intimidate rival males. Mating season is a stressful time for the animal, and the bugle may also act as a physical release of tension.” And they get physical too, sparring with each other, displaying their huge sets of antlers. To conserve energy, biologists report, the bulls will also

engage in less-demanding courtship activities to attract cows, such as flaunting their large bodies and racks, emitting strong, musky odors and bugling. They are focused on the next year’s progeny, while Rocky Mountain National Park visitors are focusing on their showmanship. The residents of Estes Park commemorate this during the first weekend of October with the annual Elk Fest celebration. During this two-day affair there are self-guided tours; live music; Native American music and dancing; and elk-themed vendors and educational programs. The event culminates on Sunday with an amateur bugling contest allowing all ages to try their hand at emulating the wild call of the bull elk. Throughout the rut—typically September and October—elk-centered tours and programs are offered. The Rocky Mountain Conservancy leads elk tours, the Estes Park Trolley features special tailgating tours, and the park offers plenty of elk-watching programs. Or go on your own. Locally dubbed ‘tailgating’, roadside picnics can be gathered in the Estes Park village before heading into the park or the

outskirts of town. Local delis and craft beverage houses offer unique food and drink, including (forgive us, please) elk summer sausage or jerky, to create the perfect spectator spread. If you head out on your own, bring a chair and binoculars, sit back, watch, and listen to elk in Horseshoe Park, Moraine Park, and Upper Beaver Meadows. Park officials also recommend that you look for elk along the edges of clearings early in the morning or in the evenings, with mornings offering more solitude. To minimize impacts to the animals, and to ensure a pleasant experience for visitors, park officials ask that you observe these viewing guidelines: • Turn off car lights and engine immediately. Shut car doors quietly and keep conversations to a minimum. • Observe and photograph the elk from a distance. If the elk move away or if their attention is diverted, you are too close. • Stay by the roadside while viewing elk in park meadows. Travel is restricted to roadways and designated trails, and be aware of posted area closures. • It is illegal to use artificial lights or calls to view or attract wildlife.

And, don’t forget your camera. The golden aspen, yellow cottonwoods, and the green conifers make great backdrops for a bugling elk, or battling bulls, in the foreground. A spotting scope can help with closeup shots, or searching for migrating birds. Take a break from elk watching and see if you can spot the colorful Western tanagers, which migrate through the park in early fall. Weekdays offer higher elk-to-people ratios; fall visitation to the park is 50 percent heavier on weekends than weekdays. Elk-themed packages can be found online with many of Estes Park’s unique lodges, so a little planning can really help you make the most of your stay. By the end of Elktober, you’ll have found another season to love in Estes Park.

Elk abound in Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park and make wonderful photographic focal points against the golden aspen and mountains / O’Hara Photography

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Books Worth Considering Wrecked in Yellowstone

A few years back, Editor Kurt Repanshek and I had an opportunity to tag along on a research boat headed across Yellowstone Lake. I remember it vividly, because on the way back an afternoon mountain storm whipped up some foamy whitecaps and our boat started to look pretty small for such a big lake (it covers 136 square miles, at an altitude of 7,700 feet). Nevertheless, we made it back okay, but when I saw Mike Stark’s book about two steamboats that used to ply these waters, I was intrigued. The book is titled Wrecked in Yellowstone (Riverbend Publishing 2016), and its subhead is, “Greed, obsession, and the untold story of Yellowstone’s most infamous shipwreck.” Stark covers all of these bases in this book. It’s primarily the story of a man with a vision, E.C. Waters. One of the first entrepreneurs in Yellowstone, he was intent on making his fortune on the waves, from the waves of visitors. In 1891, Waters began taking tourists aboard the 125-passenger Zillah on Yellowstone Lake, and was fairly successful. In 1904, more than 4,000 tourists paid passage. But, for Waters, good was never enough, and he proceeded to alienate nearly everyone in the park. His cavalier attitude towards the wildlife, park stewards, railroad men, and competitors made him one of the most unfavorable characters in Yellowstone. Complaints did nothing but infuriate Waters, and he was quick to pull any political strings he could, including pressure from a sitting President’s son. The author does a fine job of describing all of the finagling and drama as Waters attempts to monopolize the lake’s boating business. In 1905, E.C. Waters launched a bigger boat (named for him, of course) which stretched 125 feet long, and could carry up to 500 passengers. But his $60,000 investment never saw service, and Waters himself was soon banned from the park. Superintendent Samuel Young wrote

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in 1907, “E.C. Waters, president of the Yellowstone Lake Boat Company, having rendered himself obnoxious during the season of 1907, is debarred from the park and will not be allowed to return.” This dreamboat, the E.C.Waters, was finally moored near Stevenson Island, off shore from the Lake developed area. A few years later it ran aground in a mountain storm, where it began its road to neglect and ruin. The boiler was salvaged and heated the Lake Lodge for years, and the derelict even saw use as a site for a small fish cafe, and a place for skiers to warm themselves. But, today, it’s just a reminder of one man’s dreams, and its wooden ribs, sunk in the mud, are easily seen by boaters passing by. This is an interesting book, well researched, and shows how wild and crazy the first tourist concessions were in our first national park. It’s available in trade paperback, and runs 200 pages, with black-and-white historical photographs. — Patrick Cone

Lassoing The Sun: A Year in America’s National Parks

Many times we find ourselves in a national park just to marvel at the beauty, explore the wondrous sights, or simply kick back and relax without the pressures the rest of the world weighs on us. But there are times when the parks help us in other ways, holding memories that comfort us. “It did really help me deal with losing my mom,” Mark Woods, author of Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America’s National Parks, told me, “because I felt like I could go to these places and find comfort in the places I knew she loved and I knew she had been, and my dad had been. My dad was a Baptist minister, but I could find more comfort in these places than by going to any church. I guess I probably would have known that beforehand, but it was a pretty profound feeling during the year.” A columnist for the Florida TimesUnion, Mr. Woods landed a $75,000 Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship and used the funding to underwrite a dozen trips into the National Park System. But just five weeks into that yearlong exploration he learned his mother had terminal cancer. Four months later she passed, a lifeshaking event that couldn’t help but color 28

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016

his approach to the book. His journalistic approach that would document threats to our parks in their second century changed a bit. He started to think of how parks can impact us on a very personal level. “It wasn’t really planned before the year, but I ended up spending time with these people who had ties to death and grieving; spending time in Saguaro (National Park) with a father whose son had been killed in the Gabby Giffords shooting,” recalled Mr. Woods. “He’s an ultra-runner, loves the parks and runs in the parks. I hiked with him several times and talked with him about his son. But

that time, doing that hike, I thought losing my 70-something mom seems almost natural compared to a dad who shouldn’t have to lose his son and never get to say goodbye. What he had to deal with was very humbling; it made my experience natural and almost routine. “And then going to Flight 93 (National Memorial), obviously, where the whole genesis and roots of the park itself are death, and how it’s coming back to be not just the memorial wall, but it’s a beautiful park with animals and birds and trees, they’re all coming back. Losing my mom pales to what everyone of those

passengers went through.” Lassoing the Sun is not all about grieving. Indeed, it’s a portal into both the parks and individuals, from National Park Service rangers and members of national park friends groups down to individuals Mr. Woods encountered in campgrounds. It’s a yearlong story about the role of the parks in preserving incredible vistas, and their role has a balm for our souls. — Kurt Repanshek

Exceptional Mountains: A Cultural History of the Pacific Northwest Volcanoes One reviewer described this book, as, “…why and how we have sanctified these high-altitude mountains.” However O. Alan Weltzien’s fine effort also casts some wonderful light on aspects of the national parks and National Park Service that are very pertinent to this, the Park Service’s centennial year. While President Obama has used his au-

thority under the Antiquities Act to designate national monuments that resonate with specific groups of Americans, some sites might fit better under a “National History Department” rather than an agency launched to protect and preserve natural wonders. A century ago the founders of the National Park Service were perhaps more discerning. There was a clamor to add more of the Northwest’s volcanic peaks in the National Park System after Mount Rainier, Lassen, and Crater Lake parks were created. But Stephen Mather and Horace Albright, the director of the Park Service and his deputy, were not easily swayed, notes Mr. Weltzien. “Many people from Seattle to Portland were urging us to make national parks out of every volcanic mountain from Mount Baker to the California border. Mather and I agreed we couldn’t make every peak a park and didn’t have time to inspect them all,” Albright recalled later in life. He also noted that, “We declined to consider…Mount Hood, Mount Baker, Mount Shasta…and many other beautiful areas because they did not measure up to what we regarded as national park standards or had too much commercial development or too many inholdings, or because the cost was prohibitive considering what Congress would give us.” Mr. Weltzien also raises an important issue, one specific to the volcanic peaks but which we also shouldn’t overlook this year in light of record park visitation and how the National Park Service is trying to cope with it. “In the Twentieth Century’s second half people come to the volcanoes in far greater numbers, engaging in more diverse activities than ever before, and at some sites our love affair with them creates practical, visible problems” he writes. “That love affair sometimes obscures, to our peril, the fundamental differences between these Arctic lands, as they’ve often been described, and the primary topographies of our lives. We must see beyond them as inevitably distorting mirrors even as we figuratively hold them in our embrace. To read the volcanoes is to read ourselves, and we need a fresh look.” Running a bit over 200 pages, and amply footnoted, Exceptional Mountains touches on many of the issues in the Northwest that also are confronting our national parks: recreation demands, wilderness issues, commercialism, political meddling, and even backcountry travelers who, revering technology above personal skills, soon find themselves beyond their abilities and in need of a rescue. Though Mr. Weltzien’s focus is the high volcanic peaks of the Northwest, many of his findings and impressions can relate to the entire National Park System. — Kurt Repanshek

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America’s Dude Ranches:

Pioneers Of Green Living And Green Vacations As ecotourism is becoming more popular than ever, the Dude Ranchers’ Association’s dude and guest ranches have been the pioneers of green living and green vacations for decades. At a guest ranch you can reconnect with nature in some of the most tranquil, pristine areas of the country and learn to “live off the land” with fishing trips, bird watching, hikes, wildlife viewing and more.

lacier National Park in Montana is one of the 20 largest national parks in the United States. There are two DRA ranches located within an easy drive of the park, which is known for its abundance of wildlife and more than 700 miles of hiking trails. A day trip to Glacier from Averill’s Flathead Lake Ranch and Bar W Guest Ranch is highly recommended. Several DRA-accredited guest ranches are either located in or bordered by national parks. Both Moose Head Ranch and Triangle X Ranch are located completely within the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park. White Stallion Ranch borders Arizona’s Saguaro National Park, while Tanque Verde Ranch—the largest DRA-accredited ranch in terms of acreage—is less than a 10-mile drive away. The Buffalo National River—America’s First National River—runs near Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, which borders Buffalo National Wilderness Area in the Ozark region of Arkansas. Many dude and guest ranches are located within an easy day trip from national parks. Located in the northcentral region of Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park is a short, scenic drive away from not one but four DRAaccredited ranches: Drowsy Water Ranch, Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch and C Lazy U Ranch. Pikes Peak—a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains—is within an hour drive of Tarryall River Ranch. Dude ranch guests can drive to the top, take the Pikes Peak Cog Rail (the world’s highest cog railroad), or enjoy a panoramic view of Pikes Peak from one of Tarryall’s trail rides. For more information check us out at duderanch.org or simply give us a call at 307-587-2339.

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016

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A Wet And Wild Weekend At

Dry Tortugas National Park Garden Key is surrounded by the lapping ocean and, after the sun goes down, the nightly entertainment arrives. At first there are just a few pinpoints of light, then Venus is seen on the horizon. By the time you lie down to sleep, the stars fill the skies over Dry Tortugas National Park. The real show, though, is hours away. “I lied there and thought that the island at night would be the memory that would stick with me most,” wrote Mark Woods of Dry Tortugas in Lassoing the Sun, which described his year-long odyssey of national park adventures. “Then I woke up to the first rays of sunlight on my final morning here.” What Woods saw was water, “so mirror smooth that it was hard to tell where light blue fluid ended and light blue air began. The boats in the harbor appeared to be floating in midair.” Dry Tortugas National Park is both simple and complex, offering enough points of interest for a couple days, or for a month or more. There are the obvious features, of course. Fort Jefferson is a Civil War-era fort that never saw a battle or, really, ever truly has been finished. But it acted as a guardian to the shipping lanes between the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida, and played a significant chapter in the young history of the United States, particularly during the Civil War. There’s also the sublime here; the star-studded skies at night, the colorful sunrises and sunsets, the flitting schools of fish that dart here and there among the coral reefs which surround the park, and in the Research Natural Area a bit farther out. A weekend at Dry Tortuga National Park is an enviable journey for those who like to push themselves just a bit, and relish solitude and wildlife. Your home during your stay at Dry Tortugas is Garden Key, and one of its 10 campsites. But, with so few sites, you should make a reservation ahead of your trip to the park. You can also expect a healthy dose of solitude that could test your comfort level as well. It’s just like being on a desert island; in fact, it is. But be reassured that civilization is just 70-miles away, as you travel on the comfortable Yankee Freedom III, with its air-conditioned cabin and refreshments. When you’re camping, plan to bring your own tent, well-stocked cooler, and gas- or charcoal-fired grills. The picnic tables and composting toilets are included in your reservation. You’ll want a camera and decent pair of binoculars to watch the numerous birds, too. Dry Tortugas is renowned for birding, particularly during the spring

and fall migrations. The Atlantic flyway splits when it reaches Florida, and while some birds continue south to the islands of the Caribbean, the rest fly southwest to cross the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan Peninsula, and onward to South America. During your stay you can see hundreds of warblers, peregrine falcons, and sharpshinning hawks, as well as double-crested cormorants, magnificent frigatebirds, and a number of heron species. Venture into the warm tropical waters and you’ll immerse yourself in the busy world beneath the waves. Five species of sea turtles are regulars in the park’s waters, while the coral reefs serve as condominiums for a wide array of marine life. Snorkel or scuba dive here and you’re likely to encounter turtles, lobsters, squid, octopus, Goliath groupers, and endless species of multi-hued fish. Darting yellows likely will be smallmouth grunts, the red you spot could be a grouper, while a curtain of gray could be formed by snappers. For scuba divers prepared to stay underwater, there are plenty of cultural resources worth exploring. One of the most popular, and easily accessible, shipwrecks in the park is the Avanti, located just south of Loggerhead Key. It even has a mooring ball provided for day use. Commonly referred to as the windjammer wreck, the Avanti was a steel-hulled sailing vessel that ran aground on the loggerhead reef in the early 1900s. Don’t get too caught up on your last day on the island, as you have to be out of the campground by 10 a.m. As soon as the Yankee Freedom III off-loads arriving passengers and equipment, you can load your gear on board, no later than 11 a.m. With departure set for 3 p.m., you have a few hours left to explore the island, its waters, or shower off on the ferry’s stern deck. Or, you could start planning your next weekend away from the rest of the world.

At Dry Tortugas National Park days spent kayaking, exploring curious corals beneath the water’s surface, or touring Fort Jefferson’s ruins are followed by nights in a tropical campground / Yankee Freedom III, NPS NationalParksTraveler.com

Friends Of the parks

Imagine a Development in Grand Teton National Park Here in Grand Teton, there is a historic parallel between 1916 and 2016. While this year brings the celebration of the vision that created the National Park Service 100 years ago, we also have our eyes on a December 2016 deadline—a chance to protect one square mile in the heart of Grand Teton National Park from potential development. This deadline to purchase one of two large inholdings within Grand Teton is an opportunity to permanently preserve the park’s remaining highest-value wildlife and scenic lands. The parcels at stake—the 640-acre Antelope Flats parcel valued at $46 million and the 640-acre Kelly parcel—within Grand Teton’s boundaries are unique. They are owned by the State of Wyoming and constitutionally obligated to generate revenue for public education, making this land subject to potential development. The Antelope Flats parcel is the current land protection priority for the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. Securing the Antelope Flats parcel would not only be a tremendous win for Grand Teton National Park, but also for Wyoming. The money generated from the sale will help Wyoming meet its fiduciary mandate and trust obligations, generating vital income for public schools at a time when decreasing energy revenues have hurt the state’s economy. If successful, protection of the Antelope Flats parcel could create

The Grand Teton National Park Foundation is raising money to purchase a square mile of land and protect it from development / Ryan Sheets (2)

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Friends of the parks the momentum for a future transaction to emerge in 2017 for the Kelly parcel. Importance of Antelope Flats This parcel is just north of the Mormon Row Historic District. If developed, the unobstructed views park visitors currently enjoy in this area will be gone forever. The land lies in a primary migration route for pronghorn, bison, and elk and also provides important seasonal habitat. It offers nesting and brood-rearing habitat for sage grouse and is frequented by deer, moose, badgers, coyotes, fox, bears, wolves, and dozens of bird species. How can you help? $36,000 assists us in buying one acre of this highly visible, critically important land. If fewer than 640 conservationists answer our call before December 31, 2016, we can save a vulnerable part of Grand Teton that could otherwise be lost forever. Contact Grand Teton National Park Foundation President Leslie Mattson at 307-732-0629 or email leslie@gtnpf.org.

Nurturing Tomorrow’s Outdoor Advocates Books and classroom courses are great, but sometimes the best way to drive home a lesson is out in the field. At Saguaro National Park, four high school students had that opportunity as they accompanied park staff on a 9-mile hike to the Manning Camp in the Rincon Mountains. There they helped collect data on high-elevation insects. The collection is just part of an ongoing effort to track the many life forms that make Saguaro one of the most biologically rich ecosystems in the United States. And it also is one aspect of the park’s pilot program for developing collaborative and sustainable working relationships between national parks and urban communities. In 2015, the National Park Service selected Tucson and Saguaro National Park as one of ten cities and affiliated national park units to participate in this pilot program. “We’ve been implementing this NPS Urban Agenda at Saguaro over the past year—actively engaging Saguaro’s stakeholders throughout Tucson’s urban landscape, and reaching out to diverse communities to listen, learn and activate

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016

By introducing youngsters and teens to nature in and around Saguaro National Park, Friends of Saguaro National Park is nurturing advocates for the park / Friends of Saguaro

Students who hiked into Manning Camp in the Rincon Mountains spent time collecting dragonfly larvae / Friends of Saguaro

Black bears, deer, bobcats, fox and even coyotes are among the wildlife caught by the cameras / Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation

the next generation of visitors, supporters and advocates for Saguaro National Park,” said Bob Newtson, executive director of Friends of Saguaro. “In connecting with urban youth, we wanted to highlight the incredible biodiversity protected at Saguaro, while also noting that biodiversity can thrive throughout the urban landscape,” he said. As part of that effort, earlier this year the friends group engaged more than 550 K-12 students as “citizen scientists” to study urban biodiversity in their own schoolyards. Young participants posted geotagged photos and other data to an app called iNaturalist, where experts all over the world can help identify specimens. “With help from our partners—including the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and the University of Arizona Women in Science and Engineering Program—we showed inner-city schoolchildren throughout Tucson that while national parks like Saguaro provide amazing opportunities to observe a wide range of plants and wildlife, students could also discover biodiversity in their own schoolyards and neighborhoods,” said Mr. Newtson. “We’re excited that this Urban Agenda accomplishment is strengthening the community’s engagement with Saguaro National Park, while also linking elementary school STEM learning with hands-on training for college students,” he added.

Cataloging the Blue Ridge Parkway Wildlife in Photos Did you ever wonder what animals and birds lurk about after dark, or when you’re not looking? The National Park Service has been working with the Smithsonian Institution to gain some insights to wildlife movements by using more than 30 remote cameras provided by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation to capture animals on the move. By inviting the public—citizen scientists—to play a role in setting up the cameras along the Parkway, the program demonstrated the accomplishments of collaboration in the national parks. Images captured by the cameras are uploaded to the eMammal site run by the Smithsonian. “From hiking through the woods to find an ideal camera site to seeing what wildlife wandered past the lens, the project is really an adventure,” says Rita Larkin, director of communications with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and volunteer with the program. “We often think of the Parkway in terms of the visitor experience, but this project touches on its amazing role as a haven for biodiversity.” According to the folks at eMammal, the Blue Ridge Parkway extends almost 4 degrees in longitude and 2½ degrees in latitude, giving it the third largest geo-

graphic range of any unit in the National Park System. Further, with an annual visitation of over 15 million people, the Parkway is one of the most visited units of the National Park System. Running 469 miles between Shenandoah National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway runs through some of the most biologically diverse landscape in the world. Black bears, deer, bobcat, owls, and many other wildlife species, along with humans, call this landscape home. As a result, the Parkway forms a unique transect from which to study biodiversity and the role and impact of people on the regions biological diversity. Through the use of wildlife cameras park biologists hope to study not only what animals call the Parkway home, but the role that humans play in influencing wildlife along the Parkway corridor. The cameras also hopefully will provide a clearer “picture” of the health of the southern Appalachian ecosystems and habitats along the Parkway. Though this is a serious scientific endeavor, there’s nothing that says you can’t have fun while carrying out science. One of the best things about this project and others like it is that you never know what you’re going to capture on camera.

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Philanthropy is key to the health of national parks, and Friends of Acadia is raising $25 million to help prepare Acadia National Park for its second century.

A Campaign For The Next Century Regeneration [ri-jen-uh-rey-shuh] n, a process of renewal, restoration and growth. Friends of Acadia is tweaking that definition with its $25 million Second Century Campaign, which is designed to address near- and long-term needs at Acadia National Park. It’s a campaign that, once fully funded, has the promise of leveraging even more funds as seed money for grants and challenge programs. “In planning this campaign, we met with the park superintendent, Sheridan Steele at the time, and his leadership team. Not so much to build a project-specific budget, but we identified the four key areas in the park where Acadia needed help from their friends group and from the private sector to really help prepare the park and help launch the second century on strong footing,” said David MacDonald, president and CEO of Friends of Acadia. Those key areas are: • Wild Acadia, which addresses natural resource protection at Acadia; • The Acadia Experience, or the visitor experience and a lot of the transportation-related challenges that the park faces; • Adding to and supplementing the areaspecific endowments Friends of Acadia launched

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016

over the past two decades, such as Acadia Trails Forever and the Carriage Road Endowment, and; • Youth Engagement, which strives to provide more opportunities for young people to play and learn and work and serve in national parks. “So those four, what we call our strategic pillars, are what we built the campaign around. Some of them have very specific projects, some don’t,” said Mr. MacDonald. “Some are to prepare us for what comes out of, for example, the park’s transportation plan. The park is in the midst of a comprehensive transportation plan right now and we want to have some capital at the ready when they come out the other end of that process and say this is the preferred alternative we’ve chosen, here’s what we need to implement and here’s where we need some private matching dollars to compete for centennial challenge funding.” Friends of Acadia was fortunate to have “quietly” raised $20 million of its $25 million goal by the time the campaign was formally launched on July 8, the 100th birthday of the national park. “It’s almost three times as much as our last campaign, Acadia Trails Forever. So it’s a big stretch for us, it’s very ambitious, but people have been very generous in their response so far,” said Mr. MacDonald. “Acadia just inspires people in a lot of different ways, and this is one of them.”

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Hydration ON The Go Is Easy During Your Yellowstone Stay

Staying hydrated and reducing waste. Those are two keys to a vacation in the National Park System, particularly during the months when you’re more active in the outdoors.

Vapur’s new 1.5-liter bottle helps you stay hydrated on the trail in your favorite national park.

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016

hile more and more lodgings in the park system welcome you into their rooms with a plastic bottle or two of water to quench your thirst, the bottles are a good, but not the best, solution to either hydration or reducing waste. The problem with those in-room bottles is that all of them will not stand up to multiple uses, especially if you stuff them into a daypack. They soon wind up in the garbage. To both help you stay hydrated while you’re hiking through Yellowstone National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, or Grand Canyon National Park, and to reduce waste, Vapur is working with various companies to place commemorative, collapsible bottles in guest rooms or gift shops for purchase, and by installing water refill stations in the parks for free tap water refills. At Yellowstone, for instance, Vapur and Xanterra Parks and Resorts have made available to guests half-liter water bottles, emblazoned with a bison, for just $10. These bottles are convenient as well as more sustainable than disposable bottles, as the durable plastic Vapur withstands countless uses. And the handy clip on the lid lets you attach the bottle to your pack so you won’t lose it. “Yellowstone National Park Lodges is thrilled to be working with Vapur to install water bottle filling stations throughout our operations here in the park,” said Dylan Hoffman, who works for the lodging company. “We believe that by providing easily accessible hydration opportunities, combined with access to a variety of reusable bottles for purchase in our retail and lodging operations, is a perfect fit for keeping our guests hydrated while working to minimize the waste associated with single-use disposable plastic water bottles. “Our newest program has expanded the breadth of the Vapur program by putting specially branded Yellowstone Vapur ‘anti-bottles’ in our guest rooms and charging the guest on their room bill if they decide to take one of the bottles with them to fuel their Yellowstone adventures,” he added. “We believe this program is a great mix of guest service and environmental protection in order to achieve our

When you check into your lodge room in Yellowstone National Park, you’ll have the option of buying a half-liter Vapur bottle for just $10.

mission of Legendary Hospitality with a Softer Footprint.” When Vapur created its Hydration Program, lodges and hotels were a logical fit for the company. The company slowly is working with partners to expand the program throughout the park system. Already it can be found in Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone, Sequoia and Glacier, to name a few national parks. Also expanding along with the hydration program is Vapur’s line of products and accessories for staying hydrated. New this summer is the company’s 1.5-liter collapsible bottle and its “DrinkLink Hydration System, a 36-inch-long hydration tube with bite valve that turns any of their bottles with a SuperCap (the .7L or 1.0L Element and Eclipse designs, as well as the .5L and 1.5L Shades) into a bladder system. Attach the DrinkLink and you can stash your filled bottle in your pack and have the bite valve within easy reach for a drink while you’re hiking; no need to stop. Of course, there’s no need or reason to stash these bottles and DrinkLink tubes into your gear closet at the end of

Staying hydrated while out hiking in the national parks is key to a great time. And with Vapur’s handy bottle-top clip, you can easily attach a bottle to your pack.

the summer, as hydration is something to keep in mind year-round. In winter months growing dehydrated can be deceptive, as you’re not sweating as much as during the hotter summer months. But outdoor activities still drain your body of life-saving fluids. The approach Vapur has taken with combatting litter and helping public lands visitors stay hydrated was recognized earlier this year by the Public Lands Alliance, which awarded the company its Corporate Stewardship Award. The Alliance, a coalition of nonprofit partners of America’s public lands, bestows the award on companies that have “demonstrated exceptional achievement to enhance the quality of the visitor experience in America’s public lands. Because of Vapur’s commitment to reducing plastic waste on public lands through partnerships, the Alliance deemed them highly worthy of this award.”

NationalParksTraveler.com

Parting Shot

Along the Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park Photo by Patrick Cone

Essential Park Guide | Fall 2016