Essential Park Guide Winter 2017-18

Enjoying Winter in the National Park System

Winter 2017

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Inside

Essential Park Guide / Winter 2017

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Wintering The Parks Sure, it’s cold and snowy, but winter is not a season to shun the parks. Here’s why.

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Winter Park Resources With Traveler’s handy chart, you can quickly narrow down your winter destination.

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Winter’s Journey Winter is about more than skiing and snowshoeing in the National Park System, as these parks prove.

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Walking With Giants The muffled silence of the Tuolumne Grove of Sequoias beckons snowshoers and skiers at Yosemite National Park.

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Take A Hike. A Long One

By Rita Beamish Winter is the season to dream, wonder, and plan your long-distance hike. Rita Beamish invites you to consider the John Muir Trail.

The Parks In Winter Image after image after image in this collection practically begs you to head to a snow-covered park.

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After The Storm Having survived more than two centuries of hurricanes, it should be no surprise that Dry Tortugas and its national park weathered Hurricane Irma in pretty good shape.

A Park’s Best Friend Whether it’s grooming ski trails in winter, maintaining hiking trails in summer, or repairing historic sites and buildings year-round, these friends of the parks work daily to make your park travels memorable.

EDITOR: Kurt Repanshek ART DIRECTOR: Courtney Cooper SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR: Patrick Cone SENIOR EDITOR: Scott Johnson CONTRIBUTORS: Rita Beamish Rebecca Latson Gary Vogt

PUBLISHED BY

Book Reviews A history of camping, first glimpses of wondrous landscapes, and wildlife migrations are explained in some of the books we reviewed.

Essential Park Guides are published by National Parks Traveler to showcase how best to enjoy and explore the National Park System. National Parks Traveler, P.O. Box 980452, Park City, Utah, 84098. ©2017 Essential Park Guide, Winter 2017. 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

Enjoying Winter And Pondering The Relevancy Of National Parks

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ow relevant are national parks to the American public? Back in 2014, then-Park Service Director Jon Jarvis raised that question in a conversation, explaining that “the challenges that we’re facing on a variety of fronts are symptoms, to me, of a waning relevancy to the American people.”

That comment arose as we discussed Congress’s collective shoulder shrug over issues facing the National Park Service. Then, in 2015 during the lead up to National Park Service Centennial, a record 307.2 million visited the National Park System, followed by nearly 331 million during the centennial year of 2016.

Relevancy? From a numbers standpoint, that concern seems to have been overcome. But has it?

Do sheer numbers reflect that more people are truly interested in coming to the National Park System to marvel at their wonders, learn about the

nation’s collective culture, to relax? Or do they reflect a desire by travelers to crisscross the country and document as many places they can visit, regardless of what those places reflect or represent?

It’s one thing to snap a selfie in front of Old Faithful and then depart for another in front of the Grand Teton, and quite another to soak up some of the history that explains why parks were set aside, to study wildlife on the landscape and appreciate their relationships to one another and to the landscape, to come to learn who Enos Mills and Marjory Stoneman Douglas were and the roles they played in the parks.

This question of relevancy is one we’ll continue to explore, for only if park visitors find relevance in the National Park System will they hold it dear and advocate for it.

While you, too, ponder the relevancy of the parks, save some time to explore them this winter. In

ON THE COVER

Being snowbound in Yellowstone National Park is not a bad thing, as the contrast between bitter cold and steaming hot in the Upper Geyser Basin is a sight to behold for snowshoers who explore the basin. Photo by NPS, Neal Herbert

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Essential Park Guide | Winter 2017

the following pages we hope to entice you with suggestions on how to enjoy the park system in the coming months.

On those long winter nights when you can’t be in a national park, planning next summer’s adventures might be the next best thing. Rita Beamish on page 22 entices you to consider a long walk with her travels along the John Muir Trail last summer, and we’ve added a supplement to her story to help you navigate a longdistance hike of your own, whether on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail or, perhaps, the North Country National Scenic Trail.

We have also, of course, provided some book reviews to inspire you to get out into the park system, and included an update on what some of the national parks’ best friends are doing to benefit these wondrous places.

Stay warm this winter, and stay inspired by visiting your favorite park! ~ Kurt Repanshek

GET SOCIAL 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.

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Yellowstone National Park is one of many winter wonderlands in the National Park System perfect for exploring on skis / NPS

Exploring Winter’s Wonders In The National Park System

By Kurt Repanshek

t started in mid-September; a few flakes began to flutter across the Crown of the Continent in Glacier National Park.

The snow since then has slowly spread east and west, north and south. By January the white mantle likely will cover the whole northern tier of the National Park System, from Acadia west to Olympic, south through Rocky Mountain, into Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountain national parks.

But winter is not the season to stay indoors. It reveals another, deeper, dimension in the parks.

You’re likely to see animals and their tracks that you wouldn’t when the ground is bare of snow.

“Every activity by any terrestrial animal is recorded by the snow,” Steve Fuller, who spent more than 30 winters in Yellowstone National Park, told me a few years back. “In summertime, we’re oblivious to what walks around at night.”

There’s more solitude and quiet, too. Many associate winters with weather best avoided, but if you’re properly outfitted you’ll be warm and safe and ready for anything.

And anything can be surprising.

During a snowshoe trek near Fountain Flat Drive in Yellowstone one January, I came across small tufts of hair, faint droplets of blood, and a raven’s wonderfully preserved and feathered outline in the snow. The bird had swooped down to grab a tidbit that had been tossed during a battle between prey and predator.

Another snowy day, I enjoyed a snowshoe trek on the southern flanks of Glacier National Park, just above Bear Creek. The next day, I headed out on a 16-mile cross-country ski to Avalanche Lake to the south of, and above, Lake McDonald.

When it comes to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the National Park System, the options stretch from coast to coast as the following pages illustrate. Just remember, if you’re snowshoeing, don’t travel on top of ski tracks, and if you’re skiing, don’t kick and glide across snowshoe trails.

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Here’s a glance at some of the possibilities: Acadia National Park, Maine True, Acadia is not at the top of the list when you think of places to cross-country ski or snowshoe in the National Park System, but it can be blissful when a nor’easter pounds the park.

The 45 miles of carriage roads are perfect for skiing and snowshoeing. Be careful, though, as snowmobiling is allowed on some of the roads, too.

If you’re thinking this would make a great weekend, or mid-week, trip, consider a donation to Friends of Acadia, to support their trail grooming.

Nor’easters can blanket the roof of Acadia National Park with snow / NPS

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah Snowshoeing can be limited here, depending on the storm track. If you want to go below the rim and into the hoodoo-studded landscape, make sure that there’s enough snow. If there’s not, check out the Fairyland Point Road, which is unplowed in winter to allow the snowpack to build.

The park has a snowshoe program designed for beginners that shows off some of Bryce Canyon’s beauty in winter. Snowshoes and poles are available

Winter creates postcard images from the landscape at Bryce Canyon National Park (left), and the historic buildings along the C&O Canal / Kurt Repanshek and NPS

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Essential Park Guide | Winter 2017

for free for those joining Bryce Canyon’s Snowshoe Rangers (when snow depth and staffing are sufficient). For those who don’t mind the biting cold once the sun goes down, Bryce Canyon rangers offer full-moon snowshoe hikes when snow depth exceeds 12” – 18”. Check the park’s website for dates.

On cross-country skis, you can exhaust yourself at Bryce Canyon. The rim-top road runs 18 miles, one-way, and has some incredible vistas down into the amphitheaters.

“On rare occasions when the snow depth allows, you can ski into the bottom of the Bryce Amphitheater from the outskirts of the town of Tropic,” according to park staff. “Another nearby favorite that allows for skiing among hoodoos is the Red Canyon Bike Path. Also outside of the park, Bryce Canyon City maintains

many miles of groomed ski trails. If you don’t have your own skis, cross-country skis as well as snowshoe equipment can be rented in Bryce Canyon City.”

Though it is illegal to ski off of the rim into the canyon, you can enjoy a variety of routes above the rim, the rangers note.

“These include the rim trail between Bryce Point and Fairyland Point; Bristlecone Loop; Paria Ski Loop; and the unplowed Paria View and Fairyland Point roads.”

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, District of Columbia, Maryland, West Virginia When those winter storms blanket the District of Columbia and nearby Maryland and West Virginia with deep snow, a great ski or snowshoe hike can be found

on the C&O Canal. There are more than 184 miles of towpath available once there’s enough snow.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio Cuyahoga Valley might not immediately come to mind when you think about winter sports destinations, but the park has not only cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, but tosses in ski lessons and ranger-led snowshoe jaunts.

The base camp for winter exploration in the park is the Winter Sports Center at Kendall Lake Shelter, an impressive sandstone and chestnut structure constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Here you can get information on trail conditions and warm up with a hot drink.

Practically all of the park’s 125-plus miles of hiking trails are open to snowshoeing. There are about 50 miles of trails and meadows for cross-country skiers, and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath has 20 miles of trails for skiers.

skinny skis and snowshoes. Take a nice daylong skiing adventure from Lake McDonald to Avalanche Lake. Snowshoe advocates, meanwhile, need only cast their eyes upon the landscape and follow their gaze, mindful, of course, of too-steep slopes that might unleash a river of snow upon them.

Skiers looking for territory to explore can quickly find it at this page (https:// home.nps.gov/applications/glac/ski/ xcski.htm) on the park’s website. You’ll find maps that break down ski trails in the Apgar-West Glacier, Lake McDonald-Avalanche, North Fork, St. Mary, Two Medicine and Marias Pass areas.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina/ Tennessee Great Smoky gets bountiful snows in the upper elevations, and yet the park is not known as a winter sports destination.

“Snowshoeing in the park is not commonly done, but I suspect that’s because most people don’t have that type of gear when traveling in the southeast,” said park spokeswoman Dana Soehn.

“Certainly, the high elevation trails have enough snow in the winter to make them useful. Our rangers wear them as needed on backcountry trails. The only really good spot for cross-country skiing is Clingmans Dome Road,” she adds.

“Most cross country skiers find that our high elevation trails have are too narrow with rock/log obstacles. “ Click below to watch a video about the Great Smoky Mountain Nordic Ski Patrol.

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine What winter outdoor enthusiast doesn’t feel the pull of Katahdin Woods and Waters, which has many miles of cross-country skiing, practically unlimited snowshoeing, and miles of snowmobiling?

Skiers can find a great map of trails here (https://www.nps.gov/kaww/planyourvisit/upload/KWW_NM-XC-SkiMap-2016-2.pdf). It shows both groomed and ungroomed routes, shelters, access points, lean-tos and campsites.

Two primitive community huts can be reserved. They are only accessible by skiing, snowshoeing, biking, or hiking.

For the 2017 season, the huts are available to the public free of charge. Reservations and maintenance are provided by the staff of Elliotsville Plantation, Inc. (EPI) under permit with the National Park Service.

From December through March, a limited number of campsites and leantos are available for primitive camping only. Register for them by calling 207852-1291.

A word of caution: Logging occurs in the winter in this region, so be careful out there. According to the Park Service, “there are several active winter logging operations on roads accessing monument lands, including Swift Brook Road, Grondin Road, and Sherman Lumber Road.

These roads may or may not be privately plowed for timber harvests on lands near the monument. It is recommended to avoid using these roads in winter while logging operations are active.”

Glacier National Park’s locals are always photogenic no matter what the season / NPS

Glacier National Park, Montana It’s both a shame and a good thing that most of the Goingto-the-Sun Road is closed in winter. On one hand, it’d probably provide some incredible access for cross-country and backcountry skiers, as well as snowshoers. The bad news is that avalanche risks can be pretty high, and so it’s no great surprise the road is closed.

That said, there is still an incredible amount of landscape to explore on NationalParksTraveler.org

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Olympic National Park will surprise you with its cross-country ski and snowshoeing possibilities / NPS

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington The ridiculous amounts of snow that fall on Mount Rainier justify the name “Paradise” when describing not just a destination in the park but also the winter conditions for snowshoers and skiers.

A favorable storm track can drop more than 90 feet of snow on the Paradise area. Last winter the park saw a more-modest 58 feet of snow. But even that brought grins to the snowshoers, cross-country skiers, and backcountry skiers drawn to the park.

Paradise is the hub for many of these pursuits, with snowshoers and skiers heading out in all directions. Ranger-led snowshoe hikes, of up to 2 miles, are typically given on weekends and holidays from late December through March, conditions permitting. These treks are open to the first 25 people who turn out at the Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise. A sign-up sheet is available an hour before a scheduled walk.

The Longmire area also has a number of trails perfect for snowshoeing once the snowpack builds. According to the Park Service, on heavy snow years there could be as much as 5 feet of snow on the ground around Longmire. For a trail map, visit this site (https://www.nps.gov/ mora/planyourvisit/upload/LongmireWinter-Trails-Dec13.pdf).

Olympic National Park, Washington Winter can be tricky in Olympic.

Stay down low near the coast or in the rain forest and you will experience rain and drizzle with nary a snowflake in sight. Head up to Hurricane Ridge, however, and you can be busting through deep drifts of snow.

“Typically snow-covered, Hurricane Ridge provides opportunities for snowshoeing, cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding, tubing and more.

Hurricane Ridge’s winter season is generally mid-December through the end of March,” the Park Service notes.

Because of the harsh wintry conditions that can envelop the ridge, access can be limited. Park staff tries opening the road from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday and holiday Mondays. Motorists are required to carry tire chains.

Winters at Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park make it unfeasible to keep the lodge open / Rebecca Latson

At the summit there’s a small area for skiers and snowboarders with two rope tows and a poma lift.

Snowshoe programs featuring ranger-led hikes are held mid-December through March, conditions permitting.

The walks take place at 2 p.m. on weekends and holiday Mondays. They last about 90 minutes, and cover less than a mile. The cost is $7 for adults, $3 for youth aged 6 to 15. A sign-up sheet is put out a half-hour before the scheduled walk and limited to 25 names.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado The rule of thumb for Rocky Mountain is that more snow falls to the west of the Continental Divide than to the east. As a result, Grand Lake might make a better basecamp than Estes Park. As

always, check the weather forecast and the snow depth before making a long, expensive trip.

If you’re interested in a snowshoe hike with a ranger, take a beginning or intermediate snowshoe program on the west side of the park. On the east side, beginning snowshoe walks are scheduled each Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday from January through March, depending on conditions.

On either side of the divide, you can snowshoe on most park hiking trails.

Cross-country skiing works well on Trail Ridge Road once it’s snow-covered, and sledding is allowed at the old Hidden Valley Ski Area.

Another option is the YMCA of the Rockies, which boasts a Nordic center with more than 100 kilometers of ski trails as well as a dogsled program.

Northern flickers hang around Rocky Mountain National Park all year long and add a burst of color in winter / NPS

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Sequoia National Park, California There are plenty of trails to follow once the snow gets deep in Sequoia, from the 2-mile long Sunset Rock beginner trail in the Giant Forest to the 6.2-mile Alta Trail that takes you from Wolverton to the Giant Forest. Trail maps can be purchased through the Sequoia Parks Conservancy at this site (https://store. sequoiaparksconservancy.org/catalogsearch/result/?q=ski+trails).

All told, there are more than 30 miles to explore in this land of the giants. Experienced skiers can challenge themselves on the Pear Lake Trail, which travels 6 miles one way and climbs to the 9,500-foot summit of “The Hump.” The consummate winter explorer will want to snag overnight accommodations in the Pear Lake Ski Hut ($40/person). Reservation applications for this coming winter are taken through noon on November 3, so it might be too late this winter if you’re not quick. Check this website (http://www.exploresequoiakingscanyon.com/registration.html) for information, or call 559-565-4251.

Sequoia rangers lead snowshoe walks in Grant Grove and Giant Forest. For the Grant Grove walk, sign up at Kings Canyon Visitor Center or call (559) 565-4307.

Reservations are required, and there’s a limit of 20 participants. Walks typically last 1.5 hours and are up to 1 mile in length.

The “valls,” or valleys, in Valles Caldera are great for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing / NPS

For Giant Forest, sign up at Giant Forest Museum or call (559) 565-4480.

Reservations are required, and there’s a limit of 20 participants. Walks last 2 hours and are up to 2 miles in length.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan With Lake Michigan providing ample moisture, once winter’s cold temps arrive the national lakeshore is a great place for skiers and snowshoers.

Snowshoe hikes typically occur every Saturday beginning the first weekend of January. All hikes start at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center on Highway M-72 at the edge of the village of Empire at 1 p.m. Call the visitor center at 231-3264700, ext. 5010 to make a reservation.

The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, which runs 22 miles between Empire and the Bohemia Road, has a paved surface, so once snow covers it deeply enough it’s perfect for both classic and skate skiers.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

Backcountry skiing in Sequoia National Park comes with outstanding panoramic views, such as this one in the Kaweah drainage looking into the San Joaquin Valley / NPS

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Essential Park Guide | Winter 2017

Though it can get incredibly cold in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in winter, snow is an iffy proposition.

“We average around 30 inches of snow each year, but with only a few inches on the ground at any one time,” said Laura Thomas, the park’s visual information specialist. “Sometimes we get lucky, like last winter, and get a large snow event with opportunities for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

“With heavy snowfall, portions of the North and South Unit scenic drives have to be closed to vehicle traffic. The closed sections of road are great for cross-country skiing.

“Another favorite place for skiing and snowshoeing is along the frozen Little Missouri River (when there is sufficient ice),” she continued. “When snow is lacking, there’s always good, old-fashioned hiking. The badlands’ infamous mud and sticky bentonite clay are frozen solid in winter, making hiking much easier.”

Valles Caldera National Preserve, New Mexico “Winter is a spectacular time to visit the Valles Caldera National Preserve. The preserve has miles of trails for the adventurous skier and snowshoer,” said Kimberly DeVall, the park chief of interpretation.

“Whether you are skiing a groomed trail in a developed area or venturing into the backcountry, remember that you are traveling in an environment with all its dangers: unpredictable wildlife, changing weather conditions, deep snow, and snow covered streams. Your safety is not guaranteed. Be prepared for any situation and know the limits of your ability.”

There are 20 miles of marked cross-country and snowshoe trails in the preserve. About half are groomed weekly for skiers. That said, skiers and snowshoers are free to kick-and-glide or tromp through an open valley or deep into a silent forest. In general, terrain and deeper snows on north slopes in the preserve make for better for cross-country skiing.

The Valle Grande Bookstore has a limited number of snowshoes and poles available for rent.

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota Though paddling usually comes to mind when Voyageurs National Park is mentioned, winter sports are far from overlooked in this corner of

developed area.”

For park visitors who don’t reach Yellowstone’s interior, “the road from the north entrance to the northeast entrance is plowed during the winter, making the ski areas around Mammoth, Tower, and the northeast accessible to private vehicles,” said Ranger Carlson.

Yosemite National Park, California

The Black Bay area of Voyageurs National Park is popular with snowshoers / NPS

Minnesota. The park maintains many miles of cross-country, snowshoe, and even snowmobile trails.

“My favorite is the Black Bay Trail system near the Rainy Lake Visitor Center,” Ranger Eric Grunwald says when talk turns to skiing. “The system includes 7.4 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails.

These trails include loops for all skill levels: beginner, intermediate, and expert.

“The system gets moderate use, so it’s a great place to find some winter solitude on most days. It’s also a great place to see wildlife like snowshoe hares, chickadees, and juncos,” he added.

“Even if you don’t see any wildlife, you’re likely to see signs of animals alongside the trails; animal tracks from hares and wolves are seen fairly commonly.”

For those in need of skis, the park’s Rainy Lake Visitor Center has some to loan. It’s open Wednesdays-Sundays in winter. The center also has some snowshoes on hand if you don’t own a pair.

“There is also a short snowshoe trail in the Black Bay system. It’s called the Black Bay Beaver Pond Overlook Trail, and it leads one half mile to an active beaver pond,” Ranger Grunwald noted.

“Of course in the winter, you are not likely to see a beaver, but if you snowshoe out on the frozen beaver pond surface, you can walk right up to the beaver’s lodge to get a closer look at their interesting home.”

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Yellowstone is a spectacular winter wonderland…if you can endure the bitter cold. There can be long runs of days when the mercury never tops 0 degrees Fahrenheit. But there also can be hefty dumps of feather-weight snow, perfect for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

“The Upper Geyser Basin provides a unique and beautiful backdrop for winter activities,” says Ranger Annie Carlson. “On a very cold day, the steam from the hot springs and geysers coats every surface, every pine needle, with sparkling frost. Ice particles float through the air as diamond dust. Visitors can ski, snowshoe, or walk the trails and boardwalks of the Upper Geyser Basin to enjoy the scenery.”

The ranger cautions that skiers in the basin should “expect areas of ice and bare patches on the trails.” The 1.5mile boardwalk trail from Old Faithful to Morning Glory Pool is often groomed for skiers, she adds.

“There are many popular ski trails that leave from the Old Faithful area.

Some avid skiers will stay at the Snow Lodge for a few nights and spend their days exploring the trails,” she said. “The Lone Star trail is usually groomed and fairly flat; great for beginners. Other trails, such as Mallard Creek and Howard Eaton, are steep and challenging. At the Snow Lodge, you can arrange to be dropped off by snowcoach at certain trailheads and then ski back to the

While the Tioga Road that runs through Tuolumne Meadows isn’t open to vehicles in winter, hardy souls can cross-country ski or snowshoe along its path.

Or, you can head up towards Glacier Point and the Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area, formerly called Badger Pass Ski Area.

The ski area has five lifts, 800 vertical feet, and 10 runs. Though not on par with Squaw Valley, this little ski area that usually sees 300 inches of snow a year has been the training grounds for countless park visitors. There’s also a tubing area and terrain park here, and the access to the backcountry and cross-country ski trails is superb.

Bring your skis, or rent, and take a few turns down the mountain, stopping for views and cocoa as often as you wish. You’ll also find 90 miles of marked snowshoe and cross-country ski trails, and 10.5 miles of groomed skating track.

From the ski area snowshoers can take a short trip out to Dewey Point, with guides from the Yosemite Conservancy, or head out into Aspen Grove for a selfguided snowshoe hike. There are also two overnight huts accessible from the ski area for the more adventurous, and if you’re visiting in February, don’t miss the Nordic Holiday celebration.

To prepare for your wintry exploration of Yosemite, visit this page (https:// www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wintersports.htm) for trail brochures and additional information on winter sports in the park.

That’s just a sampling of the many spots in the National Park System where winter is another great season to get out and enjoy the landscape and scenery. It’s not a season to be timid, for it not only offers another side to the parks, but one of solitude not normally available in summer.

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GOOD TO KNOW

LODGING

GATEWAY

PARK

Winter Sports

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Acadia National Park

Bar Harbor Southwest Harbor

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce, Utah

brycecanyoncountry.com

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Site Numerous

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Numerous

Glacier National Park

West Glacier glaciermt.com/West-Glacier

Tropic, Utah

Columbia Falls, Kalispell columbiafallschamber.org

Check with the local chambers of commerce. https://www.nps.gov/ acad/planyourvisit/ nearbyattractions.htm

Don’t mind roughing it? The Blackwoods Campground, 5 miles south of Bar Harbor, is open all year. You’ll need a camping permit from the dispatch office at park headquarters (8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily). Facilities are limited to a hand pump for water and a portable toilet. The campground entrance road is closed to automobiles during this time; campers are required to hike in from the campground entrance on Route 3.

Bryce Canyon Lodge (in park) 877-386-4383 http://www. brycecanyonforever.com/ Ruby’s Inn complex (outside) 866-866-6616 https://www.rubysinn.com

Pack foot traction items, such as Yak Trax, for secure footing while hiking on trails with thin snow cover.

Determined to watch the sun rise from Bryce Point? Drive to the point between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. (in the Visitor Center they post the next day’s sunrise, so use that as a gauge). Since it possibly will be very dark when you reach the point’s parking lot, pack a flashlight to see where the best footing is on the way to the overlook.

Essential Park Guide | Winter 2017

Experience the past with a night in one of the lockhouses along the canal.

Stanford House at Cuyahoga Valley National Park

https://www.conservancyforcvnp.org/ experience/plan-your-visit/retreatslodging/stanford-house-lodging/

http://www.canaltrust. org/programs/canalquarters/

Inn at Brandywine Falls (330) 467-1812

Mix your snowshoeing or cross-country skiing with some ice fishing. You’re allowed to fish the canal as long as you have the requisite fishing license, but you’ll have to cut your hole in the ice without a power auger.

Visit in November and December and catch a ride on the Polar Express, which runs from Saturday, November 11, though Thursday, December 21 (but not on November 22 or 23). Check this site for ticket availability.

After December, check into some of the other train excursions you can take in the park.

Kalispell offers an array of lodging and dining options. http://www. discoverkalispell.com/ lodging-page/

www.innatbrandywinefalls.com

www.cvsr.com/take-the-train

Book a caboose for a night or three at the Izaak Walton Inn along the park’s southern border and you can ski the inn’s 30 kilometers of groomed crosscountry trails and snowshoe into the park. www.izaakwaltoninn.com

Winter Sports jacksonholechamber.com

Gatlinburg, Tennessee gatlinburg.com Cherokee, North Carolina visitcherokeenc.com

No in-park lodging during the winter, but plenty of options in the surrounding towns.

https://www. jacksonholechamber. com/lodging/

Take a winter photo class with the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremonton.

jhsleddog.com

http://gsmit.org/ event/winter-photomaster-class/

Olympic National Park

Ashford, Washington

Port Angeles, Washington

https://visitrainier.com/ ashford/

portangeles.org

Lumberman’s Museum 61 Shin Pond Rd, Patten, ME 04765

The Katadhin Chamber of Commerce can help you find a place to sleep if you prefer something warmer than one of the huts or campsites in the monument. katahdinmaine.com

The National Park Inn at Longmire, six miles inside the Nisqually Entrance, is open year-round. For other options, explore the Mount Rainier Visitor Association’s website (http://www.mtrainier.com/lodging_ search.php).

Download the Discover Katahdin app to help navigate the national monument and find lodging and dining options, as well as recreational information.

The Paradise area is a magnet for families in winter, as sledding and tubing is permitted there once enough snow piles up.

discoverkatahdin.com

Kalaloch Lodge 866-662-9928 https://www. thekalalochlodge.com/ Lake Crescent Lodge (Limited availability in Roosevelt Cabins) 888-896-3818 http://www. olympicnationalparks. com/lodging/lakecrescent-lodge/

GOOD TO KNOW

Ride a dogsled down to Granite Hot Springs for a dip with Jackson Hole Iditarod Sled Dog Tours.

Millinocket Welcome Center 200 Penobscot Ave, Millinocket, ME.04462

Mount Rainier National Park

LODGING

There’s a wide variety of lodging in the Jackson Hole area, from luxurious homes to charming lodges, B&Bs, and dude ranches.

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

GATEWAY

Jackson, Wyoming

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

PARK

Grand Teton National Park

Winter storm watching is a popular pastime in the park, when towering waves crash into the sea stacks at Kalaloch, Ruby, and Rialto beaches.

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GOOD TO KNOW

LODGING

GATEWAY

PARK

Winter Sports Rocky Mountain National Park

Estes Park, Colorado visitestespark.com

Sequoia National Park

Three Rivers, California threerivers.com

Grand Lake, Colorado grandlakechamber.com

An array of lodging options can be found through the Estes Park Chamber of Commerce. visitestespark.com

Stay at the YMCA of the Rockies and you can spend a day cross-country skiing on 100Ks of groomed track.

Empire, Michigan empirechamber.com

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Medora, North Dakota medora.com

Traverse City, Michigan traversecity.com

Several options exist, from the Wuksachi Lodge (http://www.visitsequoia. com/lodging.aspx) in the Giant Forest and the John Muir Lodge and Grant Grove Cabins in Kings Canyon National Park (http://www.visitsequoia. com/kings-canyon. aspx) to the Pear Lake Winter Hut that you ski into (http://www. sequoiaparksconservancy. org/pear-lake-winter-hut. html).

Find your way to Kings Canyon National Park and at Grant Grove you can attend the annual Nation’s Christmas Tree Ceremony, which is held on the second Sunday each December.

ymcarockies.org

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Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Essential Park Guide | Winter 2017

Visit this page to search for lodging and dining in the surround area. (https://www. nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/ nearbyattractions.htm)

If you’re not pitching a tent in either the Cottonwood Campground (https://www. nps.gov/thro/planyourvisit/ cottonwood-campground. htm) or Juniper Campground (https://www.nps.gov/ thro/planyourvisit/junipercampground.htm), this guide will show you accommodations near the South Unit (https:// www.nps.gov/thro/planyourvisit/ upload/AREA%20SERVICES%20 -%20SU.pdf), while this one

will show you lodgings near the North Unit. (https://www.

nps.gov/thro/planyourvisit/ loader.cfm?csModule=security/ getfile&PageID=3131702)

The Platte River Campground in the lakeshore is open yearround, and it’s one of the few in the park system that offers hot showers for campers!

If winter’s snows don’t provide ample cover for skiing or snowshoeing, go in search of some of the park’s bison or feral horses.

Winter Sports Yellowstone National Park

International Falls, Minnesota ifallschamber.com

Gardiner, Montana visitgardinermt.com

Ash River, Minnesota ashriver.com

West Yellowstone, Montana destinationyellowstone.com

Yosemite National Park

El Portal, California mariposachamber.org

Crane Lake, Minnesota visitcranelake.com

www.nps.gov/band www.nps.gov/peco

The winter season offers visitors a unique experience—you don’t have to leave your car to take to the water. The park’s two ice roads make it possible to drive a car to the vicinity of several islands normally only accessible by boat.

In-park lodging can be found at Mammoth Hot Springs and the Snow Lodge at Old Faithful. https://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges. com/stay/winter-lodges

A totally different Yellowstone experience can be had staying in Cooke City, Montana, just outside the park’s northeast entrance.

Much quieter than other areas of the park, Cooke City offers easy access to the park’s Northern Range with its wildlife, and you can find some great skiing and snowshoeing in the surrounding national forests.

Concessionaire Aramark offers a range of lodging options in the Yosemite Valley http://www.travelyosemite.com/ lodging/yosemite-lodging-experience/

Yosemite’s Scenic Wonders Vacation Rentals offers house rentals in the park.

1-888-967-3648 scenicwonders.com

The Mariposa Grove of Sequoias is closed this winter as crews work to finish a massive rehabilitation of the area. Look for it to open in spring 2018.

GOOD TO KNOW

Nearby side trips include Bandelier National Monument, which borders Valles Caldera on the southeast, and Pecos National Historical Park near Santa Fe.

The park newspaper contains a listing of area lodging possibilities. (https://www.nps. gov/voya/learn/ news/upload/VOYA_ web_2017-Rendezvouscompressed-3.pdf)

LODGING

A list of lodgings near the preserve can be found on this site. (https://www.nps. gov/vall/planyourvisit/ nearby-cities.htm)

GATEWAY

Los Alamos, New Mexico visitlosalamos.org

Voyageurs National Park

PARK

Valles Caldera National Preserve

cookecitychamber.org

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A WINTER’S JOURNEY Through The National Park System

A Particularly frigid winters turn the “sea caves” at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore into “ice caves.” A light dusting of snow at Arches National Park creates a gorgeous contrast with the red rock, while whales are celebrated at Cabrillo National Monument / NPS photos

postle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin shelters a unique collection of sea caves that becomes coated with ice when winter turns bitterly cold. With the long-range forecast predicting a colder and snowier winter than average for the lakeshore, you might consider a road trip there this winter.

Arches National Park in Utah doesn’t usually get a heavy coating of snow, but when the white stuff falls it creates a wonderful contrast to the red rock that delights photographers.

Solitude is practically guaranteed at Badlands National Park in South Dakota. “Because winter visitation is so low, you’re likely only to see the rangers and maybe one or two people passing through on the road.

In summer, you’d be lucky to have an overlook to yourself. In the winter, you could sit at an overlook all day and not see anyone. With such light traffic on

the road, the animals come out from hiding. It’s easy to spot bison, bighorn sheep, mule deer, rabbits, prairie dogs, and even an occasional coyote.”

– Bryan Hansel in Otherworldly Winter Weather in the Badlands.

You might not connect whales with national parks, but come January gray whales often can be seen migrating south from Cabrillo National Monument near San Diego. The peak migration is mid-January, but you often can see whales at Cabrillo from mid-December to late March. The best viewing is from the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and the heights around the park’s Whale Overlook.

National seashores on the Atlantic aren’t normally winter destination conversation, but if you need to add a Snowy Owl to your birding life list, in recent years these Canadian visitors have been showing up at both Cape Cod and Cape Hatteras national seashores.

Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon usually sees snowdrifts that can dwarf buildings, which means reliable conditions for skiers and snowshoers. Just don’t get too close to the rim overlooking the lake, as cornices can, and do, break off. Some years ago one snowshoer met his fate that way.

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Essential Park Guide | Winter 2017

Snowy owls (top) in recent winters have appeared at both Cape Hatteras and Cape Cod national seashores, while Crater Lake’s “big blue” shimmers like a sapphire against the snowy hillsides / NPS photos

Death Valley National Park in California/Nevada allows winter visitors to wear short-sleeve shirts one day while playing the Furnace Creek Golf Course and needing down jackets, crampons, and perhaps an ice axe to reach the 11,049-foot summit of Telescope Peak the next.

Hurricane Irma hit Everglades National Park hard in early September, but the park’s wildlife is used to storms.

Winter is the high season in the park and draws birders and wildlife photographers in search of the animals that gather around watering holes.

Want to experience Grand Canyon National Park without the crowds, or high heat of summer? Book a room at Phantom Ranch and spend a few days watching the Colorado River flow by and a few nights counting constellations in the sky.

Many folks do not consider Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada a winter destination. As a result, you can enjoy some great snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive and Baker Creek Road. If it gets too cold, head underground to explore Lehman Caves.

Flee the snow by heading to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park where you can explore one of the few remaining natural areas in Hawaii protecting

Winter’s snows transform Badlands National Park from something less foreboding to a landscape more inviting / NPS

Tri-color herons and other wildlife are easily spotted in Everglades National Park in winter / NPS

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contiguous habitat from sea to summit; elevations in the park stretch from sea level to 13,677 feet at the summit of Mauna Loa. Put another way, you can explore rain forests and alpine areas and everything in between.

Another park overlooked by crosscountry skiers and snowshoers is Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in Indiana, where there are 45 miles of trails perfect for winter explorations when the snow cover allows. Not too miss are the “ice shelves” that Lake Michigan sends to shore.

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana is well positioned along the Central Flyway to provide vital resting and wintering habitat for an impressive number and variety of birds. The park’s Barataria Preserve unit, located about 20 miles south of New Orleans, has bottomland and levee forest, cypress/tupelo swamp, and freshwater marsh habitats teeming with migrants and winter residents.

Climbers descend on Joshua Tree National Park in California during the cooler winter months to perfect their bouldering techniques.

Winter is a great season to visit Kings Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina. With trees having dropped their leaves, sight lines become more

“Get a grip” takes on a very literal meaning at Joshua Tree National Park in California / NPS

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Essential Park Guide | Winter 2017

The lack of ski lifts at Lassen Volcanic National Park really make you earn your turns, while at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument most nights offer front-row seating for incredible sunsets / NPS photos

clear at this park that protects Revolutionary War history, and the season definitely is not as buggy as summer.

Many winter enthusiasts often overlook Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California. The landscape here gets many feet of snow, perfect for backcountry skiing and snowshoeing.

Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado is hauntingly beautiful in winter, with falling snow creating a veil in front of the cliff dwellings long since deserted by their builders. Snowshoeing or skiing is allowed on the groomed Moorefield Campground Trail as well as the nearby Meadow Bliss Trail. Ungroomed skiing can be found on the Cliff Palace Loop Trail, the Wetherill Mesa Road Trail, and Prater Canyon. More snowshoeing options can be found on the park website.

Seasoned birders know that, come winter, Padre Island National Seashore in Texas really is for the birds. Special birding tours typically are held in the park November through April; check with the Malaquite Visitor Center at (361) 949-8068 for details. An easy day trip from Padre Island is the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, winter home of one of the rarest birds in North America, the whooping crane.

Winter is the high season in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument along the Arizona-Mexico border.

Temperatures are mild and the 208-site

Twin Peaks Campground offers solarheated showers after a day of hiking.

Elephant seals congregate on the beaches of Point Reyes National Seashore in California during the winter months for breeding; they, in turn, attract human visitors to observe their behavior. Great observation points include Elephant Seal Overlook and the Chimney Rock Trail.

Two-hundred-and-forty years ago, on December 19, 1777, General George Washington led his Continental Army to Valley Forge to set up winter quarters. The event will be recreated this December 19 at Valley Forge National Historical Park in Pennsylvania. Featured will be a candle-lit guided walk to the Muhlenberg Brigade huts, where a living Continental camp will be set up.

Zion National Park in Utah practically bursts at the seams with visitors from March through November. Fortunately, December through February offer you a little more elbowroom in this sandstone citadel. Winter storms that drop snow in northern Utah often bring heavy rains to the park—the winter months usually drop about half of the park’s annual precipitation—and they can generate spontaneous waterfalls off normally dry cliffs.

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ADVERTISER-SPONSORED CONTENT

WALKING, SKIING, OR SNOWSHOEING In The Shadow Of Giants

Winter beckons in Yosemite National Park. It’s a time of sparse crowds, crisp air, great views, deep snow, and forests of giants. Head out in the morning on your snowshoes and watch for the tracks of snowy denizens of the forest, or take a heart-pounding skate-ski up a road until the valley vista presents itself.

Above: Rock, snow, and forests add their own stamps to winter in Yosemite National Park / NPS

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Essential Park Guide | Winter 2017

O

r, ski into a wonderland of some of the grandest trees on earth. It’s a whole different world in

the winter.

If you’re a fan of muscle-powered winter recreation, one of the best Yosemite activities in the winter is a ski or snowshoe trip into the Tuolumne Grove of Sequoias in the Crane Flat area in the northern part of the park.

To access the Tuolumne Grove and its giant trees, park near the Crane Flat Campground. There’s a gate to the north and the trail follows a forest road. There are no groomed ski trails in the Crane Flat area, however, so you may be breaking trail.

It’s only a round-trip of two miles, and it’s a gentle grade down, but a bit of hike back up to the trailhead. Plan your trip well and you’ll have a great experience.

Once in the grove, you can hear the whumping sound as snow hits the ground, dropped from branches hundreds of feet up.

Watch out for falling snow, and even pinecones the size of bread loaves, so you don’t get clobbered.

You’ll more than likely find yourself alone with the giant sequoias, unlike the summer months when throngs of tourists walk about with their heads craned back as they try to see the tops of the trees. The trails in the grove are well marked, and the silence is overwhelming. If there’s a slight breeze, you’ll hear the trees themselves groaning under the weight of the snow and creaking in the wind.

Remember to be courteous and don’t snowshoe in the ski tracks, and vice versa please. Also, hikers post-holing through the snow add an extra hazard. Take along water and snacks for a picnic under these

towering behemoths.

The Sequoia is real, but it’s a primeval reality. At first, no one believed Augustus T. Dowd in 1852 when he described finding such giant timber in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada on one of his hunting trips to supply the miners with meat. Fortunately, in 1864 President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant, setting aside a swath of wilderness like no other.

And, though not the oldest trees in the world, the Sequoiadendron giganteum may still have a lifespan exceeding 3,000 years, and by total volume the giant sequoias are the largest living thing on Earth. With their round, overlapping scaled foliage, distinctive cones, and spongy fire-resistant bark, they are symbols of another era. Look for animal tracks too: you may spot a black-tailed deer, bobcat, and sometimes ravens and eagles swoop through the forest.

There’s another grove of these tall trees in the park, the Mariposa Grove down near Wawona. However, restoration work there has closed the grove to the public until spring 2018.

Though most waterfalls in the Yosemite Valley are dried up in winter, warm spells can create enough snowmelt to turn them on / NPS

But if you’re anxious to see more of these big trees, two other sequoia stands can be found in the area: the Merced Grove and Rockefeller Grove just outside the park’s northwest entrance. Both are accessed from the Merced Grove parking lot west of Crane Flat.

Rockefeller Grove is a little more than 2 miles one-way, and in low snow years you may be walking.

Merced Grove is a mile-and-a-half, with the first part level, and the last two-thirds a steep, heart-pounding ascent. Save some energy for the walk back up.

And, then, nothing could be better afterwards than getting back to your cozy cabin, condo, or home, reserved ahead of time from Yosemite’s Scenic Wonders Vacation Rentals.

With more than 100 rental properties at Yosemite West, Wawona, and Oakhurst, you’ll be able to find the perfect place for you and your family or joined by a passel of your friends.

It’s a great time of year to enjoy the snowy forests.

Winters can turn the Yosemite Valley into a wonderland attractive to snowshoers, skiers, and hikers / NPS

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Essential Park Guide | Winter 2017

Editor’s note: There are hikes, and then there are hikes. The latter are multi-week, and sometimes multi-month, endeavors that pull one into the landscape and provide ample time for introspection and personal testing while incredible sunsets and sunrises, placid lakes, and forests primeval wow you. Some park travelers gravitate naturally to these long-distance exploits; others wonder if they could accomplish just one, and some just want to enjoy them vicariously from the comfort of home. Rita Beamish doesn’t seem quite satisfied if she can’t load her pack and disappear down a trail at least once a year. Last year she hiked the entire John Muir Trail, and this past summer she revisited it.

Winter is the time to be planning your hike, and with that in mind you’ll find accompanying her story a glance at some of the long-distance trails in the country you might consider, and resources for preparing yourself.

SIREN SONG

The

of the JMT

By Rita Beamish

S

uch a pitiful throw. I watched my boot wobble above Mono Creek, then— in what seemed like real-life slow-mo—bounce against a rock and flip into the rushing current.

Gone, gone, gone. Barefoot on the bank, I screamed, cursing my idiocy for tossing my boots instead of carrying them across in the wading shoes lent by my new friend, Doug Crispin. My life flashed before my eyes there on Mono Creek, days from anywhere. But then, someone was crashing through the creekside foliage. It was Doug’s buddy, 64-year-old Wayne Anderson, scrambling and splashing after the fast-descending boot. He plunged full-body into the current and, as we held our breath, snatched it the millisecond before it sailed from reach. And did I mention— these were men I’d met just two days earlier?

A new trail friend was curious.

“You hiked the whole John Muir Trail last year. Why did you want to come back to the same place?”

For a second, the question threw me. Wasn’t it obvious that this 211-mile Sierra gauntlet was paradise on earth? Could anyone resist the spell of its shimmery streams tumbling in and out of icy, seeto-the-bottom lakes, or the bursts of wildflowers poking through boulders beneath sawtooth peaks?

Or the coyote posing Pride-Rock style to silently watch me ply the trail? Even the leg-melting climbs redeemed themselves with relentlessly exhilarating vistas and rocky drama, not to mention the promise of downhill cruises to green meadows and rushing whitewater, which sent an echoing crescendo across the granite slopes. I’ve hiked worldwide, but never considered NOT coming back here, beguiled

The high country traversed by the John Muir Trail from Yosemite National Park to Sequoia National Park is a ruggedly handsome route, as Rita Beamish rediscovered during her second walk along the path / Rita Beamish

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It’s tough to keep your eyes on the trail in front of you with the sweeping vistas of the High Sierra surrounding you / Rita Beamish

as I was by the siren song of the JMT. And there’s something more: the people you meet on the JMT. This past summer, I was curious to see how the famed Yosemite-to-Mount Whitney route had fared in the Sierra’s wettest year on record—a curiosity that waned amid tales of snow slogs and treacherously swollen streams. I monitored Recreation.gov for a late-summer permit, and more forgiving conditions: doable fords and snow patches conveniently stomped down by early-season boots. I snapped up an August 19 opening out of Agnew Meadows, a few days south of Yosemite.

My friend Vicki King and I thus set off on the High Trail, intersecting the JMT at sprawling Thousand Island Lake (where we misinterpreted a sign—no, really—and learned the hard way that a ranger was enforcing a no-camping zone in a comfy meadow). We now were part of the migration of 3,500 John Muir Trail hikers, brethren of bucket-listers, Sierra diehards, and international purists checking out world-class scenery.

It was not completely isolating, but far from crowded. It was even a little spooky sometimes in the rocky remoteness above the tree line. The JMT has a way of forging automatic kinship in this broad group, with easy bonds borne of sharing, from the daily sky-watching routine to guess if rain will hit tonight’s camp spot to pausing to quietly watch deer saunter across our trail.

We grunt encouragement when we meet on the haul up to moonscapey Wanda Lake and Muir Pass beyond. We’ll chat while waiting out a downpour under a rock overhang at Grouse Meadows. We’ll commiserate about those hairy switchbacks on the south side of Mather, and greet each other days later atop the dreaded (but maybe not so bad?) Forester Pass, gazing down both steep sides in shared pride. And then, there’s the happy realization that soon we’ll conquer Whitney, too.

It’s easy to be swept into this community’s generosity of spirit. I saw Wayne, a nurse, tend to the blisters of complete strangers, much as a former Marine from Southern California did for me and others the previous summer. Fellow hikers

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Essential Park Guide | Winter 2017

High country lakes that the JMT visits offer water to slake your thirst and prepare your meals as well as sheer beauty / Rita Beamish

commiserated with a JMTer from Houston when he got word that Hurricane Harvey had flooded his house.

Then there were the self-named “Three Canucks,” a man and two women from Ottawa. They cheerfully hopscotched us for several days and shared their bounty of Snickers and M&Ms at the Muir Ranch resupply. I thought of the Nevadan from last summer who, knowing my friend and I were low on food with days yet to hike, handed me a pound of nuts; and Liz, a

nurse from Washington who carried a bountiful pack and similarly took us under her wing when we came up empty before our resupply.

The moon eclipsed the sun while Vicki and I were on the trail threading some woods under an overcast sky. We did look for it, but saw nothing. That didn’t matter.

The rhythm and majesty of the JMT, and the friends you make on the spine of the Sierra, create its own kind of magic.

LONG-DISTANCE

TRAILS

For Your Consideration Since 1966, national scenic and historic trails have been an American priority. They traverse mountains, canyons, forests, and grasslands across the country, crossing creeks and rivers and skirting lakes.

These narrow corridors through the wilderness provide recreation and protect historic resources while conserving natural features. There are many physical, emotional, and logistical requirements for these trips, and winter is the perfect season to get in shape and plan for a long walk.

Here’s a quick look at a few of these trails to help you plan a trip.

Appalachian National Scenic Trail The granddaddy of long-distance trails, the A.T. runs from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia, a distance of more than 2,180 miles. Head out to hike the entire distance and you’ll pass through urban areas, regions that still bear vestiges of wilderness, and come upon 260 huts or lean-tos spaced about a day’s walk apart.

People sample sections of the trail, or do the whole thing, either north to south or the more popular south to north, which follows the weather. The A.T. passes through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park, and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

To understand what you’re getting into, download a copy of the Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker’s Companion. This small book, relied on by many hikers for 25 years, has details on shelters, water sources, post offices, hostels, campgrounds, showers, lodging, groceries, restaurants, outfitters, and other related services along the trail. It provides information on elevation, describes of areas of historical significance, and contains nearly 50 maps. Produced through a collaboration of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association, you can purchase a copy for $15 from the Conservancy’s website.

While the National Park Service oversees the trail, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

maintains it and stands ready to help you plan your journey. Whiteblaze is an online forum for trail hikers and offers some helpful information and a sounding board for your questions.

Good Reads: Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods is a classic for aspiring, as well as veteran, A.T. hikers.

Arizona National Scenic Trail

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail that rambles from Maine to Georgia is an icon of the American outdoors / NPS

Though the U.S. Forest Service oversees the Arizona National Scenic Trail that stretches 800 miles north-and-south along the entire length of the state, the trail passes through such National Park Service properties as Grand Canyon National Park, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Tonto National Monument, Saguaro National Park, and Coronado National Memorial.

This non-motorized trail, open to hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians, leads you across desert landscapes, through deep forests you might expect to find a state or two farther north, and into incredible wilderness areas.

You’ll walk along the Gila River, through the Superstition Mountains, along the Mogollon Rim, and even across the Grand Canyon.

One of the best resources is the Arizona Trail Association, which can point you to shuttle companies, the 43 “passages,” or sections, of the trail, and even water sources along the way, an immeasurable resource.

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Continental Divide National Scenic Trail This is a perhaps America’s most challenging trail, rambling from Canada to Mexico, a distance of 3,100 miles. Even if you hiked 17 miles a day (probably unreasonable for most of us), it would still take you six months to walk. The trail is dramatic, diverse, and at times very rugged.

At this time, not quite 80 percent of the trail is complete. That which is courses through mountain meadows, over granite peaks, and across high deserts. Only well-experienced backpackers, those comfortable with route finding and bushwhacking, should tackle this end-to-end. If you can claim that experience, with a good map, compass, and planning you should be able to follow this trail close to the Continental Divide.

Your gear should be diverse enough to help you navigate both high country snowfields and searing desert heat. As with many of the other trails, you’ll need to develop a mail drop schedule for resupply, as most people can only carry a week’s supply of food. You also might want to ship ahead other gear, such as stove parts, maybe snowshoes, ropes, and new hiking boots. Before you head down the trail, contact these mail drop spots to make sure they will be open and available when you plan to pass through.

The trail will take you through the grandeur of Glacier, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain national parks, as well as into the El Malpais National Monument.

A great resource for preparing for this trail is the Continental Divide Trail Alliance, which can help you with trip planning tips ranging from shuttles to water sources and books from those who have accomplished this journey.

The Continental Divide Trail Alliance works to build and maintain sections of the trail, and also offers maps and guides to help you find your way.

Looking for a trail in your neighborhood? This map highlights all the national recreational trails in the country.

Florida National Scenic Trail This 1,300-mile trail extends from Big Cypress National Preserve in South Florida through Florida’s three national forests to Gulf Islands National Seashore in the western panhandle.

It passes through America’s only subtropical landscape as well as globally significant scrub and longleaf pine ecosystems.

To get a sense of the lay of the land along this trail, check out this interactive program the U.S. Forest Service put together.

Hike the Ice Age Trail and you’ll head through Interstate State Park in Wisconsin and encounter the St. Croix River / NPS

Ice Age National Scenic Trail During the last Ice Age 15,000 years ago, mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and cave lions called this landscape now known as Wisconsin home. The 1,200-mile trail travels navigates this glacially carved country, passing lakes, rambling through river valleys, and running ridges.

To prepare for this trek, check out the Ice Age Alliance website. There you’ll find a glossary for some of the landscape features you’ll pass—e.g., “Dells/Dalles: A gorge cut by torrents of meltwater released by a melting glacier or draining of glacial lakes”—maps, guidebooks, and apps, and much more.

Though overshadowed by the more popular Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails, the North Country National Scenic Trail is much, much longer than those / North Country Trail Association

North Country National Scenic Trail This trail passes through seven states (Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin). You can backpack the whole thing, or walk stretches of it through valleys and over hilltops, past small towns and cities, enjoying the scenic beauty and learning about historic sites.

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Essential Park Guide | Winter 2017

The North Country Trail Association’s website is a good place to start thinking about tackling this 4,600-mile trail. There you’ll find maps and guides as well as links to download GIS data as well as waypoints. Of course, you also can go old school and buy section maps from the organization.

Overnight campsites are first comefirst served, but plan ahead. You will need backcountry permits within the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan and along the Kekekabic and Border Route trails within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail This incredible trail goes from the rain forests of the Northwest near the U.S.-Canadian border to the searing deserts of California that adjoins Mexico. It rises from near sea level to the heights of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges. It is deemed much more demanding than the Appalachian Trail, with only about half the number of thru-hikers as its eastern cousin.

Along its 2,650 miles you’ll pass through portions of Mount Rainier, Crater Lake, Lassen Volcanic, Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia national parks, as well as Devils Postpile National Monument.

If you think you want to set off from Mexico to Canada, definitely visit the Pacific Crest Trail Association’s permit page. You will need to obtain permits for some national forests, state parks, and, of course, national parks. There’s also a list of “mentors,” who have hiked the entire trail, for advice and answers to your questions. Read here, how hiker Rod Johnson walked the trail with only a nine-pound pack.

Good reads: The Pacific Crest Trailside Reader, California, and The Pacific Crest Trailside Reader, Oregon and Washington.

Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail This 1,200-mile trail travels from Glacier National Park to the Pacific Ocean, passing through some of this country’s most pristine landscapes. It’s a primitive trail for those with backcountry experience and a thirst for adventure. You’ll walk through Montana, Idaho, and Washington before reaching Cape Alava on the Pacific Coast in Olympic National Park.

To start your planning, visit the Pacific Northwest Trail Association website where you’ll find details on the trail as well as maps and even photos. Visit the U.S. Forest Service website on the trail and you’ll find maps that provide an overview of trail sections, but which are not intended for navigating your way.

Above: Time your trek along the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail and you’ll encounter bountiful meadows of wildflowers in Glacier National Park / USDA Below: Though just 93 miles long, the Wonderland Trail that circles Mount Rainier will challenge you with 3,000-foot elevation changes on a daily basis / Gary Vogt

A “room” with a view can frequently be found along the Pacific Crest Trail / USFS

Wonderland Trail This 93-mile loop trail circumnavigates Mount Rainier National Park with incredible landscapes and many elevation gains, up to 3,000 feet in one day. You may at times traverse old logging roads, clear-cut timber areas, and even see city lights off in the distance. You’ll also encounter wildlife and the scenic beauty of this incredible park.

You might start from Fryingpan Creek on up the White River Road for a few days, camping at one of the 18 designated campsites, such as Summerland and Indian Bar with their rock shelters. Make sure you take the 1.5-mile side trip to Snow Lake as

you leave the comforts of the Paradise Inn. The most scenic camps are at Golden Lakes, Devils Dream, and Klapatche Park.

As enticing as this trail might seem, it’s understandable that you’re not the only one drawn to it. The National Park Service runs a reservation program to dole out permits in an effort to limit usage. Check out how to apply at this page. (https://www.nps.gov/mora/ planyourvisit/wilderness-permit.htm) Good Read: Hiking The Wonderland Trail

by Tami Asars.

There you have it. Enough trails to keep you busy for a few years at least. After that, trail networks in the National Park System offer thousands of more miles to walk. But that’s another story.

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The Parks In

WINTER Glacier National Park is one of the least visited parks in winter, but if you can make it to the shores of Lake McDonald, you’ll want to come back winter after winter after winter / Rebecca Latson

Though grizzlies typically spend winters in hibernation, before and after the depth of winter sets in you might glimpse one of the bruins in Yellowstone National Park / NPS, Neal Herbert

Sand dunes, snow, and crags rising overhead combine for a mesmerizing view at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado / NPS, Patrick Myers

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Though a river is at the heart of New River Gorge National River, in winter your eyes can’t help but be drawn to the delicate coating of snow that covers the park’s pines / NPS

Though white is the predominant winter color in many parks, at Rocky Mountain National Park the early morning and early evening hours can cast a range of color across the mountains / NPS, Jacob W. Frank.

When a blanket of white drifts across the floor of Arches National Park, the geology becomes even more overwhelming than it is in summer / Rebecca Latson.

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ADVERTISER-SPONSORED CONTENT

DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK & FORT JEFFERSON Welcomes Back Visitors After Hurricane Irma

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Two eras—one of war and another recreation —come together at Dry Tortugas National Park / Yankee Freedom

Though Fort Jefferson once was home to more than 2,000, today it’s a piece of the past that holds stories from another page of American history / Yankee Freedom

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ne of Mother Nature’s most exquisite treasures, the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson, have survived much of her fury over the last two centuries—including Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in Cudjoe Key on September 10, 2017.

Although the powerful storm ravaged much in its path, this historic national park is intact and as beautiful as it ever was. And since October 1, the island’s official ferry, the Yankee Freedom III has been transporting guests to this secluded slice of paradise. Here, the Civil War fortress, Fort Jefferson, which suffered only minor damage to the moat wall, still stands, as robust and grand as it has for more than 230 years.

Located 70 miles west of Key West, Florida, the Dry Tortugas were spared much of the storm’s impact, including being missed by the powerful eye that can wreak havoc on any stretch of land it encounters.

All debris from the wind and rain have been cleared and the main dock, ferry dock, water systems, housing and communications systems are up and running, ready to welcome guests.

What You Will See

After sailing in comfort aboard the Yankee Freedom III (and enjoying a delicious breakfast and breathtaking scenery along the way), you’ll step off the boat and onto a pristine white sandy beach, surrounded by crystal blue waters.

An impressive sight, the massive Fort Jefferson will astound you—made of 16 million hand-laid bricks, it’s the largest masonry structure in the continental United States.

Before you tour and explore it, grab snorkel gear (provided by the Yankee Freedom) and witness the splendor of the coral reef and all its inhabitants.

Snorkeling in warm, shallow waters of the Dry Tortugas is so easy, anyone who can swim is able to navigate and enjoy the reefs. It’s not uncommon for folks to encounter sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins and an array of colorful tropical fish.

The island’s famed wild bird population is a sight to see and the reason that many bird watchers frequent the Tortugas—so keep your eyes to the sky to witness some of the more than 300 different species that migrate in the area. The ruby-throated hummingbird, the yellow billed cuckoo, warblers, flamingos, sooty terns and many other beautiful winged creatures have been spotted in the area.

Tour The Fort

Built between 1846 and 1875, Fort Jefferson was constructed to protect the U.S. gateway to the Gulf of Mexico. A Civil War fortress, more than 2,000 people lived there during its heyday—including civilians, soldiers and prisoners of war.

If you take the guided tour, which lasts 45 minutes to about an hour, you’ll learn all about the incredible history of the fort

and have a chance to see the cells, the barracks, the gallows and much more.

You’ll have the opportunity to step inside the cell of their most infamous prisoner, Samuel Mudd.

Bask In The Sun

The Dry Tortugas are also home to some of the most beautiful beaches you’ll ever see—so whether you’d like to laze in the shade under a palm tree, take a relaxing stroll on the powder-soft sand, or swim in the clear blue waters, your perfect day at the beach is right here. There are four different beach areas on the island, South Swim Beach, Seaplane Beach, Dinghy Beach and North Swim Beach.

The Perfect Winter Getaway

Winter is one of the best times of year to visit the Dry Tortugas and Key West, as the water is clear and the temps are

Designed during the Civil War to protect the United States from invasions via the Gulf of Mexico, Fort Jefferson never was completed nor saw a cannonball fired in war / Yankee Freedom

typically mild. And because Key West has made a full recovery from Hurricane Irma—the airport is open, as are the city’s bars, restaurants and attractions, it’s as easy as climbing aboard the Yankee Freedom III. The trip includes breakfast and lunch, snorkel gear, and expert guidance on how to snorkel the reef. The ferry departs from the Key West Ferry Terminal on Grinnell Street in the historic seaport. For those visiting Key West, the Dry Tortugas offers the perfect day trip. Just a scenic ferryride away, this remote oasis in the sea is one of the island’s most popular natural attractions.

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FRIENDS OF THE PARKS Acadia National Park, A Winter Wonderland

By The Ocean With most portions of Acadia National Park’s 22-mile Park Loop Road closed to wheeled vehicles and snow-covered in winter, experiencing the park becomes a more intimate experience. Gone are the long lines of cars and crowds of people three deep at the most popular spots.

Instead, there’s bright sunshine glistening on fresh snow and miles of carriage roads and other paths awaiting exploration by those on cross-county skis or snowshoes.

Because it is right on the ocean, having a constant coating of snow is not a given in Acadia. Still, when conditions are right, the park buzzes with people looking to shake off cabin fever.

During winter, one lane of the Ocean Drive section of the Park Loop Road is plowed for motor vehicles. Skiers,

snowshoers and snowmobilers can use the other lane, provided conditions warrant.

The rest of the park’s auto roads, as well as more than 40 miles of carriage roads, give ready access to the park’s interior.

All foot trails remain open in winter as well, although hikers are encouraged to carry footwear traction to help negotiate frequent patches of glare ice.

When conditions allow, members of Friends of Acadia’s Acadia Winter Trails Association groom several carriage road loops for classic and skate skiing. Regular grooming reports can be found on this page within the Friends of Acadia website.

For those intrepid enough to reach the park’s wind-swept summits in winter, avian visitors from the far north, Snowy Owls, can sometimes be seen.

Come winter, the lakes and ponds inside the park buzz with activity. Many are dotted with cozy ice shacks dragged out by anglers who don’t consider winter

A quiet morning, afternoon, or even evening ski awaits those who explore Acadia National Park’s carriage roads after a snowstorm / NPS

the off-season. When there is plenty of smooth, clear ice, ice boats can be seen racing back and forth on Eagle Lake, Jordan Pond, Long Pond, and Echo Lake.

Winter weather conditions in Acadia vary widely from month to month and can even swing widely in just a few hours.

In late December, January, February, and in early March, temperatures as cold as 15 below zero are not unusual. At the same time, especially early and late in the season, daytime temperatures in the high 40s or low 50s can be experienced.

Park officials urge winter visitors to be prepared for all extremes. Multiple layers of outerwear ensure a range of options for personal comfort and should always include a waterproof shell.

And remember, although the entrance fee station on the Park Loop Road, near Sand Beach, is not staffed in winter, all park users are required to have an entrance pass.

Friends of Acadia steps up in winter to help see that ski trails are groomed in Acadia National Park / Friends of Acadia NationalParksTraveler.org

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Fresh snow, groomed tracks, blue skies, and the Tetons make it hard to resist a workout in Grand Teton National Park / David Swift

Experience The Magic Of Grand Teton In Winter Imagine this: you step outside your car and the freezing cold air immediately takes your breath away. You grab your cross-country skis and slowly walk toward the fresh corduroy. The snow crunches beneath your boots. As the bitter cold of January in the Tetons runs through your body, you question why you woke up at the crack of dawn for this.

You step on the groomed track, click into your bindings, and take your first stride just as the sun hits the top of the Grand Teton. You look across the landscape and see the snow glittering in the early morning light. The chills instantly wash away as you speed down the track beneath one of the nation’s most iconic mountain ranges in one of our greatest national parks.

If you have not had the opportunity to experience the extraordinary beauty of Grand Teton during winter, this season is your chance. Grand Teton National Park Foundation is supporting bi-weekly grooming of the Teton Park Road for the fifth consecutive year. In partnership with Grand Teton National Park, the stretch of road between the Bradley-Taggart trailhead and Signal Mountain will be groomed two times per week—weather depending—from mid-December through mid-March.

With 14 miles of groomed track, the region between Bradley-Taggart and Signal Mountain is one of the most scenic ski tours in the West. Winter enthusiasts can 38

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travel by foot, snowshoe, or cross-country ski to enjoy the magnificence of winter in the Tetons. From the Lucas Fabian Homestead to Jenny Lake to the summit of Signal Mountain, the area offers a variety of terrain choices and scenic destinations for all to enjoy.

Fox, snowshoe hare, moose, ermine, and a variety of bird species are commonly found in the area. If you don’t see them, you will likely find an abundance of tracks in the snow and can discover Grand Teton’s wildlife first-hand.

Winter in Grand Teton National Park is not for the faint of heart. However, with the right layers and appropriate equipment, visiting this untouched landscape during the winter months is an experience you will never forget.

Ski grooming is slated to begin in midDecember, depending on early season snowfall. Visit www.gtnpf.org for the most up-to-date conditions; the webpage is updated each day the road is groomed throughout the season. To support this community effort, visit www.gtnpf.org/ donate or call 307-732-0629.

In Washington State, We LOVE Our Wild…

And We LOVE Our Trails We love the idea of wild in Washington State. For over 100 years, we have hiked, climbed and picnicked at Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades national parks. But trails aren’t wild; they’re created and maintained by people, especially

when nature takes its toll.

Weather, even more than humans, is the biggest factor with landslides, harsh winters, flooding and avalanches ever present.

“Trails are critical; they’re our highways.

They’re the way our people get to experience the grandeur, the waterfalls, the incredible peaks,” said Karen TaylorGoodrich, North Cascades National Park’s superintendent.

Jim Ziolkowski, trails foreman at Mount Rainier, sees nature’s work each year.

“We have 288 miles of trails, and it is absolutely impossible to keep up with the maintenance we need to do,” he said. “Volunteers come in from area businesses, and we rely on them to get maintenance done. Here in western Washington, water and snow and snow melt are very rough on the trails.”

Last year, funds from Washington’s National Park Fund helped to repair the Long Ridge Trail—up 5,000 feet and 13 miles from the Elwha Valley—and restore Dodger Point, the last-standing fire lookout in Olympic National Park.

The trail required extensive work—with 100 downed trees, a 22-foot bridge replacement, and a 260-foot trail re-route because of a massive landslide.

“I spent 16 days at Dodger Point helping the crew on the Lookout,” said Chris Scranton, who helped with the trail work.

“It is the 45th year in a row and my 51st hike to Dodger. The Long Ridge Trail is in the best shape I have seen in 45 years and it is a dream come true.”

Early each summer, park staff and seasonal crews head out for repairs with volunteers from Washington Trails Association, NW Conservation Corps, REI, Starbucks and others. They don’t know what they’ll find, but can be sure they will have plenty to do!

“It was the summer of 2016, and we

Winter’s snows give the land, and the trail crews, a respite, but once summer returns Washington’s National Park Fund gets back to work on trail maintenance and other projects in Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades national parks / WNPF

Blue Ridge Parkway Accepts Centennial Challenge To Revive Historic Sites

Thanks to Washington’s National Park Fund’s efforts on raising money and organizing work crews, the Dodger Point fire lookout in Olympic National Park got some much-needed TLC / WNPF

The tales of mountain heritage will live on at four historical sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway thanks to the Centennial Challenge grant program put in place by Congress and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s Community of Stewards.

This year, the program awarded funding for high-priority rehab projects at Humpback Rocks Farm, Sharp Top Shelter, Mabry Mill and Groundhog Mountain, and Moses H. Cone Memorial Park.

These grants must be matched by private financial support, and the Foundation is working to raise $287,000 to lock in the funding to repair historic structures and features at these stops in North Carolina and Virginia.

“We are proud to work with the National Park Service for the third straight year to make the most of this matching opportunity,” said Carolyn Ward, CEO of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.

“Thanks to donors and the Centennial

Backcountry maintenance in national parks is no easy task. To reach the Dodger Point fire lookout in Olympic National Park, crews had to hike 13 miles in from the Elwha Valley. And along the way there were the tasks of removing downed trees, replacing a bridge, and rerouting a trail. All in a summer’s work! / WNPF

did 22 miles on the Wonderland Trail. We couldn’t do the Northern Loop route as planned, because there were still 140+ trees that were down on the trail,” recalled Kathryn Gardow, a hiker and donor to the fund. We backpacked from Mowich Lake to Sunrise, and the trail was so rutted and

beat up, even my stronger, younger hiking partner was beat!”

People preserve our parks, especially considering there is a $12 billion deferred maintenance budget for all national parks, and more than $328 million in Washington State alone. To the parks!

Dating to 1858, the Sharp Top Shelter has long served as a way station for Blue Ridge Mountains travelers looking to get out of the weather. Though the years, weather, and vandals have damaged the structure, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has raised thousands of dollars to beautifully restore it / Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation

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Challenge program, we’ve seen many large projects move toward completion.”

Each of these specially selected sites has a story to tell about the Blue Ridge Mountains.

• Peeking inside the one-room log cabin at Humpback Rocks Farm, visitors learn about the tough but rewarding life that pioneers carved out of the Blue Ridge.

• Standing inside Sharp Top Shelter at Peaks of Otter, they can imagine the adventurous spirit of those who chose to trek to the summit long before a road provided access to the spectacular 360-degree view.

• Watching the waterwheel turn at Mabry Mill, they can recall that a couple, Ed and Lizzie Mabry, counted on the simple mechanics to earn their living and serve nearby farmers.

• Trekking past the stonewalls along the carriage trails at the Cone Estate, hikers experience the hospitality of Moses H. Cone himself, who insisted visitors were welcome to enjoy the magnificent grounds of his country retreat.

The Foundation is proud to play a part to ensure these experiences are not lost.

For more information and to give, visit www.brpfoundation.org/your-gifts-work.

Ramsey Cabin and additional historic structures at Humpback Rocks Farm, milepost 5.8 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, are slated for repairs / Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation

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The Environmental Learning Center at the North Cascades Institute is a hive of activity year-round, with programs for youth, families, and adults looking to expand their knowledge and skills / North Cascades Institute

Learning Adventures And Lodging In The “American Alps” Named a “Top Three Spots in the North Cascades” by The Seattle Times and “Top Ten Great Getaways” by ParentMap Magazine, the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center is a hub of discovery for all ages in one of the wildest, most biologically diverse landscapes in North America.

Operated by North Cascades Institute in partnership with the National Park Service and Seattle City Light, this award-winning campus is nestled on the shores of Diablo Lake in the heart of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.

One of only a handful of overnight options inside the park, the ELC is the perfect place to launch any adventure. The campus features ADA-accessible facilities and pathways, including a multimedia classroom, research library and comfortable overnight lodging. There are outdoor learning shelters and trails leading into the surrounding wildlands, and a dock for those looking to pursue a paddling adventure on Diablo Lake. The lakeside dining hall delivers the highest quality meals for Institute program guests, featuring mostly local, organic food year-round.

The best way to experience the ELC is

to enroll in one of the Institute’s dozens of programs. You can choose from Base Camp Learning and Lodging, Family Getaways, Skagit Tours or a robust slate of adult seminars and field courses.

Base Camp is a great option for those looking to explore “the American Alps” on their own schedule. This program includes overnight accommodations, three delicious meals and a naturalist-led learning activities including hikes, paddles and natural history explorations.

Family Getaways are popular multi-generational gatherings offer a wide variety of engaging, hands-on activities for all ages like canoeing, outdoor games and nature crafts by day and nocturnal explorations and campfires at night.

If you can’t spend the night, Skagit Tours are the perfect day-trip adventure, and an easy way to impress out-of-town visitors. For more than 80 years, Skagit Tours have provided recreational and educational experiences for people of all ages exploring the North Cascades and Upper Skagit Hydroelectric Project.

Please visit www.ncascades.org/get_ outside or call (360) 854-2599 for more information or to register for any of these programs, and give yourself the gift of nature with a Learning Adventure from North Cascades Institute!

Books Worth Considering Natural Wonders Of The World Dr. Dolittle would treasure this book by Don E. Wilson.

For those unfamiliar with the good doctor, he was a fictional character dreamed up by Hugh Lofting in 1920. A physician who turned de facto veterinarian after he learned how to talk to animals, Dr. Dolittle would close his eyes, open an atlas in front of him, wave a pencil over the page, and poke it down.

Wherever that pencil point landed, the good doctor would visit.

Natural Wonders of the World would be a perfect stand-in for an atlas. Touching on fascinating destinations in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, Antarctica, and Oceania, this large format, full-color book provides insights on lands (and national parks) as diverse as the Himalayas, New Zealand, the Scottish Highlands, the Strokkur Geyser in Iceland, Lake Victoria in Africa, and the Great Basin of the United States, home to Great Basin National Park.

The author comes to this book with more than a little knowledge of these places, having written 25 books and authored more than 250 scientific articles. On top of that, he’s curator emeritus for the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian, so he knows more than a little about the world and its fascinations.

In this thick volume, American national parks include Yellowstone, Yosemite, Carlsbad Caverns, Crater Lake, Sequoia, Mount Rainier, and Devils Tower. Internationally, he writes of Australia’s Nambung National Park with its pillars of stone, the Philippines’ Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park with its fivemile-long underground river, and Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park, one of the mostvisited spots in Patagonia.

This is a book for ambitious dreamers looking to add stamps to their passports.

Though the text is limited (no doubt to make

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more space available for the spectacular photos), Mr. Wilson finds room to touch on such topics as geology, wildlife, flora, and even climate. These brief

overviews of these destinations might be enough to make you book a trip.

— Kurt Repanshek

First Impressions, A Reader’s Journal To Iconic Places Of The American Southwest Light reading, this is not. It is, though, one that takes a historical approach as it examines the hallmarks of the Southwestern landscape, reintroduced through the writings of the first nonnatives who encountered Canyon de Chelly, El Morro, Rainbow Bridge, Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and the Grand Canyon.

Read about the discovery of the Grand Canyon through the writings of Pedro de Castaneda de Najera, who recounted the travels of the Spanish expedition that found itself on the South Rim of the canyon in 1540.

The section on Rainbow Bridge comes to us through the eyes of two competing archaeologists: Byron Cummings and William B. Douglas.

“On the morning of the last day’s travel, when we were told by the Indian guides that the bridge would be reached by noon, the excitement became intense,” wrote Douglas. “A spirit of rivalry developed between Professor Cummings and myself as to who should first reach the bridge.”

The late David J. Weber and William deBuys compiled these narratives, and wove their own interpretations and insights through these historical writings.

For instance, in the chapter on Rainbow Bridge they note that Douglas had no apparent interest in “the ancestral Puebloan ruins in the canyon near the bridge, nor about the significance of the place in the Navajo worldview…”

Writing about Carlsbad, they note that in 1899 the neighbors of Jim White, who entered the famed caverns there either in 1901 or maybe 1898, “changed the name of their town from Eddy to Carlsbad, hoping to attract tourists to a local hot spring by associating them with Karlsbad, a famous spa in central Europe. Ironically, Carlsbad residents failed to take seriously White’s description of the cavern that would later put them on the tourist map.”

By blending historical narratives with modern-day insights, the authors have given us a book that crosses the divide of time and broadens windshieldview impressions of these breathtaking landmarks.

— Kurt Repanshek

Heading Out: A History Of American Camping Has America seen its heyday of camping peak? Is sleeping under the stars now on a slow downward trajectory, not unlike the dying flames of a campfire? That’s one of the questions Terence Young examines in this heavily footnoted text tracing the history of camping in the United States.

He provides statistics to back up his contention, including some from the National Park Service that would tend to indicate camping (car camping,

front-country tent camping, and backpacking) peaked in 1981 with 11.2 million hardy souls.

But more interesting is the professor’s belief that camping has declined because, well, because it’s gotten too easy and too comfy. There is, he theorizes, not enough difference from home to the campground, with a motorized home-away-from-home with its generator, television satellite dish, shower, kitchen, etc., etc., etc. Car campers also have life easier, as they can bring just about everything from home with them, albeit in a somewhat miniaturized version.

“It appears possible that many of these former campers found their chosen forms of camping to be increasingly like life at home and therefore not worth pursuing,” he writes. “Campers cannot ‘return with a difference’ if they cannot get ‘out’ of their customary world.”

The exception to this trend, notes Young, is backpacking, which saw numbers double from 5 percent of the U.S. population in 1982-83 season to 10 percent in the 1999-2001, a rate that has held relatively stable since then.

“Today’s backpackers undoubtedly use lighter tents and enjoy a wider range of foods than their predecessors, but they must still walk and carry their load. Their camping experience, unlike that of motorized campers, remains in fundamental ways as rough as that of their predecessors’, and therefore the contrast with everyday life is sharp, effective, and appealing.”

Trends in modern camping are just one intriguing aspect of this text of more than 300 pages. The author also traces the early days of camping to 1870, when the New York Daily Tribune sent a writer north to the Adirondack region “to report that it remained an ‘Enchanted Ground.’”

The author, a geography professor at California State Polytechnic University, also describes the advent of magazine stories around camping, and how-to books, including Horace Kephart’s Camping and Woodcraft that stemmed from his days in the landscape known today as Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Heading Out also touches on the end of segregated campgrounds and how the loop campgrounds you find in the National Park System came about.

— Kurt Repanshek

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Where Roads Will Never Reach: Wilderness And Its Visionaries In the Northern Rockies Is wilderness really wilderness anymore, with our cellphones, GPS units, propanefired stoves, and other 21st century backcountry gizmos??

It’s a legitimate question. Some mountain bikers claim their bikes violate the Wilderness Act tenets far less than the Piezo igniter in your stove or rudder system in your sea kayak. It’s a question to ponder when you consider the purpose of wilderness and the accompanying rules; wilderness areas generally do not allow motorized equipment, motor vehicles, and mechanical transport. Are we diminishing the wilderness experience, and even the meaning of wilderness, with all of our gadgets designed to help us navigate the backwoods, and even summon help when we screw up?

Frederick H. Swanson does not debate these questions as he reviews the history of the Wilderness Act and wilderness areas. But, as you read his wonderful book you can’t help but wonder where technology is taking the wilderness experience and what the early framers of the act would think of today’s gear.

All the key players are in this book, from the Muries to Howard Zahniser to Lee Metcalf to Bob Marshall to the Craig-

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head brothers. There are other characters with lower profiles, but no less important, who pushed for wilderness areas to be established before wilderness was no more.

Swanson explores the importance for rivers to run through wilderness. He examines the pushback by the extractive industries, looks at the congressional battles, and brings wildlife into the discussion.

And, accordingly in light of climate change and human encroachment on Western landscapes, the author asks how pristine ecological integrity should be

permitted to play out. In other words, should naturally caused wildfires in wilderness areas be fought, or allowed to do their housecleaning.

There is a huge expanse of the National Park System lands that are treated as wilderness, but not officially designated or protected as such. The stories in this book are an important reminder of how far we have come, and lend valuable historic context to today’s public lands debate.

— Kurt Repanshek

Yellowstone Migrations Among the wildlife that roams the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, there are clear-cut headliners. The restoration of wolves, the endangered status of grizzlies, and the culling of bison never fail to grasp the attention of readers worldwide.

Yet so many more species share this vast landscape, and despite calling it home for 7,000 years, where and how they’ve survived has been uncovered only in the past two decades.

Photographer Joe Riis has worked for years with scientists to shed light on some of these less-famous animals. In Yellowstone Migrations, he focuses on the annual migration routes of three ungulates —elk, mule deer, and pronghorn—that are foundational to the ecosystem, both within protected areas and through a patchwork of subdivisions, ranches, and natural gas fields. He attempts “to get a sense of the mind and life of an animal … nothing else is as important to me.”

Yes, there are images of large herds sprawled across a beautiful plateau with a mountain backdrop. But the spirit of these animals shines more brightly in close-up shots, often captured with motion-activated cameras. In one image, a pronghorn almost jumps off the page, the buck at its zenith when leaping over a snowmelt-fed creek. In another, a pronghorn stares solemnly forward, one of its hind legs ensnared by a line of barbed wire. With snow blanketing the ground, its future seems dire. These mammals face challenges both natural (a herd of elk climbing a

rocky mountain pass) and manmade (a mule deer darting across a road).

A handful of essays complement the photographs in Yellowstone Migrations, just as Riis’ images have breathed life and color into scientific research. These elk, deer, and pronghorn have been so core to the region that humans didn’t study their movement patterns until the past 20 years. What they found were treks that could reach 150 miles both ways, making them among the longest migrations on the continent.

This hardcover book shows how art and science together can make a difference in awareness, understanding, and policy, and underscores how these humble ungulates are “the lifeblood of the landscape” in middle America.

— Scott Johnson

Parting Shot

Sublime in Winter, Grand Teton National Park Style.

Photo by David Swift