National parks are forever. Everything else sure changes, though.

People enter and leave our lives, buildings are torn down, fields and forests are developed beyond recognition. But not national parks. They are created to preserve a place or time for perpetuity. One of the reasons I work at NPCA is to consciously help protect their integrity from the uneven world that surrounds them.

I was raised in southwest Missouri, just five miles from Pea Ridge National Military Park, one of the nation’s best-preserved Civil War battlefields, and I have enjoyed visits to dozens of other amazing parks and historic sites around the country in the years since my childhood. Perhaps my most precious memories of those national parks are from the summer of 1982, when my parents loaded up me and my three older brothers in our Ford Bronco and embarked on that American rite of passage—the family road trip.

I was just five when we left our family farm in the Ozark Mountains to travel halfway across the country to see both sets of grandparents in California. Luckily, my parents wanted us to see more than just cars on the freeway, so they chose one national park to see on the way out and another for the way back. Looking back, those two parks retain more vibrancy in my memory in the 31 years since that trip than side trips to both Disneyland and Universal Studios. Needless to say, any place that can trump amusement parks in the memories of a five-year-old boy would have to be pretty spectacular.

My parents chose Grand Canyon National Park, that revered and spiritual place, for our journey west. I still remember one of my brothers waking me as we arrived at the entrance. I had been curled up under a blanket in the storage compartment in the back of the Bronco. Even the view from inside the car was magnificent. I remember looking out in awe through the windshield and across the parking lot at the colorful strata running up and down the massive walls. It was not until we were closer to the edge that I realized the true magnitude of the canyon. We had cliffs and rock walls in the Ozarks too, but nothing like this.

We walked along the edge and drove to different vistas along the way, taking time to enjoy each new view. Even the little lizard that ran past me near the Desert View Watchtower remains etched in my mind—perhaps because I jumped back about three feet in fear when it got too close. My two oldest brothers, 15 and 16, were much more daring and wanted to hike all the way to the bottom. They even joked about dangling me over the edge, a threat that left me clinging tightly to my mother’s leg in fear that they would actually do it. Though we didn’t get to the canyon floor, we gathered in the customary family photos with the canyon in the background and basked in the glory of nature, just as Theodore Roosevelt had done when he visited 74 years earlier.

As powerful as my memories of the Grand Canyon remain, the visit to Mesa Verde National Park on the way home is even fresher and burns even more intensely in my mind. I can still close my eyes and smell the desert, see the adobe walls, and feel the heat of the sun on my skin. Did my lifelong interest in history start there? It was at least enhanced by this special place. The ruins left behind by the Ancestral Puebloan peoples seemed so complete as we walked through them, listening to a ranger breathe life into each room and living area, describing the various ceremonies and everyday rituals that took place in that very spot years ago.

My brothers helped my little legs scale the ladders leading up the walls of the ruins, and together the four of us explored the remnants of the ancient civilization. The sheer size and magnificence of the Balcony House boggled my mind. Its complexity and massiveness dwarfed any of the buildings I saw back home on a daily basis—and to think that it was built some 800 years earlier. Scale models inside the visitor center showed how the structures would have appeared hundreds of years earlier, and looking down at them, I imagined how life would have been for me as a child living among them.

Everyone hopes to make memories like these, so enduring and meaningful that they never completely fade. The specifics may change from family to family, whether it’s seeing Old Faithful for the first time, backpacking in Glacier, or sharing a boat ride through the Everglades. But I believe that national parks are exceptional by nature, the perfect places to create these most special kinds of memories.

Our family would never again make a trip quite like that one. My parent’s divorce in 1989 and my oldest brother Wes’ death in 1994 permanently dashed the possibility of repeating the dynamic of that 1982 trip. Despite those changes, two aspects remain: the beauty and wonder of those two national parks, and those vibrant memories climbing the ladders at Mesa Verde and peering over the edge of the Grand Canyon with my parents and my brothers at my side.

This is why we have national parks, so that generations from now visitors will continue to be awed and inspired by their wonders, and so memories that last a lifetime and beyond will keep being made. So the next time you’re planning a family vacation, be sure to make a national park part of it. It’s one of those rare investments where the benefits can last forever.

Best of the ’Net is NPCA’s weekly roundup of fun park-related stuff online.

Find something fun about national parks on the ’net? Let me know!

-Megan Cantrell, Senior Coordinator of Member Engagement

NPCA will also host four volunteer events this Saturday, so if you’re near North Cascades, Gettysburg, the C & O Canal, or Baltimore City, be sure to check the links below. And… happy trails!

-Jennifer Errick, Editor, Online Communications

Northwest

• Obstruction Point to Deer Park Trail (Grand Ridge Trail), Olympic National Park, Washington*

This 7.4-mile trail at a steady 6,400-foot elevation skirts along a ridgeline high above deep valleys within Olympic National Park, revealing a desolate landscape far different from the moss-draped old-growth forests and windswept beaches normally associated with this park.

-David Graves, Northwest Program Manager

• Burroughs Mountain Trail (to Second Burroughs), Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

I love trails that make me feel small and this trail will do just that as you hike out a high, alpine ridge toward the larger-than-life, icy cone of Mount Rainier.

-Shane Farnor, Online Advocacy Manager

Pacific

• The Coast Trail from Palomarin Trailhead to Alamere Falls, Point Reyes National Seashore, California

This moderate, 7.5-mile out-and-back hike is a favorite because it culminates with a spectacular view of a rare kind of waterfall that empties directly into the Pacific Ocean.

-Reina Gonzales, Northeast Regional Coordinator

• The Land’s End Trail, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, California**

Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Land’s End trail offers hiking and labyrinth-walking along the coast, with jaw-dropping views of the Golden Gate Bridge and sailboats traveling in and out of the city’s fog veil. Whether on a typical foggy or a rare, sunny day, the unbeatable scenery makes this trail truly a San Francisco treat.

-Kati Schmidt, Senior Media Relations Manager

Southwest

• Tsankawi Trail, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico

This trail is amazing! The 1.5 mile trail is an ancient trail from the 1400s, which is worn (sometimes several feet deep) into the stone and leads to a mesa top, complete with expansive views, Tewa Pueblo ruins, pottery shards, cave dwellings, and ladders (not a great trail for those afraid of heights)!

-Madeleine Starkey, Membership Senior Administrative Coordinator

• Queens Garden Trail continuing to the Peek-A-Boo Loop Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

The trail winds through bright orange hoodoos of all shapes and sizes through a trek that reminded me more of Mars than Earth.

-Sarah Gaines Barmeyer, Great Waters Program Manager

• Rim Trail-Queens Garden-Navajo Loop (three trails to form a loop), Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

I only hiked this trail once in late winter, but it left quite an impression on me. A fresh blanket of snow covered the hoodoos and we saw only a couple other hikers; it was like getting a glimpse into another bizarre, lonely planet.

-Shane Farnor, Online Advocacy Manager

• Angels Landing, Zion National Park, Utah

I love it because it is a challenging trail with chains that takes you close to the edge of a cliff; the views are spectacular! You get to see what the soaring condors see! A close second is Observation Point, also in Zion. Both trails are magical and make you really appreciate the park and the environment.

-Elizabeth Kirsch, Southwest Regional Coordinator

Midwest

• Miller Woods Trail (just opened this spring), Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana**

In a little over a mile you go through all the great landscapes in this park–from woods to wetlands to dunes to Lake Michigan shoreline! BEAUTIFUL!

-Lynn McClure, Midwest Regional Director

Northeast

• Abol Trail, Appalachian Trail, Maine

Climb Mount Katahdin, which is at the beginning or end of Appalachian Trail (dependent upon your point of view), then for a change of scenery, take the Saddle Trail back down (which is supposedly easier, but it’s definitely longer than it looks).

-Alexander Brash, Northeast Regional Director

Mid-Atlantic

• Whiteoak Canyon and Cedar Run, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia*

This trail is non-stop waterfalls for about nine miles and gains about 2,000 feet in elevation—it’s challenging, with great views.

-Ben Sander, Travel Program Coordinator

• Limberlost Trail, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia**

It’s great for hiking with young children, and we always get good wildlife viewing, from wild turkeys to black bears up in trees!

-Laura Atchison, Board and National Council Liaison

• The Southern Arboreal Section of Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C.

This very nice nearly nine-mile loop is a great hike for fall or spring with a really nice view of the city from Holy Rood Cemetery.

-Bruce Marshall, Director of Member Services

Southeast

• White Rocks-Sand Cave Loop Trail, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky*

Coming out of Ewing, Virginia, this trail takes you up to White Rocks, with a beautiful vista of the Tennessee Valley and (on a clear day) the distant Great Smoky Mountains, and then over to an enormous sandstone amphitheater characteristic of the Cumberland Mountains.

-Don Barger, Southeast Regional Director

• The Appalachian Trail across the Roan Highlands and over Hump Mountain, western North Carolina*

This is a stunning 14-mile hike over a series of open mountain peaks exceeding 6,000 feet in elevation and that feature rare heath balds and purple Catawba rhododendrons.

-Ron Tipton, Senior Vice President of Park Policy

NPCA-Hosted Volunteer Events

NPCA is hosting four events on Saturday, June 1, to celebrate National Trails Day.

• Join us for a trail cleanup at Valley Forge National Historical Park in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Take part in our annual restoration project at North Cascades National Park in Diablo, Washington, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Help restore the towpath and trails on the C&O Canal by removing invasive plants and clearing debris near the River Center at Lock 8 in Cabin John Maryland, near Washington, D.C., 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Join us in improving the Gwynns Falls Trail by removing debris and invasive plants and planting trees in Baltimore, Maryland, starting at 9 a.m.

*This trail can be strenuous and is recommended for experienced hikers. Always research the route in advance and bring a buddy and plenty of water and snacks.

**This trail is less difficult and may be appropriate for less experienced hikers and families with children, though be sure to consult a map, bring plenty of water, and ask a park ranger questions if you have specific concerns.

Despite the great natural beauty of the area, the park has a long history of oil and gas development near and even inside its boundaries. Its proximity to the Chattanooga Shale means that a boom in area fracking operations could put the park’s land, air, and water at risk. Big South Fork is one of five parks that NPCA studied in-depth in the new report, National Parks and Hydraulic Fracturing. Learn more about the effects of fracking on this and other parks on NPCA’s website and tell President Obama to protect our federal lands from the dangers of this controversial oil and gas extraction method.

Each month, NPCA puts together a slideshow exploring one of the 401 amazing sites in our National Park System. To get the featured park delivered to your inbox each month, sign up for Park Lines, NPCA’s newsletter, at www.npca.org/join.

-Jennifer Errick, Editor, Online Communications

If you liked this story, you might also like

• National Parks Deserve to Be Protected from Oil and Gas Development (April 25, 2013)
• Take an Online Tour of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Featured in NPCA’s New Report on Fracking (April 30, 2013)
• On the Edge: Fracking and the Fate of Theodore Roosevelt National Park (June 19, 2012)

I’m guessing that a trip to Alaska is on your life list. It’s one of the few places left on earth where you can go deep into the wilderness and wander among bear, caribou, moose, Dall sheep, and other animals in their mostly untouched natural habitat. As we enter the temperate summer travel season, now is the ideal time to head north and get a glimpse of the many wonders my home state has to offer.

I’ve lived and worked in the Land of the Midnight Sun for more than three decades and love to introduce both new and experienced travelers to its beauty and history. Despite some common misconceptions, getting off the beaten path and exploring Alaska’s backcountry is relatively easy and it’ll take you where the geology is breathtaking and varied, the cultural history is fascinating, and the opportunities for adventure are limitless. Here are a few of my favorite trip ideas, with a few tips on getting the most out of your experience.

1. Marvel at mountains and mining history in the country’s largest national park. One of my favorite Alaska drives is heading east out of Palmer on the Glenn Highway to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve. As you travel alongside the Matanuska River and the Chugach Mountains, stop at the Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Site for a great overview of the glacier and a short hike to stretch your legs. The further east you travel, the more the mountains of Wrangell-St. Elias will emerge from the horizon, so you’ll want your camera fully charged before you start this drive!

The highway stops in Glennallen and you have to turn. Head south towards Valdez and start looking for the signs to McCarthy, the “party town” (think whiskey and women) for miners who worked at the Kennecott Copper Mine until it shut down in 1938. For almost 60 years it sat idle until the National Park Service began restoring and interpreting the mine in the late 1990s. Before you turn off for McCarthy, stop at the Park Service visitor center for an introduction to both the cultures and natural wonders of America’s largest national park; Wrangell-St. Elias is six times the size of Yellowstone!

Both the mine itself and McCarthy are must-see destinations for anyone visiting the park. I took my mom here a few years ago on one of her many trips to Alaska, and we stayed at the Kennecott Glacier Lodge where we enjoyed sharing our meals with visitors from around the world in their family-style dining room. For those who don’t want to stay by the mine, the McCarthy Lodge and the Ma Johnson Hotel offer food and lodging on McCarthy’s rustic main street. Regardless of where you stay, be sure to give yourself enough time to explore the mining history, walk on a glacier, and enjoy a “flightseeing” adventure with one of the local air taxi services.

2. Take an unforgettable boat tour of Glacier Bay. Another of my mom’s favorite national park lodges is Glacier Bay Lodge—the only accommodations available inside Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. Built during the 50th anniversary of the National Park Service in the 1960s, Glacier Bay Lodge is one of Alaska’s undiscovered gems. You’ll need to get yourself to the small town of Gustavus by either state ferry or airplane and the lodge will pick you up for the 11-mile drive to the park. The majesty of Glacier Bay is unveiled every day from the deck of the lodge’s day boat—the must-do trip for every visitor. You spend all day exploring the park’s tidewater glaciers and keeping your eyes peeled for sea otters, sea lions, puffins, mountain goats, humpback and orca whales, and, if you are lucky, a brown bear feeding along the coastline.

3. Get up-close with Alaska’s coastal brown bears. If you want to spend time up close and personal with brown bears, I can’t recommend enough taking a trip to either Katmai or Lake Clark National Park & Preserve. Flying to Katmai from Homer to spend a day with one of that city’s seasoned bear guides involves a float plane ride over Cook Inlet. Mom went with me on an early summer trip before the salmon started running and we watched brown bears in coastal tidal flats feeding on grass (which made me think of cows). You land in the ocean, wade ashore (they provide the hip-waders), and spend the day watching all kinds of bear behavior (warning: this is also mating season!). Later in the summer, you’ll land on small lakes near salmon streams and spend the day watching bears fish and eat—and eat, and eat! If you have more time and want to spend several days watching bears, try one of the lodges at Silver Salmon Creek in Lake Clark National Park & Preserve.

4. Go wild, with a guide. I mention hiring a guide to see brown bears. Don’t be shy about hiring someone to show you the sights, sounds, and smells of Alaska (yes, rotting fish is pretty smelly!). Guides know where the best wildlife viewing is, they know the most efficient way to get there, and from a safety perspective, there’s nothing like traveling in Alaska with someone who’s been there before. This is especially true if you want even more of a wilderness experience in one of Alaska’s more remote parks, like Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve, the park system’s premier wilderness park. Here you can run rivers, hike along alpine ridges, and even do some climbing. If backcountry travel is on your bucket list, there are several companies that provide guided trips to Gates. Be sure to take plenty of mosquito repellant and don’t be surprised if the sun never goes away!

Planning your trip to Alaska can be a daunting task. Here are a couple more resources, whether you’re looking for a backcountry experience or seeking out lodges and day trips. Either way, a trip to the Last Frontier will provide you with a lifetime of memories.

If you liked this story, you might also like

• Alaska: Reflections from a Guest in the Wilderness (August 23, 2012)
• Friday Photos: Happy Anniversary ANILCA (December 14, 2012)
• Getting Close to Katmai’s Bears in the Hopes of Protecting Them (July 31, 2012)

I love spring! You see more and more people getting outside enjoying our parks. I have a few things to help get you outdoors this week, including tips for your next trip to Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, an excuse to take the kids out, and a new perspective of some of the trails in Sequoia National Park.

1. Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park has a new FREE audio tour app! This app is a self-guided walking tour that is intended to educate visitors of the history, geology, and social and cultural importance of this park. Did you know the Great Falls pours roughly two billion gallons of water into the canyon each day?
2. What animal do you think you’ll cross paths with when hiking the trails of our national parks? Bison? Elk? Fox? Birds? Alligators? Everglades National Park offers a unique wildlife experience where this is just an everyday occurrence. Photo courtesy of Everglades National Park Facebook page.
   
   
3. Our national parks are starting to bloom. It is National Wildflower Week and beautiful images of our national parks’ flowers are popping up on Pinterest. Here is a beautiful image of Desert Tissue Spring Flowers found in Joshua Tree National Park, CA. What park is your favorite to watch bloom?
4. The granola gurus at Nature Valley have shown their commitment to our parks  over the last four years by funding exciting projects with their Preserve the Parks campaign (including numerous restoration work days around the country in partnership with NPCA). A really innovative extension of this campaign is “Nature Valley Trail View” where their staff have set out to create a 360-degree “street view” of some of our national park trails. The newest addition are trails from Sequoia National Park. Check it out!
5. May 18th is National Kids to Parks Day, organized by National Park Trust. More than 100,000 people have already pledged to take kids to a park. Make your pledge today! This campaign’s mascot is “Buddy Bison” and we love his quote: “Explore outdoors, the parks are yours!” So get outside and enjoy our national parks!

Find something fun about national parks on the ’net? Let me know!

-Megan Cantrell, Senior Coordinator of Member Engagement

This week, we celebrate Death Valley at night, enjoy another top 20 list, get a good reminder to slow down and take things in, and catch a couple of celebrities showing their support for one of America’s amazing landscapes, among other things.

1. Sunchaser Pictures did it again. They created another great timelapse video in Death Valley National Park, Death Valley Dreamlapse 2. Death Valley is not only the lowest point in North America, but this past February the International Dark-Sky Association also designated Death Valley as the world’s newest and largest “Gold Tier” International Dark Sky Park. This three-minute film celebrates how special the park is after the stars come out.
2. It’s smart to be slow. Facebook national park supporter Shari S. posted this to Yellowstone National Park’s Facebook page. Slowing down is always a good safety reminder, but John Muir said it best when asked about the word hike: “I don’t like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains—not hike!” Don’t forget to slow down for the wildlife, but also to enjoy what the national parks can show you.
3. I love lists. More importantly, I love checking things off of my lists. But an ever-growing list of mine is my “amazing places to visit in my lifetime” list. CNN just published “20 of the world’s most beautiful World Heritage Sites,” and it wouldn’t be an accurate list without one of our most iconic national parks. What national parks have you yet to cross off?
4. Baby animals can help you on the job. I read a study once that taking a minute of each day to look at baby animals will increase productivity. Here is your dose of cute baby bison in Yellowstone National Park. I hope this improves your productivity.
5. I have a confession to make: I am addicted to infographics. REI just came out with a great one for Hiking the Beautiful USA. This infographic illustrates the scale of these amazing trails and shares tips for packing, too. Check it out and plan your next hike!
6. Celebrities pose for the canyons. Neil Young and Daryl Hannah were spotted in Moab, Utah, where they happily took this picture supporting the protection of Greater Canyonlands.

Let me know what you have found on the ’net, and it could be in next week’s blog post!

-Megan Cantrell, Senior Coordinator of Member Engagement

Related post

If you enjoyed the new video by Sunchaser Pictures, read our interview with director Gavin Heffernan and his five tips for creating your own time-lapse film: “Behind the Scenes of Death Valley Dreamlapse.”

It’s here! As National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis said earlier this week, “National Park Week provides an opportunity to appreciate the landmarks, monuments and historical landscapes that define our national identity.” There are a few days remaining in National Park Week 2013, which means if you haven’t yet visited one of the 401 national park units–you still have time.

1. Today is National Arbor Day. Huffington Post put together this great slideshow of some of the famous trees around the world, and you can be certain America’s Sequoia trees are among them.
2. Park Service Director Jon Jarvis wrote this story about National Park Week on the White House blog reminding us that our national parks (natural, historical, and cultural) are great places for recreation, learning, volunteering, and exploring.
3. This Kickstarter project asks a tough question: “What will happen to the public lands in this country when the majority of Americans don’t feel a personal connection to the outdoors?” This project’s end goal is to produce a feature-length documentary of the first African-American expedition to summit North America’s highest peak, Denali’s Mt. McKinley. The expedition takes place this summer.
4. The earthquake that rumbled the DC area two years ago left the Washington Monument in need of repair. Over the last month, DC residents have watched the scaffolding slowly build to the top of the monument. Check out these FAQs (and cool photo) from the National Park Service about the scaffolding and projected timeline of completion.
5. April 21 was John Muir’s 175th birthday. Sierra Club has a great online John Muir exhibit celebrating Muir and the important work he did protecting our most unique of landscapes.

Did you explore a national park unit this week? Tell us about it—or take our poll!

-Megan Cantrell, Senior Coordinator of Member Engagement

1. National parks are amazing destinations to pack up the car and kids and make memories that last a lifetime. Family Vacation Critic is published by online travel specialist The Independent Traveler, Inc. Looking to create lasting memories with your family? Check out the 10 Best National Parks for Families.
2. Our country’s national parks are quite unique. This week CNN created their own top ten list of Natural Wonders, and not surprisingly, four are America’s national parks!
3. In the spirit of getting kids outside and into our national parks, Saturday, April 20 is National Junior Ranger Day! Check out if there is a program near you!
4. Today kicks off NPCA’s National Park Week Challenge in partnership with myActions.org. Join other national park supporters during this fun challenge to take ten green actions in ten days and see how they add up with others’!
5. Are you a Civil War buff? Follow the fictional Beglan O’Brien, independent newspaper correspondent, on Facebook. O’Brien’s character is not real, but his posts are based on actual events and passages from Civil War correspondents, giving insight into this period in history.

Have you seen a fun story or tidbit online as you make your National Park Week plans? Let me know!

-Megan Cantrell, Senior Coordinator of Member Engagement