Stage 1 Fire Restrictions have been implemented in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park / NPS-Victoria Stauffenberg

With so many units in the National Park System, there’s always something going on. Here’s a roundup of recent parks news.

Fire Restrictions

It’s hot, it’s dry, and it’s going to get hotter and drier. As such, a number of parks are employing fire restrictions. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area, both in Colorado, implemented Stage 1 Fire Restrictions on June 24th, Dinosaur National Monument in Utah, has implemented Stage 2 Fire Restrictions, Arizona’s Flagstaff Area National Monuments have modified operations due to the full Stage 3 closure of Coconino National Forest, Joshua Tree National Park in California has implemented fire restrictions, and Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area in Washington state has a total fire restriction in effect. Click here and here for explanations of the fire restriction stages. Also remember to check for alerts on the website of the park you plan to visit as they also explain fire restriction stages.

Openings And A Closure

Crater Lake National Park’s entire 33-mile Rim Drive around the lake, along with the 7-mile Pinnacles Road is now open for the season. Below average snowfall during the winter and unseasonably early snow melt this spring have led to an accelerated opening.

If you are planning a trip to Hawaii to visit Haleakalā National Park in July or later, you’ll be able to reserve and stay overnight in the cabins located in Haleakalā Crater. Reservations for wilderness cabins Hōlua and Kapalaoa will go live on Recreation.gov beginning July 1, 2021 at 7 am Hawaiian Standard Time (HST).

Outdoor athletic fields administered by the National Park Service around the National Mall in Washington D.C. will reopen for organized and permitted use on Thursday, July 8. Reservations for the 12 mixed use and 12 dedicated softball fields around the National Mall will be available online first-come, first served starting at 4 a.m. EST on Wednesday, June 23 at recreation.gov.

Due to increased security measures, portions of Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland will be closed at approximately 1 p.m. on Friday, June 25. Closures are scheduled to continue through approximately 1 p.m. on Monday, June 28th, 2021. Park Central Road will be closed between Thurmont Vista and the Camp Greentop entrance. Trails to Hog Rock Overlook and Blue Ridge Summit Vista will also be closed. All other trails will remain open. Parking lots at the visitor center will be open but may fill up early in the day. Additional parking is available on the west side of the park at Camp Round Meadow, Chestnut Picnic Area and Owens Creek Picnic Area. Public restrooms are available at both picnic areas. Trail maps are available at trailheads throughout the park. For more information on the availability of park facilities, please call 301-663-9388 or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/cato.

Festivals, Commemorations, And Other Events

Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah will host the annual Cedar Breaks Wildflower Festival beginning Friday, July 2 and continuing daily through Sunday, July 11. The festival highlights the amazing wildflowers that are blooming in the park’s alpine environment along the rim of the Cedar Breaks Amphitheater. The highlight of the festival will be daily Wildflower Walks which will be available four times each day. Click here for more information.

As part of Nebraska’s Homestead National Historical Park’s Homestead Days, the park will be hosting the Homestead Harmonizers, a group of men from southeast Nebraska and northeast Kansas ranging in age from 14 to 80+ years who enjoy singing barbershop harmony. The Homestead Harmonizers will be featured at the Education Center’s outdoor stage on Saturday June 26, 2021 at 3:00 PM. Click here for more information about the Homestead Harmonizers.

If you are into trick roping, then you’ll definitely want to attend Homestead Days to watch trick roper Joan Wells demonstrate “an historic art form, long associated with homesteading communities and the American West,” according to Superintendent Mark Engler. Wells has toured with her trick roping and western music for the National School Assemblies Agency of Hollywood, CA and won the title as Women’s World Champion Trick Roper at the Will Rogers Trick Roping Contest in Claremore, OK. Wells will be featured at the Education Center’s outdoor stage on Sunday, June 27, 2021 at 2:00 PM. Click here for more information.

The National Park Service, in collaboration with the Friends of Port Chicago National Memorial, the Army, and East Bay Regional Park District invites the public to join the annual Port Chicago Commemoration on July 17, 2021 at 10:00 am, in honor of the 320 men who lost their lives in the largest WWII military disaster on the home front. This event will be held on an active military base, so click here for more information if you are interested in attending.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Georgia will be hosting a virtual 157th battle anniversary commemoration June 26th and 27th.  Click here for more information.

Save this date on your virtual or paper calendar: The 29th annual Haunting in the Hills Storytelling Festival at Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area (Kentucky and Tennessee) is scheduled for Saturday, September 18, from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM (ET) at Bandy Creek Visitor Center area field. Enjoy a fun-filled day of stories, music, crafts and more. This signature special event is free and open to the public. Click here for more information.

Seeking Public Comment

The National Park Service has extended the public review and comment period for an Environmental Assessment (EA) that analyzes the proposed expansion of the Lahar Detection and Seismic Monitoring System at Mount Rainier National Park. The EA is available for review and comment through July 9, 2021 at the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website. Click here for further information.

The National Park Service, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and Ice Age Trail Alliance are seeking public input on a proposed plan for the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (Wisconsin) corridor in eastern Chippewa County, Wisconsin. This corridor will provide a connection between an established segment of the trail west of the City of Cornell east to the Taylor County line near Otter Lake. The Corridor Plan and Environmental Assessment for Eastern Chippewa County will be available for public review for 30 days from June 18 to July 18, 2021. Click here for more information.