Volunteers and employees hiking out unused equipment and other debris, Bandelier National Monument / National Park Service

The summer visitation season may be on the wane, but things are still going on out in the parks. Here’s some of the latest news for you.

A Successful National Public Lands Day Cleanup For Bandelier

Volunteers and National Park Service employees helped celebrate National Public Lands Day (NPLD) at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico by removing equipment from Bandelier’s backcountry during the wilderness cleanup this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, September 25th and 26th. Materials from eight different discontinued projects were broken down, consolidated, and packed out on the backs of participants.  

A group of 34 people, spent about 16 hours, traversing over 57 miles of rough canyon and mesa country topography with heavy packs to help keep Bandelier’s wilderness pristine. Most of Bandelier, over 23,000 acres, was designated as wilderness by Congress in 1976. September is also National Wilderness Month and a great time to focus efforts on cleaning up federal wilderness areas, which is what event organizer and Chief Ranger Dennis Milligan had in mind. “I really appreciate the support of our volunteers and staff in this effort. The project would not been possible without their hard work and enthusiasm,” stated Milligan.  

Most of the public visits the front country areas of the monument, including the very popular Frijoles Canyon.  Bandelier has received over 174,000 visitors so far this year. Those who venture out into the backcountry are rewarded with beauty and solitude. Efforts this weekend help preserve wilderness character and keep Bandelier's Wilderness wild. 

National Public Lands Day was established in 1994 and is traditionally known as the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands.  NPLD celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefits  

Department Of The Interior’s Citation For Valor

Volunteers and employees hiking out unused equipment and other debris, Bandelier National Monument / National Park Service

Congratulations to Joshua Vann, manager of the Law Enforcement Program at Great Basin National Park in Nevada, for receiving the Department of the Interior’s Citation for Valor during a recent virtual ceremony.

On November 6, 2020, a park visitor entered the parking lot area of the Lehman Caves Visitor Center at high speed, failed to slow down, and crashed into a vegetated island. After the crash, the individual was unable to exit the vehicle, which caught fire just as Vann arrived on scene, entered the burning vehicle, and pulled the visitor to safety just before the vehicle exploded. Without his heroic efforts, the visitor would likely have died.

Massive flames soon spread to nearby vegetation, and spot fires started spreading through historic fruit orchards. Strong winds made the situation even more dangerous. An out-of-control fire could have burned primary park structures or houses just outside the park boundary. Vann served as the incident commander, deploying NPS staff and the local volunteer fire department to gain control of the situation.

Improvement Projects At Petrified Forest National Park

The view along the Blue Mesa Trail, Petrified Forest National Park / Rebecca Latson

As the summer season turns to fall, Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona will be tackling some much-anticipated improvement projects in the Painted Desert Visitor Center and on several of the park’s trails. 

The historic Painted Desert Visitor Center building will undergo foundation, and sewer line repairs. The visitor center operation and the Petrified Forest Museum Association bookstore will be closed on September 27th and 28th but will reopen September 29th in a new, temporary location just a short walk from the main parking lot. The project is expected to last into December. 

Beginning September 30th Blue Mesa, Puerco Pueblo and Crystal Forest trails will be receiving asphalt repairs. These repairs will cause some delays and at times full closures. Repairs are expected to be complete by October 6. If you are planning a visit to this national park, make sure to check the park’s web page for the latest information about park operations.

Winter Is Coming … To Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

"Golden Hour" light along Fossil Hills Trail, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument / NPS-Jason Gray

As Autumn arrives each year, the trees change, the days shorten, and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Nebraska shifts its visitor center hours of operation. The Museum, Visitor Center and Park Store will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily starting Oct 1.

“It’s become a cliché, but ‘winter is coming,’” said Chief Ranger AJ Legault. “We shift our winter season hours of operation an hour earlier for visitor and staff convenience and safety. Our trails are open sunrise to sunset. And as we all know, those sunsets will be getting earlier and earlier.”

The monument will be closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Days. Winter weather sometimes causes emergency closures of the monument. Check nps.gov/agfo, or the monument’s Facebook and Twitter feeds @Agatefossilbeds for weather related changes.

“As tourism season winds down, it’s a great time for locals to come and really soak in our exhibits,” Legault said. “We also really look forward to our fall school field trips and winter distance learning programs.”

Summer hours will return May 15.

Historically Low Water Levels And Boating Access Through 2022

A sign of things to come? Lake Mead National Recreation Area / National Park Service

Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Arizona, Nevada) is reminding boaters to be aware of expected changes to water access points and boat launch areas in 2022 due to historically low water levels. Three launch ramps and three marinas remain open in the park; however, some launch sites will be impacted next spring and summer by continuing decreases in water levels. Boaters can stay informed and plan accordingly by checking the status of their preferred launch destinations through the park’s website: nps.gov/lake.  According to the Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR) September 24-month forecast, Lake Mead water levels will continue to drop, affecting launch ramps at Boulder Harbor, Hemenway Harbor, Temple Bar, Callville Bay, Echo Bay and South Cove. The lake’s current water elevation and BOR predicts the level to continue to drop:

• BOR water elevation projection for December 2021 is 1,066 feet.
• BOR water elevation projection for May 2022 is 1,059 feet.
• BOR water elevation projection for December 2022 is 1,050 feet.

The current and projected status of launch ramps at Lake Mead include:

• Boulder Harbor: Closed.
• Hemenway Harbor: Open on one lane of pipe mat.
• Temple Bar: Closed. The park is evaluating relocating the launch ramp because extending the current ramp down to 1,050 feet would provide only 2 to 3 months of use before it would be abandoned due to the area’s topography.
• Callville Bay: Open on one lane of pipe mat. The park will permanently close the current ramp when lake levels reach 1,062 feet (expected in May 2022). The park is evaluating relocating the launch ramp because projections of extending the current ramp down to 1,062 feet provide only 3 to 4 months of use before it would be abandoned due to the area’s topography.
• Echo Bay: Open on one lane of pipe mat.
• South Cove: Concrete ramp is closed, but primitive launching is available approximately 0.5 mile to the south of the concrete launch ramp.

The elevation of Lake Mead is about 145 feet lower since the onset of the 20-year historic drought in 2000, including ten years of extreme drought reflecting the effects of climate change in the Colorado River Basin. Since 2002, the National Park Service has invested tens of millions of dollars to extend launch ramps, parking facilities, water systems, electrical systems, docking facilities, navigational aids, shoreline access, sanitation facilities, and many other facilities to accommodate lowering lake levels. The park continues to work with BOR and other partners to develop a range of options to address changing lake levels.