THE GOVERNMENT NEWS DESKSTATE & NATION TRAVEL
National parks, historic sites and practical visitor updates, directly from the National Park Service.
NPS sources checked 10/3/2026, 2:02:44 PM Eastern
Our parking lot cannot accommodate RVs or trailers. Check out our FAQs page or follow the link for a map to a nearby lot for parking and trailers to detach. RVs should NOT pull into the parking lot.
Official NPS sourceMany closures remain on the Trail following Hurricane Helene's devastation. This will remain true for the foreseeable future. Visit the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) website for an up-to-date list of closures. OBSERVE ALL CLOSURES. Stay safe!
Official NPS sourceHuman-habituated bears have been frequently spotted in the McAfee Knob Area. Allowing bears access to human food or garbage causes it to lose its fear of humans. Follow all food storage regulations, use provided food lockers and never feed a bear.
Official NPS sourceUnfortunately, since we are not an official park yet, we do not currently have a park stamp.
Official NPS sourceColtsville NHP is working toward establishment and is not yet an official park. We do not have a Visitor Center and visitor services are limited. For more information please visit our Park Development and Calendar pages.
Official NPS source
Join us August 29th from 10am to 3pm at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site for "Forging Freedom"- a full day of excitement, history and hands-on experiences! Kids can become Junior Rangers, enjoy free ice cream and explore interactive exhibits. Families can experience re-enactments, see military vehicles up close and even watch a Black Hawk helicopter land on the Armory Green!
Official NPS source
Art is Revolutionary: Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday at Weir Farm National Historical Park on Flag Day
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Weir Farm NHP Announces 2026 Artists-in-Residence
Official NPS source
The Washington-Rochambeau Trail introduces the All-American Road Trip; an America 250 initiative encouraging travelers to experience New Jersey’s Revolutionary War sites and follow the historic 1781 Franco-American march to Yorktown. The campaign launches alongside new national interest from Ken Burns’ The American Revolution.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service’s Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route NHT launches the All-American Road Trip, a major America 250 initiative inviting visitors to explore the historic 1781 march of American and French forces to Yorktown. Coinciding with renewed interest from Ken Burns’ The American Revolution, the campaign highlights living history events, educational programs, partnerships, and travel opportunities across the 680-mile trail, beginning in Newport and connecting communities from Rhode Island to Virginia.
Official NPS source
Weir Farm NHP Announces Open Call for 2026 Artist-in-Residence Program
Official NPS sourceThe National Park Service will begin construction on a new stairway connecting the Goodloe Byron Memorial Footbridge (Byron Bridge) to the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park towpath at mile 60.6.
Official NPS source
Weir Farm NHP Welcomes September 2025 Artist-in-Residence: Steven Bradbury
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Weir Farm NHP Welcomes August 2025 Artist-in-Residence: Carol Fabricatore
Official NPS source
30 Weir Farm Artist Collective Members Featured in August Exhibit at Fairfield Library’s Kershner Gallery
Official NPS source
Weir Farm NHP Welcomes July 2025 Artist-in-Residence: Beth Stinson
Official NPS source
National trails enthusiast and lifelong explorer Frank Kos has accomplished a remarkable feat: visiting 30 out of 32 of our nation's national scenic and historic trails, each documented with a photo beside the trail’s official signage. What makes his journey extraordinary is his long-standing commitment not only to exploring segments of each trail, but also to creating a personal archive of memories through photographs and stories shared in a hand-crafted scrapbook chronicling decades of travel across America.
Official NPS source
Weir Farm NHP Welcomes June 2025 Artist-in-Residence: Charis J. Carmichael Braun
Official NPS source
Weir Farm NHP Welcomes May 2025 Artist-in-Residence: Aspasia Anos
Official NPS source
Weir Farm National Historical Park Announces 2025 Artists-in-Residence
Official NPS source
Weir Farm National Historical Park Now Recruiting New Volunteers for 2025 Season
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Weir Farm NHP 2024 Year in Review
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Weir Farm NHP Announces Open Call for 2025 Artist-in-Residence Program
Official NPS sourceWeir Farm Artists Collective - Opportunity for Local Artists to Gather and Build Community! Kick-off program on Thursday April 2 from 10:00 to 11:30am May – October on First and Third Thursdays at 10:00 am Calling all artists! The Weir Farm Artist Collective is a collaboration of independent artists following the tradition of creativity within the Weir Farm landscape. On the first Thursday of the month, May through October, the Collective will be gathering in the Burlingham Barn with a focused discussion topic. The third Thursday of the month will be a ‘paint out’-style gathering, where artists can come to the park and make art together. Parking for the ‘paint out’ days will be in the overflow parking lot near the Weir Barn.
Official NPS sourceSchedule change — confirm with NPS before traveling.
Please join us as Ranger Chris from Springfield Armory provides a free outdoor walking tour of Coltsville. Learn about the history of Coltsville and see how Sam and Elizabeth Colt's generorosity continues to have a postive impact on the life of Hartford's citizens. Free parking is available in the parking lot off Wararme Avenue in Hartford. The tour will start and end in front of the Samuel Colt Monument in Colt Park. In case of inclement weather, the walking tour will be rescheduled.
Official NPS sourceNational Scenic Trail
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,190+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by private citizens, and completed in 1937, today the trail is managed by the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies and thousands of volunteers.
Connecticut · Georgia · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New York · North Carolina · Pennsylvania · Tennessee · Vermont · Virginia · West VirginiaNational Historical Park
When Samuel Colt started his Hartford factory on the banks of the Connecticut River in 1847, it followed years of mismanagement and failure. Soon, demand for Colt's revolver would change his fortunes and the Colt empire was born. Following Colt's untimely death in 1862, his wife, Elizabeth Colt, would lead the company to its legendary status, and influence Hartford for over 40 years.
ConnecticutNational Scenic Trail
From the Sound to the summits: the New England Trail covers 235 miles from Long Island Sound across long ridges to scenic mountain summits in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The trail offers panoramic vistas and close-ups of New England’s natural and cultural landscape: traprock ridges, historic village centers, farmlands, unfragmented forests, quiet streams, steep river valleys and waterfalls.
Connecticut · MassachusettsNational Historic Trail
This 680-mile-long trail follows the paths taken by George Washington's Continental Army and Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau's Expédition Particulière during their 1781 march from Newport, Rhode Island, to Yorktown, Virginia. France's support in America's struggle for independence was vital to victory at Yorktown. The trail commemorates that victory and the lasting Franco-American friendship.
Connecticut · Delaware · Maryland · Massachusetts · New Jersey · New York · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · VirginiaNational Historical Park
Visit the home and studio of America's most beloved Impressionist, J. Alden Weir, and walk in the footsteps of generations of world-class artists. Set amidst more than 60 acres of painterly woods, fields, and waterways, you’ll soon see why Weir described his home as the "Great Good Place." Weir’s farm is a national legacy to American Impressionism, the creative spirit, and historic preservation.
ConnecticutDestination directory sourced from NPS state listings, October 3, 2026. Official NPS directory