Throughout October, White Sands National Park will celebrate National Fossil Day (Oct. 14) with a series of special programs exploring the Ice Age human and mammal fossilized footprints preserved throughout the park. Programs will be offered from Oct. 2 – 28 and will include guided hikes along the new Ice Age Trail, ranger talks, drop-in programming and a special presentation associated with the October Full Moon Night on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 5:30 p.m.
White Sands National Park will host its September Full Moon Night event Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. featuring a concert performed by Native American flautist and storyteller Randy Granger.
The National Park Service has selected Brinnen Carter to serve as the new superintendent of El Morro and El Malpais national monuments. Carter begins this new role on Oct. 4, 2026.
Step into history at your Fort Union National Monument! On Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, as dusk settles over the historic grounds, the gates of Fort Union will swing open at 6 p.m. for an unforgettable evening.
Fort Union National Monument proudly announces its annual First Fort and Arsenal Tours Days, offering visitors a rare opportunity to stand where Fort Union’s story began. On Saturday, August 15, and Sunday, August 16, 2026, the park will host special two-hour guided programs that bring this foundational chapter of New Mexico and Western history to life.
RICHLAND, Wash. – Manhattan Project National Historical Park will host two “Days of Peace and Remembrance” events in Richland on August 8 and 9 to commemorate and reflect on the atomic bombings of Japan in 1945.
Join U.S. Camel Corps reenactor Doug Baum, his camels, and park staff at El Morro National Monument from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13, 2026, for the U.S. Camel Corps Commemoration event.
The Pueblo Parks Group will implement Stage II fire restrictions on June 25, 2026, due to heightened wildfire danger across Bandelier, Fort Union, Pecos, and Valles Caldera. These restrictions prohibit open flames, smoking outside enclosed spaces, off‑road engine use, and explosives, with additional limits on vehicle operations to reduce fire risk.
Due to increase fire risk, Bandelier National Monument, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Pecos National Historical Park, and Fort Union National Monument are entering Stage II Fire Restrictions.
White Sands National Park is trying to contact a visitor who handled a dead bat with bare hands and brought it into the park visitor center on Thursday, June 18. The visitor or their parent or guardian should contact a medical provider or local health department right away to discuss whether rabies post‑exposure treatment is recommended. They are also asked to contact White Sands National Park at WHSA_Interpretation@nps.gov.
As a result of the high fire danger, Stage II Fire Restrictions are being implemented in El Malpais and El Morro National Monuments, effective June 22, 2026. These restrictions are necessary to reduce the risk of fire to protect public health and safety, and to protect National Park Service lands, resources, and facilities during the current period of increased fire danger.
As a result of the high fire danger, Stage II Fire Restrictions are being implemented in El Malpais and El Morro National Monuments, effective June 22, 2026. These restrictions are necessary to reduce the risk of fire to protect public health and safety, and to protect National Park Service lands, resources, and facilities during the current period of increased fire danger.
White Sands National Park will host its first Full Moon Night event of the year on Monday June 29, 2026, at 8 p.m. in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. In partnership with Western National Parks, White Sands is pleased to welcome back the 1st Armored Division Rock Band at the park’s amphitheater for a special performance at the park's June Full Moon Night event.
Fort Union National Monument will host “Fort Fashions & Pastimes” programs from June 19-21, 2026. The free programs will feature 1800s clothing styles, leisure activities, and how both related to economics and social structures of the time.
The event will feature an 1800s military encampment, living historians portraying soldier and civilian life, and historic weapon and uniform presentations highlighting the period of the 1850s to 1890s.
White Sands National Park and park partner Western National Parks will host a special presentation on Sunday May 31, 2026, at 1 pm, in the visitor center theater. Author and photographer Craig Varjabedian will share observations from his time photographing White Sands National Park and discuss his experiences exploring the park’s dunefield.
Richland, W.A. – Manhattan Project National Historical Park is offering a lineup of free ranger programs this summer, inviting visitors to explore the history, science, and people behind the Manhattan Project.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee will offer monthly fishing education programs, Let’s Go Fishing, in June, July, August and September.
White Sands National Park, in partnership with the Western National Parks Association, will host Hubbell Trading Post’s Navajo Rug Show in the park’s visitor center courtyard from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26. Visitors can experience the culture and heritage of the Navajo people while browsing and learning about hundreds of handcrafted Navajo rugs from the oldest continuously operating trading post in the American Southwest.
Petroglyph National Monument invites the public to share input on proposed visitor enhancements and facility improvements in the Boca Negra Canyon and Lava Shadows areas of the monument.
Bandelier National Monument, in partnership with Atomic City Transit, will begin the free shuttle service to Frijoles Canyon on Thursday, March 19, 2026. The shuttle boards at the Frey Trail Parking Lot in the park starting at 10:30am.
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is excited to host special programs on March 28, 2026, to celebrate the monument’s paleontology and fossil discoveries.
Tsankawi, the detached unit of Bandelier National Monument, will be closed from Wednesday, February 25, 2026, to Thursday, March 5, 2026, for staging and moving of materials for a trails and visitor improvement project.
El Malpais National Monument invites you to join us for a Volcano Festival at the El Malpais Visitor Center on Saturday, March 21, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The National Park Service is set to begin winter pile burning operations within the San Antonio Mountain project area of Valles Caldera National Preserve beginning on or shortly after December 2nd, 2025. If conditions are not favorable to begin burning in San Antonio, the team will switch to burning piles on either South Mountain or Cerro Piñon. The area around the burn activities will be closed to public access until operations are completed.
A new National Park Service report shows Manhattan Project National Historical Park had a total of 74,693 recreation visits across its 3 park units in 2024. These visits led to a total of approximately $5.4 million in visitor spending in local communities parkwide.
Celebrate Manhattan Project National Historical Park's 10th anniversary on Thursday, November 13, 2025, with special events throughout Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
From October 4 through 12, the National Park Service will host the 2025 Valles Caldera Fall Fiesta—a time to celebrate the rich natural beauty and cultural heritage of this volcanic landscape.
The National Park Service (NPS) has approved a Finding of No Significant Impact for Valles Caldera National Preserve’s Fire Management Plan Environmental Assessment.
White Sands National Park will host its September Full Moon Night event on Sunday September 7, 2025, at 7:00 pm. In partnership with Western National Park, we are pleased to have Randy Granger from Las Cruces, New Mexico perform at the park's September Full Moon Night event.
Marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, the Oak Ridge, TN unit of Manhattan Project National Historical Park is offering a special guided tour of Jackson Square on Thursday August 14, 2025 from 12:30-1:00 PM EST.
"A Play of Candlelight" Annual Program - Dressed in historic costumes, staff will guide visitors on a lantern-lit tour to "meet" some of the personalities who helped weave the fabric of Fort Union. Saturday, September 6, 2025
The El Calderon Trail and parking area at El Malpais National Monument will be closed beginning August 11, 2025, through late May 2026 for a trail improvement project between the parking area and the Bat Cave.
- Manhattan Project National Historical Park (NHP), in partnership with Pearl Harbor National Memorial (NM), will host "Days of Peace and Remembrance" across its three sites and at Pearl Harbor NM to commemorate and reflect on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Japan in 1945. This commemorative programming acknowledges and interprets the conflicting viewpoints, both historical and modern, that surround the development and use of the world’s first atomic weapons. These events provide an opportunity for somber, quiet reflection.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park (NHP), in partnership with Pearl Harbor National Memorial (NM), will host "Days of Peace and Remembrance" across its three sites and at Pearl Harbor NM to commemorate and reflect on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Japan in 1945. This commemorative programming acknowledges and interprets the conflicting viewpoints, both historical and modern, that surround the development and use of the world’s first atomic weapons. These events provide an opportunity for somber, quiet reflection.
The National Park Service (NPS) invites public feedback on a draft general management plan and environmental assessment in August 2025. The plan would establish long-term direction for resource protection and visitor experiences at the park, as well as high-level concepts to guide potential future facility investments.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park will observe the 80th anniversary of the 1945 atomic bombings of Japan in the waning days of World War II with two events. The first is a Messages of Peace program on Friday, August 8, at the REACH Museum starting at 12:00 pm, followed by a Lights for Peace program on Saturday, August 9 starting at 8:00 pm at the Fingernail Stage in Howard Amon Park.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee is inviting the public to ring the International Friendship Bell at A.K. Bissell Park 80 times at dawn (6:47 am EDT) Wednesday, August 6th to commemorate the number of years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. An hour before dawn park rangers will light luminarias that have been decorated with messages of peace by community members. The luminarias will remain lit throughout the commemoration event. An Oak Ridge Civic Music Association quartet will be on site throughout the event to provide accompanying music.
On Friday, July 25, 2025, Valles Caldera National Preserve turns 25. To celebrate this public land milestone, we invite everyone to three days of special programs and evening hours in their national preserve.
White Sands National Park will hold its July Full Moon Night event on Thursday July 10, 2025, at 8:00 pm. In partnership with Western National Parks, we are pleased to welcome the Out Cats for a performance at the park’s July Full Moon event. The Out Cats are a blues duo from Las Cruces, New Mexico that play a wide variety of blues, from Robert Johnson through Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, up to the Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers, and Jeff Beck.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park, in partnership with Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), will be hosting a new free public program titled “Beyond the Bomb: Stories of the Atomic Age” on Thursday July 24 at 2 pm ET. Utilizing the rich history and museum collection of the ORAU Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity, this program will dive into atomic culture and innovations in medicine sparked by the Manhattan Project and expanded during the atomic age.
White Sands National Park will hold its first Full Moon Night event of the year on Wednesday June 11, 2025, at 8:15 pm. In partnership with Western National Parks, we are pleased to welcome the 1st Armored Division Rock Band for a performance at the park's June Full Moon Night event.
The new Atomic Explorations programs are free one-hour history and science talks offered Monday through Thursday and on Saturdays at 2:30 pm in the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Visitor Center. Programs start on Monday, June 2 and will be offered through Saturday, September 6.
Bandelier National Monument is beginning its free summer shuttle service to Frijoles Canyon on May 19, 2025. This replaces the earlier announced date of May 14.
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is honored to host a dedication ceremony to unveil the new wayside exhibit featuring George salaS pastel painting celebrating the extraordinary story of Sôr María. The dedication ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 17 at 3:00PM at the Gran Quivira unit.
Rangers with Manhattan Project National Historical Park and Whitman Mission National Historic Site will lead a history hike up Candy Mountain on Saturday, May 17 from 9:00–11:30 am.
The Dineh Tah’ Navajo Cultural Program and Fort Union National Monument announces a special event day of presentations and performances on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
The Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is hosting a presentation by Jumano member Bill Martinez Acosta, highlighting the Salinas Pueblo Missions, the Jumanos' influence on trade, Sor Maria's story, and the Spaniards' impact on New Mexico's cultural and demographic landscape, emphasizing the interconnectedness of cultures.
The Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is launching an Artist-in-Residence Program, a partnership between the park and Friends of Salinas Pueblo Missions (FSPM). The program aims to encourage public support for the park's care, preservation, and educational opportunities. The selected artist will create a visually appealing photo portfolio showcasing the park's cultural and natural resources, including its pristine dark skies. The program will run from July 7 to August 8, 2025.
National Volunteer Month in April recognizes and encourages volunteers, with Donna Deiner, a long-term volunteer at Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, making significant contributions since 2010.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park is partnering with Bike Tri-Cities and the REACH Museum to host Ride with a Ranger program on Saturday, May 3 at 9:30 am.
Bandelier National Monument’s Alcove House will be temporarily closed starting on Monday, March 31, 2025. The park is beginning flood debris removal in that area, and work is expected to last up to five weeks.
Salinas Pueblo Missions will kick off its B.A.R.K. Ranger Program on March 22nd at 9:30 AM at the Quarai Site. This program educates participants on B.A.R.K. Ranger principles, such as picking up pet waste, keeping pets on a leash, respecting wildlife, and hiking safely. The program is offered throughout the year and can be accessed at four visitor centers.
A water line break just outside of Bandelier National Park along New Mexico State Highway 4 between White Rock and the Truck Route has temporarily closed Bandelier’s Tsankawi Unit.
Dark for the Park Alliance is helping restore quality night skies for Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and on January 8th they released new standards for New Mexico's oil and gas industry.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Carlsbad Field Office and Carlsbad Caverns National Park will co-host a nature hike and educational birding talk at Rattlesnake Springs.
The National Park Service releases a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) to solicit responses from interested entities in a potential leasing opportunity at Petroglyph National Monument.
Join us as White Sands National Park celebrates the park’s fifth anniversary of becoming a national park by hosting special programs at the visitor center during the week of December 16 – 20, 2024.
Bandelier National Monument is announcing the return of its popular Winter Solstice Walks on December 20-22, 2024. The ranger-led program will start at the Bandelier National Monument Visitor Center at 7 am on all three days.
Fire activity was detected in one of the buildings in Bandelier’s Historic District at approximately 9:50 am on Thursday, December 5. The cause is currently under investigation.
The National Park Service will resume the collection of park entrance fees at Valles Caldera National Preserve beginning January 1, 2025. Valles Caldera National Preserve will be able to retain 100 percent of the fees collected in the park for use on projects that directly benefit park visitors, including road, trail, and trailhead improvements. With this change, the NPS will also eliminate separate fees for fishing in the park. During a public comment period held this past summer, over two-thirds of comments supported reinstating the park entrance fee.
The National Park Service (NPS) has selected Patrick Malone as program manager of Region 6, 7 and 8 National Trails Office. In this role, Malone will administer the Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail, California National Historic Trail, El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail, Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, Old Spanish National Historic Trail, Oregon National Historic Trail, Pony Express National Historic Trail, Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, and the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.
On Monday, November 11, 2024 the National Park Service invites the public to remember and honor our veterans by waiving entrance fees on Veterans Day at all National Park Service sites.
Valles Caldera National Preserve has closed the backcountry vehicle route early this year due to the recent snowstorm and the forecast for additional snow over the next few days. Normally, the route remains open through November 15. The vehicle route is slated to open again on May 15, 2025, weather-permitting.
The National Park Service is excited to host Indigenous Families Weekend in honor of Native American Heritage Month at the Petroglyph National Monument Visitor Information Center (VIC), located at 6510 Western Trail, Albuquerque, NM 87120. This event is free and open to the public.
Nine days of special events and guest programming attracted more than 3,000 visitors to Valles Caldera National Preserve for its second annual Fall Fiesta, which occurred October 5-13, 2024.
White Sands National Park will honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day by holding a special concert on Thursday October 17, 2024, at 6:30 pm. In partnership with Western National Parks Association, we are pleased to have Randy Granger from Las Cruces, New Mexico perform at the park's October Full Moon Night event.
Bandelier National Monument’s popular Fall Fiesta is returning to the park on October 12-13. The event will take place on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm around the park’s visitor center in Frijoles Canyon.
The National Park Service (NPS) prepared a fire management plan for Valles Caldera National Preserve and is seeking public input on the plan’s environmental assessment from October 1 through November 3.
The 2024 Valles Caldera Fall Fiesta starts in just a few days. The nine-day special event kicks off with dozens of tribal artisans, a special presentation from Superintendent Jorge Silva-Bañuelos, and a musical performance by Marlon Magdalena.
We invite you to attend Bandelier National Monument’s popular Fall Fiesta. This year, Fall Fiesta will be held the weekend of October 12-13. This event will take place from 10 am to 3 pm on both Saturday and Sunday in Frijoles Canyon at the visitor center.
Richland, W.A. – Manhattan Project National Historical Park will host two programs this fall that share Hanford and the Tri-Cities’ role in the Manhattan Project. Ride with a Ranger, offered in partnership with Bike Tri-Cities and the REACH Museum, is scheduled for Saturday, September 28 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Rangers will also lead a history hike up Candy Mountain on Saturday, October 5 from 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm.
Bandelier National Monument’s Tsankawi Unit will be temporarily closed on the morning of Thursday, September 26 for traditional cultural activities. It will reopen to the public at 12 noon. All other areas of the Bandelier, including Frijoles Canyon and the Pueblo Loop Trail will be open.
White Sands National Park will hold September’s Full Moon Night event on Tuesday September 17, 2024, at 7:00 pm featuring a performance by the Rio Grande Revelers Dixieland Jazz Band.
The National Park Service (NPS) invites you to celebrate National Public Lands Day at Valles Caldera National Preserve on Saturday, September 28, 2024.
The 2024 elk hunting season is underway in Valles Caldera National Preserve. Hunters who received a draw from New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) for Valles Caldera may be visible in the park.
White Sands National Park, National Park Service proposes changes to amenity fees for enhanced visitor services including, ranger-guided hikes and the addition of an evening program, as part of its commitment to improving the visitor experience.
National Park Service staff have stabilized Frijoles Canyon following a flash flood that occurred on the afternoon of Thursday, September 5th. However, several closures remain in place.
The Visitor Center and Pueblo Loop Trail (up to Long House) will be open this morning. However, other trails and all creek crossings in Frijoles Canyon will remain closed as National Park Service teams assess damage.
A new National Park Service report shows that 394,000 visitors to Carlsbad Caverns National Park in 2023 spent $29.1 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 359 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $31.9 million.
A new National Park Service report shows that 729,096 visitors to White Sands National Park in 2023 spent $44.5 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 595 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $53.4 million.
A new National Parks Service report shows that visitor spending among the four parks within the High Plains Group contributed to 60 jobs and a cumulative economic benefit of $5.3 million.
A new National Park Service report shows that 199,501 visitors to Bandelier National Monument in 2023 spent $14,257,000 in communities near the park. That spending supported 188 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $18,607,000.
The National Park Service (NPS) has prepared a fire management plan for Valles Caldera National Preserve and is seeking public input on the plan’s environmental assessment from September 3 through October 3.
From October 5 through October 13, we will be hosting the Valles Caldera Fall Fiesta—a time to celebrate rich natural beauty and cultural heritage of this special volcano.
Work has begun on the third and final phase of decommissioning the retired natural gas pipeline that crosses the northern sections of Valles Caldera National Preserve. This phase continues with restoring natural ecological processes to a nine-mile-long section disturbed by the pipeline corridor, including reducing erosion, reconnecting wetlands, recontouring to promote natural revegetation, and removing evidence of the access road. During this reclamation work, the project area along with trail access from the park’s east boundary will be closed for the remainder of the year.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park will hold a ranger program, Secrecy, Security and Spies, at the Oak Ridge Turnpike Checking Station (2900 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830) on Saturday, August 17th from 11AM to 12PM ET.
White Sands National Park will hold August’s Full Moon Night event on Monday, August 19, 2024, at 8:00 pm. Join Resource Management Program Manager, David Bustos who will explore the fascinating story of prey and predators as he guides you through a journey of life here at White Sands that will take you back to 23,000 years ago.
Bandelier National Monument has confirmed that a bat found dead in the park has tested positive for rabies. This is the first confirmed rabies case of the year for northern New Mexico.
Richland, W.A. – Manhattan Project National Historical Park will observe the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Japan in the waning days of World War II in 1945 with a one-hour Lights for Peace program on August 9 starting at 8:00 pm PDT at the Fingernail Stage in Howard Amon Park in Richland.
Join U.S. Camel Corps re-enactor Doug Baum, his camels, and park staff at El Morro National Monument from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15, 2024, for the Camel Corps Commemoration event.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee is inviting the public to ring the International Friendship Bell at A.K. Bissell Park 79 times at dawn (6:49 am EDT) Tuesday, August 6th to commemorate the number of years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is excited to be hosting the Manzano Mountain Art Council (MMAC) Young Arts Club (YAC) as this year’s Artists-in-Residence! The park congratulates YAC members Ada Rosenfield, Cartrell Smith, Samaria Smith, Margarita Caldwell, Malakai Fulfer and Adora Overholser and welcomes them to Salinas Pueblo Missions! SAPU looks forward to a great summer ahead working with this year’s artists-in-residence!
The Los Alamos event will take place on Thursday, August 8th at 6:30 p.m. MDT. In collaboration with Friends of MAPR-LA and Los Alamos Arts Council the park will host a viewing of the documentary film Richland followed by a silent luminaria viewing at 8:00 p.m. MDT in the historic Memorial Rose Garden on the grounds of Fuller Lodge.
Valles Caldera National Preserve is seeking public input on resuming the collection of park entrance fees. The public comment period runs through August 17, 2024.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park, in partnership with Pearl Harbor National Memorial (NM), will host "Days of Peace and Remembrance" across its three sites and at Pearl Harbor NM to commemorate and reflect on the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Japan in 1945. This commemorative programming acknowledges and interprets the conflicting viewpoints, both historical and modern, that surround the development and use of the world’s first atomic weapons.
In partnership with Western National Parks Association, we are pleased to host a ranger presentation at the White Sands July Full Moon Night event on July 21, 2024, at 8:00 pm. The ranger presentation will explore the different jobs rangers of the park do to help preserve and protect the resources the White Sands has to offer. The presentation will also cover volunteer opportunities and the park’s junior ranger program.
The Hubbell Trading Post Rug Show is returning to Petroglyph National Monument for first time since 2017. The event will take place on Saturday, July 13 and Sunday, July 14 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm each day at the Information Center, outside on the patio.
The Encerrita Fire again had very little activity on Monday as the area again received additional rainfall. The fire remained 2496 acres. On Monday, firefighters patrolled established fire lines and monitored areas where interior fuels are consuming. An infrared (IR) flight provided fire managers with added intelligence on the fire, showing scattered heat throughout the fire area. No areas are anticipated to threaten fire lines or other containment features.
The 2,496 acres, 0% contained Encerrita Fire has received a notable amount of precipitation over the past several days, with more precipitation in the forecast over the coming week. The previously issued “Ready” evacuation notice for residents north of the fire was rescinded on Saturday, June 22.
The Encerrita Fire only gained 3 acres on Thursday due to higher humidity that followed a frontal passage. The 2282-acre lightning-caused fire is located in El Malpais National Monument, 15 miles south-southwest of Grants.
Additional crews arrived to the Encerrita Fire on Tuesday, bringing the total number of firefighters to 99 on the 1541-acre lightning-caused fire located in El Malpais National Monument, 15 miles south-southwest of Grants.
White Sands National Park will hold its first Full Moon Night event of the year on Friday, June 21, 2024, at 8:15 pm featuring a performance by Mariachi Aguilas de Las Cruces.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park will host a variety of programming during June for visitors to explore the atomic beginnings of Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Swabs collected from cave Myotis bats in the Left Hand Tunnel area of Carlsbad Cavern and near the Rattlesnake Springs day use area tested positive for Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS).
Valles Caldera National Preserve has selected five artists to take part in its inaugural Artist in Residence (AiR) program during the 2024 summer season.
El Malpais National Monument will host Shawn price for his program, " WT Sherman War Maker- Peacemaker". He will highlight Sherman’s early life and knowns Civil War exploits with emphasis on his role with the 1867-68 Peace Commission and the establishment of the Nation to Nation agreements which remain crucial to the life and legacy of Sherman.
El Malpais National Monument will host the award winning Dineh Tah Navajo Dancers on Sunday, June 9, 2024, at the El Malpais National Monument Visitor Center in Grants, NM. Performances are10:30-11:00 and 2:00- 2:30.
Today is opening day for the 2024 season of the backcountry vehicle route in Valles Caldera National Preserve. Every day, 35 vehicle passes are available ahead of time.
Hubbell Trading Post is returning to Bandelier National Monument for the first time since 2019. The event will take place from Saturday, May 18 to Sunday, May 19 from 10 am to 4 pm.
The National Park Service is looking to expand visitor services at Valles Caldera National Preserve this year by working with local food vendors to offer different New Mexican cuisines.
The National Park Service is preparing to conduct a prescribed fire on the north side of El Malpais National Monument which is tentatively scheduled to occur in late May and early June 2024. The El Calderon Triangle prescribed fire will treat approximately 1500 acres of NPS lands adjacent to Highway 53 between mile markers 66 and 63. Exact dates and times will be determined based on weather and fuel conditions. Fire managers expect the prescribed fire will take two to five days to complete.
The high-elevation ecosystems of Valles Caldera National Preserve—ranging from 8,000 to 11,254 feet above sea level—support a great diversity of wildlife, including several thousand elk, healthy populations of Gunnison’s prairie dogs, mountain lions, bears, bobcats, and coyotes. A rich array of migratory birds can be found in the park’s woodlands, grasslands, and wetlands. Chorusing frogs can be heard throughout the day as they take advantage of the spring snow melt-off.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park will host two programs during the first week of May. Life in Richland: Hanford Workers and their Families walking tour is scheduled for May 1 from 9:00-11:00 am starting at the Uptown Theater in Richland. Rangers will also lead a history hike up Candy Mountain on Saturday, May 4 from 9:00 am–11:30 am.
Native American artists will share their art and craft with the public. Learn how artists create and how their art connects them to their culture. This free family friendly event is a great way to engage with talented artists from local Pueblos and Tribes.
Petroglyph National Monument announces the opening of the South Point Day Use Area to the public on May 3, 2024. To celebrate the opening, park rangers will provide guided hikes, activities, and information about the area on-site from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4.
Valles Caldera National Preserve is honored to have wonderful volunteers who enhance every aspect of the park. We invite you to join us! We are looking for volunteer support in welcoming visitors, conducting plant surveys, supporting education programs and media development, helping with trails projects, assisting hydrologic research, and searching for dendroglyphs.
City Nature Challenge ABQ and the National Park Service invite you to explore nature in your community and share your observations on iNaturalist starting Friday, April 26 through Monday, April 29. Join nearly 700 cities on 7 continents that are participating in this 9th annual worldwide event!
The National Park Service excited to announce a brand-new Junior Ranger experiential program at Valles Caldera. The program begins by conferring the honor of Junior Ranger onto each participant and then invites them to explore the park and learn more about the rich geologic, cultural, and natural stories found here.
The National Park Service is celebrating National Park Week from April 20 through April 28. The theme for Sunday, April 28 is Arts in Parks and Valles Caldera is hosting some special activities to help foster your inner artist.
The 2024 turkey hunt season begins today, April 15, and runs through April 30. Twenty tags were issued through the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and each tag is good for one bearded turkey.
Petroglyph National Monument is issuing a partial closure of the uppermost segment of the Mesa Point Trail and the mesa top area within Boca Negra Canyon.
El Malpais National Monument will host an evening of science and stargazing with Albuquerque Astronomical Society astronomer Derek Wallentinsen at the El Malpais National Monument Visitor Center on Friday, April 19, 2024, from 6:30-9:00pm.
El Malpais and El Morro National Monuments are recruiting a Teacher-Ranger-Teacher to spend the summer collaborating with rangers to develop education programs for the parks.
The regional office of the National Park Service announced that two former Valles Caldera employees have received regional awards in their areas of expertise: Dr. Ana Steffen and Dr. Robert Parmenter.
The National Park Service invites artists from all creative disciplines and genres to apply for the 2024 Artist-In-Residence program at Valles Caldera National Preserve.
The National Park Service is seeking, horse-mounted, trespass cattle wrangling services at Valles Caldera National Preserve during the 2024 summer and fall seasons. This is one of the efforts the park is pursuing to reduce impacts to park resources from cattle trespassing from adjacent USDA Forest Service grazing allotments.
Starting today, anglers can visit the park’s Fishing web page to apply for their 2024-25 fishing permit. Permits can also be obtained by stopping by one of the park’s two visitor service facilities and filling out the application in person. Anglers can apply for either an annual or a seven-day permit.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park is partnering with Bike Tri-Cities and the REACH Museum to host Ride with a Ranger program on Saturday, April 13 at 9:30 am. Ride with a Ranger is a free interpretive bike ride along the river from Leslie Groves Park to the REACH Museum in Richland.
The National Park Service is proud to share the 2023 annual report of Valles Caldera National Preserve. 2023 was a year of achievement as the park’s dedicated team worked toward making Valles Caldera the premier national park unit within New Mexico.
Join El Malpais National Monument Park Rangers and celebrate astronomy and dark night skies during Astronomy Month. Programs are every Friday evening throughout the month and will be presented at various locations throughout the monument. Astronomy Month’s aim is to encourage people to go outside, look up, and share the sky.
With winter concluding, the National Park Service has completed its prescribed pile burning in Valles Caldera National Preserve for the season. These burns are part of a prescribed burn project to reduce material left from previous forest thinning work.
After an amazing 21-year career of scientific inquiry and resource stewardship at Valles Caldera National Preserve, Dr. Robert Parmenter decided to hang up his NPS flat hat and retire.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park (NHP), recently published virtual tours of four park facilities. Tours include T Plant and B Reactor at Hanford and X-10 Graphite Reactor and Y-12 Pilot Plant (Building 9731) at Oak Ridge.
Join the engaging, entertaining, and educating Robert Torres as he tells Native American stories at El Malpais National Monument visitor center on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Last week, the National Park Service announced that 400 national parks reported a total of 325.5 million visits in 2023, an increase of 13 million—or 4%—over 2022. Valles Caldera National Preserve saw 76,090 people experience the park, an increase of more than 12,000—or 19%—over 2022.
At White Sands National Park, visitation numbers increased nearly 23,000 or 3% over 2022. The 729,096 visits in 2023 mark the park’s second highest visitation on record. The park’s highest visitation on record was in 2021, with 782,469 visits.
On Saturday, March 9, 2024, Valles Caldera National Preserve invites everyone to come up to the park and celebrate winter by participating in a series of special events. The park opens at 9 am with the first activity scheduled to start at 10 am.
On February 16, 2024, Dr. Ana Steffen passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. She was one of the first federal employees to step foot on Valles Caldera National Preserve after it was acquired by the federal government in 2000 – first as an archaeologist for the U.S. Forest Service, Cultural Resources Coordinator for the Valles Caldera Trust, and finally as Cultural Resources Program Manager for the National Park Service.
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument will be conducting a Spanish Mission Climate Vulnerability Assessment of the Quarai Mission Church to determine its climate change vulnerabilities and develop recommendations for future mitigation/adaptation strategies for any vulnerable areas of the Church.
White Sands National Park will host nine ranger guided Moonlight Hikes between March and November 2024. These programs give visitors a chance to enjoy the peace and serenity of this elusive environment after dark and experience stories and resources the park has to offer.
With good snow conditions, National Park Service fire managers plan to start burning piles on 225 acres in the San Antonio Mountain Pile Unit as early as next Tuesday, January 16. Ignition operations are expected to take multiple days and daily acreage will depend on conditions.
The National Park Service welcomed the brief, natural return of a Mexican wolf to Valles Caldera National Preserve. The last documented wolf in Valles Caldera was in 1932. Mexican wolves are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which is commemorating its 50th anniversary today.
Bandelier National Monument will remain closed on Friday, December 15, 2023 due to residual snow and ice accumulation. It will reopen for normal operations on Saturday, December 16, 2023.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park’s most recent photo exhibit, “Recess - A Photographic Exhibition of Recreation in the Secret City” will open on Tuesday, December 12, in the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge’s Imagination Gallery
The National Park Service plans to implement prescribed burn projects in Valles Caldera National Preserve beginning December 2023 through the end of the 2023-24 winter season as conditions allow. The prescribed burns will occur in previously thinned areas where materials have been piled for burning. The burn operations will be completed in phases over several days depending on weather and fuel conditions.
In December, Carlsbad Caverns National Park will offer visitors the opportunity to experience Carlsbad Cavern and its colorful history during the Rock of Ages Lantern Tours.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park (NHP), releases a new three-part park stamp to celebrate the whole park and its individual communities. The new stamp features line drawings of the B Reactor at Hanford, Main Gate Park in Los Alamos, and the X-10 Graphite Reactor at Oak Ridge.
