Best Things to do in Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is a land of extremes, with steady drought and record summer heat. Yet, each extreme has a striking contrast. Towering peaks are frosted with winter snow. Rare rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers. Lush oases harbor tiny fish and offer refuge for wildlife and humans. With nearly three million acres, Death Valley National Park is the driest, hottest, and lowest point in North America. Despite its morbid name, a great diversity of life survives in Death Valley.

My name is Rob Decker and I'm a photographer and graphic artist with a single great passion for America's National Parks! I've been to 52 of our 61 National Parks — and I have explored many areas of Death Valley National Park — so I'm here to offer some suggestions! If this is your first time to the park, or your returning after many years, check out some of the best things to do in the park! From Badwater Basin to Furnace Creek to Stovepipe Wells, Death Valley National Park offers much to see and do!

Visit Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin is the lowest elevation in North America at - 282 feet below sea level. A visit to this otherworldly salt flat will provide you with a unique experience and a landscape that appears to stretch on forever. A short 1/4 mile (400 m) hike will you bring you to the polygon salt formations that Death Valley is famous for, or in the summer months, the view can be enjoyed from the parking area.

Tour Artists Drive

Enjoy a scenic drive through a geologic rainbow! Artists Drive is a one-way, nine mile drive that passes through eroded, colorful desert hills. A stop at Artists Palette along the way, either from the car window or a short walk, will provide the most colorful views. Enjoy geology and scenic vistas along this trip!

Play at the Devils Golf Course

An immense area of rock salt eroded by wind and rain into jagged spires. So incredibly serrated that "only the devil could play golf on such rough links". Listen carefully and you'll hear sounds like tiny pops and pings. Bend your ear to the ground and the sound grows louder. The sound is literally billions of tiny salt crystals bursting apart as they expand and contract in the heat.

Hike Golden Canyon

A labyrinth landscape of golden colored hills and winding narrow canyons create hiking options ranging from easy strolls to strenuous adventures. The most popular routes can be combined with one another for longer adventures, up about 4.5 miles. Regardless which adventure is right for you, take the map and route description with you.

Catch the Sunrise at Zabriskie Point

The most famous viewpoint in the park. Overlooking the golden colored badlands of the Furnace Creek formation, visitors can simply enjoy the view or elect to start the hike from the point around Badlands Loop. Connector trails lead to Golden Canyon, Gower Gulch, and Red Cathedral. The point is most popular at sunrise and sunset.

Visit Mesquite Flat Sand Dune

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are the largest dune field in the park. This dune field includes three types of dunes: crescent, linear, and star shaped. Polygon-cracked clay of an ancient lakebed forms the floor. Mesquite trees have created large hummocks that provide stable habitats for wildlife.

See Death Valley from Above at Dantes View

At 5,475 ft, this is the most breathtaking viewpoint in the park. Facing west, the view of the Panamint Mountains towering over the lowest point (-282 ft.) in North America (Badwater Basin) offers one of the best sunrises in the park. On the far western horizon are the Sierra Nevadas, home to the highest point (14,505 ft.) in the contiguous United States.

Step Back in Time at the Keane Wonder Mine

Experience one of the most unique historical mining sites in Death Valley! The Keane Wonder Mine reopened in 2017 after its closure in 2008. Operating in the early 1900s, the Keane Wonder Mine was one of the most successful gold mines in Death Valley. It now remains as one of the best examples of a historical gold mining operation in the park.

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The Death Valley National Park poster features a view of the sunrise from Zabriskie Point.

Click here to see the Death Valley National Park poster.

Click here to read more about Death Valley National Park.

Source: https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/best-things-to-do-in-death-valley-national-park

National Park Posters Calendar for 2021

Help Design the 2021 National Park Posters Calendar!

VOTE, and you could win a $100 Gift Card to the National Park Posters Web Site!

Help choose which 12 national park posters will be included in the 2021 calendar and you could win a $100 gift card to the National Park Posters Web Site!

Just follow the link below, and enter the names of your three favorite national parks!

That's it! You'll help to decide which posters end up in this year's calendar AND you'll be automatically entered to win the $100 gift card - just in time for the holidays! 

I'll also be letting you know about a Special Pre-Order Offer!!!

Click Here To Vote for your favorite National Park Posters!

But Hurry! I'll be going on press soon, so I need your help today!

Help Create the 2021 National Park Posters Calendar!

Polls Close at 7PM Mountain Time, Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020

Source: https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/national-park-posters-calendar-for-2021

Death Valley National Park - A Land of Great Extremes

Death Valley National Park

The Death Valley National Park poster features a view of the sunrise from Zabriskie Point. Established in 1994, Death Valley National Park is a below-sea-level basin and a land of extremes, with steady drought and record summer heat. Yet, each extreme has a striking contrast. Towering peaks are frosted with winter snow. Rare rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers. Lush oases harbor tiny fish and offer refuge for wildlife and humans. With nearly three million acres, Death Valley National Park is the driest, hottest, and lowest point in North America. Despite its morbid name, a great diversity of life survives in Death Valley.

Death Valley National Park straddles the border of California and Nevada, located east of the Sierra Nevada, it occupies an interface zone between the arid Great Basin and Mojave deserts in the United States. The park protects the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes, badlands, valleys, canyons, and mountains. It is the largest national park in the lower 48 states and has been declared an International Biosphere Reserve.

Approximately 91% of the park is a designated wilderness area. The second-lowest point in the Western Hemisphere is in Badwater Basin, which is 282 feet below sea level. The park is home to many species of plants and animals that have adapted to this harsh desert environment. Some examples include creosote bush, bighorn sheep, coyote, and the Death Valley pupfish, a survivor from much wetter times. A series of Native American groups inhabited the area from as early as 7000 BC, most recently the Timbisha around 1000 AD who migrated between winter camps in the valleys and summer grounds in the mountains.

A group of European-Americans that became stuck in the valley in 1849 while looking for a shortcut to the gold fields of California gave the valley its name, even though only one of their group died there. Several short-lived boom towns sprang up during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to mine gold and silver. The only long-term profitable ore to be mined was borax, which was transported out of the valley with twenty-mule teams. The valley later became the subject of books, radio programs, television series, and movies. Tourism blossomed in the 1920s, when resorts were built around Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek.

Death Valley National Monument was declared in 1933 and the park was substantially expanded and became a national park in 1994. The natural environment of the area has been shaped largely by its geology. The valley itself is actually a graben. The oldest rocks are extensively metamorphosed and at least 1.7 billion years old. Ancient, warm, shallow seas deposited marine sediments until rifting opened the Pacific Ocean. Additional sedimentation occurred until a subduction zone formed off the coast. This uplifted the region out of the sea and created a line of volcanoes. Later the crust started to pull apart, creating the current Basin and Range landform. Valleys filled with sediment and, during the wet times of glacial periods, with lakes, such as Lake Manly.

In 2013, Death Valley National Park was designated as a dark sky park by the International Dark-Sky Association.

Click here to see the Death Valley National Park poster.

Click here to learn about the Best Things to do in Death Valley National Park.

Source: https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/death-valley-national-park

Celebrating Mount Rushmore's Anniversary October 31

Mount Rushmore National Memorial has become an iconic symbol of the United States, and is visited by nearly three million people each year. They come to marvel at the majestic beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota and learn about the birth, growth, development and preservation of the country. From the history of the first inhabitants to the diversity of America today, Mount Rushmore brings visitors face to face with the rich heritage we all share.

Mount Rushmore features 60-foot tall sculptures of the heads of four United States presidents: George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), and Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), which are carved into the face of Mount Rushmore, a granite batholith formation in the Black Hills in Keystone, South Dakota.

South Dakota historian Doane Robinson is credited with conceiving the idea of carving the likenesses of famous people into the Black Hills region of South Dakota in order to promote tourism in the region, ultimately settling on the Mount Rushmore location, which also had the advantage of facing southeast for maximum sun exposure. Robinson wanted it to feature western heroes like Lewis and Clark, Red Cloud, and Buffalo Bill Cody, but Danish-American sculptor Gutzon Borglum thought the sculpture should have a more national focus and chose the four presidents whose likenesses would be carved into the mountain. After securing federal funding through the enthusiastic sponsorship of "Mount Rushmore's great political patron", U.S. Senator Peter Norbeck, construction on the memorial began in 1927, and the presidents' faces were completed between 1934 and 1939.

The figure of Thomas Jefferson was originally started on Washington's right side. After 18 months of carving the figure of Jefferson had to be blasted off the mountain and restarted on Washington's left side. Over 90% of Mount Rushmore was carved using dynamite, removing some 450,000 tons of rock from the mountain. Although the initial concept called for each president to be depicted from head to waist, lack of funding forced construction to end in late October 1941. Approximately 400 different people worked at Mount Rushmore during the carving process from October 1927 to October 1941, and although this work was dangerous, no lives were lost.

Mount Rushmore and has appeared in works of fiction, and has been discussed or depicted in other popular works. It was also famously used as the location of the climactic chase scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 movie North by Northwest starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint.

If you haven't had the chance to see Mount Rushmore, it's worth the trip! And, you are in close proximity to Wind Cave National Park and Badlands National Park -- two very different parks -- but both worth visiting!

Click here to see the Mount Rushmore National Memorial poster.

There are also posters for my two other South Dakota favorites:

Wind Cave National Park

Badlands National Park

Source: https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/celebrating-mount-rushmores-anniversary-october-31

Theodore Roosevelt and the National Park Service

Often called "the conservation president," Theodore Roosevelt, made an impact on the National Park System well beyond his term in office. As President from 1901 to 1909, he doubled the number of sites within the National Park system and signed legislation establishing five new national parks: Crater Lake, Oregon; Wind Cave, South Dakota; Sullys Hill, North Dakota (later re-designated a game preserve); Mesa Verde, Colorado; and Platt, Oklahoma (now part of Chickasaw National Recreation Area). However, the Antiquities Act of June 8, 1906 enabled President Roosevelt and succeeding Presidents to proclaim historic landmarks, historic or prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest in federal ownership as national monuments.

Roosevelt did not hesitate to take advantage of this new executive authority. By the end of 1906 he had proclaimed four national monuments: Devils Tower, Wyoming; El Morro, New Mexico; Montezuma Castle, Arizona; and Petrified Forest, Arizona. He also interpreted the authority expansively, protecting a large portion of the Grand Canyon as a national monument in 1908. By the end of his term he had reserved six predominantly cultural areas and twelve predominantly natural areas in this manner. Half of the total land area was initially administered by the Agriculture Department and was later transferred to the Interior Department, since the National Park Service would not be created until 1916.

Later Presidents have used the Antiquities Act to declare national monuments. Many national monuments remain, while others have been enlarged into national parks or otherwise reclassified by Congress. The Antiquities Act is the original authority for nearly a quarter of the 400-plus areas composing the national park system.

Recalling his legacy, Theodore Roosevelt is now commemorated at six units of the National Park System. Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site in New York City, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in Oyster Bay, New York, Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, New York, Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, and Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, DC, all trace his career and memorialize his contributions to America. Of course, Theodore Roosevelt is one of four Presidents gracing Mt. Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. The National Park Service is honored to administer these park sites, and the many others Roosevelt made possible during his storied career as a conservationist. 

Click here to see the Theodore Roosevelt National Park poster.

Click here to see the Mount Rushmore National Memorial poster.

Source: https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/theodore-roosevelt-and-the-national-park-service

The 2020 Holiday Gift Guide

Looking for a Unique Gift for the Holidays? Here are Some Great Ideas for the National Park fan on your list!

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National Park Posters

From Acadia to Zion, we've got you covered for WPA-Style Posters of Your Favorite National Park. Inspired by the iconic WPA artwork of the 1930s and 40s, these National Park posters are designed to celebrate our American heritage. Each original poster, created by Robert B. Decker is signed and dated and printed on “Conservation,” a 100% recycled stock with soy based inks. From start to finish, these posters are 100% American Made! 

$40.00    Click Here to See the Posters

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Artist Proofs

Artist Proofs are limited edition prints. These are the first 25 prints pulled from each press run. I personally inspect these proofs on press and sign off on them before the balance of the posters are printed. The Artist Proofs feature the pressman's “color bars”, which he uses to ensure that prints stay registered and colors stay consistent throughout the press run. Artist Proofs are numbered 1-25, dated and signed.

My signature attests that I have personally inspected and approved each print — and further verified that no unsigned or unnumbered copies within the limited edition are known to exist.

$55.00 Click Here to See the Artist Proofs

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Collections

From the original Kickstarter Collection (that launched The National Park Poster Project) -- to the State, Regional and Annual Collections -- you can choose from 2 - 12 of your favorite posters and get deep discounts!

These collections make the perfect holiday gift for the national park lover on your list! They are the perfect way to bring their favorite National Parks into their home or office -- or home office! All posters are signed and dated.

$65.00 - $255.00    Click Here to See all the Collections

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National Park Stickers

These vintage-style WPA National Park Stickers are 3″ x 4.25″ and printed in full-color, scuff resistant and perfect for indoor or outdoor use. Slap these stickers on your vehicle, laptop, water bottle, longboard, helmet or notebook! National Park Stickers are the perfect way to commemorate that latest national park adventure! Or, jump-start their collection with the full set of 24 National Park Stickers!

$5.95    Click Here to See the National Park Stickers

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Postcards 

Limited on wall space? Postcards are the perfect solution. Just find a frame for 4" x 6" photo prints, and you can make a custom display of your favorite parks! Postcards are also great for sending to friends, use in PostCrossings, Save the Date or other announcements!

$18.00     Click Here to See the Postcards

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America's National Parks Map

The ultimate bucket list! A great way to mark off the national parks you've already visited, or those you dream about seeing! This 19" x 13" map features all 62 of America's National Parks!

$30.00    Click Here to See the Map

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Gift Cards - They Might Be the Perfect Holiday Gift

Get them a gift they'll love by letting them pick their favorite National Park Poster, Artist Proof, Collection, Postcard Set or Stickers.

Available in a wide range of denominations!

$25.00 and Up    Click Here to Get a Gift Card

Source: https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/the-2020-holiday-gift-guide

Visiting Dry Tortugas National Park

Some 70 miles west of Key West Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico, lies one of North America's most inaccessible national parks. Renowned for pirate legends, shipwrecks, and sheer unspoiled beauty, Dry Tortugas National Park harbors unrivaled coral reefs and marine life, an annual birding spectacle, and majestic Fort Jefferson, the largest masonry stronghold in the Western Hemisphere.

Best Things to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Deep, Steep and Narrow

Big enough to be overwhelming, still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park exposes you to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. With two million years to work, the Gunnison River, along with the forces of weathering, has sculpted this vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky.

My name is Rob Decker and I'm a photographer and graphic artist with a single great passion for America's national parks! I've been to 51 of our 62 national parks — and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has much to offer! You can hike the inner canyon, kayak the Gunnison River, rock climb, ride horses or explore the night sky! If this is your first time to the park, or your returning after many years, here are some of the best things to do in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park!

Established October 21, 1999, the park is located in western Colorado and managed by the National Park Service. The park itself contains the deepest and most dramatic section of the canyon, but the canyon continues upstream into Curecanti National Recreation Area and downstream into Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area. The Gunnison River drops an average of 34 feet per mile through the entire canyon, making it the 5th steepest mountain descent in North America. By comparison, the Colorado River drops an average of 7.5 feet per mile through the Grand Canyon. The greatest descent of the Gunnison River occurs within the park at Chasm View dropping 240 feet per mile. The Black Canyon is so named because its steepness makes it difficult for sunlight to penetrate into its depths. As a result, the canyon is often shrouded in shadow, causing the rocky walls to appear black. At its narrowest point the canyon is only 40 ft wide at the river.

The main attraction of the park is the scenic drive along US Highway 50 and Colorado Highway 92, as well as the south rim. The east end of the park, where it meets Blue Mesa Reservoir at Blue Mesa Point, is the area most developed for camping, as well as canyon tours, hiking, fishing and boat tours. The west end of the park has river access by automobile, as well as guided tours of the canyon. A short hike at Blue Mesa Point Information Center heads down to Pine Creek and the Morrow Point boat tours, boating, fishing and hiking. At the south rim there is one campground for tent and RV camping, one loop of which has electrical hookups, and several hiking and nature trails. The north rim is also accessible by automobile and has a small, primitive campground.

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Best Things To Do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Hiking Trails Trails for all abilities are available on both South and North Rims. Routes to the river are extremely strenuous due to steep drop offs, loose rock, and prolific poison ivy.

Hiking the Inner Canyon Extremely strenuous hikes to the bottom of the canyon in steep, unmaintained and unmarked gullies.

Scenic Drives Gorgeous scenic routes are available along the rims and down to the river.

Fishing The Gunnison River within Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is well known for outstanding trout fishing.

Kayaking This stretch of the Gunnison River is only for the most experienced kayakers.

Rock Climbing All the climbs in the Black are multi-pitch traditional routes and not for the faint of heart.

Wildlife Watching Black Canyon provides a unique vertical environment for wildlife.

Horseback Riding The Deadhorse Trail on the North Rim is the ONLY area open to horses or pack animals for day use/recreational riding in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Explore the Night Black Canyon offers night sky viewing opportunities throughout the year.

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The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Poster is an original work by Robert B. Decker and is also part of the Colorado Collection. The poster was created in the style of the Works Program Administration of the 1930s and 1940s, when the Federal Government started the Works Progress Administration (or the Works Program Administration), and commissioned hundreds of artists to create thousands of posters designs from which literally millions of prints were made. At that time, there were only 26 National Parks. And only 14 parks had posters created during the WPA. At that time, Black Canyon of the Gunnison was not yet a National Park!

See the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park poster here!

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Click these links to learn more about Colorado's other National Parks!

Best Things to do at Rocky Mountain National Park

Learn About Great Sand Dunes National Park

Best Things to do at Mesa Verde National Park

PLUS! Click here to learn about the National Parks of the Grand Circle

Source: https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/best-things-to-do-at-black-canyon-of-the-gunnison-national-park

Celebrating the Wright Brothers, Dayton and the History of Aviation!

This week, we celebrate the anniversary of the The Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, which was was opened on October 16th, 1992.

I recently visited the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, and was fortunate enough to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the old Wright Company factory, where the Wright brothers produced approximately 120 airplanes in 13 different models. It's amazing the factory buildings still stand after more than 100 years, and they have gone through many transitions as other companies in the aviation and automotive industries have retrofitted and used them for their operations.

The Wright Company factory is closed to the public now...but work is underway to open it to visitors as a unit of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

Rendering of the new Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park

Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) and his brother Orville (1871-1948) built their first experimental airplanes in the back of their bicycle shop at 1127 W. Third St. They formed the Wright Company in November 1909. The company operated briefly in rented space until Building 1 was completed in 1910. Building 2 was erected in 1911.

The Wright Company factory was the first in America built for the purpose of manufacturing airplanes. Once restored and open to the public, the factory will complete the story of the Wright brothers' invention, development and commercialization of the airplane in Dayton.

Click here to learn more about the National Park Poster Project!

Source: https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/the-wright-brothers-dayton-and-the-history-of-aviation

Celebrate Guadalupe Mountains National Park Anniversary October 15th

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is situated in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas and preserves the rugged spirit and remote wilderness of the American West.

Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet and El Capitan, were long used as a landmark by the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach line. The Guadalupe Peak Trail offers perhaps the most outstanding views in the park. Climbing over 3,000 feet to the summit of Guadalupe Peak, the trail winds through pinyon pine and Douglas-fir forests and offers spectacular views of El Capitan and the vast Chihuahuan Desert.

The park covers 86,367 acres and is in the same mountain range as Carlsbad Caverns National Park which is located about 25 miles to the north in New Mexico. The Guadalupe Mountains are among the best examples of a marine fossil reef, which formed 260-270 million years ago. Eventually, the sea evaporated and as the reef subsided it was entombed for millions of years until a mountain-building uplift exposed part of it.

The best trails in Guadalupe Mountains National Park climb several thousand feet into the wooded high country but there are several easier paths with only minor elevation gain, such as the 2.3 mile loop to Smith Spring, a sheltered oasis in a patch of oak woodland at the foot of Frijole Ridge. The trail also visits a second spring (Manzanita) and for most of the way traverses open grassy slopes with good views of the Chihuahuan Desert to the south.

Gypsum deposits are increasing in the Salt Basin at a rate of up to .35 inches per year with the prevailing westerly winds carrying the grains of sand from the salt lake and dropping them near the western edge of the park before sweeping up the escarpment of the Guadalupe Mountains.

Lower Pine Spring Canyon

Numerous well-established trails exist in the park for hiking and horse-riding. Visitors can see the ruins of an old stagecoach station near the Pine Springs Visitor Center. Camping is available at the Pine Springs Campground and Dog Canyon. The restored Frijole Ranch House is now a small museum of local ranching history and is the trailhead for Smith Spring. The park also contains McKittrick Canyon. A trail in the canyon leads to a stone cabin built in the early 1930s, formerly the vacation home of Wallace Pratt, a petroleum geologist who donated the land in order to establish the park.

The Guadalupe Mountains National Park Poster measures 13" x 19" and is an original work by Robert Decker. The poster is based on a photograph he took of the iconic El Capitan at sunrise. Created in the style of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of the 1930s and 1940s, the Guadalupe Mountains National Park Poster is printed on “Conservation,” a 100% recycled, domestically produced (80 lb.) paper stock with soy-based inks. From start to finish, each poster is 100% American Made.

Get more details about the Guadalupe Mountains National Park Poster here.

Source: https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/celebrate-guadalupe-mountains-national-park-anniversary-october-15th

Celebrate Saguaro National Park's Anniversary October 14th!

Saguaro National Park is home to the nation's largest cacti -- the giant saguaro -- the universal symbol of the American west.

These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the modern city of Tucson. Here you have a chance to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset.

Saguaro National Park in southern Arizona consists of two distinct areas—the Tucson Mountain District west of the city of Tucson and the Rincon Mountain District east of the city—that preserve Sonoran Desert landscapes and diverse fauna and flora, including the giant saguaro cactus. The volcanic rocks on the surface of the Tucson Mountain District differ greatly from the surface rocks of the Rincon Mountain District; over the past 30 million years, crustal stretching associated with the Basin and Range displaced rocks from beneath the Tucson Mountains to form the Rincon Mountains. Uplifted, domed, and eroded, the Rincon Mountains remain significantly higher and wetter than the Tucson Mountains, and have plant and animal populations that do not exist in the Tucson Mountain District.

Tucson Mountain District, Saguaro National Park

The Rincons, one of the Madrean Sky Islands between the southern Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico, support high biodiversity. Earlier residents of and visitors to the lands in and around the park before its creation included the Hohokam, Sobaipuri, Tohono O'odham, Apaches, Spanish explorers, missionaries, miners, homesteaders, and ranchers. In 1933, President Herbert Hoover, using the power of the Antiquities Act, established the original park as Saguaro National Monument. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy added the Tucson Mountain District and renamed the original tract the Rincon Mountain District. Congress combined the Tucson Mountain District and the Rincon Mountain District to form the national park in 1994.

Rincon Mountain District, Saguaro National Park

Hiking on the park's 165 miles of trails and sightseeing along loop drives near the park's visitor centers are popular activities. Both districts have picnic areas and allow bicycling and horseback riding on selected roads and trails. The Tucson Mountain District forbids overnight camping, but the Rincon Mountain District supports limited wilderness camping. Both districts offer ranger-led walking tours and other educational programs.  

Get more details about the Saguaro National Park Poster here.

Or, see the complete Arizona Collection: Saguaro, Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest National Parks!

 

Source: https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/celebrate-saguaro-national-parks-anniversary-october-14th

National Wildlife Refuge Week: October 11-17, 2020

Rediscover your nature at a national wildlife refuge. National Wildlife Refuge Week, observed the second full week of October each year, celebrates the great network of lands and waters that conserves and protects Americans' precious wildlife heritage.

The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, provides vital habitat for thousands of native species, including sandhill cranes, American alligators, bison and sea turtles. National wildlife refuges offer outstanding recreation, too. Refuge Week is a perfect time to see why tens of millions of Americans visit refuges each year to enjoy fishing, hunting, hiking and wildlife watching.

Wildlife refuges also add to Americans' comfort and safety by curbing flood risk and wildfire damage, providing cleaner air and water, and supporting local communities. In carrying out the Refuge System's wildlife conservation mission, under the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, wildlife refuges pump $3.2 billion per year into regional economies and support more than 41,000 jobs.

The Refuge System includes 567 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts covering 95 million acres of land.

Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

Established in 1985, the 52-foot Daniel K. Inouye Kilauea Point Lighthouse is perched at the northernmost tip of Kauai (Hawaii) at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. The lighthouse was built in 1913 as a beacon for traveling ships. Although its light was turned off in the 1970s and has been replaced by an automatic beacon, it still serves as one of the island's most frequented attractions.

Learn more about the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge: 

https://national-park-posters.com/products/kilauea-point-national-wildlife-refuge

Source: https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/national-wildlife-refuge-week-october-11-17-2020

Best Things To Do in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Though it's only a short distance from the urban areas of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park seems worlds away. The park is a refuge for native plants and wildlife, and provides routes of discovery for visitors. The winding Cuyahoga River gives way to deep forests, rolling hills, and open farmlands. Walk or ride the Towpath Trail to follow the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal. You can fish, golf and even enjoy skiing and snowboarding!

My name is Rob Decker and I'm a photographer and graphic artist with a single great passion for America's National Parks! I've been to 48 of our 61 National Parks — and Cuyahoga Valley is a great place to visit - regardless of the time of year! Cuyahoga Valley is unusual in that it is adjacent to two large urban areas and includes a dense road network, small towns, and private attractions. I have explored much of the park — so I'm ready to help! If this is your first time to the park, or your returning after many years, here are some of the best things to do in Cuyahoga Valley National Park!

Ride the Scenic Train

The National Park Scenic Railway is a unique way to experience all the natural wonder Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Sit back and relax as the train weaves through the Cuyahoga Valley and races along with the rushing Cuyahoga River. Look for eagles, deer, beavers and otters in their natural habitat.

From January-May, the National Park Scenic excursion is a two-and-a-half hour round trip through Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Board at Rockside Station, Peninsula Depot, or at Akron Northside Station. From June through October, the train runs Wednesdays-Sundays on an extended schedule. You can choose from a variety of seating options including coach, table top, first class, lounge, upper dome, executive class, or suites.

Hiking

You can hike more than 125 miles of trails in Cuyahoga Valley National Park that range from nearly level to challenging. ,Pass through various habitats including woodlands, wetlands, and old fields. Some trails require you to cross streams with stepping stones or log bridges, while others, including the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, are nearly level and are accessible to all visitors. A portion of Ohio's Buckeye Trail also passes through the park.

Biking

Biking the Towpath Trail

This multi-purpose trail was developed by the National Park Service and is the major trail through Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Mountain Biking

The East Rim Trail System has stunning views, varied terrain, exciting obstacles, and an element of adventure for anyone who explores it.

Bike and Hike Aboard

Bike or hike the Towpath Trail in one direction and hop on the train on your way back! The train can be flagged down at boarding stations by waving both arms over your head. You should arrive 10 minutes prior to the train's scheduled arrival...and you can pay your fare when you board.

Visit the Beaver Marsh

The Beaver Marsh is among the most diverse natural communities in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The exceptional scenery and wildlife make it one of the park's most popular destinations. Here you can enjoy photography, bird watching, and sharing nature with family and friends.

Enjoy Brandywine Falls

Brandywine Falls is one of the most popular locations in the park. This 65-foot waterfall is accessed via a partially accessible boardwalk. For a more challenging trip, take the steep stairs to the lower viewpoint or the 1.4-mile Brandywine Gorge Trail.

Hike or Picnic at The Ledges

The Ritchie Ledges are witnesses to change - from creation out of Sharon Conglomerate millions of years ago, to landscapes wrecked by humans and to preservation today. The Civilian Conservation Corps created the park you see today, building trails and shelters throughout the area.

Explore Blue Hen Falls

This 15-foot waterfall is a beautiful hike every time of year. There is a small parking lot located across the street from the main trailhead. From there, the falls are a steep half-mile hike.

Fishing

The Cuyahoga River and numerous ponds are open to fishing. Cuyahoga Valley National Park's philosophy is to maintain the predator-prey relationship rather than to stock fish for recreational fishing. Catch-and-release fishing is encouraged to maintain the fish populations needed for continued sport fishing. The park has over 65 species of fish that live in its waters. Steelhead trout and bullhead can be caught in the Cuyahoga River. Bluegill, bass, and crappie can be caught in lakes and ponds in the park.

Kayaking and Canoeing

People who want to canoe or kayak the Cuyahoga River in Cuyahoga Valley National Park need to bring their own equipment and have experience to manage the safety risks posed by the river. The National Park Service does not maintain the river for recreational use. Canoeing and kayaking the river can be dangerous. Water quality, low head dams, and debris in the river all pose hazards.

Horse Riding

Viewing the Cuyahoga Valley landscape from horseback is like no other experience. Horseback riding is permitted only on trails signed and designated as horse trails. Horses need to be brought in as there are no horse rentals adjacent to the bridle trails.

Try Your Hand at Canalway Questing

Find more than 40 adventures—called quests—along the Ohio & Erie Canal! Put on your sleuthing hat and follow rhyming clues and a curious map to each hidden quest box. Along the way, discover the area's treasures—the natural and cultural gems of the Canalway. Unlike geocaching, no GPS unit is needed and no trinkets are exchanged. When you find a quest box, collect its unique stamp, sign its logbook, and put it back in place for others to discover.

Golfing

Cuyahoga Valley National Park offers the unique opportunity for golfing within the park, although none of the golf courses are federally owned or operated. You can golf at any of the following courses: Astorhurst Country Club Brandywine Golf Course Shawnee Hills Golf Course Sleepy Hollow Golf Course I've created a poster to celebrate Cuyahoga Valley National Park that features the famous Brandywine Falls. The poster can also be purchased at the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park shops in the park!

Click here to see the Cuyahoga Valley National Park poster.

Rob Decker is a photographer and graphic artist with a single passion for our National Parks! Rob is on a journey to explore and photograph each of our national parks and to create WPA-style posters to celebrate the amazing landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history that embody America's Best Idea!

Click here to learn more about Rob & the National Park Poster Project!

Source: https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/best-things-to-do-in-cuyahoga-valley-national-park