National Park Travel Blog

With information obtained from a joint investigation with the United States Forest Service and the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, Yosemite National Park Rangers raided a large marijuana cultivation site in El Portal early Tuesday morning, August 24th, and seized 3,657 plants. The site was on land in both Yosemite National Park and the Sierra National Forest. The park worked with Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Detectives, an Officer from Mariposa County Probation, and Park Rangers from Point Reyes National Seashore. The total estimated worth of the seized marijuana is $14.6 million. 

Two Mexican National males, who were in the United States illegally, were taken into custody while working the cultivation site during the raid. One of the men was armed with a loaded .45 caliber pistol concealed under his clothing. Both subjects were wearing camouflage clothing at the time of their arrest.   

The marijuana plants growing in the site ranged in size from one plot of young one foot tall plants, to a mature plot that was in the process of being harvested with plants ranging from five to ten feet tall. In addition to seizing the 3,657 plants, several pounds of processed marijuana ready to be moved out of the site were also confiscated.   

The grow site suffered extensive resource damage, including damage to the native vegetation and landscape. There were hose lines, fertilizers, trash and human waste throughout the area.

“We want these growers to know that we will not tolerate this type of activity on public lands and we will continue to aggressively seek out and eradicate illegal marijuana growing operations,” said Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher. The operation concluded safely with only a few minor injuries to officers. Both suspects are currently in custody awaiting charges to be filed.

Two lightning caused fires in the northern portion of Yosemite National Park continue to burn in the areas of Lake Vernon and Harden Lake. The fire in the Lake Vernon area, known as the Vernon Fire, has grown from 160 acres to 230 acres in the past two days. The fire in the Harden Lake area, known as the Slope Fire, continues to progress slowly and current acreage is at 688 acres. 

Moderate smoke from both fires is visible in the Hetch Hetchy area, as well as along the Tioga Road near the White Wolf area.  All trails to Pate Valley from White Wolf have been closed due to fire activity related to the Slope Fire. Additionally, the trail from Tiltill Valley Trail Junction to Lake Vernon remains closed due to the fire activity of the Vernon Fire. Both trails will remain closed until further notice. The Tiltill Valley trail to Tiltill Mountain remains open.   The Slope Fire and the Vernon Fire are both located in Yosemite Wilderness and pose no threat to park facilities. The fires are being managed by Yosemite Fire Crews for ecological benefits. Fire is a natural part of the ecosystem. It reduces dead vegetation, stimulates new growth, and improves habitat for wildlife.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is home to an estimated 600 grizzly bears. While both grizzly and black bears live in the area, the grizzly bear stirs more human emotion as it’s known to be one of the most unpredictable and dangerous large animals in North America. When so many people congregate in bear habitat, as is the case in Yellowstone National Park, bear encounters are inevitable.

However, what happened on the night of July 28 in a campground just outside the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone Park was anything but ordinary. On that terrifying night under the cover or darkness, a sow grizzly bear and her three cubs brutally attacked and terrorized the campers in Soda Butte Campground. The Soda Butte Campground is a 10-acre camping area located on the edge of a very small town called Cooke City, Montana. The campground is located approximately 4 miles from the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. On the night of July 28, the Soda Butte Campground transformed from a peaceful summer night in Yellowstone Country to a living nightmare in which three different tents were attacked by the four grizzly bears. In total, two people were injured and one man was killed and partially consumed by the bears.

Campers Paige and Don Wilhelm, of Aledo, Texas, were camped in site No. 12 of the 10-acre campground when they heard a scream at about 1:30 a.m. At first, they thought it was just teenagers playing around. They checked on their two boys, ages 12 and 9, and then tried to go back to sleep. Then they heard another scream, this one closer.“I heard somebody yell, ‘Stop! No!’ ” said Paige Wilhelm. And then they heard the woman yell, “A bear’s attacked me!”

Ten grizzly bear deaths have been documented in the Yellowstone ecosystem so far this year, a rate comparable to past years. One other grizzly death is suspected. Of the 11 deaths, humans caused eight. The count was seven at this time last year and 13 at this point in 2008.Biologists keep close track of grizzly bear deaths because the Yellowstone population is classified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Researchers consider the deaths of adult female grizzlies to be particularly important for the species. Two adult females have died this year, compared with one at this time last year.

Wildlife Biologist Mark Haroldson, with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, says the number of female deaths is not a worry so far.

“It’s a pretty normal spring,” Haroldson said this week.

By the end of last year, the count of all types of grizzlies that died reached 31. Four grizzly deaths this year remain under investigation, according to the team. Three were in Wyoming and one in Montana. Haroldson declined to comment on the deaths being investigated, consistent with team policy. Killing a grizzly can be illegal and bring criminal charges.

Four male bears — two adults, a yearling and a subadult — were removed from the population or died as a result of management actions. One injured bear in poor condition died in a trap. One was killed for causing property damage and killing livestock. One was sent to a zoo after raiding a campsite in Yellowstone. One was killed after fatally mauling a hiker shortly after its capture and release for research outside Cody on Yellowstone’s east border.

Yellowstone National Park is an amazing place to visit that offers guests so many different experiences. For more information about the park including lodging and things to do, visit the Yellowstone website at http://www.nationalparktravel.com/yellowstone.htm

Even though the upcoming holiday weekend is forecast to have cooler temperatures with the possibility of rain, Denali National Park and Preserve officials are asking visitors to be cautious with their use of fire while enjoying the park. With the long days, wildland fuels such as grass, brush, and trees can dry quickly when the sun comes back out, and if ignited can rapidly grow into large fires. Most of the over 400 fires that have burned in Alaska this year have been started by lightning, but the possibility of human caused fire in developed areas in or near the park is always a concern when fire danger increases.

Fireworks are not permitted in Denali National Park and Preserve and will be confiscated. Persons using fireworks in the park may be prosecuted. 

Campfires are allowed in the park campgrounds that have fire grates but they should be completely extinguished after use. Fires are not allowed in the backcountry areas of the original Mount McKinley National Park that are designated as wilderness.

For more information about Denali National Park including lodging and things to do, visit www.nationalparktravel.com

The month of June is here, and the summer 2010 season is well underway in Yellowstone National Park. This is the time of year when visitors will be able to view the park’s wildlife young. Baby bison and elk are the most frequently sighted from the roadways; however, all animals are caring for their newly born young this time of year. Visitors may also see moose calves, bear cubs, or bighorn sheep lambs.

Popular places to view wildlife inside Yellowstone Park include Lamar Valley (northeaster portion of the park), Pelican Valley (north shore of Yellowstone Lake), and Hayden Valley (central portion of the park). Bison, elk, wolves, and bears can often be seen in Lamar Valley. Hayden Valley is excellent habitat for grizzly bears and bison while Pelican Valley is often used by moose and grizzly bears. In fact, many of the areas around Yellowstone Lake are closed to hiking until July due to grizzly bear activity. If you plan on hiking in the park this time of year, be sure to check out the Grizzly Bear Closure Map.

Good places to view bighorn sheep include the steep slopes between Mammoth Hot Springs and the north entrance gateway community of Gardiner, Montana. Guests should also keep a close watch along the roadway that runs past steep hillsides near Lamar Valley. Nonetheless, park visitors may see any animal at any place since there are no fences and the wildlife don’t have any boundaries restricting their movements.

Despite the on-going economic recession, Yellowstone National Park continues to receive heavy visitation. In fact, 2009 saw a record number of visitors in Yellowstone. Reservations thus far in 2010 are well ahead of those at the same point in time during 2009. Subsequently, it appears that summer 2010 may well see a new record set for visitation. Reservations are accepted up to one full year in advance; and consequently, many lodges inside and around Yellowstone Park sell out for the busy summer months. That’s why it’s best to plan your visit and make reservations as early as possible. If you are interested in visiting Yellowstone National Park in summer 2010 and have not yet made your reservations, there may still be hope. Most lodging facilities maintain a 48 hour cancellation policy, which means guests must cancel their lodging reservations at least 48 hours prior to their scheduled arrival date in order to receive a refund of their advance deposit on the room or cabin. As a result, cancellations are often made within a week or two of the travel dates.

So, if you have not yet made your reservations for summer 2010, start now. Your individual dates of travel may not be full or there may be cancellations taking place that open up rooms and cabins for your dates. You can view information about the lodging inside and around Yellowstone National Park by visiting http://www.nationalparktravel.com/yellowstone_lodging.htm

For general information about Yellowstone National Park including wildlife, weather, park news, DVDs, webcams, and much more, simply visit the Yellowstone National Park website at http://www.nationalparktravel.com/yellowstone.htm

Facilities, trails, and roads continue to open in Glacier National Park according to park officials. Starting Saturday, May 22 the Lake McDonald Lodge and the Lake McDonald Camp Store will be open to visitors. Also beginning this weekend, Glacier Park Boat Company boat tours and rentals will be available at Lake McDonald and Swan Mountain Outfitters horseback rides will start at the Apgar and Lake McDonald corrals.

Sprague Creek and Apgar Campgrounds are open. Primitive camping (no running water) is currently available at Bowman Lake, Cut Bank, Kintla Lake, Logging Creek and St. Mary campgrounds. St. Mary Visitor Center is now open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Apgar Visitor Center is currently open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This weekend the newly-rehabilitated historic west entrance station also reopens for the summer season.

Park trail crews are busy installing bridges and a number of trails are now cleared and accessible. Although severe weather and dense fog prevented plowing on Thurday, May 20, weather permitting, the west side plowing crew continues snow removal in the Big Bend area after a recent avalanche deposited 15 to 20 feet of snow on the Going-to-the-Sun Road (Sun Road). An initial or pioneer cut has been completed to the Triple Arches area where the average snow depth is five to ten feet between avalanche chutes and 15 to 20 feet in the avalanche chutes. The east side crew has been replowing from Siyeh Bend towards the East Tunnel where snow is approximately 20 feet deep.

Vehicles can currently travel as far as the Avalanche Campground on the west side of the Sun Road and to the Jackson Glacier overlook on the east. This weekend there will be no road work on the Sun Road; therefore, no road work restrictions are planned for hiking and bicycling access beyond Avalanche and Jackson Glacier Overlook. Hikers and bicyclists will be allowed beyond Avalanche and Jackson Glacier Overlook, weather permitting. All park visitors are reminded: To allow for spring Sun Road rehabilitation, the earliest possible date that the entire Sun Road can open to through-traffic across Logan Pass is June 18, weather permitting. All other park roads except the Cut Bank Valley Road are now open for motorized traffic. The entire Inside North Fork Road opened on Monday, May 17.

Construction crews are making progress on the Lake McDonald - Sun Road paving project from the Apgar Transit intersection to Avalanche Campground. Work started Monday, May 17 and is expected to take about three weeks. Work may be performed on future weekends except during the three-day holiday weekend honoring Memorial Day, May 29 to 31. Overlay road work will end at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 21 to accommodate traffic to Lake McDonald Lodge for the Spring for Glacier event. Visitors should plan for short delays of 15-to-30 minutes where overlay paving is occurring. With spring road work along with plowing, caution is urged on both the east and west sides of Sun Road as road conditions can vary.

For more information about Glacier National Park including lodging, things to do, weather, and webcams, visit http://www.nationalparktravel.com/glacier.htm. Remember that reservations are accepted up to one full year in advance, so make your reservations as early as possible.

The animal disease brucellosis is emerging in new “hot spots” around Yellowstone National Park, according to new research that could complicate efforts to control transmissions of the disease to cattle. Feeding grounds where food is left for elk as well as herds of bison inside the park have long been considered the main sources of brucellosis, which causes pregnant animals to abort their young. But Paul Cross with the U.S. Geological Survey said a third source is now emerging: Blood tests indicate large elk herds living far from the feeding grounds have brucellosis exposure rates ranging from 10 percent to 30 percent.

That means containing the park’s bison and getting rid of the feeding grounds might not be enough to stop brucellosis transmissions to cattle in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. The Yellowstone region has an estimated 100,000 elk and is the nation’s last reservoir for the disease. Over the last decade, cattle infections have appeared in all three states bordering the park.

“It’s no longer appropriate to say bison and the supplemental feed grounds are the only sources of contamination,” Cross said. Cross was the lead author of a USGS study published online Friday by the Public Library of Science. Co-authored by researchers from Wyoming Game and Fish, Montana State University and USGS, the study was based on more than 6,000 blood tests collected from Wyoming elk between 1991 and 2009. Since the testing began, Cross said disease rates increased dramatically in two “hot spots” - north of Dubois, Wyo. and northwest of Cody, Wyo. Both of those areas are far from the state’s 23 artificial feeding grounds. The study comes on the heels of another USGS report in March that found brucellosis rates on the rise across the region.

Prevalence rates increased from between 0 percent and 7 percent in 1991-1992, to between 8 percent and 20 percent in 2006-2007. Wyoming’s feeding grounds were established decades ago to keep elk separate from cattle in the winter. By providing elk with a guaranteed food source, it was hoped they would not eat hay left out for cattle. But the feeding grounds also facilitated the spread of disease. Montana does not allow feeding grounds. Yet state veterinarian Marty Zaluski said the same problems result when large elk herds congregate on private lands off-limits to hunters.

Zaluski compared the trend with colds and other viruses that spread quickly through facilities such as day-care centers. “You put any animals in close concentration, you’re going to exacerbate these disease issues,” he said. Representatives of the cattle industry - backed by members of the Montana Legislature - have pushed for the state Livestock Department to take more control over elk management. They argue that would be the only way to stem infections that can result in severe restrictions against out-of-state cattle exports. Livestock officials so far have declined the calls to intervene, saying elk fall under the jurisdiction of Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. In Wyoming, wildlife managers have driven down brucellosis rates for elk in some areas through a pilot program to capture, test and kill disease-positive animals at three feeding grounds. Where those efforts were successful, brucellosis exposure rates have dropped as low as 5 percent.

That’s versus 35 percent or more historically, said Brandon Scurlock with Wyoming Game and Fish. Expanding the program across the region would carry a steep price tag. The five-year pilot effort cost $1.3 million and removed 197 brucellosis-positive elk. That comes out to about $6,600 per animal.

Grand Canyon National Park’s greenhouse population of sentry milk-vetch (Astragalus cremnophylax var. cremnophylax) began blooming in early March 2010, representing a major landmark in the park’s effort to recover its only federally-listed, endangered plant species.                              

The greenhouse, or ex situ, population was established in 2009 to produce seed and plants for recovery efforts in the wild. There are currently 94 sentry milk-vetch plants in the greenhouse and they were grown from seed hand-collected from the wild. In 2009, the park also built a passive solar greenhouse for propagation and seed production of sentry milk-vetch plants. The greenhouse was funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through Grand Canyon Association, Grand Canyon National Park’s official fund-raising partner.

Sentry milk-vetch only grows in three locations in shallow soil pockets atop the highly porous Kaibab Limestone near the rim of Grand Canyon. The plant was listed as endangered in 1990; and there were only 1125 plants known to exist in the wild in 2009. According to the 2006 Sentry Milk-vetch Recovery Plan, the plant will be considered recovered when there are eight stable populations of 1,000 plants each. The species will be eligible for downlisting when there are four stable populations of 1,000 plants each.

Plants in Grand Canyon’s native plant nursery form the second ex situ population of sentry milk-vetch. The first was established at the Arboretum at Flagstaff, one of the partners in the sentry milk-vetch recovery program. Park scientists have worked closely with the Arboretum’s Research Scientist Dr. Kristin Haskins and Research Botanist Sheila Murray to incorporate their wealth of knowledge and experience into the Grand Canyon’s successful effort.

Park Horticulturalist Janice Busco, who is leading the park’s sentry milk-vetch recovery efforts, said, “Seed availability has been one of the limiting factors for recovery efforts, so it is an important breakthrough that we already have little sentry milk-vetch plants thriving andblooming in our greenhouse population that was started just last year. We will be pollinating the plants by hand, using techniques developed by the Arboretum at Flagstaff. As the seeds set, we will collect them for use in reintroduction trials at a restoration site near Maricopa Point starting in 2011.”

The largest population of sentry milk-vetch exists near Maricopa Point on the South Rim’s Hermit Road. In 2008, the National Park Service removed a parking lot there to provide additional habitat for sentry milk-vetch plants. This summer, the park’s Vegetation Program will begin a complex site restoration program in a portion of the former Maricopa Point parking lot to recreate the unique topography and habitat that this plant requires. In 2011, the park plans to begin experimental plantings of sentry milk-vetch plants and seeds produced in the park’s native plant nursery.

Vegetation Program Manager Lori Makarick said, “I was so excited when I first learned that plants in our greenhouse population were already blooming. This important event is a huge credit to Janice Busco and Student Conservation Association Plant Conservation intern Emily Douglas, who have worked so hard to start the greenhouse population and to tend these tiny plants. I look forward to seeing how successful these plants are in producing seed after they are hand-pollinated, and then being able to move forward from there with our recovery program.”

Martha Hahn, Chief of Science and Resource Management said, “It is heartening to me to think of these plants flowering in the greenhouse while we’ve been having these late snow storms in early March. The blooms on these plants are indeed a milestone in the recovery effort for this species, much akin to the start of breeding behaviors in a captive population of endangered animals.”

Grand Canyon National Park offers an abundance of scenic and photographic opportunities including vistas, plants, and animals. Grand Canyon is one of America’s most popular national parks, and reservations are accepted up to one year in advance for lodging inside the park. That being the case, it’s a good idea to make your reservations as early as possible when planning a trip to the Grand Canyon. For reservations and additional information about Grand Canyon National Park, visit National Park Travel.

Many Glacier Hotel is a historic hotel located within Glacier National Park, on the east shore of Swiftcurrent Lake. The building is designed as a series of chalets, up to four stories tall, and stretches for a substantial distance along the lakeshore. The building has a Swiss alpine theme both on the outside and on the inside. The foundation is made of stone, with a wood superstructure. The outside is finished with brown-painted wood siding, and the window framing and balconies have wood sawn in Swiss jigsawn patterns. On the inside, the four-story lobby is surrounded by balconies, whose railings are patterned after Swiss designs.

Many Glacier Hotel was built in the period between 1910 and 1915, when the Great Northern Railway was establishing a series of hotels and backcountry chalets in the park. This was part of an effort by Louis Hill, president of the Great Northern Railway and son of James J. Hill, to establish Glacier National Park as a destination resort and to promote the area as the “American Alps”. To this end, Hill chose a Swiss chalet style for the hotels and chalets. The Glacier Park Lodge (previously known as the Glacier Park Hotel) and the Many Glacier Hotel were intended to be the core structures, while the chalets and campgrounds were sited in the backcountry within an easy day’s ride or hike from one of the hotels or another chalet. The chalets were intended to entice visitors to leave the hotels and see the backcountry in a more rustic manner.

Today, the hotel still maintains its historic character, in part by not placing televisions in guest rooms. Most rooms either have views of Swiftcurrent Lake or the surrounding mountain scenery. Facilities include the Ptarmigan Dining room, the Swiss Room Lounge and Interlaken Lounge, Heidi’s Snack Shop, and Grizzly Track Traders Gift Shop. The hotel is a contributing property in the National Historic Landmark, Great Northern Railway Buildings district.

Many Glacier, named after the numerous glaciers on surrounding mountains, is a hiker’s paradise and an excellent place to view wildlife. If you’re visiting the area and looking for an easy way to get acclimated to the region’s hiking, then take a walk on the Swiftcurrent Nature Trail. This 2.6 mile loop around the lake starts at the shore south of the Many Glacier Hotel. The trail traverses a 400 year-old spruce forest as well as a 70 year-old lodgepole pine forest that was planted after a forest fire in 1936.

Before hiking in the Many Glacier area, be sure to stop by a visitor center or ranger station to pick up maps and learn about any trail closings due to bear activity. Many Glacier offers all kinds of adventure for the outdoor enthusiast including boat tours, horseback riding, mountain hiking, fishing, backpacking, photography, wildlife viewing and much more.

If you plan a visit to Glacier National Park this summer, be sure to make your lodging reservations as early as possible. Reservations for lodging inside the park are accepted up to one year in advance; and subsequently, many lodges and cabins sell out well in advance. For more information about Glacier National Park, visit National Park Travel at www.nationalparktravel.com/glacier.htm. If you’re interested in the Many Glacier Hotel, visit http://www.nationalparktravel.com/manyglacierhotel.htm.