Want to go to Yosemite, Joshua Tree or any other national park or monument for free? Well, you can this weekend.

Yosemite National Park

By MARLA JO FISHER
The Orange County Register.com

On Veterans Day weekend, Nov. 11-13, 2011, all national parks and monuments are free to visit for everyone, not just veterans.

This is a great time of year to visit Joshua Tree National Park which is one of my personal favorite parks. Check out the Wonderland of Rocks, my favorite part of the park.

There are 392 national parks and monuments in this country, so there should be one you want to check out, don’t you think?

The fine print: *Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.

Some parks in California that you can get into for free:

Cabrillo National Monument

Death Valley National Park

John Muir National Historic Site

Joshua Tree National Park

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Lava Beds National Monument

Muir Woods National Monument

Pinnacles National Monument

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Sequoia National Park

Whiskeytown Unit National Recreation Area

Yosemite National Park

More national park deals:

if you’re 62 or older, click here to find out how to get a lifetime pass for $10

If you’re permanently disabled, click here to learn how to get a free national lands pass

Want to see about reserving a campsite? You can do that here on Recreation.gov

To create Trail View, granola bar makers Nature Valley and McCann Erickson sent a ragtag team of creatives and developers on a 45-day hike to get couch potatoes interested in the real thing and raise awareness of the national parks’ plight.

Photos from Nature Valley

Nearly a century ago, Woodrow Wilson created the National Park Service, galvanizing a widespread movement to preserve the country’s heritage and promote tourism. At the time, President Wilson could only have imagined the technological and organizational tools that would help achieve these goals. And, almost guaranteed, not once did he imagine a huge part of this effort would be brought to us by the makers of mouthwatering granola bars.

Funny how things change.

As it happens, General Mills brand Nature Valley has embarked on an ambitious initiative called Trail View to bring the parks experience to the indoors- and outdoors-oriented alike. “Nature is something you have to get close to in order to be moved by it,” says Scott Baldwin, Senior Marketing Manager at Nature Valley. “It’s easy to just show a picture of nature, but people want to have deeper experiences.” To deliver that deeper experience, the company sent content-gathering teams throughout the Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon this past summer to digitally capture 100 odd miles of each area, and replicate them online. Eventually, users will be able to experience, in real-time, a first-person perspective of hiking these trails, clicking on embedded points of interest along the way for pop-up information and videos. It’s a virtual hiking expedition anyone can take.

Although Nature Valley has long been a supporter of the national parks (it’s practically in the brand name), most recently raising money through its “Preserve the Parks” campaign, the company had been brainstorming ideas for how to do more to actually preserve them. The resulting concept, developed through agency partner McCann-Erickson, is a model for how marketers can make a useful contribution to a cause without over-branding it. In addition to removing the barriers to entry so people can experience these trails remotely, Trail View will spread awareness of the parks at a time when funding is low, and digitally record them for posterity.

Yellowstone

“This initiative lets [Nature Valley] stand for something,” says Leslie Sims, executive creative director at McCann. “They aren’t just pushing granola bars on hikers.”

It was only because of Nature Valley’s long-standing relationship with the National Park Conservation Association that the company was able to garner approval for the project. The parks are famously very protective when it comes to filming on their grounds, but the company approached each park individually and promised to leave zero impact on the environment.

Between March and June of 2011, Nature Valley and McCann-Erickson went to work, putting together a mixed team of talent for a project with many moving parts. The agency would need a content strategy team for web distribution, a design team that would also put together custom 360 degree photography equipment, a hiking team to lead the expedition, and a skilled camera person to shoot it all. The creatives would also have to participate in the fieldwork. Both figuratively and literally, there was a lot of ground to cover.

Editors from Backpacker Magazine agreed to lend their expertise in national park trails and lead the hikes. Content strategy firm In the MO came aboard soon after. The project required a team with best-of-class designers who would also be able to hike, so the agency recruited digital agency Your Majesty. In a meeting with YM co-founder, Jens Karlsson, Catherine Patterson, executive integrated producer at McCann offered this simple plea: “You’re the only ones crazy enough to do this, and you’re the only ones who can do this. Also, you’re going to get to hike your asses off.”

Grand Canyon

Everyone involved had to engage in four to six weeks of training to ensure that nobody would get dehydrated or otherwise crap out during the shoot. Each member of the crew logged 150 miles of mandatory hiking experience, done on their own time.

Because this initiative marks the first application of street view-style camera technology in hikes or on mountains, the cameras required specially designed backpack rigging. “A lot of equipment was involved,” says Mat Bisher, associate creative director at McCann. “There’s a good reason why street view is done in cars.” During a June test run in the Grand Canyon, the panoramic cameras fell apart and started melting during discovery. They were supposed to be heat-resistant up to 120 degrees, but not at sustained exposure to those conditions. After customizing the cameras further, the design team suggested saving the Grand Canyon for the final leg of the hike, where they’d know to anticipate the cameras falling apart eventually, rather than at the beginning of the trip.

The actual filming went off without a hitch, however, barring the occasional alarming grizzly bear scratch mark on trees. From a distance, the assembled masses would have looked like a caravan of settlers. The field crew from Backpacker Magazine (or “bear bait” as Patterson referred to them) headed up the front, setting the pace and keeping the operation environmentally sound. Shortly behind them were the agency creatives, who scouted locations and points of interest. The next wave included the tech team–who kept lenses clean, adjusted settings, and kept the cameras out of contact with each other–as well as master cameraman, Brandon McLane. Finally, trailing behind, was a sweeper team, who made sure nothing was left behind. Although some of the crew only stayed for shorter periods, the hike lasted 45 days total.

The biggest surprise along the way, according to Catherine Patterson, who stayed for the entire hike, was the sparse tourist traffic on the trails. “We anticipated having to avoid filming crowds, and blurring out logos when we did,” she says, “but there was hardly anyone hiking at all some days.” Seeing firsthand the lack of tourism in tough economic times only made the prospect of evangelizing the national parks more attractive to everyone involved.

The first stage of Trail View will debut online in February 2012. It will operate as its own platform, with an exploratory feel. Once utility is up and running, Nature Valley will add layers for user-generated content, social networking and mobility, and perhaps form partnerships with travel sites—encouraging visitors to actually take a trip to visit the parks. Eventually the company hopes to digitally map other locations and build an educational, curated layer to the initiative. “This is not just a piece of entertainment,” says Bisher. “We’re committing to an ongoing proposition.” As this proposition is aligned with the National Park Service’s original goals, Woodrow Wilson would have likely approved.

Saguaro National Park

from kvoa.com

TUCSON – Bioblitz 2011 is just around the corner and the National Park Service says they can’t wait for people of all ages to become one with Mother Nature.

“We’re going to have teams of people go out with scientists or experts and go out to count species,” National Park Service, Natalie Rose said.

Rose said the Saguaro National Park is one of ten parks to be chosen for this 24 hour species count and is a great way to allow everyone to embrace wildlife.

“It’s to remind people that there national parks are here for them. Their public lands are available, its thirty minutes away from home you don’t have to go far from vacation to go out and spend a beautiful day,” Rose said.

Scientist Cecil Schwalbe who researches reptiles and amphibians says this festival is a great way to educate and share his passion for nature with the public.

“From the scientists stand point, it’s an opportunity for us to share our enthusiasm about these creatures with the public and it’s especially gratifying when the kids come up, you get to show them these wonderful snakes and lizards,” Schwalbe said.

For more information on the festival, just visit www.nps.gov/sagu .

Yosemite Valley, CA– This year Yosemite National Park received $9.3 million from the Yosemite Conservancy.

“People are incredibly passionate about providing for Yosemite’s future,” said Mike Tollefson, Conservancy president. “Support for the park makes a lasting difference in improving people’s experiences and protecting it for future generations.”

More than 50 projects and programs received funding. Youth In Yosemite programs received $1.3 million for education, mentoring, wilderness exploration and park restoration.

At Tenaya Lake, one of Yosemite’s most popular summer destinations, $850,000 in contributions is restoring wetlands and improving beach access.

The 90-year-old fountain in front of the WawonaHotel was also rehabilitated thanks in part to Conservancy supporters.

Dozens of artists reach more than 2,000 park visitors annually through Yosemite Conservancy’s Art in the Park programs. Yosemite Theater performances at the Valley Visitors Center also entertain and educate more than 10,000 visitors each year.

Yosemite Conservancy is the only philanthropic organization dedicated exclusively to the protection and preservation of Yosemite National Park and enhancement of the visitor experience.

Written by tina.falco@mlode.com

The Grand Tetons National Park

By Mike White, DailyTitan.com

With its scenic views, bristling wildlife and good-old cowboy charm, the small town of Jackson Hole, Wyo. is more than just a home on the range.

As air travelers begin their downward decent into Jackson Airport, the only municipal airport within the national park, they’re treated to the picturesque view of the jagged Grand Teton Mountain Range.

The Jackson Hole valley sits at an elevation of 6,200 feet above sea level and is home to many wildlife including elk, bison, moose and grizzly bears.

The town of Jackson is part of a 97 percent government-owned preservation area including the Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park and the National Elk Refuge where over 7,000 animals hibernate every winter.

Beyond the wildlife, however, the deeply rooted heritage of Jackson unfolds around its visitors as soon as they arrive in town. Elk antlers in the form of archways are dominant decor marking the entry points of the Jackson Town Square. There, a Clydesdale-drawn stagecoach circles and paces the roads while the driver enthusiastically tells passengers about the Buffalo Bill Cody shootout that occurs every evening.

Down the street, a giant neon sign depicting a cowboy on horseback waving his hat catches your eyes as night falls. Underneath sits the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and Steakhouse, a well-known place to eat some of Jackson Hole’s finest food.

Buildings made of log and carved wood showcase the western architecture the small town prides. Bear, moose and cowboy souvenirs can be seen in every storefront; tourists can also find huckleberry jam and even chocolate-covered moose droppings.

A few miles north of town, photographers and hikers can take advantage of the sprawling scenery and its mesmerizing wildlife in the national parks.

Moose junction, near the entrance of Grand Teton National Park, is an exciting place for amateur photographers to snap off-shots when the moose come down to cool off or catch a drink in the river.

Photography enthusiasts will also be taken aback by the jagged peaks of the Teton Range, originally named “Les Trois Tetons” (The Three Breasts) by French-Canadian fur trappers in the 1920s, but later given the individual names Grand Teton, Middle Teton and South Teton.

Hikers can partake in the variety of trails at different skill levels the national park offers guests. Beginners are usually directed to the loop at Jenny Lake and if you hike a few miles up, you’ll find breathtaking falls. More experienced hikers can test their skill on the vertical, higher altitude formations.

For those who don’t hike or are looking for other activities, fly-fishing, kayaking, canoeing and even paddle boarding are other activities found at several lakes at the base of the Tetons.

But if you’re looking for something more exciting, whitewater rafting on the Snake River is one of the most favored activities of the summer season.

The scenery along the river banks, home to many bald eagles and osprey, is calm and serene until the water turns into raging rapids. The eight-mile stretch of river sweeps you away through several natural obstacles including rocks, rapids and fallen trees.

Some of the Snake’s most popular features are “The Big Kahuna,” “Lunch Counter” and “Champagne Rapids.”

The Big Kahuna rapid is known for catapulting rafters into the air before dropping them in the water and soaking them. Lunch Counter, which in the spring can become a class IV rapid, a rapid considered difficult with long and powerful currents, standing waves and whirlpools, has become a spot surfers take a liking to; many paddle out and ride stationary waves for more than ten minutes at a time. Champagne, unlike the others, is a turbulent rapid spilling out into deep calm water while sending millions of effervescent bubbles to the surface.

While river activities take up the spring and summer months, skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing supply winter travelers with plenty to do.

If you’re looking for a real old-western experience or just wanting to get in touch with some of nature’s most beautiful surroundings, Jackson Hole is the destination for you.

National Parks observe Earth Science Week. NPS photo

(Grand Canyon, AZ) – Grand Canyon National Park will celebrate Earth Science Week and National Fossil Day by offering a variety of special programs and events during the week of October 9 – 15, 2011. Earth Science Week promotes understanding and appreciation of the value of earth science research and its applications and relevance to our daily lives. Grand Canyon National Park is an ideal place to celebrate Earth Science Week, as the park is a natural classroom and laboratory for the earth sciences, and is one of the world’s most well known and most scenic geologic landscapes.

National Fossil Day is Wednesday, October 12 and is a part of Earth Science Week. National Fossil Day is a celebration organized by the National Park Service to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils, as well as to foster a greater appreciation of their scientific and educational values.

Grand Canyon National Park will offer a variety of other special programs to commemorate Earth Science Week. Daily Fossil Walks will be offered from Sunday, October 9 through Saturday, October 15. Fossil Walks begin at 10:00AM, meet at the patio behind Bright Angel Lodge and will visit a fossil bed containing the remains of a variety of marine organisms exposed near the rim of Grand Canyon. The programs will last approximately one hour and include an easy ½ mile walk.

Ranger evening programs offered during the week will be on the earth sciences. Evening Programs begin at 7:00PM and last approximately one hour and are presented in the Shrine of the Ages Auditorium. Topics include the geology of the canyon, the age of Grand Canyon rocks, caves, and weather.

On Tuesday, October 11, the park will celebrate No Child Left Inside Day as part of Earth Science Week by offering a special family-oriented Fossil Walk at 4:30PM, meeting on the patio behind Bright Angel Lodge.

The Junior Paleontologist Program, a self-guided activity booklet for kids ages 5 through 12, will also be available at Park Headquarters and Visitor Centers. Kids can learn about ancient life, complete fun activities, and explore some of the national parks that offer a look into the past in the Junior Paleontologist booklet. Upon completion, Junior Paleontologists will receive a Junior Paleontologist badge.

Grand Canyon Association, the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, will have a special sales promotion of 20% off selected geology titles in their bookstores and online at www.grandcanyon.org. Proceeds from sales benefit the educational, scientific, historical and research efforts of the National Park Service.

Superintendent Dave Uberuaga said, “Grand Canyon National Park is very pleased to offer special programs in recognition of Earth Science Week. The earth sciences are essential tools that the National Park Service uses to preserve and protect Grand Canyon. Participation in Earth Science Week is one way the Grand Canyon marks its heritage as the world’s most famous and most celebrated geologic locale.”

You can also follow Grand Canyon National Park’s celebration of Earth Science Week on Twitter at twitter.com/#!/GrandCanyonNPS. Park staff will be posting park geology-related information on Twitter throughout the week.

To learn more about Earth Science Week activities at Grand Canyon National Park, please contact Allyson Mathis, Science and Education Outreach Coordinator, at (928) 638-7923, or Donna Richardson, Deputy Chief of Interpretation at (928) 638-7835, or visit Earth Science Week.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

We have lived within a few hours of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore for more years than I can remember and have never been there until recently. We have been to the Indiana Dunes State Park, which lies within the national lakeshore, to lie around the beach and soak up the sun, but never really took the time to enjoy the surrounding beauty. (Need I say we were very young at the time?)

The Indiana Dunes is set up similar to Cuyahoga Valley National Park in that it is interspersed with the surrounding communities throughout the park. Unlike Cuyahoga, however, Indiana Dunes is more compact. It runs for nearly 25 miles along the southern edge of Lake Michigan, one of the largest lakes in the world. Bordered by Gary, IN on the west, Indiana on the east and Michigan City on the north-east, as its name implies, it lies totally in Indiana. It encompasses 15,000 acres which includes the state park.

Shaped from the last great continental glacier, the park landscape represents at least four major historic stages of the shoreline, making it one of the most extensive geological records. Four major dune complexes can be seen with the older ones inland and the younger ones still active. Besides the dunes, the lakeshore has bogs, marshes, wetlands, oak savannas, prairies, rivers, forests and swamps.

You can experience the highest dune in the lakeshore park by climbing the strenuous trail to the top of Mount Baldy. This is a moving sand dune that is ever moving inland. It is soon to bury the trees and parking lot on its south side. The south side is currently fenced off to visitors, as the numerous people traipsing over the vegetation are why there is so much movement of the sand dune. Without the vegetation to hold the sand in place, the sand dune continues its coarse inland. It was sad to see that in spite of the signs asking people to stay off that side of the sand dune, you could still see that not only did people walk up and down that side of the sand dune; they also broke the fence climbing over it. There is a path on the side of the dune that allows you to get to the summit and either head to the beach or climb to the top and view the fantastic lake views.

With numerous beaches available, there are plenty of opportunities to soak up the sun if that is your desire or to swim in the lake. The beaches are well maintained and draw thousands of people during the summer to enjoy the breezes and deep blue water. With this many miles of shoreline, there is plenty of room for everyone. Be mindful of the beach rules and the presence of riptides in some locations. Parking fees are often charged.

Birdwatching is a very popular activity in the lakeshore. There is an unusually high diversity of autumn birds in northwest Indiana due to the size of Lake Michigan. Many birds pass by and stop to rest on the shores. There are also a large number of shore birds that are not normally found in the Midwest because of the depth of the lake and the beaches. You can see bay and sea ducks, pelicans, loons, grebes, sandpipers and gulls, lots of gulls. The wetlands provide vital habitat for birds like herons, warblers, wrens, the American Woodcock, Swamp Sparrow and Sora. Everywhere you go you can hear the trills of the birds.

There is one campground in the national lakeshore and one in the state park. During the summer these can fill up quickly, but they do not take reservations so it is best to arrive early. Most of the sites are in a shaded woody area. Showers with hot water are available as well as flush toilets. Each site has its own firepit and picnic table. It is usually very quiet and peaceful.

Hiking is another popular pastime and there are many miles of trails ranging from easy to strenuous. These traverse bogs, forests, sand dunes, marshes and beaches. The Ly-co-ki-we Trail is for hiking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. The Calumet Trail offers hiking and biking options. The Marquette Trail is also open for biking. We brought our bikes with, but the weather was too rainy for bike riding. Wherever you go, though, you are sure to see great lakeside views, unique wildlife and rare botanicals.

Another great site to take in is the Chellberg Farm and Bailly Homestead. They are connected by a ravine-side trail that is beautiful. The farm is a Swedish farmstead typical of the 1890’s to 1910. You can watch the ranger feed the animals and on weekends, go through the house. During festival times there are people dressed in period costumes. The Bailly Homestead is a National Historic Landmark and was home to Joseph Bailly de Messein who played a role in the development of the Calumet region of northern Indiana. He was an independent trader in furs and was one of the earliest settlers in northern Indiana. The complex is the last remaining site of its nature in the Calumet region.

During the 1933 World’s Fair, five houses were built to demonstrate modern architecture, experimental materials and new technologies like air conditioning and dishwashers. These were moved to the community of Beverly Shores, IN in 1935 and are now on the National Register of Historic Places. We were disappointed not to get to view these as they are all being renovated presently and are closed. You can drive by them on Lakeshore Drive that runs along the lakefront offering rugged views of shoreline. Incidentally, you should see the other houses that are along this road. They are absolutely phenomenal. Not that they have anything to do with the national lakeshore, but they are still interesting.

Because it is a smaller park, there are many things you could see and do in a few days time. We managed to camp, climb Mount Baldy, visit the new Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center, the Chellberg Farm, hike part of the Inland Marsh Trail, drive down Lakeshore Drive and Beverly Drive (to see the birds), see some wildlife, eat some awesome food, and visit the state park and climb their dunes to capture great photos of the beach, dunes and sunset. All in all it was a wonderful experience and one we want to repeat very soon.

By Corie Marks

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Glacier Bay National Park, outside of glaciers, of course. But it didn’t take long to realize this Alaskan park is a birder’s paradise. From the “poor man’s puffin” to dwindling numbers of Kittlitz’s murrelets, I was rewriting my birding success.

And not in days, but in minutes.

“Did you see all the young Glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens) chicks?,” park Ranger Linda Lieberman asked as we sat on the day-cruise ship Baranof Wind just off South Marble Island. “For those of you who want to see Common Murre (Uria aalge), the light is shining on them over here.”

Not only were there Glacous-winged gulls and Common Murre — an upright standing auk that, with its snow-white chest and belly, resembles a penquin — but also Horned Puffins (Fratercula corniculata), Tufted Puffins (Fratercula cirrhata), Marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus), an occasional Kittlitz’s murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris), and Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla).

And it wasn’t even 10 a.m. yet.

Birds teem to Glacier Bay, thanks in no small part to its nutrient-rich waters — and insect-filled skies and seed-bearing forests in summer and early fall — along with its plentiful, and diverse, breeding habitat. Bird habitat in the park ranges from rocky slopes revealed in the not-too-distant past by receding glaciers to coastal rain forest and muskeg landscapes. In slender arms of the park’s waters, such as in Dundas Bay, extreme tidal fluctuations help churn up and reveal meals for many species. And the fact that the Pacific flyway makes a beeline across the park doesn’t hurt the overall species diversity, either.

There are an estimated 240 bird species in the park, and it seems like you see most of them on a day cruise from Bartlett Cove to South Marble Island 15 miles north and on towards Johns Hopkins and Tarr inlets, roughly 50 more miles of water up bay.

The surrounding landscape makes it tought to stay focused on birding. Horizon-stretching isn’t entirely an apt description, as from the deck of a boat the mountains seem to close in overhead, leaving a narrow patch of sky above. These are the sort of mountains you might pull from a Jack London novel or a passage from a James Michener or John McPhee book — rugged and heavily treed, laced in the morning by threads of cloud, and roamed by brown bears, wolves, wolverines and mountain goats. As a result, you want to scan the shorelines not just for birds, but for goats on the cliffs and brown bears fishing for salmon or tumbling rocks to get at the critters that lie beneath.

And no matter where you’re pointing your binoculars, once you hear the sharp report of ice calving from a glacier, you immediately look up to locate the new berg.

While terrestrial birders spend much of their time scanning trees, bushes, and even power lines for birds, in Glacier Bay you’re looking down onto the water’s surface to see what might be bobbing along at least as much as gazing overhead to see what might be wheeling over your boat.

South Marble Island arguably is the high point for day birders thanks to the rich variety of species to be spotted there. We spotted Common Murres and Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) clinging to the island’s rocky cliffs, tried to freeze-frame puffins zipping by through the air, watched murrelets dive for snacks, and looked up at the Kittiwakes and Mew gulls circling the ship to get a closer look at these odd beings floating on the bay and staring at the island.

The Marbled murrelets were particularly vexing, as they bobbed calmly on the water’s surface right up until the minute I aimed my camera at them. Then I was left with a swirl of water in my viewfinder as the birds had dived down and swam away with their strong wing-strokes.

But South Marble was far from the only place to go birding in Glacier Bay.

In August, bald eagles are readily visible, many with mottled fledglings in nests. During a short hike on Gloomy Knob we peered down into an abandoned nest that an eagle, perhaps confused, had built in the grass instead of in a tree. We could hear the sharp piping of a pair of eaglets in a more traditional nest, and a few moments later mom, or perhaps dad, came winging by on what we assumed was a lunch run.

Kayaking towards Margerie Glacier a little later during a week spent in the park we encountered Arctic Terns (Sterna paradisaea) and inqusitive Common Terns (Sterna hirundo), more Glaucous-winged gulls and Kittikwakes, and Pigeon Guillemots (Cepphus columba).

As the week went on we came upon what we could only figure to be a pair of Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus) and some Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) with their bright red, over-sized beaks seemingly guarding the mouth of Tidal Inlet.

Further on into the inlet we paddled towards hundreds of Black scoters (Melanitta nigra) — also called the “poor man’s puffin” by some for its somewhat colorful beak — in a raft stretching halfway across the inlet. The next day we counted Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca), somewhat small (compared to the Canada version) Brant goose (Branta bernicla), and a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) in Fingers Bay, while exploration of an arm of Dundas Bay the following morning produced more bald eagles.

As our trip was mostly on the water, we didn’t get to wander deep into the forests that rim the bay and climb the mountains cupping its waters. But among the terrestrial birds that flit among those forests are pine siskins, redpoles, magpies, winter wrens, and ubiquitous chickadees. A Steller’s jay raucously announced himself during a short foray we made into the muskeg forest off Dundas Bay.

A week is not enough time to come close to cataloging the park’s birds through your binoculars. There are several varieties of warblers, common Robins, versions of plovers, ptarmigan, grosbeaks, grebes, loons, and phalaropes and that’s just a short list of what we didn’t see.

But a week in Glacier Bay is plenty of time to check off dozens of species on your life list.

Cosmopolitan Bathhouse & Saloon

Back in the 1870s and 1880s, tourists who endured the long, bone-jarring ride to Yosemite Valley could enjoy some surprising amenities at the valley’s Cosmopolitan Bathhouse & Saloon. Although this unusual establishment disappeared into history 127 years ago, it left a remarkable legacy and a story well worth telling.

Concerned about the impacts of overgrazing, logging, mining, and other threats to the Yosemite area’s exceptional beauty and geologic resources, Congress set the land aside as a park in 1864 and gave it to the state of California to administer. This was eight years before Congress made Yellowstone America’s first national park (there being no state of Wyoming to turn the park over to), but well into the age of mass communication and aggressive tourism promotion and development. Within just a few decades, people throughout California and all over America learned about the wonders of Yosemite and developed a yen to visit the place. The transfer to state management in 1864, the end of the Civil War in 1865, the completion of the transcontinental railroad (1869), the construction of wagon roads to the Yosemite region, and other factors combined to create a Yosemite Valley tourism industry that grew at a rapid clip.

Yosemite’s hospitality industry began to take shape in the late 1850s and 1860s with the construction of several primitive lodging facilities, including Clark’s Station (1857) at Wawona, and Lower Hotel (1859) and Upper Hotel (later Hutchings House) in the valley. Transportation improvements and recreational infrastructure development also occurred at a fairly rapid rate during the 1860s and 70s. By the mid-1870s, Yosemite sported several privately-developed trails for horse and mule rides (few people were interested in hiking back then) and was served by toll roads that extended all the way into the valley. No railroad served Yosemite at that time, but a person living in San Francisco or Oakland could travel to Yosemite in about a day and a half if s/he was willing to endure a punishing ride on wagon roads and (prior to 1874) complete the last leg of the trip into the valley on a horse or mule. In those early days, a visit to Yosemite Valley (aka Yo-Semite Valley) was only for hardy, adventuresome people.

While riding trails and various other tourist-oriented enterprises opened up in Yosemite Valley during the 1860s, the valley still lacked decent lodging and related hospitality amenities as the decade drew to a close. Seeing a golden opportunity, John C. Smith constructed a building that introduced a new standard of quality when it was completed in 1871. Officially called the Cosmopolitan Bathhouse & Saloon (isn’t that a grand name?), but known simply as the Cosmopolitan, Smith’s establishment offered Yosemite visitors two prime amenities — hot or cold baths at any time of the day or night, plus a very well-stocked bar (Smith’s mint juleps were a favorite).

The clientele included some campers, but consisted mostly of well-heeled easterners, Californians, and foreigners lodging at the valley’s inns. All appreciated the Cosmopolitan’s special amenities, which included fine glassware, carpeted baths, full-length mirrors, delicate bath soaps, clean towels and linens, full-size billiard tables, a barber service, a ladies’ parlor, a gentlemen’s reading room, and even up-to-date newspapers. How all of the fragile stuff could have been hauled into the valley without breaking it, especially on the rugged 20-mile final approach, doubtlessly mystified many customers.

Yosemite Valley visitors very much needed the comforts that the Cosmopolitan offered. The visitor register that was kept on the Cosmopolitan’s porch beginning in 1873 contains liberal mention of miseries arising from dusty roads, insect bites, sick horses, foul weather, isolation, and various other afflictions. After long, wearying days of travel and sightseeing, perhaps in association with the discomforts of camping, imagine how happy Cosmopolitan customers were to have a libation to clear the dust from their throat, a bath to wash the dirt from their hide, and maybe a go at the billiards table to make them feel even more civilized.

By 1876, Yosemite was attracting nearly 2,000 visitors a year, most of whom stayed in the valley for several weeks at a time. At that time the valley had three nondescript inns — Black’s Hotel, Leidig’s Hotel, and the Coulter and Murphy Hotel (former Hutchings House/ Upper Hotel). The Cosmopolitan, which was located across the road from the latter, enjoyed a brisk trade. None of the valley’s rather primitive hotels offered amenities like those of the comparatively elegant Cosmopolitan. And except for the firefall (introduced by James McCauley in the 1870s), there were no significant competing diversions after the sun went down.

The valley’s lodging industry began shifting to a more modern footing in the 1870s and 1880s. Older structures underwent renovations and added new services. Prime examples of upgrading included the Yosemite Falls Hotel (later the Sentinel Hotel) in the Old Village area adjacent to the Cosmopolitan and the La Casa Nevada (between Vernal and Nevada Falls).

The Cosmopolitan remained a going concern into the early 1880s, enjoying a national reputation as a “must” stop for Yosemite Valley visitors. Many a Yosemite newbie was eager to add the Cosmopolitan to his “been there, done that” list.

An impressive number of impressive folks enjoyed the Cosmopolitan’s comforts. The visitor register, which is now in the Yosemite Museum, bears the comments and autographs of such notables as John Muir, Rudyard Kipling, William Randolph Hearst, Lillie Langtry, William ‘Buffalo Bill” Cody, and Presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, and James Garfield. (Theodore Roosevelt signed the register in 1903, long after the Cosmopolitan closed its doors.)

Unfortunately, the Cosmopolitan was forced out of business after a successful run of only 13 years. The State Board of Commissioners closed it down in 1884, just six years before Congress established Yosemite National Park. The commissioners had decided that any saloon in Yosemite would have to be operated in conjunction with a hotel.

The building that housed the Cosmopolitan was put to other uses for nearly half a century, but finally burned down on December 8, 1932. Today, few visitors know that the Cosmopolitan ever existed.

Postscript: A forthcoming Traveler article will provide additional information about the Cosmopolitan’s remarkable visitor register, the Grand Register of Yo-Semite Valley.

NATIONAL PARKS –National Public Lands Day is next Saturday, Sept. 24, and offers fee free entry into national parks.

The fee waiver extends to individual entrance as well as commercial tour entrance fees but does not include fees for camping, special permits, reservations, tours or use of concessions. It also does not cover fees for extended stay beyond Sept. 24 entry.

National Public Lands Day began in 1994 and is intended to encourage shared stewardship of our nation’s public lands. Today, NPLD is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance federal, state and local public lands.

Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park  and Bryce Canyon National Park are all offering the fee free entry Saturday.

In Grand Canyon National Park, volunteers and park staff will be working with the park’s Vegetation Program on native plant restoration and exotic plant control.

To learn more about National Public Lands Day, please visit the NPLD web site.