Category: National Parks

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National Parks Volunteers: Mount Rainier

The unsung heroes of the National Parks system are the many volunteers. Last year volunteers served over 70,000 hours at Mount Rainier National Park (WA) which would have been the equivalent of Mount Rainier hiring an additional 170 seasonal workers. In fact, for every National Park staff member working, there are 7 volunteers also putting in hours to improve our National Parks. This is a short video that shows the impact that volunteers have in the National Park system:

how to volunteer to help National Parks

If you have extra time, there are a lot of parks within the National parks system that could use your help. You can find out all the information you need to volunteer at the National Park Service Volunteer page. You can also follow the National Park Volunteers network on twitter and facebook. Also be sure to take a minute to thank the volunteers you meet at the National Parks for all the work that they do.

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Spiderweb Gate Crystal Cave Sequoia National Park

While the cave formations in Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park (CA) are undoubtedly wonderful, there is also a man made part of Crystal Cave that is bound to attract your attention. Before you enter Crystal Cave, you will pass through a spiderweb gate. With the cave formations all around, the spiderweb gate, which contains several hundred pounds of steel, gives the cave the feel of entering a haunted house:

The spiderweb gate at Crystal Cave sequoia National Park

In the center of the spiderweb gate is a spider that weighs in at 19 pounds and has the appearance that it is almost as popular to touch as Touching Rock:

The 19 lb spider in the spiderweb gate at the entrance of Crystal Cave

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Touching Rock Crystal Cave Sequoia National Park

When you get information about what is allowed and not allowed when exploring Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park (CA), one point that will be repeated is that you’re not allowed to touch the cave formations within Crystal Cave. Touching the cave formation damages them. When you touch any formation, oils from your hands are transferred to the formations which could inhibit their continued growth. Crystal Cave is a living cave and is still actively growing.

Since there’s certainly a desire by many people to touch the cave formations, there is a Touching Rock at the cave entrance which you can see and touch. This hopefully gets the touching urge out of your system (or at least allows you to resist while in the cave). Millions of people who have entered Crystal Cave have done so by first putting their hands on the Touching Rock:

the touching rock at Crystal Cave entrance in Sequoia National Park

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Cascade Falls Crystal Cave Sequoia National Park

About three-fourths of the way down the trail to get to the entrance of Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park (CA) you will come to the Cascade River and Cascade Falls. The Cascade River runs just outside Crystal Cave (not through it — Yucca Creek runs through Crystal Cave and empties into the Cascade River) and has a number of short falls that can be seen as you descend down the path which offer wonderful photo opportunities.

Cascade Falls near Crystal Cave

Middle section of Cascade Falls in Sequoia National Park

Cascade Falls near Crystal Caves in Sequoia National Park

The hike down the Crystal Cave trail to the cave entrance takes about 10 – 15 minutes, but you may want to add more time in so that you can spend some time taking photos along the way without being rushed.

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Crystal Cave Entrance Sequoia National Park

In order to enter Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park (CA), you will need to purchase a ticket ($13 for adults, $7 for children ages 5 – 12. The America the Beautiful annual national parks pass does not cover the cost of the tickets). These tickets are not available at the cave entrance. Tickets to Crystal Cave must be purchased at either Lodgepole visitors center or Foothills visitor center. At the parking lot at crystal caves, there is a ranger station where you will need to present your ticket before making a half mile walk to the Crystal Cave entrance. You are not allowed to go into Crystal Cave except within a tour group and the tour lasts approximately 45 minutes.

When you reach the bottom of the half mile Crystal Cave trail, you will be at the entrance of Crystal Cave and you’ll immediately see that you are in for an exciting tour. The Crystal Cave entrance is rather large with plenty of cave formations already visible and the sounds of Yucca Creek as it runs out the cave. You will meet your tour group at the entrance, and the ranger will go over vital information about the cave tour as well as what is allowed and what is not. Day packs are fine, but larger backpacks will need to be left at the cave entrance.

The entrance area of Crystal Cave at Sequoia National Park

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Marble Ridge Crystal Cave Sequoia National Park

Even before you get to the entrance of Crystal Cave at Sequoia National Park (CA), there are sights to see. In order to reach the Crystal cave entrance, there is a half mile walk down a paved path that descends the equivalent of a 30 story building (which also means you need to walk up it once the cave tour is over). Half way down you come to a sign that talks about Marble Ridge which can bee seen across the valley from where you stand. The sign states:

Marble Ridge: Beyond is the ridge of marble which Crystal Cave is formed. Behind you is an extension of the same outcrop. Steeply tilted beds of marble, schist, quartzite, and other metamorphic rocks trend northwestward across the upper foothills of the park. They are the remnants of the ancestral Sierra Nevada which was eroded to a low land long before the uplift of the present range. These rocks and the granite that was intruded into them may be observed along the trail.

Marble Ridge near Crystal Cave

Marble Ridge near Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park

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National Parks Free Days 2011 & 2012

One of the great things about National Parks, National Monuments, National Recreation Areas, National Preserves, National Seashores and National Lakes is that several times a year the ones that charge entrance fees offer free access days. The National Parks free days for 2011 are as follows:

Snow covered Bryce Canyon National Park in winter

January 15 – 17 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday weekend)

April 16 – 24 (National Park Week)

June 21 (The first day of summer)

September 24 (Public Lands Day)

November 11 – 13 (Veterans Day weekend)

The 2011 free National Parks days are good for entrance fees, commercial tour fees and transportation entrance fees, but do not apply to other fees such as reservation fees, camping fees, tour fees, or concession fees. While national Parks are already a great value, National Parks free days make them even more so.

The 2012 National Parks free days have also been announced and as expected, they are quite similar to the 2011 free National Parks days with the main difference being the June fee free day which in 2011 was the first day of summer, but in 2012 will be on Get Outdoors Day in June.

January 14 – 16 (Martin Luther King Jr. weekend)

April 21 – 29 (National Park Week)

June 9 (Get Outdoors Day)

September 29 (National Public Lands Day)

Nov. 10 – 12 (Veterans Day weekend)

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Hospital Rock Pictographs Sequoia National Park

While driving toward the large Sequoia trees at Sequoia National Park (CA), it’s worth making a stop at Hospital Rock to see the Indian pictographs (the largest Indian village within Sequoia National Park was located here). Simply park in the Hospital Rock picnic area and cross the street (just to the left of the paved road that leads to Buckeye Flat camping ground). There are about 10 steps (that’s all) that will lead you to hospital Rock and an area on the side of the rock that is protected from the elements and has bright red pictographs:

Hospital Rock pictographs at Sequoia National Park

Indian pictographs on Hospital Rock at Sequoia National Park

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Perched Over Grand Canyon

One of the most wonderful aspects of visiting National Parks are all the unexpected photo opportunities that arise. I saw this little bird perched in a perfect position to take in the wonderful view of the Grand Canyon:

Bird perched on pine looking over the Grand Canyon

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Difference Between National Parks and National Monuments

As you travel among the National Parks System and see the many different National Parks and National Monuments, it won’t take long before you will wonder to yourself, “What is the difference between National Parks and National Monuments?” This is especially true when you realize that National Monuments that may not be as well known as National Parks hold just as much beauty and awe-inspiring sights as their National Park counterparts.

Although there has not been a steadfast criteria over the entire period that National Parks and National Monuments have been created, there’s a pretty specific set of criteria used today. The main difference is that National Parks are created through acts of congress and must be large enough for broad use by the public. National Parks should have inspirational, educational and recreational value. National Monuments, on the other hand, are made through declarations from the president and have historic, prehistoric, or scientific interest.