USA Today put together a list of national parks that now require timed-entry reservations. This is an attempt at crowd control at popular sites, and usually is just for the busy season, from around Memorial Day through at least Labor Day, and sometimes into the fall.
Some spots have had measures like this in place for a while. I’ll be visiting Washington, D.C. in August, and will have to select a specific time in advance to enter the
Washington Monument and
Ford’s Theatre
Cool parks for hot days
Beat the heat by going underground! Here’s a list of national park sites where you can go below the surface:
Jewel Cave National Monument, situated in South Dakota’s Black Hills, has over 220 miles of surveyed and mapped passages (so far). The space was first written about by a pair of brothers in 1900—Native Americans had populated the area way before that, of course, but there’s no record they ever explored it. President Theodore Roosevelt designated the cave as a national monument in 1908.
This is a free-free park, meaning walk the trails and explore the Visitor Center without cost, but the only way to enter the cave is through one of four ranger-guided
tours. Advance reservations are recommended, and you must follow strict rules for safety reasons and to prevent
White Nose Syndrome among the cave’s bats.
About 30 miles away, in Custer, is
Wind Cave National Park, which is closed through the fall for elevator replacement.
Kentucky’s
Mammoth Cave National Park is a
UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and
International Biosphere Reserve. At more than 400 miles, it's the world’s largest cave system. Again, no entrance fee is charged for the Visitor Center, grounds, or regular ranger talks, but cave
tours require a ticket, best reserved in advance.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico is so popular you now need a timed ticket to visit, which costs one dollar, as well as $15 to get in (save on national parks and federal recreational lands entrance fees by purchasing a
pass). Here, you can explore the cavern on your own, or reserve a spot on one of two guided
tours . Ranger programs include a
bat flight viewing, in which you may or may not see these creatures swarm out of the cave in the evening, and
monthly star parties through October. On the third Saturday of this month is the
Dawn of the Bats program, to watch the free-taileds return to their home down under.
In Utah is
Timpanogos Cave National Monument, undoubtedly known about and explored for thousands of years before Whites “discovered” it. President Warren Harding declared the property a national monument in 1922. Strenuous three-and-a-half hour main tour (https://www.nps.gov/tica/planyourvisit/cavetours.htm) during the short caving season include an uphill 1.5 mile hike from the Visitor Center to the entrance, and a tramp through three different colorful limestone caves. Additionally, two
early morning lantern tours, and an arduous Introduction to
caving excursion for those who don’t mind crawling on their knees, also are offered. All need booked-ahead paid reservations.
If the outdoors is more to your liking, check out these
tips from the National Park Service. Click on “Ways to Play Outside” to find places near you for water sports, hiking, birding, and camping, among other warm weather pursuits.
Where
not to go in the summer:
Death Valley National Park. That’s when temps average 100 degrees and often climb over 120 degrees. Save a visit for the other three seasons.
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Planning to move anytime soon? How not to get taken for a ride in my latest
article.
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“There is nothing new under the sun.”
Have you ever read the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible? What was your first impression? A real downer, right?
The quote in bold above comes from that book (chapter 1, verse 9). Written by King Solomon, Ecclesiastes can seem cynical or pessimistic, as he examines the seeming aimlessness of our existence. His conclusion, though, is this: life is to be enjoyed to its fullest, because it is a gift from God (3:12-13, 5:18-20).
