I spent a full year planning a college course around the Olympic National Park, including a field trip of 4 days of camping and hiking. The shutdown happened just 4 days before we were to leave campus. It was clear we would have no access at all to the park or even to park campgrounds, so we quickly changed plans and went to the John Day Fossil Beds instead where public roads that pass the 3 sites could not be closed and we could at least glimpse the national treasures. The students were of course disappointed that we wouldn’t get to the Olympics, but were game nonetheless. “They can’t shut us down”! they said. We were still able to hike in the general vicinity and learn from handouts I’d obtained from previous visits and a library I brought on the trip. But we were confused by the removal of ALL educational information from bulletin boards at the sites. Why go to that trouble to deny people the opportunity to learn? The message felt wrong, like the shutdown has vengeance in it. That was the worst part of the experience - and clearly their choice. We’d like to understand that better.
Sincerely,
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
Some 54 million years ago, this entire region of Oregon lay beneath the Pacific Ocean. Within the striated rock, scientists have found fossilized evidence of more than 2,200 plants and animals and of great shifts in temperature and precipitation that may reveal clues to the planet’s climactic cycles. The park’s 14,000 acres are divided into three parts — the Clarno, Painted Hills and Sheep Rock Units — offering rugged hiking trails, spring and summer wildflowers, scenic drives, and of course, a museum of fascinating fossils to help visitors reflect on the planet’s long history.
State(s): Oregon
Established: 1974
“Our parks are a national treasure where our history and culture and flora and fauna are alive and thriving, thanks to foresight and dedication to preservation. They reflect our past and our future and we are tremendously fortunate to have each and every one of them. ”
National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!
Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.
You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.
In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!
Here’s your unique story page link:
{{ storyUrl }}-
Greetings from New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
This summer, my friends and I held our annual camping trip in New River Gorge National Park. As young adults, (some of us are still students) a lot of vacation spots are out of our price range, but public lands like national parks allow us to spend time together without…
-
Greetings from Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park
The Brown v Board of Education National Historical Site has been the homecoming of the 70th anniversary of the 1954 Supreme Court case that allowed equal access to schools to end segregation.
-
Greetings from Rocky Mountain National Park
"8 Facts About the Rocky Mountains The Guidebook Won't Tell You." The title caught my eye as I scrolled through the article online. "The Park is a wildlife paradise," it proclaimed, painting a picture of a world where nature reigned supreme, untamed and thriving. Eager to experience this wild haven,…
Preserve Our Parks
Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.
Donate Now