Events calendar

Jul 17 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

As we look ahead to the 75th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decisions in 2029, this exhibit reflects on how these annual milestones have been commemorated over time, and asks: Where Next? Featuring items from past...

Jul 17 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

The exhibit commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Anza expedition by exploring both the expedition itself and the environment the settlers found when they arrived in Monterey. Panels discuss the founding of Monterey, early buildings and...

Jul 17 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Salinas Pueblo Missions, in partnership with the park’s 2025 Artist-In-Residence Joyce Geier is excited to host a Sunset Photography Workshop on July 17, offering visitors a unique opportunity to learn about sunset photography with Photographer Joyce...

Sound Sleuths

Curecanti National Recreation Area

Jul 17 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

How many nature sounds can you identify? Stop in anytime between 6:30-8:00pm to test your listening skills and knowledge of Curecanti's wildlife.

Night Comes Alive (East District)

Saguaro National Park

Jul 17 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Half of the park is after dark! Join a ranger in the evening hours as night-prowling creatures begin to emerge. This program meets at the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center. After a short ranger presentation, you'll hop into your car and follow the...

Dark Skies, Bright Stars!

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument

Jul 17 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Join Park rangers and volunteers for a spectacular Dark Sky Event! As an International Dark Sky Park, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is proud to welcome you to the Abó Unit to experience the awe and wonder of the park’s pristine night...

Evening with a Ranger

Great Basin National Park

Jul 17 8:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Join a park ranger under the stars for an engaging and enjoyable story about Great Basin National Park. Mountain lions, wildfires, natural sounds, and bats are just a few of the many topics explored. Stick around and check our astronomy program, too...

Astronomy Program

Great Basin National Park

Jul 17 8:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Enjoy a double feature under the stars! Rangers will present 30-minute evening programs exploring the Great Basin and the cosmos, followed by roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes of telescope viewing (weather permitting). Programs will be hosted in the...

What's in a Name?

Curecanti National Recreation Area

Jul 17 8:30 pm – 9:15 pm

How do you even pronounce "Curecanti?" Join a ranger to uncover our unique place names and the history of the area.

Amphitheater Evening Program

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Jul 17 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Join a park ranger for a talk on some of the fascinating aspects of our park and its surroundings.

Lantern Cave Tours

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Jul 18 7:00 am – 10:45 am

Step back in time and experience Timpanogos Cave lit only by the flicker of lanterns on this ranger-guided tour to celebrate 100 years as a national monument! Discover what early explorers experienced as they traveled through the dark passages of the...

Dunes Discovery Morning Hike

White Sands National Park

Jul 18 7:30 am – 8:30 am

The Dunes Discovery Morning Hike is a one-mile, ranger-guided hike at Dune Life Nature Trail. This is a great way to start your day in the park.

Dunes Discovery Morning Hike

White Sands National Park

Jul 18 7:30 am – 8:30 am

The Dunes Discovery Morning Hike is a one-mile, ranger-guided hike at Dune Life Nature Trail. This is a great way to start your day in the park.

Daily Cave Tours

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Jul 18 8:15 am – 3:30 pm

Round trip, with hike time this tour is 3.5 hours. You are in the cave system for for 55-minutes and it walks through Hansen, Middle, and Timpanogos Caves. The caves are connected by two man made tunnels. This tour has Please make sure to read all of...

Garden Walk (East District)

Saguaro National Park

Jul 18 8:15 am – 8:45 am

Join us for a casual walk and talk through our ethnobotanical garden to learn some sharp facts about the Sonoran Desert! From the mighty saguaro cactus to the smallest flower, come let your curiosity blossom. This is an accessible program.

Garden Walk (West District)

Saguaro National Park

Jul 18 8:15 am – 8:45 am

Join us for a guided walk through the Cactus Garden where you’ll explore the fascinating natural history of the Sonoran Desert! Wheelchair accessible.

Gothic Palace Lantern Tour

Great Basin National Park

Jul 18 8:30 am – 9:00 am

The Gothic Palace Lantern Tour takes visitors into the beautiful and bizarre first two rooms of Lehman Caves by lanternlight.

Lodge Room Tour

Great Basin National Park

Jul 18 8:30 am – 9:30 am

The Lodge Room Tour is a 60-minute ranger-guided adventure through the Gothic Palace, Rose Trellis Room, Music Room, and Lodge Room of Lehman Caves.

Fort Open to Plaza Access

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site

Jul 18 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

The public is invited inside the reconstruction of Bent’s Old Fort, entering through the zaguan gate and into the plaza. Park Rangers will be present to explain the features of the fort and its 20 th century reconstruction. Entry into the...

Jul 18 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

As we look ahead to the 75th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decisions in 2029, this exhibit reflects on how these annual milestones have been commemorated over time, and asks: Where Next? Featuring items from past...

Cave Sim

Great Basin National Park

Jul 18 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Have you ever wanted to explore a wild cave but don’t know where to start? Or to understand the environment cave scientists work in? Then Great Basin National Park’s CaveSim might be for you! Come crawl and climb through CaveSim and get hands-on...

Junior Cave Ranger Experience

Great Basin National Park

Jul 18 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

The Great Basin Junior Cave Ranger Experience engages children and their families with the park's incredible underground landscape through hands-on activities. The half-day program meets at Great Basin Visitor Center at 9:00 am every Saturday morning...

CaveSim

Great Basin National Park

Jul 18 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

CaveSim is a fun, immersive experience for visitors ages 5 & up that makes caving accessible to a wide audience. Containing 140 feet of simulated cave passages, CaveSim was custom-built for Great Basin National Park and inspired by Lehman Caves...

Alpine Ranger Rove

Great Basin National Park

Jul 18 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Exploring the Alpine Lakes Loop or Bristlecone trails? From 9am to 3pm, keep your eye out for a friendly ranger ready to chat about Great Basin's spectacular high country. Occurs daily, staff and weather permitting.

Trash Blitz Cleanup at Arizona Telephone Cove

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Jul 18 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Come out to learn about the 7 Leave No Trace principles and how trash impacts our park. Help NPS Park Rangers in keeping Lake Mead National Recreation Area clean. All events will be from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Grand Palace Tour

Great Basin National Park

Jul 18 9:45 am – 11:15 am

The Grand Palace Tour allows visitors to experience the entire developed area of Lehman Caves on a 90-minute ranger-guided adventure through more than half a mile of lighted cave paths.

Guided Hikes on the Islands

Channel Islands National Park

Jul 18 10:00 am – 11:00 am

On days that the concessionaire boats run to the islands, guided hikes may be offered by national park rangers, volunteers, or concessionaire naturalists. If they are not available to lead hikes, self-guided interpretive trail booklets are available...

Ranger Talk

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site

Jul 18 10:00 am – 11:00 am

The Sand Creek ranger talk explores the events of the mid 1800's and describes some of the social, economic, and political factors that contributed to the Sand Creek Massacre. Please not that this program is a stationary talk, not a walking tour.

Ancestral Sites Trail Guided Walk

Pecos National Historical Park

Jul 18 10:00 am – 11:00 am

Pecos Pueblo sits at the site of a unique ecological and cultural crossroads. Join a park ranger on this tour to lear n a bout the Ancestral Pueblo , Spanish Colonial history, and the importance of this site to communities today . The tour begins at...

Ranger Talk

Montezuma Castle National Monument

Jul 18 10:00 am – 10:30 am

Learn about Montezuma Castle with a Ranger talk.

Ranger Guided Tour of Mission San José

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Jul 18 10:00 am – 11:00 am

Join our guided walks led by a National Park Ranger at Mission San José.Daily 10:00 am and 11:00 am (weather permitting).Each tour is limited to 50 people. First come, first served daily.San José guided walks begin at the Visitor Center at Mission...

Ranger Guided Tour of Mission Concepción

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Jul 18 10:00 am – 10:45 am

Join our free, daily park ranger tours at Mission Concepción.

Ranger Program at Mission San Juan

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Jul 18 10:00 am – 10:45 am

Join our free, daily park ranger tours at Mission San Juan.

Introduction to Caving Tour

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Jul 18 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

The ranger-led tour spends 1.5 hours in the cave and introduces visitors to low-impact caving skills, safety and etiquette. With a helmet and headlamp you are ready to experience Hansen Cave in its natural state. You will scramble over boulders and...

Geology Talk

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Jul 18 10:00 am – 10:30 am

How did the Black Canyon form? What kinds of rocks are these? Discover answers to these and other questions about this dizzying chasm. Meet at Pulpit Rock Overlook at 10:00 am. 20-30 minutes. Location subject to change. May be cancelled due to...

Ranger Cabin Guided Hike

Walnut Canyon National Monument

Jul 18 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

In response to rampant looting, and the destruction of Walnut Canyon's cliff dwellings, a United States Forest (USFS) ranger was assigned to Walnut Canyon to preserve the park's resources. Beginning in 1904, the assigned ranger lived in what is today...

Jul 18 10:00 am – 12:45 pm

Get ready for a morning of out-of-this-world fun! Young explorers will discover the wonders of dark skies and learn why protecting our night skies is important for people, wildlife, and stargazing adventures alike at the second event in our Junior...

Junior Ranger Program

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Jul 18 10:00 am – 11:00 am

Hey Kids! Learn more about Great Sand Dunes with a park ranger.

Ranger Guided Hike- Pueblo Loop Trail

Bandelier National Monument

Jul 18 10:00 am – 10:45 am

Join a ranger for a 45 minute introductory program on the first 0.25 miles of the Pueblo Loop Trail! The walk will begin on the back porch of the visitor center and finishes at the Tyuonyi Pueblo Archeological Site along the trail. From this point...

Tours of President Johnson's Boyhood Home

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

Jul 18 10:30 am – 11:30 am

Daily tours of the Boyhood Home explore Lyndon Johnson's childhood growing up in the rural, 1920s town of Johnson City, Texas. Tours start at the National Park Visitor Center in Johnson City at 100 Ladybird Lane.

Science Saturday - Build-a-Bat (Junior Ranger)

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Jul 18 10:30 am – 11:15 am

Join us at Swinging Bridge Picnic Area to discover how bats are adapted to life both inside and outside caves. We will also make our very own bats!

Guided Kayak Paddle

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Jul 18 10:30 am – 1:30 pm

July 18 Join Club Dauntless and Bighorn Canyon for a guided kayak tour! This excursion will be offered free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis for up to 10 participants. Up to 5 participants with their own equipment are welcome to join for...

Ranger Guided Tour of Mission San José

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Jul 18 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Join our guided walks led by a National Park Ranger at Mission San José.Daily 10:00 am and 11:00 am (weather permitting).Each tour is limited to 50 people. First come, first served daily.San José guided walks begin at the Visitor Center at Mission...

Guided Tour

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site

Jul 18 11:00 am – 11:45 am

Take a tour with a Park Ranger to learn more about Bent's Old Fort. Each tour lasts approximately forty-five minutes and begins in the plaza. Tours are limited to fifteen participants and will explore the historic use of the site and the...

Gran Quivira Ranger-Guided Hikes

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument

Jul 18 11:00 am – 11:45 am

Join our park rangers for a guided hike at Gran Quivira every Saturday at 11:00 a.m. These 45‑minute walks are open to everyone — no reservation needed. Bring plenty of water, pack a snack, wear sturdy shoes, and dress for the weather. Along the way...

Bristlecone Ranger Chat

Great Basin National Park

Jul 18 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Curious about Great Basin's alpine country? Anytime from 11am to noon each day, find a ranger in the Wheeler Peak Bristlecone Grove for an informal chat where you can ask about the trees, the animals, and other aspects of the higher elevations of the...

Saturdays with a Student Summer 2026

Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park

Jul 18 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Step into history—through the voices of those who lived it. Join us at Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park for a powerful summer program featuring former students from Topeka’s segregated elementary schools. Hear firsthand stories...

Guided Walk of Dwellings

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Jul 18 11:00 am – 11:45 am

Allow at least 30 minutes to hike up to the cliff dwellings. The trail leading to the dwellings is about 1/2 mile over rocky and uneven terrain with 180-foot elevation gain. Join a ranger on a 45-minute guided walk of the cliff dwellings to learn...

Visitor Center Ranger Talk

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Jul 18 11:15 am – 11:45 am

Explore a variety of topics about Great Sand Dunes. Topics posted at visitor center lobby bulletin board. (20 minutes)

Living with Giants (West District)

Saguaro National Park

Jul 18 11:15 am – 12:00 pm

The saguaro celebrates events and faces challenges throughout its life. A biologist explains how it provides shelter and substance for wildlife; when it flowers; its growth patterns; and how it fights for survival against drought, lightning, frost...

Jul 18 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

The exhibit commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Anza expedition by exploring both the expedition itself and the environment the settlers found when they arrived in Monterey. Panels discuss the founding of Monterey, early buildings and...

Sea Chantey Sing at Mare Island

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Jul 18 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Join us for a Mare Island Chantey Sing on Saturday from 12-4 PM. There will be two gathering places for singing - on C.A. Thayer in the below deck hold and in the historic Coal Sheds. Instruments are encouraged in the Coal Shed location, amateurs...

Jul 18 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Wagons and cowboys and Hollywood, oh my! On this ranger-guided tour, learn about the Santa Fe Trail and area ranching, with stops at the Trading Post and historic Forked Lightning Ranch House . This tour requires limited walking , but extended...

Visit the Junction School with a Ranger

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

Jul 18 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Meet a park ranger at the Junction School to talk about what learning was like for four-year-old Lyndon when he started his education in 1912. On April 11, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson returned to his first school to sign the Elementary and...

Lehman Caves Visitor Center Porch Talk

Great Basin National Park

Jul 18 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Join a ranger for a 30-minute program outside the Lehman Caves Visitor Center. Topics vary by ranger. Program occurs as staffing permits.

Ranger's Choice Talk

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Jul 18 2:00 pm – 2:30 am

Join a park ranger to explore one of the fascinating stories of Black Canyon, from human history to plants to wildlife. Meet at Pulpit Rock Overlook at 2:00 pm. 20-30 minutes. Location subject to change. May be cancelled due to staffing shortages or...

Secrets of the Skull

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Jul 18 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Become a wildlife detective and learn how to read the clues hidden in animal skulls. Discover how eye placement and tooth shape reveal what animals eat, how they survive, and the roles they play in the ecosystem.

Pueblo Bonito Tour

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Jul 18 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Join us on a guided walk through the largest great house in Chaco Culture NHP and learn about the people that called this canyon home. Tour will last approximately one hour.

Great Basin Visitor Center Porch Talk

Great Basin National Park

Jul 18 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Join a ranger outside the Great Basin Visitor Center for a 30-minute ranger chat. Chats are scheduled at 9:30 am and 2:30 pm as staffing permits. Topics will vary by ranger.

Mission Espada Looming Demonstration Program

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Jul 18 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm

Join our free, daily looming demonstration at Mission Espada.