Events calendar

Annual Kane Christmas Bird Count

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Dec 20 7:00 am – 3:00 pm

Join us for the Bighorn Canyon Annual Kane Christmas Bird Count! Participants should plan to meet at the Bighorn Canyon Visitor Center in Lovell, WY at 7:00 a.m. The bird count forms are due back to the Visitor Center by 3:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome...

Holiday Open House

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Dec 20 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Join us for the Cal S. Taggart Visitor Center Holiday Open House, hosted by WNP.The event begins at 8:30am and continues throughout the day. Many select bookstore items will be up to 50% off. Come checkout our new mystery bags and enjoy tasty holiday...

Self-Guided Mission Tours

Tumacácori National Historical Park

Dec 20 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

9:00 am-5:00 pm daily, year-round. Available in multiple formats (audio, digital, or paper) a variety of routes can be explored through the mission grounds.

Fort Open to Plaza Access

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site

Dec 20 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...

Fort Open to Plaza Access

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site

Dec 20 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...

Garden Walk (West District)

Saguaro National Park

Dec 20 9:15 am – 10:00 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.

The GIANT Cactus (East District)

Saguaro National Park

Dec 20 9:30 am – 11:30 am

Saguaro National Park is famous for its gigantic saguaros. Still, you have to know where to look to find the real giants among giants. Join a ranger for a special off-trail walk to view some amazing examples of our saguaros. This program meets at the...

Guided Hikes on the Islands

Channel Islands National Park

Dec 20 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...

Tours of President Johnson's Boyhood Home

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

Dec 20 10:00 am – 10:30 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.

Ranger Guided Tour of Mission San José

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Dec 20 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...

Farolitos and Falling Mercury

Fort Union National Monument

Dec 20 10:00 am – 10:45 am

Find out how Christmas was celebrated by those at Fort Union and the local area. Includes the reading of a short story. 45-minutes.

Ranger Talk

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site

Dec 20 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.

Dec 20 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Get your holiday shopping done at our Mexican arts market, featuring hundreds of beautiful and unique handcrafted items from a wide variety of artists. Pieces available for purchase will include exquisite Mata Ortiz pottery, which re-creates the...

Ancestral Sites Trail Guided Walk

Pecos National Historical Park

Dec 20 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...

Guided Hike: Rinconada Canyon

Petroglyph National Monument

Dec 20 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

This volunteer-led hike will take you on the 2.2 mile loop-trail into Rinconada Canyon, where you will learn about the history of the area - from the geology that shaped it to the Ancestral Puebloans and Spaniards that left their marks behind to the...

Ranger Guided Tour of Mission San José

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Dec 20 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

Dec 20 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...

Winter Seed-Starting Chat

Chamizal National Memorial

Dec 20 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Join Eduardo Rascon, El Paso County’s horticultural expert from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, for a hands-on presentation on starting seeds in the winter. Whether you're a beginner gardener or a seasoned grower, this session will give you practical...

Living with Giants (West District)

Saguaro National Park

Dec 20 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...

The Junction School Visit

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

Dec 20 11:30 am – 12:00 pm

Learn what it was like to attend school in a 1912-era one-room schoolhouse where our 36th president started his education at the age of four.

Winter Holiday Celebration

Chamizal National Memorial

Dec 20 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Join us for a festive, hands-on ornament-making event inspired by the beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert. Families and community members of all ages are invited to craft unique, desert-themed holiday ornaments—perfect to keep as a memory or give as a...

Dec 20 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...

Garden Walk (East District)

Saguaro National Park

Dec 20 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Join a ranger for a short stroll through the cactus garden located outside of the visitor center to learn about the saguaro cactus and other plants of the Sonoran Desert.

Pueblo Bonito Tour

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Dec 20 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Join a park ranger 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.

Ranger Program

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Dec 20 2:30 pm – 3:15 pm

Visit the Visitor Center at Mission San José to explore a mission topic with a park ranger.

Showbarn Talk

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

Dec 20 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Come learn about ranching the LBJ way and get up close and personal with a Hereford!

Ranger Talk (West District)

Saguaro National Park

Dec 20 3:15 pm – 4:00 pm

Join a park ranger at the Red Hills Visitor Center for a theater presentation about Saguaro National Park’s unique cultural, historical and natural resources. Presentations vary daily depending on the Ranger hosting, but a few popular ones go over...

Sunset Hike (East District)

Saguaro National Park

Dec 20 4:45 pm – 5:30 pm

Hike up the Tanque Verde Ridge trail to get fantastic views of the sunset in the park. This hike is 0.5 miles round-trip on rugged terrain. Water, hiking shoes, and trekking poles are recommended.

Lamplight Tours of the Boyhood Home

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

Dec 20 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

In conjunction with Johnson City's community celebration of "Lights Spectacular," the LBJ Boyhood Home will be open for lamplight tours from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, November 28 and Saturdays, November 29, December 6, 13, and 20. National...

Night Sky "Star Party"

Chiricahua National Monument

Dec 20 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Join the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) for an unforgettable night under the stars! Experience the wonders of the cosmos as TAAA members share their telescopes, insights, and enthusiasm to help you explore the brilliant night skies above...