Events calendar

Independence Day weekend at Fort Larned NHS

Fort Larned National Historic Site

Jul 5 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

10AM – Strike the Iron: Blacksmithing demonstration 11AM – Steadfast Springfields: Rifle firing demonstration 1PM – Flight Deck Life: a Navy veteran's experience on an aircraft carrier 2PM – Manmade Thunder: Artillery firing demonstration 3PM –...

Geology Talk

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Jul 5 11:00 am – 11:30 pm

Meet a ranger at the Fajada Butte Overlook to learn about the various rocks and minerals of Chaco. Learn why people have called this home for over 1000 years because of the unique geology found within the park. Program is free; no reservations are...

Evening Pueblo Loop Trail Walk

Bandelier National Monument

Jul 5 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Join a Park Ranger for an evening walk on the Pueblo Loop Trail and learn more about the Ancestral Pueblo people who made Frijoles Canyon home. Please meet in front of the Bandelier Visitor Center and bring water and comfortable shoes.

Evening with a Ranger

Great Basin National Park

Jul 5 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 5 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...

Lantern Cave Tours

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Jul 6 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...

Daily Cave Tours

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Jul 6 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 6 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 6 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 6 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.

Fort Open to Plaza Access

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site

Jul 6 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...

Alpine Ranger Rove

Great Basin National Park

Jul 6 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.

Gila Bird and Nature Walk

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Jul 6 9:00 am – 10:00 am

Grab your binoculars (if you have them) and join us on a walk through the wild Gila on a search for birds, wildlife and flowers. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring water. We will be walking around on trails and sometimes on pavement.

Cultural Demonstrator - Gary Roybal

Bandelier National Monument

Jul 6 9:30 am – 4:00 pm

Gary Roybal joins us from San Ildefonso Pueblo. His hand crafted traditional turkey calls from cedar wood, beautifully inlaid with turquoise and pipestone, and painted with ancestral designs. His creations are more than tools—they’re deeply rooted in...

Guided Hikes on the Islands

Channel Islands National Park

Jul 6 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...

Ancestral Sites Trail Guided Walk

Pecos National Historical Park

Jul 6 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 6 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 6 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 6 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 6 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 6 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 6 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 Guided Hike- Pueblo Loop Trail

Bandelier National Monument

Jul 6 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...

What is a Javelina? (West District)

Saguaro National Park

Jul 6 10:15 am – 11:00 am

You may have seen one, you may have seen a picture of one and you may have even smelled one - STINKY! Join an Interpretive Volunteer in the theater for a short program that will answer all the questions you have about Javelina and why IT DOES NOT...

Tours of President Johnson's Boyhood Home

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

Jul 6 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.

Ranger Guided Tour of Mission San José

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Jul 6 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...

Bristlecone Ranger Chat

Great Basin National Park

Jul 6 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Curious about Great Basin's alpine country? Anytime from 11am to noon each day, join a ranger in the Wheeler Peak Bristlecone Grove to explore the trees, the animals, and other aspects of the higher elevations of the park. Get hands-on with some of...

Guided Walk of Dwellings

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Jul 6 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 6 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 6 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 6 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 6 12:45 pm – 1:30 pm

Join us in the Red Hills Visitor Center to discover various plant species native to the Sonoran Desert and learn how indigenous peoples traditionally used them for food and medicine. Wheelchair accessible.

Battle of Glorieta Pass Talk

Pecos National Historical Park

Jul 6 1:30 pm – 2:15 pm

The Battle of Glorieta Pass was one of the most influential western battles of the Civil War. Join a park ranger for a talk in the historic Trading Post building and see how it played a role in this pivotal battle . Talks meet at the visitor center...

Visit the Junction School with a Ranger

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

Jul 6 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 6 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 6 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...

Pueblo Bonito Tour

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Jul 6 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 6 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.

Arizona's Wildcats! (West District)

Saguaro National Park

Jul 6 2:45 pm – 3:30 pm

This is not about the University of Arizona’s teams nor is it about your mom’s house cat! Join an Interpretive Ranger in the theater to learn about the four types of wild cats that roam not only Arizona’s mountains and deserts, but in some cases –...

Mission Espada Ranger Program

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Jul 6 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm

Join our free, daily ranger program at Mission Espada.