Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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This issue's photos and article from Margie Anderson highlight one of the "coolest" areas of our state: Payson and its nearby delights, including fascinating trails, water falls, cool pools, and well-known destinations such as the Tonto Natural Bridge. She reminds us all that we need not stay put in the Valley of the Sun all summer long. We have options. Wonderful, refreshing options! Land Cruising - Rainbow Bridge Gains Designation - The National Park Service has designated Rainbow Bridge a... Full story
At 5000 feet, Payson stays quite a bit cooler than Phoenix in the summer. Temperatures may reach the mid 90s, but if you're in a shady forest, it seems a lot cooler. We love to go to Payson, and started taking the granddaughters there years ago. There are plenty of good hotels and lots of great places to eat in Payson and the surrounding area, and there are great hikes as well. Tonto Natural Bridge One of the places near Payson that we love the most is Tonto Natural Bridge. It's actually more... Full story
The National Park Service has designated Rainbow Bridge a Traditional Cultural Property, recognizing the site's historic and ongoing cultural significance to at least six American Indian tribes, and establishing its listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Rainbow Bridge is the first site in Utah to gain a TCP designation. Stunning Beauty, Value "Anyone who has visited Rainbow Bridge can attest to its stunning beauty and unique value as an example of the geologic forces that have... Full story
WASHINGTON, DC, June 26, 2017 – America’s Great Outdoors is vital to the quality of life for most Americans and key to the nation’s $887 billion per year outdoor recreation industry. The federal government manages nearly one-third of the nation’s surface area, making it integral to the health of an industry that supports some 7.6 million jobs. The Outdoor Recreation Industry Roundtable (ORIR) urges support for federal outdoor recreation programs in the FY2018 budget now being crafted by the Con... Full story
Traveling soon? Spending time on the water makes any vacation special, and boating in Miami, Florida offers a beautiful way to spend the day. Miami offers so many places to see and explore from the water that after your visit, you just might decide to become a Floridian! Scenic Options Abound Miami offers many options for route and scenery. You may wish to begin your cruise in Biscayne Bay, where the skyline of Miami enhances the day with its color and art deco-to- modern influences. One of the... Full story
The 27th annual Grand Canyon Star Party will be held from Saturday, June 17 through Saturday, June 24 on the South and North Rims of Grand Canyon National Park. National parks such as Grand Canyon are protective havens for some of the last remaining dark skies in this country. Last year, Grand Canyon National Park announced its Provisional International Dark Sky Park status through the International Dark-Sky Association. This provisional status gives the park three years to retrofit two-thirds o...
Free fishing clinics will be held June 3 through 11 during National Fishing and Boating Week. (These give people the opportunity to try out this fun, family oriented pastime. Loaner fishing rods, bait and instruction are provided for free at most venues. Bait is provided and loaner rods are availablr for fishing events. On June 3, fishing events are at Lake Peasant Regional Park, Woodland Lake near Pinetop, Goldwater Lake near Prescott, Dead Horse Ranch State Park lagoons near Cottonwood,... Full story
A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 5,969,811 visitors to park name in 2016 spent $648,170,900 in communities near the park. That spending supported 9,779 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $904,315,700. “Grand Canyon welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Superintendent Chris Lehnertz. “We are delighted to share the story of this place and the experiences it provides. We also feature the park as a way to in... Full story
There are 90 wilderness areas in our state - a total of 4,512,120 acres. That's a lot of country! But what exactly is a wilderness area, what can you do there, and how does a place become a wilderness area? A wilderness area is a place where the lands are designated for preservation and protection in their natural state and where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by men (from the Wilderness Act of 1964). These lands remain undeveloped and no permanent improvement or human... Full story
Alexandria, VA - April 25, 2017 - Senior recreation industry corporate and trade association officials met with Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Monday, April 24, capping a full and encouraging day of discussions with administration officials. The meetings were organized by the Outdoor Recreation Industry Roundtable (ORIR) and began in Shenandoah National Park. Twelve hours later, the day’s discussions concluded in Zinke’s offices in downtown Washington, D.C. The eve... Full story
Grand Canyon AZ - Due to an unanticipated rockslide the National Park Service (NPS) will close the Colorado River Trail between Pipe Creek and the Silver Bridge for trail repair starting Monday, April 3 at 7 am. The trail will be closed to foot traffic and stock use. The NPS anticipates the closure will be in effect for a week or more while crews stabilize a retaining wall. Hikers can access Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground via the South Kaibab Trail during the closure. The NPS reminds... Full story
The success of Mexican wolf recovery across Arizona and New Mexico hinges more immediately on maintaining social tolerance than on genetic diversity, according to a recently published peer-reviewed study. The study was published in Biological Conservation, a leading international conservation science journal. In it, the authors, which include Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists, conclude that maximizing genetic diversity in Mexican wolf recovery must be strategically balanced against imp... Full story
Visitors interested in purchasing the Grand Canyon National Park annual pass can do so at any of Grand Canyon’s entrance stations and park headquarters building. This annual pass costs $60, is non-refundable or transferable, and is valid for twelve months from the date of purchase. This annual pass provides unlimited visits to Grand Canyon for the purchaser and any accompanying persons in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle or the purchaser and accompanying immediate family (spouse, c... Full story
Grand Canyon National Park is one of 21 national parks selected to receive a 2017 Active Trails grant from the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. Grand Canyon National Park has teamed up with Grand Canyon School to create the “Phantom Challenge.” Community members will strive to walk the length of Grand Canyon (277 miles) through events and activities that provide opportunities for families of all ages to walk, hike, backpack, snowshoe and bike the lengt... Full story
PARK AND RIDE -- The National Park Service (NPS) again offers shuttle bus service between Grand Canyon National Park and the neighboring town of Tusayan, Ariz. Service will will run through Saturday, Sept. 30 to help ease spring break congestion on the South Rim. Those taking advantage of the shuttle service can avoid entrance station lines and parking frustrations -- no lines, no hassles, no fuss. The Tusayan Route runs at 20-minute intervals between 8 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. dai... Full story
PHOENIX - S.H. ("Sy") Sohmer has been named director of Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park (https://azstateparks.com/boyce-thompson/), effective Jan. 29, 2017. Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park is part of the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, or CALS, and is managed in cooperation with Arizona State Parks and Trails and the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum, Inc. Sohmer brings to CALS more than 40 years of experience as a research botanist, university... Full story
Credit: Arizona Game & Fish Department The National Park Service recently announced the release of the Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement for Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The plan analyzes a range of alternatives and actions for managing off-road use of motor vehicles as well as on-road use of off-highway vehicles and street-legal all-terrain vehicles. Glen Canyon Superintendent, Billy Shott, said he is excited that the plan is moving forward.... Full story
Special UClimb Package for New Climbers Returns to Red Rock Rendezvous Climbing Festival Las Vegas, Nev. â âMountain Gear Presents: Red Rock Rendezvousâ is offering its special UClimb Package for first time and entry level climbers at its 14th annual festival on March 24-27, 2017. Throughout the weekend participants will have the chance to learn from some of the sportâs best climbing athletes though a variety of specialty clinics based on interest and ability, on-the-rock clinics and... Full story
Famed for its dramatic rapids and canyons, the Colorado is one of the most desirable whitewater rivers in the United States, and its Grand Canyon section – run by more than 22,000 people annually – has been called the "granddaddy of rafting trips". Grand Canyon trips typically begin at Lee's Ferry and take out at Diamond Creek or Lake Mead; they range from one to eighteen days for commercial trips and from two to twenty-five days for private trips. Private (noncommercial) trips are ext... Full story
As the National Park Service (NPS) prepares for a second century of service, Grand Canyon National Park celebrates the significant accomplishments of the NPS centennial celebration and looks ahead to its own park centennial in 2019. 2016 marked the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, offering an opportunity to celebrate accomplishments in Grand Canyon National Park and its surrounding community. Throughout 2016 Grand Canyon promoted the NPS Centennial goal, "to connect with and... Full story
A frog species in Arizona and southern Nevada does not need federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, thanks to the multi-partner conservation efforts of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other federal and state agencies that make up the Relict Leopard Frog Conservation Team. The Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that relict leopard frog populations are stable or increasing. The Service was petitioned in 2002 by the Center for Biological... Full story
On Jan. 10, more than 200 college students representing 13 countries will revitalize one of the most important historic sites on the Colorado River as part of an education and service-based collaboration between the U.S. Department of State's Community College Initiative Program and the National Park Service. International Exchange Program The U.S. Department of State's CCI Program is an international exchange program, administered by Northern Virginia Community College on behalf of the Communit... Full story
The Tonto National Forest began selling Christmas tree permits on November 16. Permits will be available at Cave Creek, Mesa, Payson, and Pleasant Valley ranger districts and at the Supervisors Office at the hours and locations listed below. Permits will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis until they are gone. Permits can be purchased in person with cash, check, or credit card. Customers will be provided a map that shows the designated cutting areas along with additional Christmas tree... Full story
Alexandria, VA – December 15, 2016 – The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) www.asafishing.org, along with other associations in the outdoor recreation industry, expressed support today for the nomination of Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) to be the next Secretary of the Interior. “In Rep. Zinke, President-Elect Trump has tapped a true leader and a sportsman to run the agency that oversees much of America’s natural resources and public parks and lands that are so important to fishing and hunting... Full story
Grand Canyon, AZ – Following a storm last weekend, and with a chance for more snow on Friday, visitors to Grand Canyon National Park should be prepared for snowpacked and icy roads. Visitors can expect temporary road closures and poor driving conditions whenever winter storms pass through the area. The National Park Service, Arizona Department of Public Safety, and Coconino County Sheriff’s Office recommend the following winter driving tips: Take your time and be patient. Allow extra tim... Full story