Grand Canyon Trails Closed Until Further Notice, New River Gorge Vandalism, and More
Your Weekly Dose of Outdoor News and Wild Inspiration, Week of January 13, 2025
Grand Canyon trail closure
A chlorine gas leak at Roaring Springs has forced the closure of all inner-canyon trails at Grand Canyon National Park, including the iconic Bright Angel, South Kaibab, and North Kaibab trails. While the situation is being addressed, the National Park Service has not yet provided a timeline for reopening these trails.
(1.17.2025 update: The chlorine gas leak has been stabilized, and crews remain on scene to complete the repair. However, Bright Angel Trail - below Havasupai Garden and Plateau Point Trail remain closed for waterline construction.)
For all of the details and future updates, you can find the relevant alerts and all future updates on the NPS site.
Can you read cursive?
The National Parks Traveler reports an intriguing opportunity to help preserve history: the National Archives is collaborating with the National Parks to call on citizens for assistance in transcribing old documents for modern archiving. The great news? No special training is needed—just your willingness to get involved.
You can register as a citizen archivist here.
Vandals sought in New River Gorge tagging
Crime Stoppers of West Virginia is seeking information regarding the vandals responsible for tagging trees and rock formations along Long Point Trail at New River Gorge National Park in December. The damage has sparked a call for justice, and authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying those responsible.
Yahoo News has a longer article with photos of the vandalism and information on how to report information anything that might be pertinent to the investigation.
Photo courtesy of New River Gorge National Park
Free Admission to the National Parks on January 20
Mark your calendars for January 20, 2025, when the National Parks will offer free admission in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This marks the first of six free admission days for the year.
Here are the other upcoming free days for 2025:
April 19 – First Day of National Park Week
June 19 – Juneteenth National Independence Day
August 4 – Great American Outdoors Act Signing Day
September 27 – National Public Lands Day
November 11 – Veterans Day
I'm new to this blog and find your info on "National Archives collaborating with the National Parks to call on citizens for assistance in transcribing old documents for modern archiving" very fascinating.
Thank you for informing us of this opportunity.