Get out to the national parks this weekend!

October 14, 2:16 PMNational Parks Recreation ExaminerRandi Minetor

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Dawn in Shenendoah (NPS photo)

Now that you’ve re-watched your DVR’d copies of Ken Burns’ documentary, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” are you itching to get out to the national park nearest you?

Try one of this weekend’s events in parks all across the country. Whether you’re looking for a slice of history or a long walk in the wilderness, the parks have events that will satisfy your craving:

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park: John Brown Sesquicentennial Commemoration (West Virginia)

From October 16 to 18, three days of public-education events will focus on the 36 hours of John Brown’s raid, which took place atHarpers Ferry 150 years ago.  The weekend will include music, drama, scholarship, living history, activities for families and youth, and ranger-conducted programs.  There will be book signings, a jazz show produced for the sesquicentennial, and a walk in the footsteps of John Brown and his raiders to which descendants of Harpers Ferry residents, militia, marines, raiders, and Brown himself have been invited.

Boston African-American National Historic Site: John Brown’s Boston

(Massachusetts)

On Saturday, October 17, join a park ranger from Boston African American National Historic Site on a 90-minute walking tour on John Brown’s connections to Boston.  Marking the 150^th anniversary of Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, this tour will take you to places where Brown met with the Secret Six and other supporters, as well as to prominent sites relevant to Boston’s struggle to end slavery.  The tour will start at 11 a.m. at the Samuel Adams statue in front of Faneuil Hall in Boston and conclude at the Museum of African American History’s African Meeting House on Beacon Hill.  The tour is free and open to the public. www.nps.gov/boaf.

Saratoga National Historical Park: Candlelight Tour at Saratoga

(New York)

Members of the Old Saratoga Historical Association in period costume, park staff, and park volunteers guide you through General Philip Schuyler’s 1777 country house. Light refreshments and period music follow the tours, which will be given from 6 to 9 p.m. on October 17 at the Schuyler House.  The tours are free; dress for the weather and bring flashlights.  

Valley Forge National Historical Park: Oneida Indian Nation Living History at Muhlenberg Brigade (Pennsylvania)

See skirmish re-enactments, camp life, and cooking and artillery demonstrations on Saturday, October 17, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Shenandoah National Park’s Annual Wilderness Weekend

(Virginia)

Celebrate America’s wilderness heritage at one of the largest wilderness areas in the Eastern United States. Shenandoah’s wilderness offers opportunities for solitude, scenic views, wildlife sightings, and glimpses into the past.  Experience

Shenandoah’s wilderness by hiking through it, or by looking into it from Skyline Drive.  Special events at Byrd Visitor Center, milepost 51 on Skyline Drive, include demonstrations by park trail crews and Potomac Appalachian Trail Club volunteers in the traditional tools used to maintain trails in wilderness.  Visitors can try their hands at using these tools and gain insight into the important role trail maintenance plays in protecting wilderness for future generations.  Short talks by rangers during the day will explore the history and values of Shenandoah’s wilderness.  

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site: Artist Patricia Rottino Cummins

(Iowa)

Painter Patricia Rottino Cummins will be the Artist-in-Residence

at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site from October 17 to 24. An art educator in Miami Dade public schools for more than 30 years, Cummins draws her inspiration from local landscapes, as well as from the vistas she has seen and photographed during her many travels and National Park residencies.  

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area: Spirit of the Mountains Photo Contest (California)

Now through October 31, the park will accept submissions of digital and print photographs for its annual Spirit of the Mountains photo contest. This contest has inspired many regional amateur photographers from the Southern California area to explore and discover new special places within the Santa Monica Mountains. For information on past winners and for directions on how to get involved in the contest, visit

http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/samo/photo/.  

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve “Schoolboat” Tours

(Louisiana)

At the Acadian Cultural Center at 501 Fisher Road in Lafayette, explore Bayou Vermilion on an old-time “schoolboat” with a National Park Service ranger.  Boat tours cast off Tuesday through Saturday at 10:30 a.m. now through November 28.  Call for tour prices and reservations.  More

information is available at.

Manzanar National Historic Site: Contemporary Photos by Tom Clayton

(California)

At nearly any event or program at Manzanar, you may see volunteer Tom Clayton capturing the moment for posterity. Clayton has taken more than a thousand photos of key moments and milestones at Manzanar.  His photos have captured the restoration of the camp auditorium, the reconstruction of Guard Tower #8, numerous archeological digs, and dozens of special programs and events, including the annual Manzanar Pilgrimage.  Now through December 2, in an exhibition titled “Manzanar: Light and Shadows,” you can see 43 of Clayton’s remarkable photos.

Steamtown National Historic Site: Fall Foliage Excursions (Pennsylvania)

Ride a steam-powered train through some of the most beautiful fall scenery in the Pocono

Mountains.  During October, train trips leave the downtown railroad yard for three popular destinations.  Visit the website for ticket prices and departure times.

More to do in the parks this fall:

Top parks for fall foliage Eastern

Top parks for fall foliage: Western