News & Events

Jewel Cave National Monument is excited to announce that Gib Young, professional Theodore Roosevelt impersonator, will be performing a living history program on Friday, July 5. From 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the visitor center, guests will be able to experience the Monument with the former President. Throughout the afternoon, Mr. Young will also be available for autographs and photos.

Although he never set foot on-site, Roosevelt declared Jewel Cave a National Monument on February 7, 1908 using the Antiquities Act. The cave was run by a private corporation until 1933, when the National Park Service began overseeing the Monument. Numerous changes have occurred over the last 110 years, but visitors can expect to be transported back to the early 1900s during this engaging program.

Roosevelt was passionate about the outdoors and is considered one of the great pioneers when it comes to protecting cultural and natural resources purely for the enjoyment of future generations. From 1906 to 1909, he used the Antiquities Act to create eighteen National Monuments, many of which later became National Parks.

The Park Rangers of Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center (HMERC) invite you to join the second Ranger Interpretive Talk of the summer: Agates of Nebraska: How they formed, where they came from, and how to find them. The talk is on Saturday, July 6 at 7 p.m., as part of Northwest Parks Talk Series program with the Nebraska Commission of Game and Parks, the National Park Service and the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands. The talk will take place at the picnic shelter by the fishing pond, next to Chadron State Park visitor center.

This year’s HMERC GeoCorps Intern, Anna Cooke, will discuss how agates are unique semiprecious gemstones made of microscopic silica crystals. These beautiful stones form in cracks and cavities in rocks and are set free when the rock around them erodes. Northwest Nebraska is a particularly good place to find agates. In fact, they are so common that agates have been named as Nebraska’s state rock and state gemstone.

Join BHPFA and the Black Hills National Forest as we hike to the Mt. Roosevelt Friendship tower to learn about the the friendship of Seth Bullock and Theodore Roosevelt.

To celebrate Smokey Bear’s upcoming 75th birthday, the National Grasslands Visitor
Center is hosting a travelling collection of historic portraits by artist Rudolph Wendelin,
who created the image of Smokey that we all know and love: ranger hat, jeans, and
shovel. .

To celebrate Smokey Bear’s upcoming 75th birthday, the National Grasslands Visitor
Center is hosting a travelling collection of historic portraits by artist Rudolph Wendelin,
who created the image of Smokey that we all know and love: ranger hat, jeans, and
shovel. .

To celebrate Smokey Bear’s upcoming 75th birthday, the National Grasslands Visitor
Center is hosting a travelling collection of historic portraits by artist Rudolph Wendelin,
who created the image of Smokey that we all know and love: ranger hat, jeans, and
shovel. .

For another summer season, Dr. George Clokey of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is visiting the Monument ... and, he is graciously conducting another skulls and tracks program. This lively activity engages kids and helps them earn their Junior Ranger badge.

If you ever wanted to learn about the wildlife living in the #blackhills, this event is just for you. If anything, have fun making your own plaster track before taking part in a guided cave tour. Whatever you do, July is the heart of the summer months ... #getoutside and #FindYourPark!

To celebrate Smokey Bear’s upcoming 75th birthday, the National Grasslands Visitor
Center is hosting a travelling collection of historic portraits by artist Rudolph Wendelin,
who created the image of Smokey that we all know and love: ranger hat, jeans, and
shovel. .

To celebrate Smokey Bear’s upcoming 75th birthday, the National Grasslands Visitor
Center is hosting a travelling collection of historic portraits by artist Rudolph Wendelin,
who created the image of Smokey that we all know and love: ranger hat, jeans, and
shovel. .

Most wildfires occur in July or August, making July a perfect time to talk about
wildfires. the National Grasslands Visitor Center is celebrating a Jr. Ranger Day all
about the importance of fire safety and prescribed burns. Special evening programs
will be given at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM, while a special hands-on activity will be
available all day.

To celebrate Smokey Bear’s upcoming 75th birthday, the National Grasslands Visitor
Center is hosting a travelling collection of historic portraits by artist Rudolph Wendelin,
who created the image of Smokey that we all know and love: ranger hat, jeans, and
shovel. .

Join BHPFA and the Ft. Pierre National Grasslands in celebrating pollinators. Activities include:

10:30 ‐ Pollinator Parade
‐ Kids bring your costumes*
‐ Adults bring your cameras
11:30 ‐ Garden Tour
Honey Tasting
Prairie Potters Master Gardeners ‐ Butterfly Gardens
DIY Native Bee House
Pheasants Forever – DIY Pollinator Ball
Discovery Center – examine flower parts
Ft Pierre National Grasslands – learn about butterfly
lifecycle and make butterfly feeder
Kids – color your souvenir flying disk, make antennae,
run the migration maze, make butterfly treat you can
eat

To celebrate Smokey Bear’s upcoming 75th birthday, the National Grasslands Visitor
Center is hosting a travelling collection of historic portraits by artist Rudolph Wendelin,
who created the image of Smokey that we all know and love: ranger hat, jeans, and
shovel. .

To celebrate Smokey Bear’s upcoming 75th birthday, the National Grasslands Visitor
Center is hosting a travelling collection of historic portraits by artist Rudolph Wendelin,
who created the image of Smokey that we all know and love: ranger hat, jeans, and
shovel. .