Little River Canyon National Preserve

08/04/2026

Don't forget about our National Photography Day Contest!

Do you enjoy capturing the scenic beauty of Little River Canyon? Would you like to share your photos with a wider audience? If yes, then you’re in luck!

📸 In honor of National Photography Day coming up on August 19th, Little River Canyon National Preserve will be having a photography contest. We invite you to submit your favorite photos that you’ve taken of the park.

📆 You can submit up to 5 photos per person, and you can submit photos that you’ve taken in the past year (July 2025-present). Submissions open on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, and close on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.

🤳🏼 All photographs must be originals taken by the individual submitting the photo. While you may utilize techniques such as long exposure, please refrain from applying filters, heavy editing, or using AI to make edits or create photos. Please submit only scenic photographs, including, but not limited to plants, animals, waterfalls, insects, and sunrises/sunsets. DO NOT send in photographs that include people. We can’t wait to see your amazing photos!

🏅 The top 3 photographs will be displayed on our page and in the lobby of the Little River Canyon Center during National Park Week (August 22-August 30). Please email your photos to Angela Bates at [email protected] and include your name in the body of the email and image file name.


*All submitted photos will become the property of Little River Canyon National Preserve and, as such, will be in the public domain and not subject to copyright laws.*

📸Photo Credit: Brittney Nelson 2025 1st Place Contest Winner!

08/01/2026

Ah, camping. Humanity’s ancient tradition of leaving a perfectly good house to sleep in a nylon bag surrounded by wildlife.

Sometimes spending a day in the wilderness isn’t quite enough to capture the feeling of a special place. Sometimes it’s exactly what you need. But if you’re ready to extend your adventure beyond sunrise to sunset, there’s a park campsite waiting for you.

From sleeping beneath towering trees to waking up beside desert landscapes, camping offers a chance to slow down, unplug, and experience parks in a whole new way.

Learn more about camping in parks: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/camping

P.S. The spider is also reconsidering its vacation choices.

Image: Screenshot of text that reads: “Whoever said ‘out of sight, out of mind’ never had a spider disappear inside their tent.”

07/31/2026

Happy World Ranger Day!

On World Ranger Day, we celebrate the dedication, courage, and commitment of rangers who protect and care for national parks and protected areas around the world. Rangers serve in countless roles, from law enforcement and search and rescue to conservation, fire management, interpretation, and education, helping safeguard the places, stories, and communities entrusted to their care.

The day also recognizes the power of collaboration among rangers worldwide, including efforts by the National Park Service to share knowledge, exchange expertise, and advance innovative approaches to protecting our natural and cultural heritage.

Today, we honor the rangers who answer the call to serve and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting these special places for generations to come.

Image: A close-up of a classic park ranger flat hat bathed in sunset light, resting on a rocky surface at Acadia National Park.

07/31/2026

On World Ranger Day, we celebrate the dedication, courage, and commitment of rangers who protect and care for national parks and protected areas around the world. Rangers serve in countless roles, from law enforcement and search and rescue to conservation, fire management, interpretation, and education, helping safeguard the places, stories, and communities entrusted to their care.

The day also recognizes the power of collaboration among rangers worldwide, including efforts by the National Park Service to share knowledge, exchange expertise, and advance innovative approaches to protecting our natural and cultural heritage.

Today, we honor the rangers who answer the call to serve and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting these special places for generations to come.

Image: A close-up of a classic park ranger flat hat bathed in sunset light, resting on a rocky surface at Acadia National Park.

07/29/2026

Us reading 306 replies of two strangers arguing in the comment section…

Grab some popcorn, folks, because this comment section is about to get wild! Well, more wild? Always observant, prairie dogs often sit upright on their haunches, on or near their burrow mounds, to scan for predators and monitor nearby prairie dogs as well as incoming internet chatter. Wow, Steve really went there. Allan said what?

Nix the popcorn though, grasses and leafy vegetation make up 98 percent of a prairie dog’s diet. For a bit of crunch, they occasionally eat grasshoppers, cutworms, bugs, and beetles. Nice. Well, not for the grasshopper.

Image: A group of small prairie dogs, looking out from the top of their burrow Badlands National Park. NPS/Nickie Wheeler

07/29/2026

The park is going to be doing a lot of ranger programs in the future! Please help us welcome Daniel Bowles to Little River Canyon National Preserve!
Daniel is an American naturalist, artist, and writer from Knoxville, Tennessee. He graduated from Covenant College with a degree in Environmental Biology. His work combines scientific knowledge, fine art, and storytelling to inspire appreciation for the natural world. Following college, he became a park guide with the National Park Service at Little River Canyon National Preserve, where he leads interpretive programs focused on wildlife, botany, outdoor recreation, and nature journaling.

As an artist, Bowles creates nature-inspired paintings and illustrations, often emphasizing conservation and the beauty of Southern Appalachian landscapes. As a writer, he has authored fantasy novels and nature-related works that blend adventure, mythology, and environmental themes. Keep an eye out for many upcoming programs at Little River Canyon!

NPS Photos

07/29/2026

Lunch break status: 10% eating, 90% wondering if anyone will notice you fell asleep.

Is it only Wednesday? Rocky Mountain elk are experts at the midday reset. After grazing in the morning, elk often spend their afternoons resting, chewing their cud, and conserving energy for the rest of the day. Until they hear the ring of a Teams call or an elk bugle…two very different sounds, but equally effective at turning a peaceful moment into an immediate state of alertness.

NPS Video showing and elk sitting, chewing, and closing eyes at Grand Canyon National Park. /R.Lane

07/28/2026

This quilt has crossed the prairie, passed through generations, and now has a new home in the park's museum collection.

Family tradition says Harriet Waldron made this quilt for her brothers, Andrew and Oren Smith. In 1870, they packed it in their covered wagon for their journey from eastern Iowa to southeast Nebraska.

The brothers established homesteads in Saline County, Nebraska, bringing with them the necessities of pioneer life, including this handmade reminder of family. Quilts like this one offered warmth, comfort, and a connection to loved ones.

The goose tracks pattern was a fitting choice for pioneers setting out across the prairie. Much like geese, homesteaders traveled long distances in search of a new home.

Over the last 156 years, this quilt has traveled across the country and preserved the story of a pioneer family. It was recently donated to Homestead National Historical Park by a descendant living in Hawaii. The quilt is now back in Nebraska, where its story will be shared with future generations.

Do you have a family heirloom with a story to tell? We'd love to hear about it!

NPS Photo/Hannah Boaz

07/28/2026

In 1866, Congress established six all-Black Army regiments (later consolidated into four) to help rebuild the nation after the Civil War and serve on the Western frontier during the Plains Wars. The nickname “Buffalo Soldier” is thought to have originated among Native peoples of the Great Plains, who compared the Black cavalry troops’ hair to the buffalo’s coat and their fighting spirit and endurance.

Buffalo Soldiers served with distinction for nearly nine decades, carrying out military duties across the American West. Their legacy is also deeply connected to the history of national parks. In the late 1800s, Buffalo Soldiers became some of the first park protectors, serving as early guardians of places that would later become part of the National Park System. They patrolled and protected areas including what are now Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park, enforcing regulations, protecting natural resources, and helping establish the foundation for today’s park ranger tradition.

For many Black soldiers, military service was a pathway toward full citizenship and equality, though their service also placed them within U.S. military campaigns that displaced Native peoples across the West. Their history reflects both the complexity of America’s past and the many stories woven into the landscapes preserved by the National Park Service.

Learn more about the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers across national parks and historic sites at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/buffalosoldiers/visit.htm

Image : Buffalo Soldiers in the 24th Infantry carried out mounted patrol duties in Yosemite in 1899. NPS

07/27/2026

On July 27, 1953, the Korean War Armistice was signed, bringing an end to three years of fighting on the Korean Peninsula.

Today, we remember the more than 1.8 million Americans who served during the Korean War and honor the more than 36,000 U.S. service members who gave their lives. At the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., 19 stainless steel soldiers stand among etched images of those who supported them. Dedicated on July 27, 1995, the 42nd anniversary of the armistice, the figures reflect the courage, sacrifice, and shared experiences of those who served in “The Forgotten War.”

Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/kowa

Image: The Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall and Memorial Parks.

07/26/2026

07/26/2026

When someone asks if you can carry a coconut and you’re trying to remain professional…

We regret to inform you that a barn swallow is not strong enough to carry a coconut. After extensive scientific analysis (also known as looking at the size of the bird compared to the size of a coconut), we have determined the numbers are not in the swallow’s favor.

A barn swallow weighs about 20 grams. A coconut can weigh 1,000+ grams. That’s roughly 50 times its body weight. European swallow? African swallow? Barn swallow? Either way, the coconut is going to need a different ride.

Fortunately, this tiny bird has other talents: incredible aerial agility, a forked tail built for precision turns, and the ability to catch insects midair like a feathered fighter pilot.

Final thoughts: Please do not ask the barn swallows to transport your coconuts. No coconuts. No regrets.

Image: Closeup of barn swallow at White Sands National Park who has heard this joke 10,000 times. NPS/Paige G.

07/21/2026

Do you enjoy capturing the scenic beauty of Little River Canyon? Would you like to share your photos with a wider audience? If yes, then you’re in luck!

📸 In honor of National Photography Day coming up on August 19th, Little River Canyon National Preserve will be having a photography contest. We invite you to submit your favorite photos that you’ve taken of the park.

📆 You can submit up to 5 photos per person, and you can submit photos that you’ve taken in the past year (July 2025-present). Submissions open on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, and close on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.

🤳🏼 All photographs must be originals taken by the individual submitting the photo. While you may utilize techniques such as long exposure, please refrain from applying filters, heavy editing, or using AI to make edits or create photos. Please submit only scenic photographs, including, but not limited to plants, animals, waterfalls, insects, and sunrises/sunsets. DO NOT send in photographs that include people. We can’t wait to see your amazing photos!

🏅 The top 3 photographs will be displayed on our page and in the lobby of the Little River Canyon Center during National Park Week (August 22-August 30). Please email your photos to Angela Bates at [email protected] and include your name in the body of the email and image file name.


*All submitted photos will become the property of Little River Canyon National Preserve and, as such, will be in the public domain and not subject to copyright laws.*

📸Photo Credit: Brittney Nelson 2025 1st Place Contest Winner!

07/15/2026

Join us on Thursday, July 30 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm for a Ranger-guided Plant Identification walk at the Beaver Pond Trail. The trail is rated easy and is a 1 1/2-mile loop. Free event! Please wear sturdy shoes and bring water!

NPS Photos

07/13/2026

Join us Saturday, July 25, from 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm for a Ranger Mini Weekend Bio Blitz program. Meet at the Little River Falls Picnic Area and the Little Falls Trail Head! We will welcome everyone to a trail-specific bio blitz as we seek to add observations of all species to our iNaturalist database. Advanced-level hike into the canyon, focusing on nature!
Moderate-Rated Trail. Free event. Please wear hiking boots and bring water!

NPS Photo

07/11/2026

Join us on Thursday, July 23rd at 10:00 am for a Ranger-led program: Field Sketching Above the Canyon at the Bridge Trail. Meet at the Little River Canyon Center and we will walk the Bridge Trail and draw as we go. All ages welcome. Easy trail! All supplies provided. Free Event!

NPS Photos