Monocacy National Battlefield

06/10/2026

The Inside the Farms of Monocacy program for Saturday, October 10 has been canceled. We hope to run this program again in the spring.

Please keep an eye on our events calendar and social media for programs and program announcements.

Thank you to everyone who registered for this event.

05/10/2026

Today’s homework: thank a teacher.

National parks are places where students can learn about history by standing where it happened, explore science by observing nature, and discover stories that help us better understand the people and places that shaped our world.

Behind those experiences are teachers helping students ask questions, make connections, and learn about the world around them.

On World Teachers’ Day, we celebrate the educators who inspire curiosity, encourage exploration and remind us that learning can happen just about anywhere. (Including places with a really good view.)

Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/teachers/index.htm

NPS Image

05/10/2026

On October 5, 1864, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, surrounded by a number of his generals, gave a speech to a boisterous crowd in Augusta, Georgia. He stated that, "never before was I so confident that energy, harmony and determination would rid the country of its enemy..."

Did Jefferson Davis actually believe this? It's hard to say. By this point in the Civil War, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant had both Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia under siege. Atlanta, Georgia had fallen to Major General William T. Sherman on September 2, and Major General Philip Sheridan was moving the Army of the Shenandoah against Lieutenant General Jubal Early in the Shenandoah Valley. The walls were closing in on the Confederacy.

05/10/2026

Every day from October 12 to November 5, 2026, visit Mission San José's granary during park hours (9am-5pm) to view the mission descendant community's family ofrendas.

Ofrendas are an essential part of Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead. The word ofrenda means offering in Spanish. They are also called "altares" or altars, but not for worship. These altars are not only full of family pictures, but of symbols and meaning, honoring the ancestors who have passed, and offering them items of the celebration such a "pan de mu**to" and marigold flowers.

NPS Photo

04/10/2026

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” — Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables

And we’re rather glad there are national parks to experience them in. Fall is a great time to get outside and enjoy the spectacular spectacle (say that five times fast) of changing leaves. There is plenty of room for imagination when you find yourself surrounded by forests painted in brilliant shades of red, orange, and gold. In our experience, you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will. So consider this your invitation to find a little wonder, a little enchantment, and perhaps a kindred spirit among the trees.

Forests, woods, and shrublands in national parks put on their autumn colors from September through December. There’s a whole world of beauty waiting to be explored!

Image 1: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Image 2: Great Smoky Mountains NP
Image 3: Great Sand Dunes NPP
Image 4: Rocky Mountain National Park
Image 5: TheodoreRooseveltNPS

03/10/2026

“On October 3rd, he asked what day it was.” — Cady Heron

It’s October 3rd.

October is kind of a big deal around here. The autumn months splash many national parks with a rich array of fall colors, while cooler temperatures have wildlife getting ready for winter. Some are migrating. Some are gathering food. Some are putting on extra layers.

Same, honestly.

So whether you’re here for the foliage, the wildlife, or simply to judge the leaves on their color palette, national parks are a pretty fetch place to experience fall. Fetch? We’re making it happen.

And if you want to keep up with what’s happening in parks this season, you can find more ways to connect with your national parks at the link below.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/fall-season.htm

Image: Red Osier Dogwood leaves stand out against aspen trunks at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. NPS/Patrick Myers

02/10/2026

02/10/2026

Wherever military life takes you, there’s likely a park adventure nearby.

Active-duty military members, Veterans, and Gold Star families can get a free America the Beautiful Pass, providing access to national parks and federal recreation sites across the country.

Active-duty military families can also find free events, nearby outdoor opportunities, and resources for exploring national parks, public lands, and waterways through the Military Families Outdoors Program, wherever military life takes them. Visit: go.nps.gov/mfo

Whether you’re PCSing, exploring near your duty station, or looking for a weekend adventure, your next park visit may be closer than you think.

NPS Photo: Rangers at Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park recently teamed up with Blue Star Families and community partners for a day of fishing, outdoor fun, and family time at Fletchers Cove.

Blue Star Families Defense Public Health

01/10/2026

Fat Bear Week has officially lumbered to a close.

What a week. As they say, a journey of roughly 3,000 to 4,500 calories begins with a single salmon. Something like that. There might be some steps involved too.

In the end, 16 bears entered. Bear 89 “Backpack” became champion. Talk about the hunger games. And several ate their way into our hearts. Figuratively. And thousands of us humans spent an unreasonable amount of time judging bears for being excellent at being, well, bears.

It was a week of big bellies, bigger appetites, and absolutely no regrets. We shared some science, learned about the Alaskan ecosystem, stood around for hours watching large mammals eat, and found multiple way to incorporate “chonk” in everyday vocabulary.

Now the bears have more important things to do, such as eating then sleeping, a bit more eating, sleeping, and finally preparing to sleep after eating. As for the rest of us, we all return to our regularly scheduled programming.

Must we?

We must.

We will miss you, Fat Bear Week. Until next year: stay chunky, stay hungry, and remember: there’s always room for one more salmon.

NPS Images

01/10/2026

01/10/2026

Now that Fat Bear Week is over, it's time for Chunky Puppy Day! Tune in to the Puppy Cam tomorrow, Thursday, October 1, at 2pm AK time to find out how big the America's Best Idea litter got this summer.

How much do you think they weigh now? Share your guesses in the comments below.

NPS Photo: Graupel from the Weather litter during a weigh-in last year.

30/09/2026

This is the ideal marmot body. You may not like it. You may not understand it. But this is what peak performance looks like.

Now that Fat Bear Week is over, we’re returning to our regularly scheduled programming: other fat mammals.

The tundra-dwelling yellow-bellied marmots have been preparing for hibernation for the last couple of months. Since marmots spend more than half their lives hibernating, they’ve developed some impressive adaptations for surviving the winter:

✅ First, they’ve been building up healthy fat reserves (sound familiar? Bears. Us too, but that’s another post) to sustain them for up to eight months. Basically, a nice winter savings account.

✅ When they finally enter hibernation, they become true hibernators, slowing their heart rate from around 200 beats per minute to as low as 30. It’s an impressive energy-saving strategy.

✅ Speaking of saving, they also save on utilities by cuddling up with the colony in a communal burrow. Because heating is expensive, and roommates are the answer. Was that on the lease?

NPS Photo: A rotund marmot standing on a rock at Rocky Mountain National Park

28/09/2026

Tomorrow, September 29, is the birthday of local Frederictonian and Monocacy veteran, Bradley Johnson. Born in 1829, Bradley Johnson was highly educated, having graduated from both Princeton and Harvard by 1851. He passed the state bar the same year and was married in 1851 as well.

During the election of 1860, Johnson supported then vice president, John Breckinridge. When the war broke out in April 1861, Bradley Johnson sided with the Confederacy and raised a small company of about 30 from Frederick, Maryland. Known as the "Palmetto Flag Boys", they left town for Harpers Ferry, Virginia where the Confederate 1st Maryland Infantry was formed. Johnson was made the major of the regiment and eventually took over as colonel in the spring of 1862.

By 1864, Bradley Johnson had moved on from the infantry and was commanding cavalry. He was made brigadier general during the Monocacy Campaign and his troopers saw action during the fighting west of town on July 7-8 and launched the Johnson - Gilmor Raid on July 9, with fellow Marylander, Harry Gilmor.

Bradly Johnson survived the Civil War, returned to the practice of law and had a brief stint in Virginia politics. He moved back to Maryland, to Baltimore, in 1879, but left again following the passing of his wife in 1899. He remained in Amelia, Virginia until his own death in 1903.

26/09/2026

Today is National Public Lands Day!

Join Monocacy National Battlefield rangers and volunteers as they work on various projects throughout the battlefield.

Starting at 10am and running until atvleast 2pm, this event will occur rain or shine, so please dress for the weather and be prepared to get dirty! Volunteer forms and work gloves will be provided at the Monocacy National Battlefield Visitor Center.

The safety briefing and assignments will be made at 10am at the Monocacy National Battlefield visitor center. Afterward, volunteers will move to their designated area or areas.

There is lots to do, so we hope you can join us!

22/09/2026

This coming Saturday, September 26, is National Public Lands Day!

Join National Park Service rangers and volunteers as they work on various beautification projects and invasive species removals throughout the battlefield. This event will occur rain or shine, so please dress for the weather and be prepared to get dirty! Volunteer forms and work gloves will be provided at the Monocacy National Battlefield Visitor Center.

The safety briefing and assignments will be made at 10am at the Monocacy National Battlefield visitor center. Afterward, volunteers will move to their designated area or areas.

There is lots to so we hope you can join us!

14/09/2026

Waged 164 years ago today, the Battle of South Mountain saw the Federal Army of the Potomac trying to get over South Moutain in Western Maryland through several key gaps. One of those was Crampton's Gap, where the United States VI Corps was attempting to punch through to Harpers Ferry and relieve the garrison there. Though successful in breaching Crampton's Gap, the VI Corps did not make it to Harpers Ferry before the garrison was forced to surrender on September 15, 1862.

At the beginning of the Maryland Campaign the brand-new 14th New Jersey Infantry had arrived at Monocacy Junction on September 4. Two days later, with Confederate forces approaching, the 14th New Jersey retreated down the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and did not return to Monocacy Junction until the Maryland Campaign was nearly over. Upon their return, they saw the destruction done to the railroad and assisted how they could in rebuilding the bridges. They also dug and built the defenses of the bridges that a year and a half later would play such an important role in the Battle of Monocacy.

07/09/2026

Happy Labor Day from Monocacy National Battlefield!

The Civil War and the labor movement may seem like separate chapters of American history, but the people and ideas that shaped them often overlapped. Be it the Civil War or the Labor Movement, the people involved were more than willing to push for something greater than themselves.

The first Labor Day Parade was held on September 5, 1882. It was not until 1894 however that Labor Day was established as a national holiday. Congress established that Labor Day would fall on the first Monday in September, holding to that early September tradition established in 1882.

The efforts of the Labor Movement to fight for workers' rights and better working conditions can be seen during the Civil War era. This was particularly true amongst enslaved African Americans who often engaged in work stoppages as a form of resistance. Historian W.E.B. Du Bois actually referred to these forms of resistance as "general strikes". The strike was later used a powerful tool for reform by the Labor Movement.

02/09/2026

Step into 250 years of American military history this Saturday (September 5) at Monocacy National Battlefield! https://ow.ly/RfxT50ZI1ky

Experience it all through living history camps, historic equipment, guest presentations and artillery and infantry demonstrations.

Schedule:

10 a.m. Camps open and the first artillery and infantry demonstration begins

11 a.m. Guest speaker in the presentation tent

Noon Artillery and infantry firing demonstration

1 p.m. Guest speaker in the presentation tent

3 p.m. Final artillery and infantry firing demonstration

Additional talks, activities and displays will take place throughout the day in the camps.

This event is free and open to the public.

31/08/2026

This Saturday, September 5, Monocacy National Battlefield will host Troops through Time! A timeliness event featuring multiple eras of military history.

This is a unique opportunity to interact with living history presenters, speakers and equipment from 250 years of American history. Camps open at 10am, we hope you can join us!

Saturday - September 5, 2026

10am - Camps open. The first artillery and infantry demonstration kicks off the day.

11am - Our first guest speaker under the presentation tent.

12pm - Firing Demonstration with artillery and infantry.

1pm - Guest speaker under the presentation tent.

3pm - Final firing demonstration with artillery and infantry.

Talks and displays will be occurring throughout the day in the camps.

31/08/2026

The High Water Trail and Ford Loop Trail at Worthington Farm (Tour Stop 2) will be closed today (8/31) from 9:30 am to noon for conservation activities.

Please use this time to enjoy other trails at the Battlefield!