Jason Cochran

Stuff you never knew you never knew

National Park Service logo from Wind Cave National Park

Some rangers are still searching for Twitter instructions in their Mission 66 manuals (NPS crest at Wind Cave NP in South Dakota)

Last update: 14 October 2012

Many National Parks and National Historic Sites have joined Twitter, and the daily outpouring of American history, alluring photos, and new discoveries at the parks near you makes for a good addition to your stream which, if it’s like mine, spends too much time stomping around in kittycat images and tech complaints.

A few of the wiser managers at the National Park Service are trying to get its rangers to tweet, and interestingly, staff interest is rising even as the budget is falling.

Far from being boring tickers about road closures and forest fire risk, many of the National Park Service streams are often tended by people who get really excited about nature and history. For example, the African Burial Ground (a delightfully active one for such a small site) might share a resource for researching your slave ancestors in Virginia or link to a database that details the machinations of the slave trade. Other feeds may be manned by rangers who can answer history questions for you.

What’s missing? Many Civil War battlefields, despite the fact we are now amidst the 150th anniversary of the war. Also, some rangers, despite being the foremost authorities on their turf, rely on volunteer organizations to do the heavy lifting; that’s the case with Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park, an otherwise good feed. Others seem to lack overseers with passion or funds: The omnibus @NPS_CivilWar account, untouched since late September 2011, is not cutting it.

In general, natural sites get more attention than historic or cultural ones. Where’s Jimmy Carter National Historic Site? Manzanar National Historic Site? Where’s the Carl Sandburg Home, Frederick Douglass’ house? Mount Rushmore, despite having four big mouths, is mute.

Twitter is an opportunity to spread our shared history. It’s a digital version of an oral tradition. That’s why the Library of Congress is preserving every public tweet sent. (I went to the bowels of the Madison building, where they’re kept, and I made a video of the visit.)

If you know of more excellent NPS streams (only official ones, please, and I’m leaving out accounts used for non-edifying fire warnings and winter road alerts), add them to the comments section and I’ll update the list.

There are some abandoned accounts and some clunkers in here — if your favorite park is letting its Twitter stream die, tell the rangers to spread the love. After all, if our park rangers aren’t willing to share the stories of the sites they care for, who will?

Northeast

Acadia National Park, Maine: @AcadiaNPS
African Burial Ground National Monument, New York: @AFBurialGrndNPS
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Pennsylvania: @AlleghPortNPS
Assateague National Seashore, Maryland: @AssateagueNPS
Boston African American National Historic Site, Massachusetts: @BOAFNPS
Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts: @CapeCodNPS
Castle Clinton National Monument, New York: @CastleClinton
Clara Barton National Historic Site, Maryland: @ClaraBartonNPS
C&O Canal National Historical Park, DC, Maryland & Virginia: @CHOHTrails
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Pennsylvania & New Jersey: @DelWaterGapNPS
Federal Hall National Memorial, New York: @FederalHallNPS
Fire Island National Seashore, New York: @FireIslandNPS
Fort McHenry National Historic Site, Maryland: @FtMcHenryNPS
Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Pennsylvania: @FtNecessityNPS
Gateway National Recreation Area, New York: @GatewayNPS
General Grant National Memorial (Grant’s Tomb), New York: @GrantsTombNPS
Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania: @GettysburgNMP
Glen Echo Park, Maryland: @GlenEchoParkNPS (also see @NPSGWMP)
Governors Island National Monument, New York: @GovIslandNPS
Ellis Island, New York & New Jersey: @EllisIslandNPS
Hamilton Grange National Monument, New York: @HamiltonGrngNPS
Hampton National Historic Site, Maryland: @HamptonNPS
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Sites, New York: @NPS_HydePark
Independence National Historical Park, Pennsylvania: @IndependenceNHP
Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Pennsylvania: @JohnstownFldNPS
Lowell National Historic Park, Massachusetts: @Lowell_NPS
Morristown National Historic Park, New Jersey: @MorristownNPS
National Capital Parks-East (13 DC-area sites including Greenbelt and Anacostia): @DCParksEastNPS
New York Harbor (10 area sites): @NYHarborPrksNPS
Northeast NPS Museum Collections: @NPS_NMSC
Northeast Region (76 parks, Maine to Virginia): @NatlParkSvcNER
Rock Creek Park National Park, Washington D.C.: @RockCreekNPS
Roger Williams National Memorial, Rhode Island: @RogerWilliamsNM
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, New York: @SagamoreHillNHS
St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site, New York: @StPaulChurchNPS
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, New Hampshire: @SaintGaudensNHS
Salem Maritime National Historic Site, Massachusetts: @SalemMartimeNPS
Statue of Liberty National Monument, New York: @StatueLibrtyNPS
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace, New York: @TRBirthplaceNPS
Thomas Edison National Historical Park, New Jersey: @ThomasEdisonNHP
Thomas Stone National Historic Site, Maryland: @ThomasStoneNHS
Valley Forge National Historic Park, Pennsylvania: @ValleyForgeNHP
Weir Farm National Historic Site, Connecticut: @WeirFarmNPS
Women’s Rights National Historical Park, New York: @WomensRightsNHP

Southeast

Arlington House National Memorial (Robert E. Lee Memorial), Virginia: @ArlingtonNPS
Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida: @BiCyNPres
Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, Tennessee & Kentucky: @BigSouthForkNRR
Biscayne National Park, Florida: @BiscayneNPS
Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina: @CapeHatterasNPS
Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina: @CapeLookoutNPS
Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, South Carolina: @PinckneyNPS
Castillo De San Marcos National Monument, Florida: @CastilloNPS
Colonial National Historical Park, Virginia: @ColonialParkNPS
Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida: @DryTortugasNPS
Everglades National Park, Florida: @EvergladesNPS
Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania County National Military Park, Virginia: @FredSpotNPS
Fort Donelson National Battlefield, Tennessee: @FortDonelsonNPS
Fort Pulaski National Monument, Georgia: @FortPulaskiNPS
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, North Carolina: @FortRaleighNPS
Fort Sumter National Monument, South Carolina: @FtSumterNPS
George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Virginia: @NPSGeWa
George Washington Memorial Parkway, Virginia & Maryland: @NPSGWMP
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee: @SmokiesRoadsNPS
Gulf Island National Seashore, Florida & Mississippi: @GulfIslandNPS
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia & Maryland: @HarpersFerryNPS
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia: @KennesawNPS
Manassas National Battlefield Park, Virginia: @ManassasNPS
Natchez National Historical Park, Mississippi: @NatchezNPS
Obed Wild & Scenic River, Tennessee: @ObedWSR
Petersburg National Battlefield, Virginia: @PetersburgNPS
Prince William Forest Park, Virginia: @PWForestPark
Richmond National Battlefield Park, Virginia: @RichmondNPS
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia: @ShenandoahNPS
Shiloh National Military Park, Tennessee & Mississippi: @ShilohNPS
Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, Virginia, DC & Maryland: @SSBTrail
Stones River National Battlefield, Tennessee: @StonesRiverNPS
Timucuan National Preserve, Florida: @TimucuanNPS
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Virginia: @Wolf_Trap_NPS
Wright Brothers National Memorial, North Carolina: @WrightBrosNPS

Midwest and Rockies

Amistad National Recreation Area, Texas: @AmistadNPS
Bear Paw Battlefield, Montana: @BearPawNPS
Big Hole Battlefield, Montana: @BigHoleNPS
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado: @BlackCanyonNPS
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Montana & Wyoming: @BighornCanynNRA
Buffalo National River, Arkansas: @BuffaloNPS
Cane River Creole National Historical Park, Louisiana: @CaneRiverCreole
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah: @CapitolReefNPS
Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Oklahoma: @ChickasawNPS
Curecanti National Recreation Area, Colorado: @CurecantiNPS
Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming: @TowerRanger
Dinosaur National Monument, Utah & Colorado: @DinosaurNPS
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado: @FlorissantNPS
Fort Smith National Historic Site, Arkansas: @FortSmithNHS
Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska: @GlacierBayNPS
Glacier National Park, Montana: @glaciernps
Grand Portage National Monument, Minnesota: @NPSGrPo
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming: @GrandTetonNPS
Harry S Truman National Historic Site, Missouri: @HarrySTrumanNPS
Homestead National Memorial, Nebraska: @HomesteadNM
Hoover Historic Site, Iowa: @HooverNPS
James A. Garfield National Historic Site, Ohio: @GarfieldNPS
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Louisiana: @JeanLafitteNPS
Keweenaw National Historic Site, Michigan: @KeweenawNPS
Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Illinois: @LincolnHomeNPS
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, Texas: @LBJohnsonNPS
Midwest Region administration: @MidWestNPS
Nez Perce National Historical Park, Idaho, Montana, Oregon & Washington: @NezPerceNP
Niobrara National Scenic River, Nebraska & South Dakota: @NiobraraNSR
Rocky Mountain National Park: @RMNPOfficial
San Antonio Mission National Historical Park, Texas: @NPS_SA_Missions
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota: @TRooseveltNPS
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming & Montana: @YellowstoneNPS

Southwest

Arches National Park, Utah: @ArchesNPS
Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico: @BandelierNPS
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah: @BryceCanyonNPS
Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico: @CapulinNPS
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Arizona: @CasaGrandeNPS
Canyonlands National Park, Utah: @CanyonlandsNPS
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona: @GrandCanyonNPS
Great Basin National Park, Nevada: @GreatBasinNPS
Homestead National Memorial, New Mexico: @HomesteadNM
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada: @LakeMeadNRA
Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona: @PetrifiedNPS
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan: @PicturedRocksNL
Saguaro National Park, Arizona: @SaguaroNPS
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico: @WhiteSands_NPS
Zion National Park, Utah: @ZionNPS

Northwest and California

Alcatraz Island, California: @AlcatrazIsland
Cabrillo National Memorial: @CabrilloNPS
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon: @CraterLakeNPS
Death Valley National Park, California: @DeathValleyNPS
Devils Postpile National Monument, California: @DevilsPostNPS
Fort Point National Historic Site, California: @FortPointNPS
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Washington & Oregon: @FtVancouverNPS
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, California: @GoldenGateNPS
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon: @JDFossilBedsNPS
Joshua Tree National Park, California: @JoshuaTreeNP
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, California: @AnzaTrailNPS
Kings Canyon National Park, California: @SequoiaKingsNPS
Lassen Volcanic National Park, California: @LassenNPS
Muir Woods National Monument, California: @MuirWoodsNPS
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington: @MountRainierNPS
North Cascades National Park Complex, Washington: @NCascadesNPS
Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon: @OregonCavesNPS
Redwoods National and State Parks, California: @RedwoodNPS
San Juan Island National Historical Park, Washington: @SanJuanIsNPS
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, California: @SantaMonicaMtns
Sequoia National Park, California: @SequoiaKingsNPS
Yosemite National Park, California: @YosemiteNPS

Alaska, Hawaii, territories

Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, Hawaii: @AlaKahakaiNPS
American Memorial Park, Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan: @AmericanMemorialNPS
American Samoa National Park, American Samoa: @Amer_SamoaNPS
Alaska (all 17 parks and sites): @AlaskaNPS
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Alaska: @BeringLandNPS
Cape Krusenstern National Memorial, Alaska: @CKrusensternNPS
Denali National Park, Alaska: @DenaliNPS
Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve, Alaska: @GatesArcticNPS
Haleakala National Park, Hawaii: @HaleakalaNPS
Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska: @KenaiFjordsNPS
Klondike National Park, Alaska: @KlondikeAKNPS
Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park, Hawaii: @KalokoNPS
Kobuk Valley National Park & Preserve, Alaska: @KobukValleyNPS
Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Alaska: @LakeClarkNPS
Noatak National Park, Alaska: @NoatakNPS
Pacific Islands National Parks, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa & CNMI: @PacificNPS
Puukohola National Historic Site, Hawaii: @PacificNPS
Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Hawaii: @PacificNPS
Sitka National Historical Park, Alaska: @SitkaNPS
War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Guam: @WarInPacificNPS
Wrangell- St. Elias National Park & Preserve, Alaska: @WrangellStENPS
World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, Hawaii: @WWIIValorNPS
Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, Alaska: @YukonCharleyNPS

Administration

Main: @NatlParkService
Archeology Program: @NPSArcheology
Denver Service Center (planning, design, construction): @DenSrvcCtrNPS
Department of the Interior: @Interior
Civil War sites: @NPS_CivilWar
National Capital Region Inventory & Monitoring (management through science): @NPSCaptlAreaSci
National Park Emergency Operations: @NPSEMR_SEast
National Park Foundation (official charitable partner): @GoParks
Northeast Regional Office of NPS Interpretation and Education Training: @NEROInterpLnD
Park Stores (merchandise): @NPSParkStores
Youth Programs: @NPSYouth

Pu'ukohola Heiau Twitter avatar

The unlikely Twitter champ of federal historic sites is the collection of Pacific sites led by Pu’ukohola Heiau. Here’s its logo

Categorised in: Blog

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15 comments. Add a Comment:

  1. NPS NCRN I&M Program says:

    Please add the official account for the NPS Inventory & Monitoring program in the National Capital Region:
    @NPSCaptlAreaSci

  2. Craig Glassner says:

    You are missing @Muir_Woods in California.

  3. Craig Glassner says:

    Oops. My mistake. The official Muir Woods twitter feed is @MuirWoodsNPS

  4. Amanda Sweeney says:

    You’re mising @LassenNPS in CA

  5. Thanks, Amanda, Craig, and NCRM I&M — got ’em now! Now let’s hope they keep those streams updated with captivating info about each area. If they don’t do it, who will?

  6. Tim Krepp says:

    Great post! As a DC tour guide and avid twitter, I’m disappointed at the poor showing of the National Mall monuments. Especially compared to the African Burial Ground, which really sets the standard for public engagement.

  7. Shenandoah National Park says:

    Thank you so much for putting this together.

  8. WORI says:

    We are a new addition to Twitter as of today!! @WomensRightsNHP Women’s Rights National Historical Park, Seneca Falls, NY (Birthplace of Women’s Rights)

  9. Naomi Torres says:

    Thanks for the support.

    How about adding @anzatrailNPS? It’s and NPS site, part of the National Trails System.

  10. Thanks to everyone. Your suggestions have been added. Keep them coming!

  11. Deanna Beachsm says:

    All the Virginia parks are in the Northeast Region. You are missing COLO and STSP. And a certain very prominent administrative official who is a champion Twitter enthusiast.

  12. Thanks, Deanna. I have added the two missing parks, but I left the Virginia parks in the Southeast because I think that, contrary to the federal government’s classification, most Americans think of Virginia as Southern — a classification that might be backed up by the fact that so many of its National Park units concern its membership in the Confederacy. But who is this prominent official? I don’t put a lot of non-unit Twitter accounts on this list, but now you’ve got me curious.

  13. Russ Smith says:

    Hey, you missed us, Jason. Bill the Peacock and I tweet at @FredSpotNPS. We are Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park.

    Russ Smith (Supt.)

  14. Thanks, Russ! I’ve added you, and on Independence Day, no less. I recently visited your areas, and I’ll be watching your Twitter feed for fascinating facts and historical information from the experts.

  15. This is absolutely exceptional. Bravo and well done. The Presidio in SF is considered a NP. @presidioSF http://twitter.com/presidiosf
    http://www.nps.gov/prsf/index.htm

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