Whitman Mission National Historic Site

10/15/2026

☀PROGRAMS THIS WEEK ☀

We will be offering ranger-guided programs this Friday and Saturday! Programs are free and no reservations are required. To attend a program, meet at the visitor center at one of the times below:

Friday, October 16
11:00 AM - Memory String
1:30 PM - Mission history walk

Saturday, October 17
11:00 AM - Mission history walk
1:30 PM - Tipi demonstration

Programs are subject to change based on weather and ranger availability. For the most up to date information or for questions, please call us at 509-522-6360.

10/07/2026

🌾PROGRAMS THIS WEEK 🌾

We will be offering ranger-guided programs this Friday and Saturday! On Saturday we have two special programs planned. From 9 AM to 4 PM, don't miss your chance to join for our beaded fringe earring workshop! And at 1:30 PM, we will be having a special presentation for Fire Prevention Week.

Programs are free and no reservations are required*. To attend a program, meet at the visitor center at one of the times below:

Friday, October 9
11:00 AM - Journey of a Hide
1:30 PM - Mission history walk

Saturday, October 10
9 AM to 4 PM *FRINGE EARRING PROGRAM*
11:00 AM - Mission history walk
1:30 PM - Fire Prevention Week safety program

*Fringe earring program requires registration, see our previous post for details on how to sign up.

Programs are subject to change based on weather and ranger availability. For the most up to date information or for questions, please call us at 509-522-6360.

10/05/2026

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

10/05/2026

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

10/04/2026

“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

10/03/2026

“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

10/02/2026

10/02/2026

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

10/01/2026

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

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

We will be hosting two more beaded fringe earring workshops this fall! On October 10th and 24th you have two different opportunities to join us for a FREE all-day class to learn how to make your own beaded earrings. To join one or both of the classes, please RSVP at https://forms.gle/37Ci7aqQdTV2h7S17, use QR code on the flyer, or call us at 509-522-6360!

10/01/2026

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.

09/30/2026

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

09/25/2026

This could be you and your seven closest long-snouted friends, earning your B.A.R.K. Ranger badges at Whitman Mission tomorrow! Humans and dogs who visit us tomorrow, September 26th, from 10 AM to 2 PM, will have a chance to learn all about responsible dog ownership in National Parks and take the B.A.R.K. Ranger pledge!

Our friends from Tamastslikt Cultural Institute and the Blue Mountain Humane Society will be here too for this celebration of historic and modern dogs on the Columbia Plateau. Bring your besties out 🐾 out and don't miss this event!

09/23/2026

In addition to our B.A.R.K. Ranger event this Saturday, we will also be hosting a volunteer event for National Public Lands Day! National Public Lands Day is an event celebrated at National Parks and other public lands throughout the country every year in September.

At Whitman Mission, we will be hosting an invasive species removal from 9 AM to 12 PM on Saturday, September 26th. If you are interested in helping remove weeds from the landscape to create room for our native plant species to thrive, come out and join us! ✨Volunteers will receive a FREE National Parks pass for a one-day entrance to any National Park Service site that charges a fee for entry. ✨

Please email [email protected] or call us at 509-522-6360 to sign up.

09/17/2026

☀PROGRAMS THIS WEEK ☀

We will be offering ranger-guided programs this Friday and Saturday! Programs are free and no reservations are required. To attend a program, meet at the visitor center at one of the times below:

Friday, September 18
11:00 AM - Mission history walk
1:30 PM - Journey of a Hide

Saturday, September 19
11:00 AM - Mission history walk
1:30 PM - Tipi demonstration

Programs are subject to change based on weather and ranger availability. For the most up to date information or for questions, please call us at 509-522-6360.

09/10/2026

☀PROGRAMS THIS WEEK ☀

We will be offering ranger-guided programs this Friday and Saturday! As a reminder, we will be switching to our winter hours this weekend and will be closed on Sunday and Monday. Programs are free and no reservations are required. To attend a program, meet at the visitor center at one of the times below:

Friday, September 11
11:00 AM - Journey of a Hide
1:30 PM - Ranger Program

Saturday, September 12
11:00 AM - Ranger Program
1:30 PM - Mission History Walk

Programs are subject to change based on weather and ranger availability. For the most up to date information or for questions, please call us at 509-522-6360.

09/09/2026

As we inch ever closer towards autumn, the Whitman Mission visitor center will be transitioning from its summer hours to its winter hours. Beginning this weekend, September 12th, the visitor center will be closed on Sundays and Mondays. The visitor center will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 9 AM to 4 PM. As always, the trails and grounds will continue to stay open daily, from sunrise to sunset.

NPS Image 📸 F. Hernandez