Golden Spike

https://www.nps.gov/gosp/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Spike_National_Historical_Park Golden Spike National Historical Park is located at Promontory Summit, north of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The nearest city is Brigham City, approximately 32 miles east-southeast of the site. One of the greatest technological achievements of the 19th century is the completion of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States. Visitors to the park can see the location of the Last Spike Site, 1869 railroad construction features, walk or drive on the original railroad grade, and get an up close view of Victorian era replica locomotives. Golden Spike National Historical Park is 32 miles west of Brigham City, Utah. NB travelers on I-15: use exit 365 and drive west on Utah 13 and 83 through Corinne (follow brown directional signs) to Golden Spike Drive. Turn left and follow signs to the visitor center (8 miles). SB travelers on I-84: use Howell exit 26 and drive south on Utah 83 (follow brown directional signs) to Golden Spike Drive. Turn right and follow signs to the visitor center (8 miles). Lat/Long 41.617410,-112.550986 Golden Spike National Historical Park Visitor Center The Visitor Center is the first place to stop for any visitors coming out to the park. The center features the WNPA Park Store, exhibits, a theater, picnic areas, and a welcoming staff that will help visitors get the most out of their visit. Summer: The visitor center is open daily, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM MDT. Fall-Winter: Mid-October to late-April the visitor center is open Thursday-Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM MST. Closed Tuesday & Wednesday. (excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's). Golden Spike National Historical Park is 32 miles west of Brigham City, Utah. Travelers on I-15: use exit 365 and drive west on Utah 13 and 83 through Corinne (follow brown directional signs) to Golden Spike Drive. Turn left and follow signs to the visitor center (8 miles). Southbound travelers on I-84: use exit 26 and drive south on Utah 83 (follow brown directional signs) to Golden Spike Drive. Turn right and follow signs to the visitor center (8 miles). Lat/Long 41.617410,-112.550986 Locomotives 119 and Jupiter nose to nose at the last spike site. Two locomotives the 119 and Jupiter facing each other on a track. Each day the locomotives are moved to the last spike site to recreate the marriage of the rails. Winter View from Big Fill Trail Sunny Winter View from the Big Fill Trail Winter View from Big Fill Trail Golden Spike Park Entrance Sign Winter View of Golden Spike Entrance Sign Winter View of Golden Spike Entrance Sign Golden Spike National Historical Park Visitor Center The Flag flies over Golden Spike National Historical Park's Visitor Center, with trees and monument Golden Spike's Visitor Center is the best the best place to start your exploration of this unique piece of American History. The Golden Spike An exact replica of the Golden Spike The original solid gold spike was only on site for the ceremony for a brief moment, but the symbolism of the engineering feat lives on The Big Fill The Big Fill is a 400 foot long 80 foot high mound of packed earth that bridged a ravine Visitors can explore fifteen miles of the historic grade that was prepared for track by the two railroad companies Replica Locomotives Jupiter and #119 Two replica victorian age steam locomotives face each other on the original railroad grade Connect with the history by viewing the site's replica steam locomotives in action View of Replica Locomotives Jupiter and 119 at the Last Spike Site Sunset view of locomotives Jupiter and 119 at the Last Spike Site View of Replica Locomotives at the Last Spike Site National Park Getaway: Golden Spike National Historical Park One hundred and fifty years ago, the nation was joined at the rails at Promontory Summit in present-day Utah. A crowd gathered on May 10, 1869, to witness the driving of a ceremonial golden spike connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroad lines to complete the Transcontinental Railroad. At 12:47 pm, a telegraph flashed across the country: D-O-N-E. Steam engine on a railroad track Arches National Park’s Free-Flowing Waters Visitors to Arches National Park experience natural free-flowing waters and have water to quench their thirst, thanks to an agreement between the National Park Service and the State of Utah. The sun sits just below the horizon behind Delicate Arch. NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Golden Spike National Historic Site, Utah Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. reenactment of trains meeting The War and Westward Expansion With Federal resources focused on waging the war farther east, both native tribes and the Confederacy attempted to claim or reclaim lands west of the Mississippi. The Federal government responded with measures (Homestead Act, transcontinental railroad) and military campaigns designed to encourage settlement, solidify Union control of the trans-Mississippi West, and further marginalize the physical and cultural presence of tribes native to the West. Painting Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way showing settlers moving into the American west The Archeology of Chinese Laborers Who Connected the Country Over 11,000 Chinese individuals helped build the Transcontinental Railroad. Archeological excavations have uncovered remains of their campsites and towns that help understand what their day-to-day lives were like while working on the railroad. Artifacts from Ten-Mile (Seco) Station. "Distant Thunder" Sculpture at Golden Spike National Historical Park Honors Bison's Past Michael Coleman, a Utah artist internationally known for his award-winning sculptures and paintings of the landscape and wildlife of the American West created a bison sculpture to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad in 2019. This mighty sculpture titled, “Distant Thunder” honors the bison’s demise due to the railroad and celebrates their eventual resurgence. 3,000 lb bronze bison sculpture near Golden Spike National Historical Park visitor center What We’re Learning and Why it Matters: Long-Term Monitoring on the Northern Colorado Plateau Knowing which key natural resources are found in the national parks, and whether they're stable or changing, helps decisionmakers make sound choices. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network is building that knowledge. After more than ten years of monitoring, we've learned a lot about park ecosystems, how they're changing, and what they may look like in the days to come. Find out what we’ve learned and how it’s being used to help managers plan for the future. Man stands in a stream, looking down at a handheld gauge. Monitoring From Space: Using Satellite Imagery to Measure Landscape Conditions on the Ground Scientists from the Northern Colorado Plateau Network travel thousands of miles each year to collect data on plants, soils, and water across network parks. But it would be impossible to cover every square inch of the Northern Colorado Plateau with boots on the ground. Instead, we simultaneously monitor the parks with boots in space—satellite data that provide information at a much broader scale. Satellite and Earth in space Changing Patterns of Water Availability May Change Vegetation Composition in US National Parks Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios. Green, orange, and dead grey junipers in red soil, mountains in background Invasive Exotic Plant Monitoring at Golden Spike National Historical Park Invasive exotic plants are one of the most significant threats to natural resources in the national parks today. To provide early warning of weed invasions, the Northern Colorado Plateau Network monitors target plants in park areas where they are likely to first establish: along roads, trails, and waterways. Find out what we've learned at Golden Spike National Historical Park. Six-petaled yellow flower on stiff stem of spindly plant Studying the Past and Predicting the Future Using Rat Nests In the western United States, packrat middens are one of the best tools for reconstructing recent environments and climates. These accumulations of plant fragments, small vertebrate remains, rodent droppings, and other fossils can be preserved for more than 50,000 years. Packrat middens have been found in at least 41 National Park Service units. Photo of a wood rat. Series: Park Paleontology News - Vol. 14, No. 2, Fall 2022 All across the park system, scientists, rangers, and interpreters are engaged in the important work of studying, protecting, and sharing our rich fossil heritage. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/newsletters.htm">Park Paleontology news</a> provides a close up look at the important work of caring for these irreplaceable resources. <ul><li>Contribute to Park Paleontology News by contacting the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/common/utilities/sendmail/sendemail.cfm?o=5D8CD5B898DDBB8387BA1DBBFD02A8AE4FBD489F4FF88B9049&r=/subjects/geoscientistsinparks/photo-galleries.htm">newsletter editor</a></li><li>Learn more about <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/">Fossils & Paleontology</a> </li><li>Celebrate <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossilday/">National Fossil Day</a> with events across the nation</li></ul> Photo of a person sitting while using a laboratory microscope. Making an Impact: Long-Term Monitoring of Natural Resources at Intermountain Region National Parks, 2021 Across the Intermountain Region, Inventory & Monitoring Division ecologists are helping to track the effects of climate change, provide baseline information for resource management, evaluate new technologies, and inspire the next generation of park stewards. This article highlights accomplishments achieved during fiscal year 2021. A man looks through binoculars at sunrise. A Changing Bimodal Climate Zone Means Changing Vegetation in Western National Parks When the climate changes enough, the vegetation communities growing in any given place will also change. Under an expanded bimodal climate zone, some plant communities in western national parks are more likely to change than others. National Park Service ecologists and partners investigated the future conditions that may force some of this change. Having this information can help park managers decide whether to resist, direct, or accept the change. Dark storm clouds and rainbow over mountains and saguaros. Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park Service To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera.