Storyboard: November 2019

Rolling, rolling, rolling on the river…

We’re excited to announce that the start of the 2020 river lottery season opens in a few weeks. Beginning on December 1, 2019, you can enter for your chance to be awarded river permits for access to rafting, kayaking, and paddling on some of the most renowned public waterways in the country. Lotteries will be held to award permits for the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Salmon River, Hells Canyon – Snake River, Selway River, Rogue River, Desolation Gray – Green River, Salt River, Dinosaur Green and Yampa River, or San Juan River.

This lottery process for access to high-demand experiences like river permits helps better manage the large volume of interest and deliver an enhanced experience on the river while reducing our environmental footprint.

Submitting a lottery application is also easier than ever this year! You’ll still be able to submit your application through the Lotteries page on our website, but will also have the option to enter through the new "Lotteries" section in the Recreation.gov mobile app. The Recreation.gov app is available for iOS and Android devices, and is your on-the-go solution for searching thousands of campgrounds and individual campsites across the country, checking location details for a trip, and accessing all your reservation and account information.

Download the Recreation.gov mobile app today and get ready to enter the 2020 river lotteries!

DID YOU KNOW?

There’s a place off the coast of Southern California where you can see exotic wildlife, sleep under the stars, explore sea caves, and search for buried treasure. We’re talking about Channel Islands National Park. After a night of camping on the beach, adventurous divers and snorkelers can explore the watery remains of the Winfield Scott shipwreck. There’s plenty of treasure hunting opportunities out there! Between 1850 and 1900, at least 33 ships were wrecked in the Channel.

Prince William Forest Park

Do you live in Washington, DC or Northern Virginia or are you heading to the Nation’s Capital for a fall or spring trip? If so, we’ve got a top spot to sneak in a final fall escape to enjoy the cooler weather and foliage or a great first trip location for a spring getaway with friends or family. We’re talking about Prince William Forest Park - Northern Virginia's best kept secret!

Prince William Forest Park is located less than an hour drive from DC in Dumfries and, at 15,000 acres, is the third largest National Park in Virginia. With this abundance of space, the park offers recreational activities for all skill levels and interests, including camping, hiking, biking, scenic drives, orienteering, and fishing. Hikers enjoy exploring the park's 37 miles of foot trails, with family-friendly trails like The South Valley, Oak Ridge, and Farms to Forest all beginning right at the campground entrance. Bicyclists will find 21 miles of paved roads within the park, including a three-mile, family-friendly paved bike trail. Mountain biking is also available on 10 miles of gravel roads. Anglers can try their luck for bluegill, pumpkinseed, and largemouth bass in the 18 miles of streams and two small lakes located in the park. The park also boasts 30 orienteering courses, a 19th century Scandinavian sport primarily used in military training. The courses were developed in 1972 and continue to provide hours of entertainment and exploration for visitors.

The place to stay at the park is Oak Ridge Campground, which is open for the 2019 season through the end of November and reopens for the 2020 season on March 3. The campground has over 100 campsites and accommodates tents, RVs, and trailers. All of the campsites boast a picnic table, grill, lantern post, and parking area, and each loop has restrooms with sinks and flush toilets while showers can found in Loop B. For out of town visitors, the campground is a great home base for day-trips to the city, Arlington National Cemetery, Manassas National Battlefield, and other historic sites in the area.

Act fast and book your trip today! There's only two weeks left to take in the fall views, and spring reservations became available on November 8 and fill up quickly.

Did you take a memorable summer or fall trip this year? We'd love to hear all about it! Whether it's a few sentences or a short novel, we're interested in your stories and so are other visitors. You can send us your stories at TheStoryBoard@Recreation.gov using the subject line "Sending My Story" for the chance to have it shared by Recreation.gov or our agency partners like the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or U.S. Forest Service.

Enjoy this story from one of the members of our Recreation.gov team, Tammy, about a hiking tradition that's helped her family #bringhomeastory for more than a decade:

"In 2004, my husband and I went on a hike where he proposed to me on a bench overlooking the fall foliage and scenic beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's been 14 years since that first hike, and we've made it a fall tradition to return to that bench every year and take a photo to remember the trip. We've captured pictures of our proposal, trips of the two of us on our anniversary, and now some with our two kids. I love making these memories and being able to look back at how our family has grown over the years. This is a special event we look forward to each fall, and will continue for years to come."

We know many of you got out there this year to #BringHomeaStory by visiting the incredible natural wonders and historic destinations across the country. If you captured a stunning view, moment, or adventure from your trip, did you know you can enter those pictures in the Share the Experience amateur photo contest? Your photos could win up to $10,000 in cash prizes, outdoor gear, hotel packages, or an annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.

The 2019 contest ends soon though, so select your best shots and enter them at SharetheExperience.org.