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Santa Fe National Historic Trail Spring 2022 Newsletter

Read the latest project updates and completions from the National Trails Office of the National Park Service (NPS).

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A person stands in front of a map.

NPS Photo

National Trails Welcomes New Staff


Chad Ennis is the new Geographic Information System (GIS) Specialist addition to the Resource Information Management team. He is based out of the Salt Lake City office and joins the National Trails office (NTIR) after being a GIS Specialist with the Bureau of Land Management Eastern States Office in Washington D.C. NTIR is looking forward to the future mapping support he can provide to the office and the trail association.

Contact Chad

A portrait of a woman with brown hair and a maroon shirt.

Photo/Zoe Wiesel

National Trails Welcomes New Interns & Fellows


Zoe Wiesel joined NTIR as a Digital Media Fellow in October 2021. She is working through American Conservation Experience (ACE) Emerging Professionals in Conservation (EPIC) program doing an eighteen-month internship. She was born and raised in Corrales, New Mexico, and she has a Bachelors in Geology from the University of New Mexico. Before joining NTIR she worked as a seasonal interpretive ranger in Zion National Park in Utah. In her free time, Zoe enjoys rock climbing, cycling, and spending time with her family. As part of her fellowship, Zoe will be updating the NPS mobile application (app), websites, and writing for social media.

Contact Zoe

A woman stands in front of a scenic forest and mountains.

Photo/Sarah Scruggs

Sarah Scruggs is the American Conservation Experience EPIC fellow for NTIR's design and development team. She started in October 2021 and will complete her term in October 2022. Sarah grew up in central Virginia and holds a B.A. in historic preservation from the University of Mary Washington. Through various jobs and internships Sarah has worked in half a dozen national parks and national forests including Grand Teton and Grand Canyon. Her favorite recreational activities include hiking, biking, reading and playing piano. She is very excited to work with trail partners and do her part in helping the NTIR mission this year.

Contact Sarah

Work in the Time of Covid

NTIR staff have been teleworking full time from home since mid-March 2020 but are anticipating returning to the offices in March. Meanwhile, personnel are available during regular work hours through their usual email addresses and cell phone numbers. If you need a staffer’s cell number, call 801-741-1012 ext 119 to inquire.

People walk in a grassy field next to a swale in the landscape.
Visit to Swanson's Swales.

NPS Image

High Potential Sites & Segments

From October 7-12, 2021, NTIR staff traveled a large portion of the Santa Fe National Historic Trail in Missouri and Kansas, meeting with the Santa Fe Trail Association (SFTA) along the way to evaluate several high potential sites and segments. These potential resources and other trail sites visited included Main Street monuments in New Franklin, MO; Fire Prairie Creek Crossing in Buckner, MO; Arrow Rock, MO; Hart Grove Campsite in Kansas City, MO; Black Jack Ruts in Baldwin City, KS; 142 mile bridge and Rock Creek Crossing in Allen, KS; Muddy Creek Crossing in Tampa KS; Donahue Ruts and French Franks in Durham, KS; Turkey Creek Crossing in Galva, KS; Fry’s Ruts in Windom, KS; Swanson’s Swales and Little Arkansas Crossing and Stone Corral Site, south of Windom, KS; Sharpe Ruts in Larned, KS; Coon Creek Crossing in Kinsley, KS; and Chilton Monument/swales in Dodge City, KS.

These site visits provided NTIR an important opportunity to work with and learn from our partners about the significance of additional high potential resources. Review of nomination packets is ongoing, and we look forward to additional site visits later in 2022.

Brown sign, "Fuller's Ranch Historic Site, Santa Fe National Historic Trail," and trail logo.
New sign at Fuller's Ranch.

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Design & Development Updates

Replacement Site Identification signs were ordered in February for Cave Springs Park in Missouri, the Autograph Rock in Oklahoma, and the Fuller Ranch Site in Kansas. All three sites were in need of replacement signs due to storm damage and environmental wear and tear. In January replacement metal logos were sent to the Santa Fe Trail Association to distribute to certified sites that have faded Santa Fe National Historic Trail logos. And planning is now underway to replace many of the fading Council Grove Site Identification signs located throughout the town.

Rough orange and brown-motled slab of sandstone with three faint inscribed names including T.Potts 26. Black and white checkered photo scale on left
T.Potts 26 inscription at Autograph Rock.

Photo is from a 2001 documentation project sponsored by NTIR

Autograph Rocks Site Inscriptions


NTIR consulted with the Santa Fe Trail Association regarding progressive weathering of an inscription at the privately owned Autograph Rocks site at Cold Springs Creek, Oklahoma. Over 300 inscriptions have been recorded at the site, among them “T Potts 26,” considered to be among the oldest. The property owner expressed concern about the nearly 200-year-old inscription and sought advice for preserving it. Rock art/inscription conservation is a highly specialized field that is not represented among NTIR’s staff, but we were able to provide guidance for ongoing photo-documentation of the inscription.

Upright sign in a park.
New orientation sign.

NPS Image

Mill Creek Park, Independence, MO Waysides

The first of three wayside panels has been installed at the trailhead of a new 1-mile, paved trail connecting Mill Creek Park to McCoy Park, in Independence. Mill Creek Park is situated between the historic routes of the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California national historic trails. The paved trail parallels the original trail routes established during the 1800s. One orientation panel has been installed. Two additional interpretive panels are awaiting installation. This project was completed in cooperation with the Mid-America Regional Council, the City of Independence Missouri, and the Santa Fe Trail Association.

Painting of a dirt road running next to a field of yellow grass. A few trees dot the landscape.
Dennis Maloney, "Vibrant Morning,” 1st Place in Adult Artist Category of the 200th Anniversary Virtual Art Contest.

Image/Dennis Maloney

Bicentennial Update

Thanks to the Santa Fe Trail Association's efforts, thousands of people across the US commemorated the Santa Fe National Historic Trail’s Bicentennial in 2021. The National Trails office provided assistance with outreach, awareness, digital content, and more through our Bicentennial Committee.

Throughout the year, hundreds of people earned a special Bicentennial Junior Ranger badge or received a commemorative passport stamp. Artists traveled the trail and participated in the 200th Anniversary Virtual Art Contest which is exhibited on the NPS website until April 29, 2022. With the help of the Santa Fe Trail NextGen Council, recommendations for engaging youth in the Trail were created and will be shared with the Santa Fe Trail Association.

Thank you to everyone who participated in, supported, and volunteered their time to make the Bicentennial a success! The National Trails office is grateful for the Santa Fe Trail Association’s leadership in facilitating an unforgettable commemoration.

Updates on External Projects

Find out more about what's happening on the trail

Virtual Trail Stories & Experiences

Have you been following the trails on social media? You may have noticed an increase in articles, virtual visits, and virtual kids' activities. People can't travel to experience the trails in person, so NTIR has been working to bring the trails to your house. You can check out recent and past articles, become a junior ranger, take virtual visits to learn more about trail sites, and more - click the links below!

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    Last updated: March 14, 2022