National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center announces additional youth programming for Spring Break 2019
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BAKER CITY, Ore. - The Bureau of Land Management’s National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center will be connecting kids to public lands and America’s natural and cultural heritage with a week’s worth of additional spring break activities the week of March 25, 2019.
In addition to the regular daily programming, a different youth program is scheduled at 11 a.m. each day March 25-28:
March 25 – Learn how petroglyphs, or “rock art,” have been used throughout history and make your own to take home.
March 26 – Discover the essential tools of a mountain man and make a “possibles bag,” to carry and store your own necessities. Sample beans cooked over an open fire, too!
March 27 – What skills did pioneers need to survive the 2,000-mile trek from Independence, MO, to Oregon? Also learn how people, wildlife and plants lived in the West before the Oregon Trail.
March 28 – Be a pioneer. Play a character in a wagon train, pack your wagon using scale models of various supplies, learn about your character’s responsibilities as part of the group, and devise your character’s response to various scenarios along the way. Enjoy homemade biscuits cooked pioneer-style in a Dutch oven.
Space is limited and pre-registration is encouraged. Call the center at 541-523-1843 to make a reservation.
March 29 will be a Fun Day featuring nature walks with an interpreter at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and pioneer demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., including blacksmithing, beekeeping, furs and skulls, and rag doll tying.
As part of the center’s regular programming, the Wagons Ho! children’s exhibit is open daily through June 2 in the Flagstaff Gallery. This fun, interactive exhibit allows participants to dress up as a pioneer, calculate how many miles the pioneers had to walk, pack for an Oregon Trail journey, learn about the animals they might have encountered, and other activities. Near the center, walking trails give visitors a first-hand view of Oregon Trail-era wagon ruts at the base of Flagstaff Hill.
The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, operated by the Bureau of Land Management, is located east of Baker City. Take Exit 302 from Interstate 84 onto Oregon Highway 86 and proceed about 5 miles. NHOTIC is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Admission for adults is $5.00; seniors $3.50; and children 15 and under are free. Federal passes are accepted. As previously announced, Friday, March 8, is a fee-free day for all visitors.
Visit blm.gov/nhotic for more information about NHOTIC or call 541-523-1843 for an update on programs or events. For information on other events in Baker County, Ore., please call the chamber of commerce at 1-800-523-1235.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.