Homestead National Monument Highpoint Trip Report
unnamed (1,320+ feet)
Date: May 21, 2014
Author: Fred Lobdell
I thank John Mitchler for his excellent and comprehensive trip report.
Some updates: what he refers to as the new visitor center is called the
Heritage Center, and the former visitor center is the Education Center.
I agree with John that the highest natural ground is along the north-south fence line
a little distance south of the Freeman graves.
Daniel Freeman's original homestead is the broad T-shaped area shown on the topographic map.
A ranger I spoke with said that the NPS owned all the land east of the fence and
south of highway 4 east to the north-south road providing access to the
Heritage Center parking area. Is this additional land part of the National Monument,
or is it just land owned by the Park Service? The ranger couldn't answer.
The park brochure shows the NPS ownership of the additional land,
but also shows the national monument boundaries as being the original homestead.
The land right around the Heritage Center itself is definitely higher than
anywhere else in the vicinity, but it's also obviously manmade.
The topographic map shows the original contours in this area.
Just to be safe, I circumnavigated the Heritage Center anyway.