After four years of long arduous work and among much hype, the National Park Service recently held the opening of the Eielson Visitor Center on June 8th. The redesign of the visitor center began in 2002 when the National Park Service determined the the 2,000 square foot center could not accommodate the rapidly expanding number of visitors to the park.

Taking a step into environmentally friendly construction, the new center offers indoor and outdoor viewing areas as well as new exhibits and interpretive areas. Utilizing the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) the design encompasses a low profile building that blends into the landscape and offers sweeping views of the valley below. (panoramic from top of center)

With my recent journey into the park and stop at Eielson, I was in awe of those views as well as enchanted by the overwhelming number of furry residents that inhabit that area. Those of the arctic ground squirrels. On that particular day I spent most of my first 45 minutes of my break sitting outside with them while their emboldened curiosity would drive them up to tug on my hiking boot laces and sniff at my ankles.

One particularly cute ground squirrel reached up and put his tiny paw on my hand. I was in love. Believe me, if I could have adopted one and brought him home I would of.

With its creation and recent opening, Eielson definitely meets its goals of showcasing new technologies and educating the public about environmentally friendly practices. It is a site I look forward to visiting again and again.