@nationalparkservice

Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike! What day is it Mike?! It’s Hump day! 🐪 Riding a camel isn’t as difficult as they say—once you get over the first hump, the rest is pretty easy. Well, we know some folks who might disagree. In 1857, Lt. Edward F. Beale was instructed by the federal government to build a wagon road from Fort Defiance, AZ to the Colorado River. While on the journey, he would test the use of camels as pack animals in the desert Southwest. The Americans soon found that riding and packing camels was nothing like utilizing horses and mules. Camel handlers accompanying the expedition taught the Americans the ropes and helped them see the value of the camels. The expedition found that the camels “were capable of packing one thousand pounds apiece and of traveling with their load from thirty to forty miles per day all the while finding their own feed over an almost barren country.” As they made their way to Fort Defiance, the unique expedition made a stop at what would become El Morro National Monument, leaving their mark on the rocky face. Ultimately, the camel experiment (watch out! They spit!) fizzled out, but this unique chapter of history lives on at El Morro. Join El Morro National Monument, located in western New Mexico, in commemorating the US Army Camel Corps on September 10th and 11th. The weekend will be filled with special programming, living history, and live camels! For more information, visit nps.gov/elmo Image: Visitors standing next to a live camel wearing a Kepi style hat. #HumpDay #CamelCorps #elmorro #newmexico #camel