Bears Ears National Monument was established in 2016 to protect natural and cultural resources in southeastern Utah and spans the area between Canyonlands National Park in the north and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area to the southwest. Jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, and the Five Tribes of the Bears […]
Gateway Arch
Gateway Arch, established in 2018, is one of the newest and smallest National Parks. The arch itself, built on National Park land initially set aside in 1935, has been around since 1967 and stands as a monument to St. Louis, Missouri’s role in the westward expansion of the United States. Visitor Rating (write your own […]
Tallgrass Prairie
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, created in 1996, is one of the last remaining 4% of the 140 million acres of prairie which once covered 1/3 of North America. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) ILNP Rating ILNP Park Review Our Visit. I visited Tallgrass Prairie NPres in early October as a detour off of […]
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears National Historic Trail commemorates the routes taken by the Cherokee tribes when they were forced from their native lands into reservations in current-day Oklahoma in 1838-1839. 16,000 Cherokee were removed from their homelands in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, and 1,000 died on the journey. Visitor Rating (write your own review […]
Chickamauga and Chattanooga
Preserved alongside Gettysburg, Shiloh and Vicksburg in 1890, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park preserves sites from two battles fought near this area in late 1863 which spelled what one soldier called the “death knell of the Confederacy.” While the Confederates won the first battle in September, they allowed the Union army to escape to […]
Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, was founded in 1872 as the first National Park. Why a National Park? Because Wyoming and Montana weren’t states yet! But what a great place to start the National Park concept, the first of its kind in the world. Yellowstone is unique as the home of the world’s largest concentration of […]
Grand Teton
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, established in 1929, is home to the spectacular Rocky Mountain scenery of the Teton range in Northwestern Wyoming. The Tetons boasts craggy peaks, beautiful lakes, forests and plenty of wildlife. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) ILNP Rating Scenery Uniqueness Wildlife Diversity ILNP Park Review In a Word. “Stately” […]
Review – Official NPS App
This is a must have app, it’s great, and it’s free! ILNP Rating: 5/5 stars So I’ll admit I’m really late in writing this review as the app has been out for more than a year, but I didn’t truly appreciate all the features of the Official NPS App until a recent trip to Grand […]
Stones River
The Battle of Stones River might be the most important battle of the Civil War that you’ve never heard of. Pitting 80,000 men against each other, General Rosecrans’ costly Union victory over General Bragg here at Murfreesboro, Tennessee as 1862 turned to 1863 gave teeth to the Emancipation Proclamation and established a Union foothold in […]
White Sands
Ever wonder what it would be like to wander across seemingly infinite dunes of brilliant white sand? Then White Sands National Park is the place for you to satisfy that urge. The park protects an enormous field of white gypsum sand that doubles as a test range for missiles. Visitor Rating (write your own review […]
New River Gorge
The Park The New River in West Virginia was designated as a National Scenic River in 1978, and in 2020 a portion of its length was redesignated as a National Park. This park protects both the historical and natural features of this area of the Appalachians. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) Official NPS […]
Petroglyph
Volcanic activity near modern day Albuquerque, New Mexico produced canyons of black boulders that became the canvas for native Americans who inscribed these rocks with an amazing variety of petroglyphs. Many of these glyphs are preserved in the multiple units of Petroglyph National Monument, established in 1990 to protect these sites. Visitor Rating (write your […]