Most people can probably name one or two national parks in Utah, but many have never heard of Capitol Reef. Founded in 1971, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, is home to a dramatic geologic “fold” in the Earth’s crust. From the ground, the Waterpocket Fold resembles cliffs and buttes, but from the air, the long […]
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Zion
Ever wonder what’s so amazing about Zion National Park in southern Utah? Start with spectacular canyon walls of red and white rock, add lush greenery and a river at the bottom, and finish with breathtaking views from the canyon floor and from above, and you can start to understand why Zion National Park is one […]
Bryce Canyon
Visiting Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah is like visiting another world. It’s home to some of the most bizarre rock formations around. This valley, full of wind-eroded red spires known as “hoodoos,” is justifiably world renowned and was protected as a National Park in 1928. While you’ll find hoodoos elsewhere, you won’t find them […]
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” […]
Pecos
Pecos National Historical Park sits just a couple of miles from the busy I-25 corridor near Glorieta Pass, New Mexico, but it feels like a world apart. Surrounded by juniper forests and mountains, Pecos NHP is a beautiful place, but it’s not its beauty that makes it part of the National Park system. First declared […]
Devils Tower
Devils Tower is a natural icon so unique it has been the basis of mystery and legend from the time the native Americans first saw it to the science fiction craze of the 1970s. Whether you want to see something truly unique, explore an island of pine forest in the canyons and grasslands, or see […]
Wind Cave
Is Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota worth seeing when the cave is closed? That was the question before me when I visited in the summer of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It wasn’t just the pandemic, though, elevator repairs had kept Wind Cave from offering cave tours for more than a year, and […]
5 Keys to Visiting National Parks During...
As the U.S. begins its gradual reopening, many people are more than ready to get out and visit some National Parks. For the most part, you can! However, visiting parks right now is a bit different and requires some advanced planning. If you decide to get out there, here are some keys to planning your […]
Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock National Monument, Colorado, was established in 2012 on San Juan National Forest land surrounded by the Ute Reservation. Its twin rock spires high on a ridge inspired the name, but the monument protects several sites of ancient Puebloan ruins built by the Chaco people. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) ILNP Rating […]
Casa Grande Ruins
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Arizona, protects a large ancient ruin (the so-called “big house”) of the native Hohokam people in southern Arizona. It was declared a National Monument in 1918, but its federal protection had been underway since 1892 making it the first reserve for a prehistoric cultural site in the U.S. Visitor Rating […]
Tumacácori
Tumacácori National Historical Park in southern Arizona preserves the sites of a handful of Spanish missions and settlements that were part of Spain’s advance into what is now the southwest United States. Named for the O’odham village it was built near, the main site at Tumacácori was preserved as a National Monument by Theodore Roosevelt […]