Yosemite, California, is the king of all National Parks. Although it was declared a National Park October 1st, 1890, after Yellowstone and Sequoia, Yosemite is the Park that started it all. It was here, amidst the spectacular beauty of “the valley” that John Muir convinced the US government to set aside some of its most […]
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Redwood
Redwood National Park, California, was actually a latecomer to this area. Founded October 2nd, 1968, it joined three California State Parks in protecting some key groves of redwood trees, the tallest in the world, that grow only along a narrow strip of the California and Oregon coasts. Today, the area is jointly managed by the […]
Crater Lake
Crater Lake, Oregon, was the fifth National Park, established May 22nd, 1902 after 17 years of lobbying by a man named William Steel. The lake was formed thousands of years ago after the eruption and collapse of Mount Mazama in the Cascade Range. The lake is the deepest in the US (about 1,940 feet) and […]
Big Cypress
Big Cypress National Preserve, on the northern border of Everglades National Park in Florida, is home to several thousand acres of grasslands, waterways and cypress forests. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) ILNP Rating ILNP Park Review Our Visit. We visited Big Cypress during May as we were driving back from a visit to […]
Everglades
Everglades National Park, Florida, founded in 1947, protects the once-vast wetlands of southern Florida, home to an amazingly diverse collection of wildlife. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) ILNP Rating Scenery Uniqueness Wildlife Diversity ILNP Park Review In a Word. “Teeming” “Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water, or a path for […]
DeSoto
DeSoto National Memorial, Florida, commemorates the spot Spanish conquistador Hernando De Soto landed in 1539 and began his ill-fated search for gold and treasures. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) ILNP Rating Overall Rating ILNP Park Review Our Visit. We visited DeSoto during May as part of a trip to see family in the Tampa, […]
Biscayne
Biscayne National Park in Florida was established in 1980 to protect one of the last pristine areas of coral reef and keys in the US from encroaching development. Over 17,000 acres, 95% under water. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) ILNP Rating Overall Rating Scenery Mangrove swamps and coral reefs typical of southern Florida but […]
Big Bend
Big Bend National Park, Texas, protects the diverse ecology of the area inside the “Big Bend” in the Rio Grande, the border between the US and Mexico.Big Bend, while technically situated in a desert area, is home to more than 400 species of birds and contains several different climate zones ranging from the Chihuahuan desert […]
Montezuma Castle
Montezuma Castle NM, Arizona, protects a well-preserved ancient Sinagua Indian ruin in the side of a rock wall off I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) ILNP Rating ILNP Park Review Our Visit. We visited Montezuma Castle as part of our 8-Park Southwest tour during March. In one day, we […]
Mesa Verde
Established in 1906, Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado is one of the oldest national parks around and is still the only national park founded to protect something man-made. In this case, it’s several of the largest and best preserved ancient Puebloan cliff dwellings in the US. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) ILNP […]
Canyon de Chelly
Canyon de Chelly (pronounced de SHAY) is home to brilliant red canyons and ancient ruins set in the heart of the Navajo Reservation in northeast Arizona. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) ILNP Rating ILNP Park Review Our Visit. We visited Canyon de Chelly as part of our 8-Park Southwest tour in March 2004. […]
Petrified Forest
Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, is home to the largest collection of colorful petrified wood in the US. Like many parks, Petrified Forest was formerly a National Monument. It achieved National Park status in 1962. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) ILNP Rating Scenery Uniqueness Wildlife Diversity ILNP Park Review In a Word. “Colorful” […]