What made the Battle of Shiloh significant? Fought in April 1862, Shiloh marked the bloodiest fighting of the Civil War to that time with more than 20,000 casualties, and the narrow Union victory paved the way for Grant to ultimately secure the railroads and the Mississippi River which greatly hampered the Confederacy. Shiloh National Military […]
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Capitol Reef
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 […]
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” […]
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 […]
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 […]
Salinas Pueblo Missions
New Mexico is full of history from many eras. The three ruins sites preserved by Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument offer the visitor a glimpse into the meeting of the Puebloan and Spanish cultures that dates to the 1600s. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) ILNP Rating ILNP Park Review Our Visit. I […]
Fort Union
New Mexico is rich in history, and many of its National Park units protect this history, both Native American sites and sites which speak to the United States’ westward expansion. Fort Union was perhaps the most important fort in the Southwest because it not only protected the important Santa Fe Trail, but it was a […]
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 […]
Kennesaw Mountain
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia preserves the site of the last major battle in the defense of Atlanta from Sherman’s advancing forces during the American Civil War. Despite being outnumbered 2:1, Johnston’s Confederates held out against Sherman’s forces in two separate attacks in June of 1964. While it was a tactical victory for the […]