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 […]
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 […]
Glen Canyon
With iconic sites like Horseshoe Bend within its boundaries, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is not only a place for boating but a great place for hiking and incredible scenery. Straddling Utah and Arizona, the park is home to Lake Powell, one of the largest and scenic manmade lakes in America. It was established in […]
Navajo
Navajo National Monument in northern Arizona was created in 1909 to protect the sites of three ancient Puebloan ruins. Its name is derived from its location within the Navajo Nation rather than the people who lived there and abandoned these settlements several centuries ago. Visitor Rating (write your own review below) ILNP Rating ILNP Park […]
Bears Ears
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 […]