National Parks
- how this huge endeavor actually unfolded
- the twists and turns of the journeyâand why I nearly abandoned it halfway thru
- the surprising lesson I learned at the end
- Helped shape my priorities in life
- Inspired countless adventures + memories
- Made me focus on prioritizing experiences over things
- Provided structure + motivation to see new places
- Gave me an interesting education on America
- Check out [GoQuesting.com](http://GoQuesting.com) for ideas
- Connect with fellow questers
- Ping me if I can be helpful
- Inspire others with your adventures
- Enjoy the journey
- Day 1 â Dec. 22: Top Family/Friends Moment
- Day 2 â Dec. 23: Top Wildlife or Animal Encounter
- Day 3 â Dec. 24: Top âTook My Breath Awayâ Moment
- Day 4 â Dec. 25: Top Moment On âHolidayâ (interpret as you will)
- Day 5 â Dec. 26: Top #BucketList Moment
- Day 6 â Dec. 27: Top Extreme Moment (temp, location, ability, etc.)
- Day 7 â Dec. 28: Top Most Peaceful Moment
- Day 8 â Dec. 29: Top Water/Cave/Unique Feature Moment
- Day 9 â Dec. 30: Top Landscape Moment
- Day 10: Dec. 31: Your Ultimate #PublicLands Moment of 2018
- Sand Island petroglyphs
- Montezuma Canyon ruins & rock art sites
- Newspaper Rock SHP
- Arches National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Dead Horse Point State Park
- Rock art sites around Moab
- Edge of the Cedars State Park
- Natural Bridges National Monument
- Bears Ears National Monument
- Moki Dugway & Muley Point
- Valley of the Gods
- Goosenecks State Park
- Coal Mine Canyon
Looking across Äfono Bay from Lower Sauma Ridge. 
Looking down at the village of FagasÄ from FagasÄ Pass. 
Matafao Peak looms behind Pago Pago Harbor 
Rainmaker Mountain 
Looking across Pago Pago Harbor 
The beach at Vatia Bay 
The biggest quest I've completed. 
Cheers to finishing another quest! 
- The Samoa Islands are believed to be the ancestral home of the Polynesian culture.
- About 30% of local plants are found nowhere else.
- American Samoa is the only US Territory south of the Equator.
- Two species of flying fox (fruit bat) have 3-foot wingspans and are the only mammals native to the islands.
- Over 250 species of coral occur locally and help support nearly 1,000 species of fish.
- American Samoa features the only paleotropic (Old World) rainforest in the US.
- Pago Pago Harbor, a collapsed volcanic caldera, is one of the largest natural harbors in the South Pacific.
- Some of the tallest sea cliffs in the world can be found on the island of Ta'ĹŤ.
- We arrived in American Samoa via a small commuter plane from the tiny Fagali'i Airport in (Western) Samoa using Talofa Airlines.
- We stayed at Sadie's by the Sea, which seems like the best choice.
- American Samoa is just half the story of the Samoa Islandsâmake sure you spend some time in (Western) Samoa, too. While both places share a common language and culture, they're distinct places and your experience will be different.
- Hearing numerous warnings about mosquitos and the risk of dengue fever, we came prepared. We pretreated all of our clothes with Permethrin, packed long-sleeved shirts and lightweight pants, and brought lots of insect repellent. It was mostly for naughtâwe hardly saw a mosquito.
- If you're planning on snorkeling, bring your own gear or arrange to rent it ahead of time.
- Keep your eye out for swimming advisory signs before you get in the water. If the sign is shaped like a triangle, the water is deemed safe; if it's shaped like a diamond, then it's not.
- As far as we could tell, Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Cononut Point, Alega Bay, and the reef area between Fatu Rock and Faga'alu offer the best snorkeling options on Tutuilaâbut sadly, we weren't able to personally verify any of them.
- English is widely spoken.
- American Samoa uses US Dollars.
- Tipping is not expected or customary.
- Vehicles use the right side of the road, but drivers behave a bit differently here than in cities back on the mainland. Slow down and pay attention to the roadway. You'll also need an international drivers license.
- Sunday is for church, rest, and quietâso some activities, like swimming, may not be allowed. We scheduled the trip to avoid this.
- Each evening around dusk, villagers observe a time for prayers called SÄ. If you are entering a village during SÄ, stop and wait quietly until SÄ ends. You may even be invited to join in a family prayer. It is not necessary to stop for SÄ on the main roads.
- Even while swimming, wear modest clothingâno bikinis.
- The wetter season is October to May, which also coincides with cyclone season.
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park
- Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site
- Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
- Theodore Roosevelt Island
- Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Crater Lake National Park
- Wind Cave National Park
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Chickasaw National Recreation Area
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Devils Tower National Monument
- El Morro National Monument
- Montezuma Castle National Monument
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
- Tonto National Monument
- Muir Woods National Monument
- Pinnacles National Park
- Jewel Cave National Monument
- Natural Bridges National Monument
- Tumacacori National Monument
- Olympic National Park
- Jean Lafitte National Historical Park
- Yosemite National Park
- twitter at @rscottjones (and #mynationalparksmonth)
- snapchat at rscottjones.com for a stream of snaps
- instagram at rscottjones for occasional photos
- 9/24/06 Devils Tower, WY*
- 12/8/06 El Morro, NM*
- 12/8/06 Montezuma Castle, AZ*
- 12/8/06 Petrified Forest, AZ
- 3/11/07 Chaco Canyon, NM
- 5/6/07 Cinder Cone, CA
- 5/6/07 Lassen Peak, CA
- 11/16/07 Gila Cliff Dwellings, NM*
- 12/19/07 Tonto, AZ*
- 1/9/08 Muir Woods, CA*
- 1/11/08 Grand Canyon, AZ
- 1/16/08 Pinnacles, CA*
- 2/7/08 Jewel Cave, SD*
- 4/16/08 Natural Bridges, UT*
- 9/15/08 Tumacacori, AZ
- 12/7/08 Wheeler, CO
- 3/2/09 Mount Olympus, WA
- 3/20/09 Navajo, AZ*
- 7/12/09 Oregon Caves, OR*
- 7/31/09 Mukuntuweap, UT
- 9/21/09 Shoshone Cavern, WY
- 11/1/09 Gran Quivira (now Salinas Pueblo Missions), NM*
- 5/30/10 Rainbow Bridge, UT*
- 6/23/10 Big Hole Battlefield, MT
- 5/24/11 Colorado, CO*
- 7/6/11 Devils Postpile, CA*
- 10/14/13 Cabrillo, CA*
- 1/31/14 Papago Saguaro, AZ
- 10/4/15 Dinosaur, UT-CO*
- 11/30/15 Walnut Canyon, AZ*
- 2/11/16 Bandelier, NM*
- 8/9/16 Capulin Mountain (now Capulin Volcano), NM*
- 3/18/18 Zion, UT (incorporated Mukuntuweap NM)
- 8/3/18 Casa Grande (now Casa Grande Ruins), AZ*
- 12/12/19 Scotts Bluff, NE*
- 12/12/19 Yucca House, CO*
- 1/24/22 Lehman Caves, NV
- 10/14/22 Timpanogos Cave, UT*
- 1/24/23 Aztec Ruin (now Aztec Ruins), NM*
- 3/2/23 Hovenweep, UT-CO*
- 5/31/23 Pipe Spring, AZ*
- 6/8/23 Bryce Canyon, UT
- 10/25/23 Carlsbad Cave, NM
- 4/18/24 Chiricahua, AZ*
- 5/2/24 Craters of the Moon, ID*
- 10/15/24 Castle Pinckney, SC
- 10/15/24 Fort Marion (now Castillo de San Marcos), FL*
- 10/15/24 Fort Matanzas, FL*
- 10/15/24 Fort Pulaski, GA*
- 12/9/24 Wupatki, AZ*
- 2/26/25 Meriwether Lewis, TN
- 11/21/25 Lava Beds, CA*
- 4/12/29 Arches, UT
- 5/26/30 Sunset Crater (now Sunset Crater Volcano), AZ*
- 3/17/32 Great Sand Dunes, CO*
- 12/22/32 Grand Canyon, AZ
- 1/18/33 White Sands, NM*
- 2/11/33 Death Valley, CA-NV
- 3/1/33 Saguaro, AZ
- 3/3/33 Black Canyon of the Gunnison, CO
- 4/26/33 Channel Islands, CA
- 8/22/33 Cedar Breaks, UT*
- 1/4/35 Fort Jefferson, FL
- 8/10/36 Joshua Tree, CA
- 1/22/37 Zion, UT
- 4/13/37 Organ Pipe Cactus, AZ*
- 8/2/37 Capitol Reef, UT
- 7/16/38 Fort Laramie, WY
- 5/17/39 Santa Rosa Island, FL
- 7/24/39 Tuzigoot, AZ*
- 3/15/43 Jackson Hole, WY
- 10/25/49 Effigy Mounds, IA*
- 1/18/61 Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, MD-WV
- 5/11/61 Russell Cave, AL*
- 1/20/69 Marble Canyon, AZ
- 9/18/96 Grand Staircase-Escalante, UT* (Bureau of Land Management)
- 1/11/00 Grand Canyon-Parashant, AZ* (Jointly managed by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management)
- 1/11/00 Agua Fria, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
- 1/11/00 California Coastal, CA* (Bureau of Land Management)
- 1/10/00 Pinnacles, CA (Expansion)
- 4/15/00 Giant Sequoia, CA (Expansionâ-Forest Service)
- 6/09/00 Ironwood Forest, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
- 6/09/00 Canyons of the Ancients, CO* (Bureau of Land Management)
- 11/9/00 Craters of the Moon, ID* (Expansion of Existing Monument; Bureau of Land Management)
- 11/9/00 Vermilion Cliffs, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
- 1/17/01 Carrizo Plain, CA* (Bureau of Land Management)
- 1/17/01 Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, NM* (Bureau of Land Management)
- 1/17/01 Minidoka Internment, ID
- 1/17/01 Pompeys Piller, MT* (Bureau of Land Management)
- 1/17/01 Sonoran Desert , AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
- 12/05/08 World War II Valor in the Pacific (Incorporated USS Arizona Memorial), HI
- 11/01/11 Fort Monroe, VA
- 9/21/12 Chimney Rock, CO (Forest Service)
- 3/25/13 RĂo Grande Del Norte, NM (Bureau of Land Management)
- Manassas National Battlefield Park
- Prince William Forest Park
- Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park
- Fort Washington Park
- Piscataway Park
- Richmond National Battlefield Park
- Maggie Walker National Historic Site
- Petersburg National Battlefield
- Appomattox Court House National Historic Park
- Booker T Washington National Monument
- Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
- Moores Creek National Battlefield
- Cape Lookout National Seashore
- Wright Brothers National Memorial
- Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore
- Fort Monroe National Monument
- Colonial National Historic Park (Jamestowne & Battle of Yorktown)
- George Washington Birthplace National Monument
- Thomas Stone National Historic Site
- Greenbelt Park
- Gettysburg National Military Park
- Eisenhower National Historic Site
- Monocacy National National Battlefield
- Catoctin Mountain Park
- Antietam National Battlefield
- Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
- Hamption National Historic Site
- Clara Barton National Historic Site
- Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
- Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
- Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park
- Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
- Lincoln Home National Historic Site
- Lincoln-Herndon Law Office (Springfield, IL)
- The White House
- Ford's Theater National Historic Site
- The Petersen House (where Lincoln died)
- Lincoln Tomb (Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, IL)
- Lincoln Memorial
- Mt Rushmore National Memorial
- Congress has transferred 10 national monuments (Lewis and Clark Cavern, Wheeler, Shoshone Cavern, Papago Saguaro, Old Kasaan, Verendrye, Fossil Cycad, Castle Pinckney, Father Millet Cross, Holy Cross) to other federal, state, or local jurisdictions.
- Congress has limited Antiquities Act powers in two states: Wyoming and Alaska.
- The largest designation has been PapahÄnaumokuÄkea Marine National Monument at 140,000 square miles; the smallest was Father Millet Cross National Monument at 0.0074 acres.
- Bear Gulch Cave, Pinnacles National Monument (California)
- Crystal Cave, Sequoia National Park (California)
- Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Russell Cave National Monument (Alabama)
- Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Peppersauce Cave (Arizona)
- Fort Stanton Cave, Ft Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area (New Mexico)
- Timpanogos Cave National Monument (Utah)
- Jewel Cave National Monument (South Dakota)
- Lehman Cave, Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Kartchner Caverns State Park (Arizona)
- Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark (County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland)
- Sea Lion Caves (Oregon)
- Grand Canyon Caverns (Arizona)
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Colossal Cave (Arizona)
- Mitchell Cavern, Providence Mountains State Rec Area (California)
- Lava tubes, Lava Beds National Monument (California)
- Oregon Caves National Monument (Oregon)
- Lava tube near Flagstaff (Arizona)
- Lava tubes, El Malpais National Monument (New Mexico)
- Lava tubes, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (Idaho)
- Lava tube, Mojave National Preserve (California)
- Thurston Lava Tube, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park (Montana)
- Blythe Intaglios
- Mojave National Preserve
- Mitchell Caverns
- Along the wayâRoute 66/Amboy
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Arches National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- White Sands National Monument
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Redwood National and State Parks
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
- Grand Canyon National Park (North Rim)
- Petroglyph National Monument
- Saguaro National Park (Rincon District)
- Aztec Ruins National Monument
- Manzanar National Historic Site
- Devils Postpile National Monument
- Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Lava Beds National Monument
- WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument (Tule Lake unit)
- Oregon Caves National Monument
The story of my epic quest to visit all 419 National Park units
This is a twitter thread I posted back in April 2022 outlining the story of my national parks quest. I haven't changed much of the formatting, so this will resemble a twitter thread and not a traditional blog post. Perhaps I'll edit it in the future, but for now, this will have to do.
Here's the story of my epic quest to visit all 419 National Park units.
Get comfortable, because this is going to be a long-ass thread. But it's required for the story of how this all progressed from its inception to the finish line.
When you're done reading, you'll have a better insight into what a big quest like this really looks like.
The idea for a parks quest probably got started in 1998 after a backpacking trip to Sequoia/Kings Canyon.
My girlfriend Kim and I were in college at the time, so a national park camping trip was really the only vacation we could afford. We already enjoyed hiking & camping...
...so visiting a famous national parkâor many of themâseemed like a great idea.
After a Yosemite trip in 1999, we sorta adopted the quest, limiting it to the "named" National Parks (was it 54?) at the time.
By then, I had been to 16 park units, nearly all of which were in AZ.
The Yosemite trip was our anniversary gift to each other. We wanted a trip but couldn't afford both that + gifts.
This started a sacred annual traditionânational park trips for our anniversaryâthat continued thru out our relationship, and became an important aspect of the quest.
We did a cheap road trip in 2001 to Petrified Forest and added on some nearby park unitsâEl Morro & El Malpaisâin large part because we could camp there.
It was the first trip I took to national park units I hadn't heard of before. It'd end up being the first of many such trips.
My initial progress was pretty slow, and by 2003, my total stood at only 43. But I had already visited some notable parks, like Yosemite, Zion, Bryce, Rainier, Olympic, Death Valley & J-Tree, along with other park units in adjacent states.
They were all cheap camping road trips.
It was sometime around this period that the quest goal changed.
Originally, it was all the named National Parks. Then I added National Monuments. A little while later, it became ALL the NPS units, except for NRAsâwhich I considered "just damned rivers" (sic).
2004 was my first big parks year, hitting 16 units. It was punctuated by an anniversary road trip to Yellowstone (where I proposed to Kim), which got us 14 units alone.
We also did an Arches trip with friends that fall, and hit White Sands in conjunction with an ASU bowl game.
I hit another dozen or so units in 2005, mostly because I added on some vacation time to a work trip I took to DC.
If you visit DC and don't come away with far more park unit visits than seems possible, you're doing something wrongâthe city is simply littered with them! đ
2006 was another solid year of park questing, though this time, I didn't get ANY new DC units. đ¤Śââď¸
But we organized trips up the CA/OR coast and one following several NPS Historic Trails that marked off a lot. By this point, every family visit included a park visit along the way.
By the end of 2006, we were at 84, which seemed damn impressive to us. All of our out-of-state trips were national park trips. We didn't have any specific completion goals, but just kept trying to see more and more parks. We figured we'd finish at some point in retirement, maybe.
2007 featured 2 big parks trips. First was Kim's 30th bday, which was a surprise trip to DC. We did all the things. More importantly we did a 10-year anniversary road trip, which is among my best trips ever. It was 8700 miles & 36 parks!
Our final tally: a whopping 45(!!) parks.
We got married in Yosemite, but our honeymoon plans in Canadian Rockies got crunked last minute. So instead we drove east to hit parks in AR, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC, KY, MOâplanning as we went. Here's the 1st digital map of my progress, updated after the 2008 "post-wedding roadtrip."
Prior to this, we had just kept a text list of completed parks. We didn't even list the ones we still needed; that was too long of a list. But after marking off 45 parks in 2007 and another 45 in 2008...well, things had shifted. We wereâsomehowânearing halfway done. Holy shit!
Our map was looking impressive.
And now, we started circling possible trips in the blank spots of the map.
And started considering trips without a big "anchor" parkâthe must-see park unit that we centered our excitement around.
And strategized about how to "finish" regions.
Funny side note: because I had specifically NOT included NRAs in my quest (damned river), we drove toâbut skippedâBighorn Canyon in WY/MT, orphaning the unit.
I'd later very much regret that, as it took a "cannonball run" road trip from PHX a decade later to finally mark it off.
The quest became an increasingly important & central thing to us around this time. We were already known as the couple who had this big goal to visit all the parks, and it was how people introduced us to new people.
Sharing this quest was an important part of our relationship.
And then, the unimaginable happened: we split up the next year. đą
It nearly ended my national parks quest.
I mean, how could I continue on by myself? It seemed unthinkable. No way. It would never be the same. Game over.
I started dating someone the next year, and we took a road trip to some national parksânot for my quest, but because we wanted to hike there together. To the chagrin of both her and my ex-wife, I weaseled in some new park units. đŹ
Hmm. I wasn't sure how I felt about it either.
The next year, I decided to reclaim the quest as solely my own. I scheduled my first significant solo national parks trip, flying into Charleston and working my way down to Florida. I was apprehensive about whether it'd ever really be *mine* or not.
But the trip was a blast.
So it WAS mine!
The next few yrs were a mix of solo national park trips and ones I'd take with a girlfriend. In 2012, I flew into KC for a family reunion in CO so I could drive across KS for parks, and later tackled MI/MN/WI with a gf. In 2013, I did the VA/SC/NC + OH parks solo
On that Ohio trip, I arrived before First Ladies NHS opened, and decided to count up all the park units I had visited thus far.
I decided to hold up a sign indicating which park number I was onâa tradition I'd continue at each subsequent park.
Wish I'd started prior to 268! đ¤Śââď¸
At this point, my parks quest was something I was going to actually complete! I wasn't sure when that would be, but finishing was no longer a distant "maybe."
But, I got heavily involved in a local backpacking groupâand suddenly all my time off went towards that, not new parks.
That was an amazing time for me, and I wouldn't trade those trips or friends for anything. I was also in midst of a big stressful transition in my career that required me to radically cut expenses & forgo a salary for 9 mos.
Which meant an incredible drought for my parks quest.
TWO parks?!! That's it? Just two? Two new parks in two full years?! WTF...
And the start of 2016 wasn't looking any better.
In March I decided to take a bad-for-the-checkbook trip to the Deep South so I could visit at least SOME parks that year. Broke, I slept in my rental car.
Jen and I had been dating for three months now. She posed a question to me: would I go on a surprise trip, where I didn't know the destination? I said sure.
This is a GREAT story, but I'll skip retelling it here. But we ended up in Puerto Rico & USVI, marking off more parks.
And then, we got word that Jen would have a month-long work detail in DC. We hadn't been dating long, so she offered to come back to visit me. But I had a better idea: why don't I go with you instead?
We scheduled a weekend in Boston to do some parks before her detail started...
...with the idea that I'd join her in DC and start looking for a (much needed) new job while there, taking advantage of the free hotel room. When I needed to interview, I'd simply call the trip done and fly home. And we'd do some fun East coast city stuff on weekends until then.
Well, I applied for a job or twoâand waited perhaps a dayâbefore bailing to rent a car and do a few days away hitting some parks in western PA đđ¤ˇââď¸
I quickly landed an intriguing consulting job (no interview needed) that week, but told them I needed some time before I started.
So, for her entire work detail, I spent the weekends hitting parks with her in Boston, NYC, & Phillyâand spending the weekdays camping in a rental car, voraciously visiting parks on my own.
I was planning each day as I went, and started calling it #MyNationalParksMonth.
I did stay in town on her bday week, meeting her at a new brewery after each workday and enjoying the weekend together in Shenandoah & Harpers Ferry.
But for a trip that was originally supposed to be about not being apart too long, that was all we saw of each other. Whoopsie! đ¤Ł
We joke about that now, but Jen was tremendously supportive throughout this epic trip.
As someone with her own big quest, she also understood this unique moment: how often would the stars in my life align like this again?
The opportunity was just too good to pass up. Carpe diem!
Her detail was ending, but...I decided I wasn't done yet. She flew home, and I postponed that new gig even longer so I could stay 3 more weeks to finish all the Eastern parks
It was a terrible financial decision, but a great life decision! A bold move, but one I'm grateful for.
On the flight home, I added up all the new parks. I was at 94 for the yearâa year I had originally worried might be zero.
And it was the 100th anniversary of the NPS. I needed to visit only a handful of more parks to have visited 100 parks in 100 days to celebrate 100 years!
And so I made return visits that week to the AZ parks that had helped inspire my quest, completing #100parksin100days!
I was on the home stretch. Sure, I had some REALLY expensive and difficult parks leftâbut I was now marking the *few* areas of the map I still needed.
Wow!
It was at this point that Jenâwho had insisted that she would NOT adopt the questâdecided to count up her own visits. She was at 101.
Ok, well, maaaybe she should at least start keeping track...
Ok, fine, she wants in! But her first quest goal was just reaching 200 total parks.
Part of the reason she adopted it was because we already had a number of other trips planned that year, which often included park units she hadn't been to that I wanted her to see.
"Oh, you haven't been to Arches? Well, let's go there on that long weekend we'll have in October."
So she upped the anty: her goal was now >200 parks, incl everything west of the Mississippi.
We also started sketching out trips to the harder parks: Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Alaska. And took trips back to completed areas where a new park unit had just been designated.
With me nearing the finish line, it was clear that she was going to tag along to the most difficult parks to visit. And many other parks would naturally be on our itinerary for other trips.
So, like myself, she eventually expanded the quest to include all of the park units.
A little bit surprisingly, most of our travel now shifted to visiting parks for HER. Sure, we did a trip to Guam, one to WA, and another to FL so I could #Finishthe48.
But for every new park I visited, she marked off at least FOUR. Jen wasâvery quicklyâa highly motivated quester
Completing the Contiguous US seemed like an important milestone, and we expected it to take years and years to finish the remote parks in Alaska & American Samoa, plus any unexpected new ones.
So I had a little celebration with friends, not knowing how many more years I had left
Of course, one sign stuck out... đ¤Ł
Our initial plan was hoping to tackle Alaska in 3 summer trips. If we got lucky on good weather for the required bush flights, we could finish the state in 3 yrs.
We'd need another year for American Samoa, and who-knows-what for any new ones.
We got **very lucky** on our first Alaska trip in 2018, and were able to do ALL of flights into the Western Arctic parks on scheduleâwhich meant we were suddenly half done!
We managed to sneak in an American Samoa trip that winter, putting us waaay over our annual travel budget.
I also did that cannonball run up to Bighorn Canyon to mark off that orphaned unit.
Looking at the map now, I pushed for us to shoot for completing Alaska in just one more trip, not the two we had planned. We'd need more good luck, but it seemed well worth the attempt in my mind
I didn't know, but Jen had already been working with a number of friends (and even my ex-wife Kim!) to surprise me at my last park unit in Alaska. #shesakeeper
The problem was she had given them 3 yrs to plan, not the 2 that I was now pushing. So accelerating it mucked things up
But with Aniakchakâthe hardest park unit to visitâstill on our itinerary, it might take a third trip. I won't recount the story of how we *finally* made it there, but the short of it is: we did. Barely.
Which meant I'd finish the quest on the trip. Which is *A BIG FUCKING DEAL*
Some friends were able to make the trip anyway and joined me at my last park unit: Glacier Bay National Park. With shirts!
What a journey, right?! It's not every day that you accomplish such a major life goal, one that defined so much of your life.
Holy shit, I ACTUALLY DID IT!
So you'd think I'd be on top of the world. And in many ways, I was!
But it's also weird to "finish" something like this.
It's more interesting to be doing something, than it is to have done something. Being 36% done can be better than 100%. The fun really is in the journey. Huh
That was one of the big lessons for me. And it's why I encourage people to adopt the BIG quest, the one that seems too daunting.
Because it doesn't actually matter if you ever finish or not. The benefits are nearly all in the process of working towards the goal, not finishing it
What do you do when you've finished a big quest like going to all the National Park units?
Well, you start a new quest, of course. And so that's what I did, several times over, many of which I began years before finishing the parks.
Because it's all about the journey.
My parks journey did a few things for me:
Choosing to adopt and pursue this crazy quest has been one of the best decisions of my life, and it's of course been one of the most treasured and impactful endeavors of my life, too.
I'll write more about these things in the future. And maybe add more to this thread later.
If you've somehow made it this far in the thread, you're 100% remarkable. So go adopt a remarkable quest!
My Submissions for the 2018 #FindYourPark Photo Challenge
This annual photo challenge, organized by the good folks at Nature Tech Family, is an excellent excuse to look back over the year you've had in our national parks and public lands. It's also a great way to see what others have done this year.
The rules are simple. For the last 10 days of the year, post a photo on twitter related to the topic of the day. Tagging the tweet with #findyourpark #parkchat and #publiclands will help others find your posts easier. Be sure to tag @naturetechfam in the tweet as well.
Here are the topics:
I'm posting each of my submissions here, in addition to twitter.
Day 1 Top Family/Friends Moment:
Roadtrip to Utah with my Dad
My dad and I hadn't taken a trip together in a very long timeâabout 16 years, if I recall correctly. This seemed like a great year to change that. So I took him and his girlfriend Carol to a state they knew little about: Utah.
We managed to fit in quite a few stops, showing them the big popular sites like Arches, Canyonlands, and Dead Horse Point, plus lesser known spots like Montezuma Canyon, Muley Point, and Coal Mine Canyon. Here's the full itinerary
They were simply astounded at the landscapes and the archaeology we saw. They had no idea places like that existed, and certainly not within driving distance of Phoenix. It was a really special opportunity to spend some time with my dad.
Here's the list of places we visited:
Day 2 Top Wildlife Encounter:
Snorkeling with Manatees in Florida
For some reason, swimming with manatees has always been on my wildlife bucket list, so I had a blastâin spite of the nasty cold I had picked up. If you're ever in the Crystal Springs region of Florida, I definitely recommend a quick trip out to snorkel with manatees, even if it is a bit touristy.
Day 3 Top "Took My Breath Away" moment: Denali, The Great One
My top "take my breath" moment was earlier this summer in Denali. We had heard so much about how rare it was to get a clear view of the mountain, and our visit to Denali State Park the evening before our shuttle dampened our already low expectations.
But the next day, we were treated to nearly an entire day's worth of clear views. There wasn't just one moment of the mountain that left you speechlessâwe were fortunate enough to get many.
One of those moments that stood out, however, was late in the day when this family, enjoying a paddle across the lake right as we passed by. It's almost like I had photoshopped them in.
Day 4 - Top "holiday" moment: Finishing our US Territories quest during our Anniversary trip
My top "holiday" moment this year was 3 weeks ago when Jen & I finished our quest to visit all 50 states and all 5 major US territories.
It was our 1st "big" trip for our anniversaryâwhich I consider my favorite holiday! Previously, we had always taken our larger "holiday" trip between Christmas and New Years, and instead done a shorter, less desirable road trip for our anniversary. This year, we decided that to make sure that the anniversary got top billing, and I'm really glad we did.
This is also the biggest travel quest I've completed to date, though the National Parks quest will jump to the top when I complete it this coming summer.
Day 5 Top #Bucketlist moment: Calving Glaciers in Kenai Fjords NP
One of my top #bucketlist moments of 2018 was definitely witnessing glaciers calving into the sea in Kenai Fjords this summer. This has long been a life travel goal for me, so it was pretty great to finally experience itâeven though we were so cold standing out on the boat in the rain and wind to watch it.
Day 6 - Top Extreme Moment: Landing a bush plane between 3 wildfires in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
Smoke filled every valley as our bush plane neared the landing strip at Coal Creek in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, the result of three active wildfires forming a triangle around our destination. It didn't look good for landing in this national park unit.
But our pilot impulsively pushed forward, breaking through the layer of smoke, and landed alongside firefighting helicopters and other equipment. We hopped out, took some quick photos, and beelined it for the historic mining camp a mile up the valley. We only had an hour on the ground. The camp had been commandeered by the interagency fire crew attempting to preserve park buildings from the fire, but it was also the site of passport stamps. And given our time crunch, it would be the only historic buildings we'd get to see here.
We wandered into a cabin, which was serving as the office for the fire crew.
"Who are you, and where did you come from?" one of them asked us, stunned that any tourists had shown up. Apparently, even their own fire crew pilots had refused to land that day.
We explained our national parks quest and why we had arrived amidst active wildfires. Impressed with our dedication, someone located the park stamps and we chatted a bit about our trip. When they found out that we didn't have time to hike the 8-mile roundtrip to Slaven's Roadhouse and to see the Yukon River, the incident commander piped up.
"You can't get this close and not see it. I'll drive you down there right now, and get you back in time," she said.
It was an offer that we couldn't refuse. She delegated wildfire responsibilities to two of the other staff members, and we quickly jumped in her side-by-side. Barreling down the rough gravel road, we passed the dredge and made it to the river. We explored the roadhouseâand collected another park stampâbefore turning around and returning to the landing strip.
We took off without incident, but halfway through our flight back to Fairbanks, we encountered a gnarly storm. It was a rather tense hour as the pilot attempted to find a way around the worst of it, finally settling on a long circuitous route over some mountains and up a river valley. No one said a word until we landed.
As the pilot turned off the engineâhis nervous wife already waiting for him on the tarmacâhe let out a big sigh of relief and broke the silence.
"Well, I bet you are all happy to be back on the ground."
Yes...
Yes, we were.
Day 7 - Top most peaceful moment: The backroads of the North Rim
My most peaceful moments on public lands this year happened here, along the backroads of the Kaibab National Forest at the edge of the Grand Canyonâfar from the crowds on the South Rim. Getting off the beaten path may take some additional time and effort, but it's usually well worth it.
Day 8 - Top water/cave/unique feature moment: Swimming Across Samoa
My top "water/cave/unique feature" moment of the year comes from our all-day swimming tour across Samoaâwhich included swims at secluded waterfalls, half submerged caves, ocean trenches, & coral reefs. Lots of photos at the link above!
Day 9 - Top Landscape Moment: the National Parks of the Western Arctic
I've spent many days out exploring our national parks and public lands, but it's hard to top the day I spent exploring the National Parks of the Western Arctic by bush plane. Staggeringly large and desolate, there's no better way to tour these places than from the air. And while it was the most expensive flight I've ever booked, it was completely worth the unforgettable experience.
Day 10 - My Ultimate #PublicLands Moment of 2018: ALL of them!
As alwaysâthere's simply no way to choose from the amazing adventures I enjoyed on our public lands this year.
Each is special and I treasure them all.
Our visit to American Samoa
â This just one of the places we went on the South Pacific trip we took in December 2018.
Situated in the Southern Hemisphere near the International Date Line, American Samoa is home to the most far-flung National Park in the United States.
And as a result, it was on our itinerary to visit as part of my national parks quest.
The national park straddles all three of American Samoa's main islands, though we would only get a chance to visit Tutuila, its largest. That's because the Manu'a Islandsâwhich feature Ofu Beach, one of the most gorgeous you'll find anywhereâare considerably more difficult to reach for the time-constrained traveler, as transportation options are both limited and notoriously unreliable. That wouldn't work for us this trip, but it gives us a good reason to go back (as does our experience at Tisa's Barefoot Bar).
Oh, the mountains!
One of the most striking things about American Samoa is its mountains. These mountains feature daunting slopes and are blanketed with lush rainforest vegetation. It's really incredibleânearly every square foot is thick green, even at angles where it seems unlikely that plants could grow in such abundance.
These mountains are the primary feature of the national park lands here, along with the beaches and a swath of ocean and coral they spill into. As a result, there are few maintained trails to choose from, only two of which were open during our visit.
These mountains and ridge lines run the length of Tutuila, dominating the skyline no matter where you find yourself on the island. Given their incredible slope, this spine creates a rather formidable barrier.
In fact, just a handful of roads cross the mountains, connecting a few otherwise isolated villages with the main highway that skirts the island's southern edge. These steep roads often requiring downshifting just to make it up to the pass. Along these narrow and winding roads, the lush vegetation only occasionally opens up for a clear view down the hillside.
Most of the population lives and works along this main highway, with the bulk in the Tafuna region, the only extended flat area of the island. Beyond this area, nearly every building you'll encounter is either located on the main highway or off a small spur road from the highway. As a result, touring the island is a wonderfully intimate experience.
And as you can see from the photos below, most vistas feature a line of buildings at sea level, with mountain slopes towering behind them.
Looking for some snorkeling
After an annoying three hour delay in getting our rental carâbe prepared for "island time" if you visitâwe went straight to the National Park visitor center. Located on the second level of a storefront in Pago Pago, it's small but basically what you'd expect: some nice displays, an information desk, and a passport stamp.
Because we had arrived without much of an itinerary, we had hoped that we'd be able to glean some good recommendations on where to snorkelâone of our favorite trip activitiesâbut the volunteer struggled to give any solid suggestions.
We had a similar experience the next day at the Ocean Center, which manages the national marine sanctuaries. It was a bit surprising, since that seemed to be one of the big things to do here. Luckily, the coral reefs are shown on the park map and you can easily spot many of them while driving around.
Unfortunately, you might also spot one of these signs at some of your intended destinations:
Hmmm. Maybe we won't be doing much snorkeling here after all...
Undeterred, we decided that we'd spend most of our time exploring the island by car. First up was visiting the national park, the primary reason for our trip, along with the rest of the eastern end of the island.
National Park of American Samoa
We had arrived knowing that, comparatively speaking, there weren't many activities to do in this park. After all, at a mere 13,500 total acres, it's one of the smallest national parks in the system. And much of the park acreage is either rugged, mountainous terrain with only a few developed trails, or shallow waters with fringing coral reefs.
But more than any other, this national park is as much about what you do outside the park boundaries as what you do within them.
The park newspaper and other materials make this quite clearâthe majority of the information presented focuses on the islands as a whole, not simply about what to expect within the park boundaries. In addition to the stunning landscape, this park is about experiencing all of American Samoa, including faâasamoa, or the "Samoa way of life."
Nonetheless, we wouldn't come all this way without spending some time enjoying the national park itself.
It didn't take long to find the entrance sign that'd serve as the customary backdrop for my park unit number photo. And a while later, we found ourselves at the end of the road in the village of Vatia. There, we'd enjoy our favorite part of our national park visit: a short trail to a cobblestone beach overlooking the incredibly scenic Pola Island and the Vai'ava Strait National Natural Landmark.
The best way to experience the island
While we enjoyed the sections of the national park we visited, the real highlight was simply exploring the island by car. And that's mostly what we did, driving virtually every stretch of roadway we could.
Unlike other nearby destinations, such as Fiji, there's not a lot of tourist infrastructure in American Samoa. There are just a handful of hotels, relatively few restaurants, and little else geared towards visitors. That means you'll mostly be on your own for things like sightseeing and snorkeling.
While there are a number of informal pull-offs along the roadway, there definitely aren't enough for all the great views you'll encounter. Luckily, driving here is quite slow, so you won't feel too rushed as you pass vista after vista that belong on postcards.
If you're tempted to stop in villages, be sure to adhere to the local cultural norms. That means asking locals for permission before taking photos, using a beach, or parkingâeven if it seems otherwise unobtrusive. You'll nearly always be granted permission.
Some things you'll notice
Fales
As you travel across the island, you'll likely notice that much of Samoan life takes place outdoors. Given the tropical climate, that shouldn't be unexpected. Indeed, it's impossible not to notice that most homes feature some variety of faleâan open air, pagoda-like structure with pillars and a roof that serves as a primary place of activity. Some of these are used as actual living quarters, while others are used for entertaining guests or conducting traditional ceremonies. Beach fales, which resemble smaller huts, are also common throughout the island.
Family graves in the front yard
If you're touring the countryside by car, you'll also likely notice a marble gravesite or two in front of a number of homes. For those of us who grew up in a place like the United States, that seems especially weirdâafter all, it's hard to sell a house with your grandfather prominently buried near the front door.
But the concept of land ownership is much different here. It's communal, and families stick around. Samoan custom prevents real estate sales to outsiders; even the National Park itself could only be negotiated as a 50 year lease with several local villages.
Aiga (family-run buses)
Colorful small shuttle buses, called aiga, are found throughout the island. These family-run enterprises can be hailed nearly anywhere and charge a small fee for transporting you to any other spot along its route. Most seem to originate at the market near the national park visitor center. While this seems like a convenient method of transportation, we preferred the comfort and flexibility of having our own rental vehicle.
Stray dogs and ugly trash
When you take a trip to a South Pacific island, you may be expecting a pristine and idyllic setting. But if you've visited remote tropical islands before, you know that's not the full picture. While beautiful, there are real problems here, too.
One of those problems seems to be litter, which is omnipresent along many of the roadsides and on a number of the beaches. It's not always clear where all the litter originatedâsome of the beach trash may have washed up on shore from distant sources. But a fair amount seems to be generated on the island itself, as noted by an anti-littering ad campaign we noticed plastered around the island.
Island life tends to be a simpler life, but it usually means a less affluent one, too. While generally cared for, many buildings were showing serious signs of deterioration. Some were clearly damaged in previous cyclones or tsunamis, while others just seemed to have been abandoned ages ago. Freshly painted or recently built structures sometimes seemed a bit out of place here.
Outside of what you might consider the urban core, feral dogs roam around nearly every village. Sometimes they absentmindedly block the road. Other times, they bark furiously at strangers. But most of the time they simply go about their own business eeking out a living by scavenging for food. We noticed several dogs living with bad injuries, such as an obviously broken leg.
Notably, the National Park Service makes a point to warn visitors about potentially "unfriendly" dogs in their visitor guides and other handouts.
Shipwrecks
There are a few shipwrecks around the island, and they're all well-placed for photos. It doesn't seem like this is prime shipwreck territory, but it must be hard to find a more scenic spot to run aground.
The Starkist Cannery
American Samoa's largest private employerâby a wide marginâis Starkist. It's impossible to miss the tuna canning plant on the north edge of Pago Pago Harbor. When you pass by, note the workers wearing different colored shirts, presumably to delineate their job functions. You'll also notice the industrial port across the harbor, which ruined several otherwise gorgeous photo ops.
Pillboxes and other remnants of WWII
While fighting never reached the island during World War II, there are a number of defenses that still remain here. For instance, several WWII-era concrete guardhouses, often called pillboxes, line the shoreline of Tutuila. Two short trails also lead to gun batteries high above both Blunts Point and Breakers Point.
National Natural Landmarks
American Samoa is home to to seven National Natural Landmarks (or NNLs), many of which are prominent features of the island. While these designations are intended to acknowledge important geological resources, NNL status does not provide any special protections.
Few "perfect" beaches
While the island certainly has its share of scenic beaches, many are relatively small and most are pocked with black lava rock. As a result, this isn't a place were you see hoards of swimmers and sunbathers lining every stretch of sandy coastline.
Completing two quests
With our visit to American Samoa, we were able to complete two quests. This was the last territory we needed in our quest to visit all 50 States and all 5 major US Territories, which currently ranks as the biggest travel quest I've completed. And during our travels to those territories, we made a special point to visit every local craft brewery in each, too.
There wasn't a craft brewery currently open in American Samoa, but one was getting close to openingâFlying Fox Brewing. So we got in touch with the brewer, Nate. He loved our quest and graciously offered a private tasting for us. We enjoyed both the brews and our conversations about the challenges he faces in running a brewery in such a far-flung place dominated by a few mass-produced island lagers. Unfortunately, this was pretty much the only good beer we had the entire trip.
Random factoids
With more time, we would have...
As always, time and money served as a big limiting factor for this trip. Given our other travel goals, available time off, and budget, we knew that this would be a shorter visit than we would have preferred. In particular, we were bummed that we couldn't make it to the Manu'a Islands, especially Ofu. We'll definitely need to return in the future.
The best snorkeling in the national parks is Ofu in American Samoa.
NPS Director Jon Jarvis explained to me in 2016.
Had we scheduled more days to spend on Tutuila, we would have spent it snorkeling at Fagatele Bay and exploring the dense rainforest in more detail on a longer dayhike, likely on the Tuafanua or Lower Sauma Ridge trails. We also would have spent a few hours out at 'Aunu'u Island and driven up to A'oloaufou to see the view. And, of course, we would have returned again to Tisa's, and also checked out Two Dollar Beach further down the road.
Nonetheless, we had a truly excellent time, and we're glad we didn't postpone the trip for some unknown opportunity when time and money allowed for a longer visit.
Some additional tips
If you're planning a visit, here are some tips that might prove helpful.
More photos coming
I haven't had a chance to review and edit all the photos we took during our time in American Samoa, so I'll likely update this with more pics in the coming weeks. In the meanwhile, you can find more photos of our trip at this Flickr album.
The National Parks of Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt is a giant figure in the history of conservation and the National Parks system. Arguably the first "Conservation President," he used his authority and foresight to establish and protect many of our country's most treasured places. His conservation legacy is astounding, especially for the era in which he governed, and encompasses far more than his additions to the national parks system.
Honoring his important tenure as President, no fewer than six different national parks commemorate Teddy Roosevelt:
If you haven't been to each of these places, you should add them to your "to visit" list. Theodore Roosevelt NP and Sagamore Hill NHS are among my favorite lesser-known parks in the country.
TR Â will forever be associated with the many national park units he helped established, whether by signing national park legislation or by using his authority under the Antiquities Act. Here's the looong list of places he helped protect:
That's one helluva conservation legacy for the National Parks.
And that doesn't include the 51 National Bird Sanctuaries (later renamed National Wildlife Refuges) he designated, the 150 million acres of National Forests he established, or the other conservation policies he impacted.
Thanks, Teddy, for all that you did to preserve America's natural heritage!
#MyNationalParksMonth is my centennial celebration of the National Parks
UPDATE: jump to a listing of what I've seen thus far.
BIG NEWS: hear about the epic encore I'm currently!
EVEN BIGGER NEWS: I'm now visiting 100 Parks in 100 Days
Sorryâmuch of this post got shredded during some of the recent upgrades and conversions it's been through. It's on my list of things to fix. :(
One hundred years ago this year, the National Park System was established.
Sure, there were already quite a few national parks and monuments, but it was this moment in which they were brought together under a single management philosophy, a single land managing agency, and became a system of protected lands.
National Parks have played an incredibly important role in my life. Iâve only taken a handful of vacations to places other than national parks. And they contain my most favorite places and are home to some of my most cherished memories. I got engaged and married (even, one might argue, divorced) in national parks; needless to say, I care deeply about them.
Last week, the National Park Service concluded its National Park Week. I've decided to take that celebration one step furtherâand embark on what I'm calling #MyNationalParksMonth.
So #MyNationalParksMonth is an attempt to celebrate this anniversary, while visiting as many of the remaining national park units as possible in my quest to visit all 411.
Basecamping out of the Washington, DC areaâand with weekend trips to Boston, New York City, and PhiladelphiaâIâm planning to visit more than two dozen thirty forty (!!) units of the National Parks System over the next few weeks. Itâs a month-long personal celebration of the national parks, spent doing what I enjoy most: visiting new national park units.
Follow along on:
What I've seen so far
Here are the national parks I've visited thus far on #MyNationalParksMonth (updated May 23). Green pins are parks I've marked off; gray dots are national parks I'm visiting as part of my encore, and blue diamonds are the ones I will have left in the Northeast. As you'll see, I've already far exceeded my goal for the project.
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Happy birthday to the Antiquities Act!
Today is the anniversary of Antiquities Act of 1906. Not many people know much about this law, even though it probably ranks as the most important conservation tool in our nation's history. Not only did it, for the first time, protect historical and prehistoric structures and artifacts, but it gave the President the authority to designate national monuments, helping to effectively preserve so much of our natural and cultural heritage. Many of these places have since been incorporated into larger national monuments or national parks, and many of them form the basis for the National Conservation Lands.
I've been lucky enough to visit darn near 100 of these places.
Update: I've actually visited more than 100. Here's the updated total from my National Monuments quest.
There have also been a number of additional designations since this was originally posted.
Wow, it's impossible to count how many amazing memories I've created in all of these places. Thanks to the many Presidents, both Republican and Democratic, that took action to protect these American treasures for all time.
Take a look at the full list of national monuments designated under the Antiquities Act and leave me a comment about how many you've been to.
My #BattlefieldsandBeginnings road trip
15 days. 2,486 miles. 31 new national parks.
In March 2013, I had one of my most productive national park road trips. I called it my #BattlefieldsandBeginnings trip, and it primarily focused on as-yet-unvisited national parks in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland. I also snuck in a quick jaunt over the Pennsylvania border to hit Gettysburg and the adjacent Eisenhower National Historic Site.
My original plan was to add about 10 days onto a work trip that would bring me to rural Virginia and DC, adding about 15 national parks to my list. In the end, I was able to add a few extra days and more than double my original goal.
It was a fast-paced trip, but with some serious strategizing, early mornings and late nights, I was able to see everything I wanted. It helps that my targeted parks were located in an area dense with mostly historically-focused national parks.
I wasn't able to make many other stops, most notably for the state high points or roadside oddities that have recently found their way onto my trip itineraries, as there were simply too many national parks available to visit. Of course, it's not like I was passing many must-have photo ops along the wayâunlike Kansas and the other fly-over states, there's a dearth of fun roadside oddities near our nation's capital (insert your own joke here).
Finally, one word about all of the battlefields I visited on this trip. I enjoyed them. No, really. After a battlefield-laden trip to the Deep South several years ago with Kim, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy another battlefield in my life. However, watching Ken Burns' excellent Civil War series this spring, I had a better appreciation for the various battles. Although, I'll admit, I had really wanted to include Harpers Ferry to officially finish off all of the Civil War battles.
The national parks I visited:
Other relevant links
You can also find my national park passport stamps for the trip here.
Here's an archive of my tweets and foursquare check-ins during the trip.
Following the life of Abraham Lincoln
In August 2013, I made it to the last two major national park sites dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln. After watching the movie Lincoln in 2013, I thought back on all of the Lincoln-related historical sites I've visited. I think it's a rather comprehensive list, especially as he's been enshrined in the National Parks.
I'm not certain if it's a complete list, but it's not far from one either. Please feel free to use it to complete your own mini-quest of visiting all of the Abraham Lincoln historical sites.
Oh, and add Lincoln, Illinois to the list as wellâthe site of the strangest Lincoln story I've heard and home to the largest Lincoln statute on a covered wagon.
I've also been to a few of the seven locations where the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates took place, mostly recently the Jonesboro site, which is memorialized with statues in a lovely city park.
Roadtripping the national parks in my Forester
Since its purchase in 2006, my Subaru Foresterânamed Betsyâhas been a constant companion in my quest to visit every national park unit. The vehicle has transported Kim and I on some of our best road trips, whether that's our Great American Roadtrip in 2007, our wedding post-wedding roadtrip in 2008, or many others. There have been a great many memories produced in the vehicleâthe mystery rodent that chewed through our backseat fabric in Glacier, attempting to sleep on far too thick of air mattresses in the back of the vehicle at a random rest stop somewhere in California, or enduring a gauntlet of 70mph wind, dust, rain, hail, and snow on a drive to Utah with my kayak strapped to the roof for the very first time, to name a few.
Last week, I took what is probably my last national park road trip with Betsy: a long overdue visit to Chaco Culture National Historical Parkâone of the first places we had intended to go once we got it. It was a last minute change of plans that had me take the Forester on that trip, but it was great to bring her out one last time, and especially to a remote park that requires a significant drive on dirt roads to access.
With 175,000 miles on her, and several significant repairs I've been delaying, and only one long national park road trip to the Pacific Northwest remaining (I'll fly to the northeastern parks from now on), she's likely finally retired from her road trip career. While I'd love to do some more long roadtrips with her, I'm also happy shuttling around my kayak and mountain bike around the state. Thanks for all of the lifelong roadtripping memories.
National Monuments designated under the Antiquities Act
The Antiquities Act of 1906 was the first piece of legislation to protect ruins and artifacts of Native American cultures. However, the law also gave the President authority to designate national monuments on federal landsâa powerful and important tool for protecting some of our nation's most important treasures.
This authority has been used more than a hundred times by a total of seventeen Presidentsânine Republican and eight Democratic.
Many of the national monuments established under the Antiquities Act have later been expanded, merged, or converted into national parks (asterisks show ones that have retained their national monument status); several have also been renamed over time. While most of the national monuments are managed by the National Park Service, several are managed by other federal agencies, most notably the Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Conservation Lands (I've displayed those in italics).
Below is the list of designations. I've had the pleasure and good fortune of visiting nearly all of these places. You should too.
Theodore Roosevelt (18)
9/24/06 Devils Tower, WY*
12/8/06 El Morro, NM*
12/8/06 Montezuma Castle, AZ*
12/8/06 Petrified Forest, AZ
3/11/07 Chaco Canyon, NM
5/6/07 Cinder Cone, CA
5/6/07 Lassen Peak, CA
11/16/07 Gila Cliff Dwellings, NM*
12/19/07 Tonto, AZ*
1/9/08 Muir Woods, CA*
1/11/08 Grand Canyon, AZ
1/16/08 Pinnacles, CA*
2/7/08 Jewel Cave, SD*
4/16/08 Natural Bridges, UT*
5/11/08 Lewis and Clark Cavern, MT
9/15/08 Tumacacori, AZ
12/7/08 Wheeler, CO
3/2/09 Mount Olympus, WA
William Howard Taft (10)
3/20/09 Navajo, AZ*
7/12/09 Oregon Caves, OR*
7/31/09 Mukuntuweap, UT
9/21/09 Shoshone Cavern, WY
11/1/09 Gran Quivira (now Salinas Pueblo Missions), NM*
3/23/10 Sitka, AK
5/30/10 Rainbow Bridge, UT*
6/23/10 Big Hole Battlefield, MT
5/24/11 Colorado, CO*
7/6/11 Devils Postpile, CA*
Woodrow Wilson (14)
10/14/13 Cabrillo, CA*
1/31/14 Papago Saguaro, AZ
10/4/15 Dinosaur, UT-CO*
11/30/15 Walnut Canyon, AZ*
2/11/16 Bandelier, NM*
7/8/16 Sieur de Monts, ME
8/9/16 Capulin Mountain (now Capulin Volcano), NM*
10/25/16 Old Kasaan, AK
6/29/17 Verendrye, ND
3/18/18 Zion, UT (incorporated Mukuntuweap NM)
8/3/18 Casa Grande (now Casa Grande Ruins), AZ*
9/24/18 Katmai, AK
12/12/19 Scotts Bluff, NE*
12/12/19 Yucca House, CO*
Warren G. Harding (8)
1/24/22 Lehman Caves, NV
10/14/22 Timpanogos Cave, UT*
10/21/22 Fossil Cycad, SD
1/24/23 Aztec Ruin (now Aztec Ruins), NM*
3/2/23 Hovenweep, UT-CO*
3/2/23 Mound City Group, OH
5/31/23 Pipe Spring, AZ*
6/8/23 Bryce Canyon, UT
Calvin Coolidge (13)
10/25/23 Carlsbad Cave, NM
4/18/24 Chiricahua, AZ*
5/2/24 Craters of the Moon, ID*
10/15/24 Castle Pinckney, SC
10/15/24 Fort Marion (now Castillo de San Marcos), FL*
10/15/24 Fort Matanzas, FL*
10/15/24 Fort Pulaski, GA*
10/15/24 Statue of Liberty, NY*
12/9/24 Wupatki, AZ*
2/26/25 Glacier Bay, AK
2/26/25 Meriwether Lewis, TN
9/5/25 Father Millet Cross, NY
11/21/25 Lava Beds, CA*
Herbert Hoover (9)
4/12/29 Arches, UT
5/11/29 Holy Cross, CO
5/26/30 Sunset Crater (now Sunset Crater Volcano), AZ*
3/17/32 Great Sand Dunes, CO*
12/22/32 Grand Canyon, AZ
1/18/33 White Sands, NM*
2/11/33 Death Valley, CA-NV
3/1/33 Saguaro, AZ
3/3/33 Black Canyon of the Gunnison, CO
Franklin D. Roosevelt (11)
4/26/33 Channel Islands, CA
8/22/33 Cedar Breaks, UT*
1/4/35 Fort Jefferson, FL
8/10/36 Joshua Tree, CA
1/22/37 Zion, UT
4/13/37 Organ Pipe Cactus, AZ*
8/2/37 Capitol Reef, UT
7/16/38 Fort Laramie, WY
5/17/39 Santa Rosa Island, FL
7/24/39 Tuzigoot, AZ*
3/15/43 Jackson Hole, WY
Harry S. Truman (1)
10/25/49 Effigy Mounds, IA*
Dwight D. Eisenhower (2)
7/14/56 Edison Laboratory, NJ
1/18/61 Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, MD-WV
John F. Kennedy (2)
5/11/61 Russell Cave, AL*
12/28/61 Buck Island Reef, VI*
Lyndon B. Johnson (1)
1/20/69 Marble Canyon, AZ
Jimmy Carter (15)
12/1/78 Admiralty Island, AK* (US Forest Service)
12/1/78 Aniakchak, AK*
12/1/78 Becharof, AK
12/1/78 Bering Land Bridge, AK
12/1/78 Cape Krusenstern, AK*
12/1/78 Denali, AK
12/1/78 Gates of the Arctic, AK
12/1/78 Kenai Fjords, AK
12/1/78 Kobuk Valley, AK
12/1/78 Lake Clark, AK
12/1/78 Misty Fjords, AK* (US Forest Service)
12/1/78 Noatak, AK
12/1/78 Wrangell-St. Elias, AK
12/1/78 Yukon-Charley, AK
12/1/78 Yukon Flats, AK
William J. Clinton (21)
9/18/96 Grand Staircase-Escalante, UT* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/11/00 Grand Canyon-Parashant, AZ* (Jointly managed by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management)
1/11/00 Agua Fria, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/11/00 California Coastal, CA* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/10/00 Pinnacles, CA (Expansion)
4/15/00 Giant Sequoia, CA (Expansionâ-US Forest Service)
6/09/00 Hanford Reach, WA (US Fish and Wildlife Service)
6/09/00 Ironwood Forest, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
6/09/00 Canyons of the Ancients, CO* (Bureau of Land Management)
6/09/00 Cascade-Siskiyou, OR* (Bureau of Land Management)
7/07/00 President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home (Armed Forces Retirement Home)
11/9/00 Craters of the Moon, ID* (Expansion of Existing Monument; Bureau of Land Management)
11/9/00 Vermilion Cliffs, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Carrizo Plain, CA* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, NM* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Minidoka Internment, ID
1/17/01 Pompeys Pillar, MT* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Sonoran Desert, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Upper Missouri River Breaks, MT* (Bureau of Land Management)
1/17/01 Virgin Islands Coral Reef, VI*
1/20/01 Governors Island, NY*
George W. Bush (3)
2/27/06 African Burial Ground, NY*
6/15/06 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine (renamed Papahanaumokuakea Hawaii Islands Marine), HI
12/05/08 World War II Valor in the Pacific (incorporated USS Arizona Memorial), HI*
Barack Obama (32)
11/01/11 Fort Monroe, VA*
4/20/12 Fort Ord, CA (Bureau of Land Management)
9/21/12 Chimney Rock, CO (US Forest Service)*
10/08/12 CĂŠsar E. ChĂĄvez, CA*
3/25/13 Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers, OH*
3/25/13 First State, DE*
3/25/13 Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad, MD*
3/25/13 RĂo Grande del Norte, NM (Bureau of Land Management)*
3/25/13 San Juan Islands, WA (Bureau of Land Management)*
10/28/13 Military Working Dog Teams, TX (Department of Defense)
5/21/14 Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, NM (Bureau of Land Management)*
10/10/15 San Gabriel Mountains, CA (US Forest Service)*
12/19/14 Tule Springs Fossil Beds, NV*
2/19/15 Browns Canyon, CO (Bureau of Land Management)*
2/19/15 Honouliuli, HI*
2/19/15 Pullman, IL*
7/10/15 Basin and Range, NV (Bureau of Land Management)*
7/10/15 Berryessa Snow Mountain, CA (US Forest Service/BLM)*
7/10/15 Waco Mammoth, TX*
2/12/16 Mojave Trails, CA (Bureau of Land Management)*
2/12/16 Sand to Snow, CA (US Forest Service, BLM)*
2/12/16 Castle Mountains, CA*
4/12/16 Belmont-Paul Womens Equality, DC*
6/24/16 Stonewall, NY*
9/15/16Â Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument* (Atlantic Ocean)
12/28/16 Bears Ears, UTÂ (Bureau of Land Management)*
12/28/16 Gold Butte, NVÂ (Bureau of Land Management)*
1/12/17 Freedom Riders, AL*
1/12/17 Montgomery Civil Rights, AL*
1/12/17 Reconstruction Era, SC*
1/12/17 California Coastal, CA (Expansion of Existing Monument; Bureau of Land Management)
1/12/17 Cascade-Siskiyou, OR (Expansion of Existing Monument; Bureau of Land Management)
Donald Trump (1)
10/26/18 Camp Nelson, KY
Some additional notes on these designations:
Caves I've visited
One of the natural features I often enjoy visiting on my travels are caves. I'm not a caver, but I seem to find myself in many places that have caves and cave tours, and it's rare for me to pass up an opportunity to explore yet another one. In fact, I've been to more than 20 of themâincluding most of the public caves in the National Park System. In no particular order, here's the list:
This list is current as of August 2019.
The links above are to photos I've taken at each placeâthough mind you, it's not always easy to take good snapshots inside a cave. I have several more albums to post, and I'll update the links once I get those photos up.
My favorite caves include Carlsbad Caverns (there really isn't one that can compare to it), Kartchner Caverns (Arizona's best state park), and the Sea Lion Caves (great childhood memory and my only sea cave). I enjoy the occasional lava river tube, but I've seen enough of them now that each new one is less and less exciting. Of all of them, I think I was most disappointed with the world's longest: Mammoth Cave. I attribute that to high expectations and the fact that we took a 4-mile, 4.5 hour tour where we only saw great formations in the last 200 yards or so. Several of these caves are less than spectacular, but still make for a fun stop if you're driving by.
I have the distinct pleasure of working with the folks at the Fort Stanton Cave Study Project on the Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area (an area of the National Conservation Lands) and there's some great science happening there.
Note that several of  these parksâparticularly the ones with lava tube formationsâhave several separate caves that I've wandered through, but I'm only counting them as one for this list.
What's your favorite cave? Which one should be on my list?
Our Mojave National Preserve roadtrip
It was February 2009 when Kim and I brought friends Victoria and Terry on a short roadtrip to California. Our primary destination was Mojave National Preserve, a national park unit tucked away between I-15 and I-40 near the borders of California, Nevada, and Arizona. It was a first visit for Kim and I, who had been on a quest to visit all of the national parks.
Along the way, we stopped at the Blythe Intaglios, a series of rock geoglyphs near the Colorado River. Because it had rained just before we left Arizona, some roads in Mojave were a bit rough and the park ranger suggested we stick to just a few parts of the park. We spent some time at the Kelso Depot and Kelso Dunes, and camped and hiked near Hole-in-the-Wall. We also managed a tour of Mitchell Caverns within the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area. When it was time to head home, we traveled along historic Route 66 and stopped off at Joshua Tree National Park for half a day before finishing the drive home.
It was a short trip, but we managed to see quite a bit. I've finally posted the photos from the trip, so please feel free to take a look and leave a comment or two.
National Parks I visited in 2010
2010 was an uncommon year for me in my national park quest. For years and years, Kim and I would have gone on several trips each year, all with the sole purpose of marking dozens of parks off of our list.
This year, things had changed. Even so, I was able to make it to a bunch of new parksâeight to be preciseâand also made return visits to 10 other ones.
Most of the return visits occurred during personal time extended onto existing work trips. All but one of the new visits happened during my summer roadtrip. It was great to be able to mark off a bunch of parks â I'm looking at you Manzanar and Devils Postpile â that I had driven past before but was never able to stop and see.
Return visits
First visits
I considered ranking the parks I've seen this year, but it's always difficult to choose amongst such cool places. Each is in their own way special, whether it's because of the terrain or the memories you create there. However, a few of this year's experiences stick out.
One of those moments was seeing the bat show at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Another was finallyâfinally!âvisiting the north rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Or being part of some amazing sunset light at White Sands National Monument. Or collecting wild blackberries by kayak in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Or exploring Fern Canyon in Redwoods State and National Parks. Or spending several days kayaking through Canyonlands National Park.
There were certainly other moments, special moments, and others that are more forgettable, but each unique and special in its own way.
I've been particularly bad about posting photos and trip summaries from the trips I've taken this year. I'm hoping to start getting those up in the next few months.
So what are my 2011 National Park goals? I'm not sure yetâI suspect that it'll be a relatively lean year, but I'm definitely hoping to mark off a few more. Do you have any national park trips planned this year?
