| | abraham_lincoln_birthplace_national_historic_site (0)
In the fall of 1808, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln settled on the 348 acre Sinking Spring Farm. Two months later on February 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin near the Sinking Spring. Here the Lincolns lived and farmed before moving to land a few miles away at Knob Creek. The area was established by Congress on July 17, 1916. An early 19th century Kentucky cabin, symbolic of the one in which Lincoln was born, is preserved in a memorial building at the site of his birth.
|
| | acadia_national_park (0)
Though the affluent of the turn of the century came here to frolic, they had much to do with preserving the landscape that we know today. It was from this social strata that George B. Dorr came. He devoted 43 years of his life, energy, and family fortune to preserving the Acadian landscape.
Thanks to the foresight of Dorr and others like him, Acadia became the first national park established east of the Mississippi. Located on the coast of Maine, Acadia encompasses 47,633 acres of granite-domed mountains, woodlands, lakes and ponds, and ocean shoreline. Such diverse types of habitat make Acadia a haven for wildlife and plants.
Entwined with the natural diversity of Acadia is the story of people. Evidence suggests native people first lived here at least 5,000 years ago. Subsequent centuries brought explorers from far lands, settlers of European descent, and arising directly from the beauty of the landscape -- tourism and preservation.
|
| | adams_national_historical_park (0)
Adams National Historical Park is located in the City of Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, approximately ten miles south of Boston. The Park comprises 11 historic structures and a cultural landscape totaling almost 14 acres.
The story encompasses five generations of the Adams family (from 1720 to 1927) including two Presidents and First Ladies, three United States Ministers, historians, writers and family members who supported and contributed to the success of these public figures. The site's main historic features include: John Adams Birthplace, where second United States President John Adams was born on October 30, 1735, and less than 75 yards away the John Quincy Adams Birthplace, where his son, John Quincy Adams, 6th United States President was born on July 11, 1767; the "Old House," home to four generations of the Adams family; the United First Parish Church, where both Presidents and the First Ladies are entombed in the Adams family crypt. There is an off-site visitor center located within one mile of the historic structures.
Regularly scheduled tours of the historic homes, are offered in season (April 19th - November 10th). The park provides a trolley bus that offers transportation between sites. You must be on a guided tour to enter the historic homes. Please be advised that tours are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis and generally the earlier you arrive, the less your possible wait before the next available tour.
|
| | agate_fossil_beds_national_monument (0)
Located on the Niobrara River in northwestern Nebraska, the Agate Fossil Beds and its surrounding prairie are preserved in a 3,000 acre National Monument. Once part of "Captain" James H. Cook's Agate Springs Ranch, the nearby beds are an important source for 19.2 million year-old Miocene epoch mammal fossils. Cook's ranch also became a gathering place for Chief Red Cloud and other Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Indian people. The monument's Cook Collection of American Indian artifacts reflects years of gifts brought by the Indians during visits to the ranch from the 1880's through the early 1900's.
|
| | alagnak_wild_river (0)
Alagnak Wild River is located in the beautiful Aleutian Range. The river provides unparalleled opportunities to experience the wilderness of the Alaska Peninsula.
|
| | ala_kahakai_national_historic_trail (0)
Established in 2000 for the preservation, protection and interpretation of traditional Native Hawaiian culture and natural resources, the Ala Kahakai NHT is a 175-mile trail corridor full of cultural and historical significance. It traverses through hundreds of ancient Hawaiian settlement sites and through portions of over 200 ahupua'a, or traditional sea to mountain land divisions. Cultural resources along the trail include several significant heiau (temples), royal centers, kahua (house site foundations), loko 'ia (fishponds) ko`a (fishing shrines), ki‘i pohaku (petroglyphs), holua (stone slide), and wahi pana (sacred places). Natural Resources include anchialine ponds, pali (precipices), nearshore reefs, estuarine ecosystems, coastal vegetation, migratory birds, native turtle habitat, and several threatened and endangered endemic species of plants and animals.
Due to the magnitude and sensitivity of the cultural and natural resources that exist along the trail, the trail is not open to the public as a National Historic Trail pending the completion of the Comprehensive Management Plan and subsequent certification of specific trail segments. Please contact the trail office for more information.
|
| | alcatraz_island (1)
Out in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, the island of Alcatraz is a world unto itself. Isolation, one of the constants of island life for any inhabitant - soldier, guard, prisoner, bird or plant - is a recurrent theme in the unfolding history of Alcatraz. Alcatraz Island is one of Golden Gate National Recreation Area's most popular destinations, offering a close-up look at a historic and infamous federal prison long off-limits to the public. Visitors to the island can not only explore the remnants of the prison, but learn about the Native American occupation of 1969 - 1971, early military fortifications and the West Coast's first (and oldest operating) lighthouse. The island features many natural features as well - gardens, tide pools, bird colonies, and bay views beyond compare.
|
| | aleutian_world_war_II_national_historic_area (0)
The Aleutian World War II National Historic Area encompasses the historic footprint of the U.S. Army base Fort Schwatka. Located on Amaknak Island in the Aleutian Island Chain of Alaska, the fort was one of four coastal defense posts built to protect Dutch Harbor (the back door to the United States) during World War II, the fort is also highest coastal battery ever constructed in the United States. In 1996 Congress designated this National Historic Area to interpret, educate, and inspire present and future generations about the history of the Aleut or Unangan people and the Aleutian Islands in the defense of the United States in World War II.
|
| | alibates_flint_quarries_national_monument (0)
Alibates Flint, distinctive for its varied coloration, occurs in dolomite outcrops atop Permain Aged Redbeds in the Canadian River breaks near Amarillo and Fritch, Texas. Early inhabitants left shallow pits as evidence and quarry activity.
|
| | allegheny_portage_railroad_national_historic_site (0)
The Allegheny Portage Railroad was the first railroad constructed over the Allegheny Mountains. This inclined plane railroad operated between 1834-1854 and was considered a technological wonder in its day and played a critical role in opening the interior of the United States to trade and settlement.
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site is located in southwestern Pennsylvania approximately 12 miles west of Altoona. Today's park covers 1249 acres. The main unit contains the Summit Level Visitor Center, the historic Lemon House, Engine House #6 Exhibit Shelter, the Skew Arch Bridge, picnic area and hiking trails. The Staple Bend Tunnel unit is located approximately 4 miles east of Johnstown, PA.
|
| | american_memorial_park (0)
American Memorial Park honors the American and Marianas people who gave their lives during the Marianas Campaign of World War II. Over 5000 names are inscribed on a memorial which was dedicated June 15, 1994, during the 50th anniversary of the Invasion of Saipan. The Memorial rests at the park's Court of Honor and Flag Circle, where the U.S. flag proudly flies 24 hours a day, surrounded by the flags of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force. As a "living memorial", the park offers activities, such as baseball, bicycling, running, tennis, picnicking, and swimming, enjoyed over half a century ago by American service men and women. Within the 133-acre boundary are beaches, sports fields, picnic sites, boat marinas, playgrounds, walkways, and a 30-acre wetland and mangrove forest.
|
| | amistad_national_recreation_area (0)
A splash of blue stands out against limestone cliffs. The honking of a great blue heron, interspersed with the descending trill of a canyon wren, can be heard off in the distance. This landscape, which at times appears stark and desolate, comes alive with color after a rainstorm. Amistad is a land of contrasts...and of hidden treasures. The same water that draws people to boat and fish today, sustained over 300 generations of hunters and gatherers. They left behind a record of their existence through colorful rock art panels, bits of tools, and fibers preserved for thousands of years by the arid desert climate.
Situated on the United States-Mexico Border, Amistad NRA is known primarily for excellent year round, water-based recreation including: boating, fishing, swimming, scuba diving and water-skiing. Amistad NRA also provides opportunities for picnicking, camping and hunting. The reservoir, at the confluence of the Rio Grande, Devils and Pecos rivers, was created by Amistad Dam in 1969. In addition to excellent recreation, this area is rich in archeology and rock art, and contains a wide variety of plant and animal life. So whether you come to boat, to ponder ancient mysteries, or to listen to bird song and watch the desert bloom, Amistad has something for you.
|
| | anacostia_park (0)
With over 1200 acres, Anacostia Park is one of Washington, D.C.'s largest and most important recreation areas. Included in Anacostia Park is Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens and Kenilworth Marsh. Hundreds of acres are available for ballfields, picnicking, basketball, tennis, and the Anacostia Park Pavilion has some 3300 square feet of space for roller scating and special events. The Langston Golf Course offers an 18-hole course as well as a driving range, and three concession-operated marinas, four boat clubs, and a public boat ramp provide for access to the tidal Anacostia River for recreational boating.
|
| | andersonville_national_historic_site (0)
Andersonville, or Camp Sumter as it was officially known, was one of the largest of many Confederate military prisons established during the Civil War. It was built early in 1864 after Confederate officials decided to move the large number of Federal prisoners kept in and around Richmond, Virginia, to a place of greater security and a more abundant food supply . During the 14 months the prison existed, more than 45,000 Union soldiers were confined here. Of these, almost 13,000 died from disease, poor sanitation, malnutrition, overcrowding, or exposure to the elements.
Today, Andersonville National Historic Site is the only park in the National Park System to serve as a memorial to all American prisoners of war throughout the nation's history. The 495-acre park consists of the historic prison site and the National Cemetery. Congress stated in the authorizing legislation that this park's purpose is "to provide an understanding of the overall prisoner of war story of the Civil War, to interpret the role of prisoner of war camps in history, to commemorate the sacrifice of Americans who lost their lives in such camps, and to preserve the monuments located within the site". In 1998 the National Prisoner of War Museum opened at Andersonville, dedicated to the men and women of this country who have suffered captivity. Their story is one of sacrifice and courage
|
| | andrew_johnson_national_historic_site (0)
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site honors the life and work of the nation's 17th President and preserves his two homes, tailor shop, and grave site. Andrew Johnson's life exemplifies many struggles faced by Americans today. He worked his way from tailor to President. He stood strong for his ideals and beliefs. His presidency, from 1865 - 1869, illustrates the United States Constitution at work following Lincoln's assassination and during attempts to reunify a nation that had been torn by civil war. His work helped shape the future of the United States and his influences continue today.
|
| | aniakchak_national_monument_and_preserve (0)
The Aniakchak Caldera, is the result of a series of eruptions, the latest in 1931. Nearly six miles in diameter and covering some ten square miles, it is one of the finest examples of dry caldera in the world. Located in the volcanically active Aleutian Mountains, the crater contains many outstanding examples of volcanic features, including lava flows, cinder cones, and explosion pits. Surprise Lake, located within the caldera, is the source of the Aniakchak River, which cascades through a 1,500-foot gash in the caldera wall. The site also contains the Aniakchak Wild River.
|
| | antietam_national_battlefield (0)
Established by Act of Congress on August 30, 1890, this Civil War site marks the end of General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North in September 1862. The battle claimed more than 23,000 men killed, wounded, and missing in one single day, September 17,1862, and led to Lincoln's issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.
|
| | antietam_national_cemetery (0)
The Battle of Antietam, or Sharpsburg, on September 17, 1862, was the tragic culmination of Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North. That one fateful day more than 23,110 men were killed, wounded, or listed as missing. Approximately 4,000 were killed, and in the days that followed, many more died of wounds or disease. The peaceful village of Sharpsburg turned into a huge hospital and burial ground extending for miles in all directions.
Antietam National Cemetery is one of the 130 cemeteries of the National Cemetery System, a system that began during the Civil War. There are 4,776 Union remains (1,836 or 38% are unknown) buried here from the Battle of Antietam, South Mountain, Monocacy, and other action in Maryland. All of the unknowns are marked with small square stones. These stones contain the grave number, and if you look closely on a few stones, a small second number represents how many unknowns are buried in that grave. There are also a few of the larger, traditional stones that mark unknown graves.
In addition, more than 200 non-Civil War dead are also buried here. Veterans and their wives from the Spanish-American War, World War I and II, and Korea were also buried here until the cemetery closed in 1953.
|
| | apostle_islands_national_lakeshore (0)
Wisconsin's northernmost landscape juts out into Lake Superior as the scenic archipelago known as the Apostle Islands. The national lakeshore includes 21 islands and 12 miles of mainland Lake Superior shoreline, featuring pristine stretches of sand beach, spectacular sea caves, remnant old-growth forests, resident bald eagles and black bears, and the largest collection of lighthouses anywhere in the National Park System. The park contains 69,372 acres (42,161 acres of land and 27,371 acres of Lake Superior waters extending out 1/4 mile from shore).
|
| | appalachian_national_scenic_trail (0)
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail is a 2,167-mile (3,488 km) footpath along the ridge crests and across the major valleys of the Appalachian Mountains from Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in north Georgia. The trail traverses Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia. The Appalachian Trail (A.T.) is used by day, weekend and other short-term hikers, section hikers and thru-hikers. Thru-hikers hike the entire length of the Trail in one season.
The A.T. began as a vision of forester Benton MacKaye, and was developed by volunteers and opened as a continuous trail in 1937. It was designated as the first National Scenic Trail by the National Trails System Act of 1968. The Trail is currently protected along more than 99 percent of its course by federal or state ownership of the land or by rights-of-way. Annually, more than 4,000 volunteers contribute over 175,000 hours of effort on the Appalachian Trail.
|
| | appomattox_court_house_national_historical_park (0)
Walk the old county lanes where Robert E. Lee, Commanding General of the Army of Northern Virginia, surrendered his men to Ulysses Grant, General-in-Chief of all United States forces, on April 9, 1865. Imagine the events that signaled the end of the Southern States' attempt to create a separate nation. The National Park encompasses approximately 1800 acres of of rolling hills in rural central Virginia. The site includes the McLean home (surrender site) and the village of Appomattox Court House, Virginia, the former county seat for Appomattox County. The site also has the home and burial place of Joel Sweeney - the popularizer of the modern five string banjo. There are twenty seven original 19th century structures on the site.
|
| | arches_national_park (3)
Arches National Park preserves over two thousand natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations. In some areas, faulting has exposed millions of years of geologic history.The extraordinary features of the park, including balanced rocks, fins and pinnacles, are highlighted by a striking environment of contrasting colors, landforms and textures.
|
| | arkansas_post_national_memorial (0)
In 1686, Henri de Tonti established a trading post known as "Poste de Arkansea" at the Quapaw village of Osotouy. It was the first semi-permanent French settlement in the lower Mississippi River Valley. The establishment of the Post was the first step in a long struggle between France, Spain, and England over the interior of the North American continent.
Over the years, the Post relocated as necessary due to flooding from the Arkansas River, but its position always served of strategic importance for the French, Spanish, American, and Confederate military. Spanish soldiers and British partisans clashed here in the 1783 "Colbert Incident," the only Revolutionary War action in Arkansas.
Arkansas Post became part of the United States during the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. By 1819, the post was a thriving river port and the largest city in the region and selected as the first capital of the Arkansas Territory.
During the Civil War, Confederate troops tried to maintain tactical control of the confluence of the two rivers, and in 1862 they constructed a massive earthen fortification known as Fort Hindman. In January 1863 Union troops destroyed the fort and adjacent river port town, ensuring control of the Arkansas River.
Today, the memorial and museum commemorate the multi-layered and complex history of the site. Located on a peninsula bordered by the Arkansas River and two backwaters, the site offers excellent fishing and wildlife watching opportunities.
|
| | arlington_house_the_robert_e_lee_memorial (0)
The house that Robert E. Lee called home for 30 years and one uniquely associated with the Washington and Custis families is preserved today as a memorial to General Lee, who gained the respect of Americans in both the North and South. Restoration of Lee Mansion authorized March 4, 1925; transferred from War Department August 10, 1933; made a permanent memorial with name change to "Custis-Lee Mansion" June 29, 1955; restoration of historic name June 30, 1972.
Arlington House is open all year from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Arlington House/Robert E. Lee Museum is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Arlington House ground are open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. between April 1 and September 30, and from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. between October 1 and March 31.
Arlington House, Grounds and Museum are closed December 25th and January 1st.
|
| | assateague_island_national_seashore (0)
Storm tossed seas, as well as gentle breezes shape Assateague Island. This barrier island is a tale of constant movement and change.
Bands of wild horses freely roam amongst plants and native animals that have adapted to a life of sand, salt and wind. Special thickened leaves and odd shapes reveal the plant world’s successful struggle here. Ghost crabs buried in the cool beach sand and tree swallows plucking bayberries on their southward migration offer glimpses of the animal world’s connection to Assateague.
Human struggles are intertwined with this island at the ocean’s edge. Gallant surf rescues by the US Life-Saving Service and dashed dreams of a summer beach resort are but a few of the stories told here.
Marine and terrestrial life functioning in concert offer a closer look at a natural and cultural world shaped by forces larger than our own.
|
| | aztec_ruins_national_monument (0)
Aztec Ruins National Monument preserves structures and artifacts of Ancestral Pueblo people from the 1100's through 1200s. People associated with Chaco Canyon to the south built and used the structures, then people related to the Mesa Verde region to the north used the site in the 1200's. The monument was established in 1923, and designated a World Heritage Site in 1987. Acreage: 319.47
|
| | badlands_national_park (0)
Located in southwestern South Dakota, Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest, protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. The Badlands Wilderness Area covers 64,000 acres and is the site of the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret, the most endangered land mammal in North America. The Stronghold Unit is co-managed with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and includes sites of 1890s Ghost Dances. Established as Badlands National Monument in 1939, the area was redesignated "National Park" in 1978. Over 11,000 years of human history pale to the ages old paleontological resources. Badlands National Park contains the world's richest Oligocene epoch fossil beds, dating 23 to 35 million years old. Scientists can study the evolution of mammal species such as the horse, sheep, rhinoceros and pig in the Badlands formations.
|
| | baltimore-washington_parkway (0)
Opened in 1954, the parkway is a 29-mile scenic highway that connects Baltimore, Maryland with Washington, D.C. The part of the parkway from Washington, D.C. to Fort Meade,Maryland is managed by the National Park Service.
Although the first concept of Parkway design was envisioned by Pierre L'Enfant in his 18th century plan, the concept of a parkway in Washington, D.C. was not approved until 1902. At that time, Parkways were designed for use by bicyclists and horse-drawn carriages.
There are no tolls or fees for use on the parkway. There are no trucks allowed on the parkway.
The United States Park Police patrol the parkway.
|
| | bandelier_national_monument (0)
Best known for mesas, sheer-walled canyons, and the ancestral Pueblo dwellings found among them, Bandelier also includes over 23,000 acres of designated Wilderness. It was named for Adolph Bandelier, a 19th-century anthropologist. Proclaimed on February 11, 1916. Acreage: 32,737, all federal. Wilderness area: 23,267.
|
| | battleground_national_cemetery (0)
Battleground National Cemetery, located at 6625 Georgia Avenue, NW, was established shortly after the Battle of Fort Stevens in the summer of 1864. The battle, which lasted two days (July 11 through July 12, 1864) marked the defeat of General Jubal A. Early's Confederate campaign to launch an offensive action against the poorly defended Nation's Capital. The Battle of Fort Stevens was also to gain notoriety as being the only military action in which the Commander in Chief (President Abraham Lincoln) came under direct fire from an enemy force. With a combined total casualty figure of over 900 killed or wounded during the conflict, 41 of these (Union) soldiers who fought and died bravely in Fort Steven's defense were interred in a specially created cemetery dedicated by Abraham Lincoln. Battleground National Cemetery, located one-half mile north of Fort Stevens, is one acre in size and one of our Nation's smallest national cemeteries. The entrance to the Cemetery is flanked by two 6-pounder, smoothbore guns of Civil War vintage.
Also near the entrance are monuments commemorating those units which fought at Fort Stevens: 25th New York Volunteer Cavalry Monument, 98th Pennsylvania Volunteer Monument, 122nd New York Volunteer Monument, and the 150th Ohio National Guard Monument.
|
| | bents_old_fort_national_historic_site (0)
William and Charles Bent, along with Ceran St. Vrain, built the original fort on this site in 1833 to trade with plains Indians and trappers. The adobe fort quickly became the center of the Bent, St.Vrain Company's expanding trade empire that included Fort St.Vrain to the north and Fort Adobe to the south, along with company stores in Mexico at Taos and Santa Fe. The primary trade was with the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians for buffalo robes.
For much of its 16-year history, the fort was the only major permanent white settlement on the Santa Fe Trail between Missouri and the Mexican settlements. The fort provided explorers, adventurers, and the U.S. Army a place to get needed supplies, wagon repairs, livestock, good food, water and company, rest and protection in this vast "Great American Desert." During the war with Mexico in 1846, the fort became a staging area for Colonel Stephen Watts Kearny's "Army of the West". Disasters and disease caused the fort's abandonment in 1849. Archeological excavations and original sketches, paintings and diaries were used in the fort's reconstruction in 1976.
|
| | bering_land_bridge_national_preserve (0)
The Bering Land Bridge National Preserve is one of the most remote national park areas, located on the Seward Peninsula in northwest Alaska. The Preserve is a remnant of the land bridge that connected Asia with North America more than 13,000 years ago. The majority of this land bridge, once thousands of miles wide, now lies beneath the waters of the Chukchi and Bering Seas.
During the glacial epoch this was part of a migration route for people, animals, and plants whenever ocean levels fell enough to expose the land bridge. Archeologists agree that it was across this Bering Land Bridge, also called Beringia, that humans first passed from Asia to populate the Americas. The Preserve's western boundary lies 42 miles from the Bering Strait and the fishing boundary between the United States and Russia.
|
| | bighorn_canyon_national_recreation_area (0)
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, following the construction of the Yellowtail Dam by the Bureau of Reclamation. This dam, named after the famous Crow chairman Robert Yellowtail, harnessed the waters of the Bighorn River and turned this variable stream into a magnificent lake.
Bighorn Lake extends approximately 60 miles through Wyoming and Montana, 55 miles of which are held within spectacular Bighorn Canyon. The Recreation Area is composed of 70,000+ acres, which straddles the northern Wyoming and southern Montana borders. There are two visitor centers and other developed facilities in Fort Smith, Montana and near Lovell, Wyoming. The Afterbay Lake below the Yellowtail Dam is a good spot for trout fishing and wildlife viewing for ducks, geese and other animals. The Bighorn River below the Afterbay Dam is a world class trout fishing area.
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is a lesser known treasure waiting to be discovered. It boasts breath-taking scenery, countless varieties of wildlife, and abundant recreational opportunities, such as boating, fishing, ice fishing, camping, and hiking. Bighorn Canyon offers visitors what few other National Park areas can, that of solitude, serenity, and beauty. In the midst of our chaotic world, this is a truly unique quality.
|
| | big_bend_national_park (0)
Big Bend National Park is a land of borders. Situated on the boundary with Mexico along the Rio Grande, it is a place where countries and cultures meet. It is also a place that merges natural environments, from desert to mountains. It is a place where south meets north and east meets west, creating a great diversity of plants and animals. The park covers over 801,000 acres of west Texas in the place where the Rio Grande makes a sharp turn - the Big Bend. Authorized June 20, 1935; established June 12, 1944. Designated a United States Biosphere Reserve, 1976.
|
| | big_cypress_national_preserve (0)
The 729,000 acre Big Cypress National Preserve was set aside in 1974 to ensure the preservation, conservation, and protection of the natural scenic, floral and faunal, and recreational values of the Big Cypress Watershed. The importance of this watershed to the Everglades National Park was a major consideration for its establishment. The name Big Cypress refers to the large size of this area. Vast expanses of cypress strands span this unique landscape.
|
| | big_hole_national_battlefield (0)
Big Hole National Battlefield is a memorial to the people who fought and died here on August 9 and 10, 1877; combatants in a five month conflict that came to be called the Nez Perce War of 1877. Like other Indian Wars in the late 1800's, the Nez Perce War involved two very different groups with very different outlooks on land rights, civilian authority, government powers, social organization, and the responsibilities of the individuals to society. In 1992, legislation incorporated Big Hole National Battlefield with Nez Perce National Historical Park, making it part of a unique park consisting of 38 different sites located in five states; Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
|
| | big_south_fork_national_river_and_recreation_area (0)
The free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and its tributaries pass through 90 miles of scenic gorges and valleys containing a wide range of natural and historic features. The area offers a broad range of recreational opportunities including camping, whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, hunting and fishing. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with its experience in managing river basins, was charged with land acquisition, planning and development of facilities. Now completed, these lands and facilities are operated and maintained by the National Park Service for the benefit and use of the public.
|
| | big_thicket_national_preserve (0)
The Preserve consists of nine land units and six water corridors encompassing more than 97,000 acres. Big Thicket was the first Preserve in the National Park System established October 11, 1974, and protects an area of rich biological diversity.
A convergence of ecosystems occurred here during the last Ice Age. It brought together, in one geographical location, the eastern hardwood forests, the Gulf coastal plains, and the midwest prairies.
December 15, 1981, the Preserve was designated an International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere Program.
July 26, 2001, the American Bird Conservancy recognized the Preserve as a Globally Important Bird Area joining thousands of others around the world.
|
| | biscayne_national_park (0)
Turquoise waters, emerald islands and fish-bejeweled reefs make Biscayne National Park a paradise for wildlife-watching, snorkeling, diving, boating, fishing and other activities. Within the park boundaries are the longest stretch of mangrove forest left on Florida's east coast, the clear shallow waters of Biscayne Bay, over 40 of the northernmost Florida Keys, and a spectacular living coral reef. Superimposed on all of this natural beauty is evidence of 10,000 years of human history, including stories of native peoples, shipwrecks, pirates, pioneers, and Presidents.
|
| | blackstone_river_valley_national_heritage_corridor (0)
The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor is a special type of national park. It is a region of nearly 400,000 acres located within Worcester County in central Massachusetts and Providence County in northern Rhode Island. The National Corridor was designated by an Act of Congress on November 10, 1986 to preserve and interpret for present and future generations the unique and significant value of the Blackstone Valley. It includes cities, towns, villages and almost one million people. The Federal government does not own or manage any of the land or resources in the corridor as it does in the more traditional national parks. Instead the National Park Service, two state governments, dozens of local municipalities, businesses, nonprofit historical and environmental organizations, educational institutions, many private citizens, and a unifying commission all work together in partnerships to protect the Valley's special identity and prepare for its future.
|
| | black_canyon_of_the_gunnison_national_park (0)
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison's unique and spectacular landscape was formed slowly by the action of water and rock scouring down through hard Proterozoic crystalline rock. No other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths offered by the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
|
| | bluestone_national_scenic_river (0)
This scenic river preserves relatively unspoiled land in southern West Virginia and contains natural and historic features of the Appalachian plateau. In its 11 miles, the lower Bluestone River offers excellent warm water fishing, hiking, boating, and scenery.
|
| | blue_ridge_parkway (0)
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469 mile recreational motor road that connects Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks while protecting the cultural and natural features of the region. Designed as a "scenic drive", the Parkway provides both stunning scenery and close-up looks at the natural and cultural history of the mountains.
|
| | booker_t_washington_national_monument (0)
On April 5, 1856, a child who later called himself Booker T. Washington, was born in slavery on this 207-acre tobacco farm. The realities of life as a slave in piedmont Virginia, the quest by African Americans for education and equality, and the post-war struggle over political participation all shaped the options and choices of Booker T. Washington. Washington founded Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1881 and later became an important and controversial leader of his race at a time when increasing racism in the United States made it necessary for African Americans to adjust themselves to a new era of legalized oppression. Visitors are invited to step back in time and experience firsthand the life and landscape of people who lived in an era when slavery was part of the fabric of American life.
|
| | boston_african_american_national_historic_site (0)
Located in the heart of Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood, the site includes 15 pre-Civil War structures relating to the history of Boston's 19th century African-American community, including: the African Meeting House, the oldest standing African-American church in the United States. The sites are linked by the 1.6 mile (2.5 km) Black Heritage Trail®. Augustus Saint-Gaudens', memorial to Robert Gould Shaw and the African-American Massachusetts 54th Regiment, stands on the trail.
|
| | boston_harbor_islands_national_recreation_area (0)
Boston Harbor Islands national park area includes 34 islands situated within the Greater Boston shoreline. The islands are rich in natural and cultural resources.
The 34 islands are managed by a unique, 13-member Partnership which includes the National Park Service and other public and private organizations. An advisory council provides a mechanism for public involvement.
|
| | boston_national_historical_park (0)
Discover the revolutionary generation of Bostonians who blazed a trail from colonialism to independence. Boston National Historical Park is an association of sites that together give the visitor a coherent view of the city's role in the nation's history.
In downtown Boston, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Faneuil Hall, the Paul Revere House and Old North Church bring to life the American ideals of freedom of speech, religion, government, and self-determination. In Charlestown, visit the Bunker Hill Monument, the site of the first major battle of the American Revolution, the Charlestown Navy Yard, one of the nation's first naval shipyards and the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world.
Seven of the eight privately, municipally and federally owned and managed historic sites that comprise Boston National Historical Park are connected by the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile (4km) walking tour of 16 sites and structures of historic importance in downtown Boston and Charlestown. Located in South Boston and separate from the Freedom Trail, Dorchester Heights is significant for its role in the evacuation of the British from Boston during the Revolutionary War.
|
| | brices_cross_roads_national_battlefield_site (0)
Located on MS Hwy 370 west of Baldwyn, this one-acre site commemorates a battle which had one objective-- make impossible the threat of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest to interfere with General William T. Sherman's railroad supply line from Nashville to Chattanooga during the Atlanta campaign.
Forrest scored a decisive victory over General S.D. Sturgis' Union forces when they met at Brices Cross Roads on June 10, 1864. The Union lost five men to every Southern casualty and General Forrest's troops managed to capture desperately needed supplies, including guns, ammunition, cannon, and wagons.
The battle was considered a major tactical victory for the Confederacy, but did not diminish the effectiveness of Sherman's campaign as supplies continued to flow. The site contains a brochure dispenser, two cannons, a monument to the battle, and an interpretive wayside.
|
| | brown_v_board_of_education_national_historic_site (0)
On October 26, 1992, Congress passed Public Law 102-525 establishing Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site to commemorate the landmark Supreme Court decision aimed at ending segregation in public schools. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously declared that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" and, as such, violate the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees all citizens "equal protection of the laws."
The site consists of the Monroe Elementary School, one of the four segregated elementary schools for African American children in Topeka, and the adjacent grounds.
|
| | bryce_canyon_national_park (1)
At Bryce Canyon National Park, erosion has shaped colorful Claron limestones, sandstones, and mudstones into thousands of spires, fins, pinnacles, and mazes. Collectively called "hoodoos," these colorful and whimsical formations stand in horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters along the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in Southern Utah.
|
| | buck_island_reef_national_monument (0)
The park was created to preserve one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea. The elkhorn coral barrier reef that surrounds two-thirds of the island has extrodinary coral formations, deep grottoes, abundant reef fishes, sea fans and gorgonians, and the occasional sea turtle. At the eastern most point of the reef is the famous underwater trail; both novice and expert snorkelers will enjoy the passages through the reef. The island, which has an overland nature trail and white coral sand beaches, is a rookery for endangered brown pelicans and a nesting area for three species of sea turtles. Seasonally Buck Island Reef supports one of the last remaining protected nesting populations of endangered hawksbill sea turtles in the eastern Caribbean. Visitors can take daily trips to the park. Once there they can enjoy the tropical island its extraordinary array of marine life and tropical flora and fauna while leasurely swimming in the crystal clear waters, or snorkeling or SCUBA diving through the fantastic reef or hiking over the island while getting a birds-eye view of the reef and sea below.
|
| | buffalo_national_river (0)
The Buffalo River is one of the few remaining unpolluted, free-flowing rivers in the lower 48 states offering both swift-running and placid stretches. The Buffalo National River encompasses 135 miles of the 150-mile long river. It begins as a trickle in the Boston Mountains 15 miles above the park boundary. Following what is likely an ancient riverbed, the Buffalo cuts its way through massive limestone bluffs traveling eastward through the Ozarks and into the White River. The national river has three designated wilderness areas within its boundaries.
Headquarters is located in Harrison, Arkansas, providing administrative services to the national river. The Tyler Bend Visitor Center, the main visitor center for the park, is located eleven miles north of Marshall, Arkansas. The park has two other visitor contact stations; the Pruitt Ranger Station, located five miles north of Jasper, Arkansas on Highway 7, and Buffalo Point Ranger Station, located 17 miles south of Yellville, Arkansas, on Highway 14.
|
| | cabrillo_national_monument (0)
On September 28, 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo landed at San Diego Bay. This event marked the first time that a European expedition had set foot on what later became the west coast of the United States. His accomplishments were memorialized on October 14, 1913 with the establishment of Cabrillo National Monument.
The park offers a superb view of San Diego’s harbor and skyline. At the highest point of the park stands the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, which has been a San Diego icon since 1854. A statue and museum in the Visitor Center commemorate Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo's exploration of the coast of California. In a former army building an exhibit tells the story of the coast artillery on Point Loma. In the winter, migrating gray whales can be seen off the coast. Native coastal sage scrub habitat along the Bayside Trail offers a quiet place to reflect and relax. On the west side of the park is a small but beautiful stretch of rocky-intertidal coastline.
|
| | california_national_historic_trail (0)
The California Trail carried over 200,000 gold-seekers and farmers to the gold fields and rich farmlands of California during the 1840's and 1850's, the greatest mass migration in American history. Today, more than 1,000 miles of trail ruts and traces can still be seen in the vast undeveloped lands between Casper Wyoming and the West Coast, reminders of the sacrifices, struggles, and triumphs of early American travelers and settlers. More than 240 historic sites along the trail will eventually be available for public use and interpretation.
The California Trail system (more than 5,500 miles) was developed over a period of years, and numerous cutoffs and alternate routes were tried to see which was the "best" in terms of terrain, length and sufficient water and grass for livestock. The general route began at various jumping off points along the Missouri River and stretched to various points in California, Oregon, and the Sierra Nevada. The specific route that emigrants and forty-niners used depended on their starting point in Missouri, their final destination in California, the condition of their wagons and livestock, and yearly changes in water and forage along the different routes. The trail passes through the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, and California.
|
| | canaveral_national_seashore (0)
Canaveral National Seashore is on a barrier island which includes ocean, beach, dune, hammock, lagoon, salt marsh, and pine flatland habitats.
The barrier island and adjacent waterways offer a blend of plant and animal life. Records show that 1,045 species of plants and 310 species of birds can be found in the park.
Endangered species include, but are not limited to, loggerhead, green and leatherback sea turtles, West Indian Manatee, Southern bald eagle, wood stork, peregrine falcon, eastern indigo snake, and Florida scrub jay.
The park has two districts and the Seminole Rest Site. The North District is in Volusia County, near New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Seminole Rest is also located in Volusia County in Oak Hill, Florida. The South District, in Brevard County is near Titusville, Florida.
Visitors may enjoy walking the nature and historical trails during the cool winter months. Throughout the year opportunity for recreational activities include; lagoon and surf fishing, boating, canoeing, surfing, sunbathing, swimming, hiking, horseback riding and backcountry camping.
|
| | cane_river_creole_national_historical_park (0)
Cane River Creole National Historical Park is located within the Cane River National Heritage Area. The park includes 42 acres of Oakland Plantation and 18 acres of Magnolia Plantation outbuildings. Presently, there are limited National Park Service comfort facilities open for visitation. The administrative offices are located at 400 Rapides Drive in Natchitoches, Louisiana. There is much work to be accomplished. Structures and artifacts require proper documentation, preparation, and/or preservation for visitor use.
The Cane River National Heritage Area extends approximately one mile on either side of the Cane River from the southern boundary of the City of Natchitoches to Monette's Ferry. It also includes the Kate Chopin House and the state commemorative areas of Los Adaes, Fort Jesup, and Fort St. Jean Baptiste. The heritage area includes a total of approximately 40,000 acres of privately and publicly owned lands.
|
| | cane_river_national_heritage_area (0)
Cane River National Heritage Area in northwestern Louisiana is a largely rural, agricultural landscape known for its historic plantations, its distinctive Creole architecture, and its multi-cultural legacy. Historically this region lay at the intersection of French and Spanish realms in the New World. Today it is home to a unique blend of cultures, including French, Spanish, African, American Indian, and Creole.
The central corridor of the heritage area begins just south of Natchitoches, the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase, and extends along both sides of Cane River Lake for approximately 35 miles. The heritage area includes Cane River Creole National Historical Park, seven National Historic Landmarks, three State Historic Sites, and many other historic plantations, homes, and churches. While much of the roughly 45,000-acre heritage area is privately owned, many sites are open to the public.
|
| | canyonlands_national_park (0)
Canyonlands National Park preserves a colorful landscape of sedimentary sandstones eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Located in southeast Utah, the park sits in the heart of a vast basin bordered by sheer cliffs of Wingate Sandstone.
The Colorado and Green rivers divide the park into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze and the rivers themselves. While the districts share a primitive desert atmosphere, each retains its own character and offers different opportunities for exploration and the study of natural and cultural history.
Most visits to Canyonlands involve camping along the trails, roads and rivers found here. The four districts are not directly linked by any roads, so travel between them requires two to six hours by car. Generally, people find it impractical to visit more than one or two districts in a single trip.
|
| | canyon_de_chelly_national_monument (0)
At the base of sheer red cliffs and in canyon wall caves are ruins of Indian villages built between AD 350 and 1300. Canyon de Chelly National Monument offers visitors the chance to learn about Southwestern Indian history from the earliest basketmakers to the Navajo Indians who live and farm here. Authorized April 1, 1931. Boundary change: March 1,1933. Acreage- 83,840 all nonfederal.
|
| | cape_cod_national_seashore (0)
Cape Cod National Seashore comprises 43,604 acres of shoreline and upland landscape features, including a forty-mile long stretch of pristine sandy beach, dozens of clear, deep, freshwater kettle ponds, and upland scenes that depict evidence of how people have used the land. A variety of historic structures are within the boundary of the Seashore, including lighthouses, a lifesaving station, and numerous Cape Cod style houses. The Seashore offers six swimming beaches, eleven self-guiding nature trails, and a variety of picnic areas and scenic overlooks.
|
| | cape_hatteras_national_seashore (0)
Stretched over 70 miles of barrier islands, Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a fascinating combination of natural and cultural resources, and provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities. Once dubbed the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" for its treacherous currents, shoals, and storms, Cape Hatteras has a wealth of history relating to shipwrecks, lighthouses, and the U.S. Lifesaving Service. These dynamic islands provide a variety of habitats and are a valuable wintering area for migrating waterfowl. The park's fishing and surfing are considered the best on the east coast.
|
| | cape_henry_memorial (0)
After four and a half months crossing storm swept seas 144 weary Englishmen made land-fall in April 1607. They anchored their ships in the protected waters of the bay and landed a small party upon the shore. They built a wooden cross and planted it in the sand naming the place Cape Henry.
This is the first landing site of those adventurous Englishmen who, some three weeks later, established the first permanent English Colony in North America at Jamestown.
From this same site some 174 years later, citizens of a soon to be free and independant United States of America watched as a British fleet commanded by Admiral Graves engaged the Frech fleet of Admiral Comte de Grasse in a sea battle know as the Battle of the Capes. This French naval victory sealed the fate of General Cornwallis at Yorktown leading to his surrender with one third of the British contingent in America and the eventural end of the American Revolutionary War.
Today this quarter acre of beach front is commemorated with waysides, a granite memorial cross, a statue of Admiral Comte de Grasse and a walkway ramp up the dunes to a magnificant view of where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Chesapeake Bay.
Today Cape Henry Memorial is located on Fort Story Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Be prepared to be stopped at the guarded entrance station.
|
| | cape_krusenstern_national_monument (0)
Cape Krusenstern National Monument is a treeless coastal plain dotted with sizable lagoons and backed by gently rolling limestone hills. Cape Krusenstern's bluffs and its series of 114 beach ridges record the changing shorelines of the Chukchi Sea over thousands of years.
Because the ridges accumulated over time, the earliest ridges lie inland, and the most recently formed ridges near the shore. This unusual series of beach ridges present, in sequence, detailed evidence of an estimated 9,000 years of prehistoric human use of this coastline. Some archeological sites here are older than well-known remains of ancient Greek civilizations on the Mediterranean Sea.
In summer, wildflowers color the beach ridges and nearby hills. Large numbers of migratory birds come from all over the world to Cape Krusenstern to nest. In fall, these migrating birds use the lagoons as feeding and staging areas. Shifting sea ice, ocean currents, and waves continue to form spits and lagoons possessing important scientific, cultural, and scenic values.
Along the outer beaches, Alaska Natives still hunt marine mammals. Local rural residents are allowed to hunt in the Monument. A road to the Red Dog mine crosses the northern boundary. Trucks haul zinc from open pit mines to a tidewater port. Cominco Alaska operates the mine, along with the NANA Regional Corp., a Native corporation based in Kotzebue.
|
| | cape_lookout_national_seashore (0)
The seashore is a 56 mile long section of the Outer Banks of North Carolina running from Ocracoke Inlet on the northeast to Beaufort Inlet on the southeast. The three undeveloped barrier islands which make up the seashore - North Core Banks, South Core Banks and Shackleford Banks - may seem barren and isolated but they offer many natural and historical features that can make a visit very rewarding
|
| | capitol_hill_parks (0)
Capitol Hill Parks includes those park areas managed by National Capital Parks-East between 2nd Streets NE and SE and the Anacostia River. Included in this group are Lincoln; Folger, Stanton; and Marion Parks; Maryland Avenue Triangles; Pennsylvania Avenue Medians; Squares and Triangles, including Seward Square, and Potomac Avenue Metro Stations, Twining Square; and otherinner-city triangles and squares. When Pierre L'Enfant submitted his design for the Capital City of Washington in 1790, a system of grand avenues, public buildings and grounds dominated the overall plan. Many of the parks, medians, circles, squares and triangles of Capitol Hill Parks evolved from this plan and its subsequent modification, in 1901, by the McMillan Commission. Their purpose is to provide urban greenspace within the City of Washington for relaxation, aesthetic enjoyment, and historic commemoration.
|
| | capitol_reef_national_park (0)
The Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long wrinkle in the earth's crust known as a monocline, extends from nearby Thousand Lakes Mountain to the Colorado River (now Lake Powell). Capitol Reef National Park was established to protect this grand and colorful geologic feature, as well as the unique historical and cultural history found in the area. For more information, click on the "In Depth" button on the right.
|
| | capulin_volcano_national_monument (0)
Capulin Volcano, a nearly perfectly-shaped cinder cone, stands more than 1200 feet above the surrounding High Plains of northeastern New Mexico. The volcano is long extinct, and today the forested slopes provide habitat for mule deer, wild turkey, black bear and other wildlife. Abundant displays of wildflowers bloom on the mountain each summer. A 2-mile paved road spiraling to the volcano rim makes Capulin Volcano one of the most accessible volcanoes in the world. Trails leading around the rim and to the bottom of the crater allow a rare opportunity to easily explore a volcano.
Capulin Volcano erupted approximately 60,000 years ago with firework-like "rooster tails" of glowing hot cinders that flew through the air. Lava that flowed from vents located at the volcano's flank covered almost 16 square miles. Although no longer a volcano in action, Capulin Volcano remains a dramatic testament to the volcanic processes that shaped northeastern New Mexico. Capulin Volcano National Monument was established in 1916 to preserve this striking example of a volcanic cinder cone.
Over 65,000 people visit a year. Twentyfive to thirty percent of annual visitation occurs in July. During the summer, weekday and/or early morning or late afternoon visits are encouraged to avoid peak crowds.
|
| | carlsbad_caverns_national_park (0)
Established to preserve Carlsbad Cavern and numerous other caves within a Permian-age fossil reef, the park contains 100 known caves, including Lechuguilla Cave—the nation's deepest limestone cave at 1,567 feet (478m) and third longest.
Carlsbad Cavern, with one of the world's largest underground chambers and countless formations, is highly accessible, with a variety of tours offered year-round.
|
| | carl_sandburg_home_national_historic_site (0)
Carl Sandburg, nationally renowned poet, biographer, folksinger, and lecturer, provided broad and enduring 20th century insight into the circumstances, worth and spirit of the American people. He passionately championed for those who did not have words and power to speak for themselves.
A midwesterner most of his life, Sandburg and his family moved to North Carolina, which offered the peace and solitude required for his writing and offered over 30 acres of pasture-land that Mrs. Sandburg desired to raise her champion dairy goats!
Having already achieved literary fame before moving in 1945, Sandburg continued to write and lecture, publishing more than one-third of his works during his 22 years at Connemara.
Today the site, managed by the National Park Service, preserves the Sandburg legacy for future generations. The historic site consists of the circa 1838 antebellum house, the 1900's dairy goat barn complex and a representative goat herd, sheds, rolling pastures, mountainside woods, walking/hiking trails, two small lakes, ponds, flower and vegetable gardens, and an orchard.
|
| | casa_grande_ruins_national_monument (0)
For over a thousand years, prehistoric farmers inhabited much of the present-day state of Arizona. When the first Europeans arrived, all that remained of this ancient culture were the ruins of villages, irrigation canals and various artifacts. Among these ruins is the Casa Grande, or "Big House," one of the largest and most mysterious prehistoric structures ever built in North America. Casa Grande Ruins, the nation's first archeological preserve, protects the Casa Grande and other archeological sites within its boundaries. You are invited to see the Casa Grande and to hear the story of the ancient ones the Akimel O'otham call the Hohokam, "those who are gone."
|
| | castillo_de_san_marcos_national_monument (0)
The Castillo de San Marcos, built 1672-1695, served primarily as an outpost of the Spanish Empire, guarding St. Augustine, the first permanent European settlement in the continental United States, and also protecting the sea route for treasure ships returning to Spain. Although the Castillo has served a number of nations throughout its history, it has never been taken by military force. During the 18th century, the Castillo went from Spanish control to British and back to the Spanish , who remained in power in Florida until the area was purchased by the United States in 1821. Called Fort Marion at this time, The Castillo was made a National Monument in 1924 and became part of the National Park system in 1933. The park consists of the original historic Castillo fortress itself with its attendant grounds, some 25 total acres.
|
| | castle_clinton_national_monument (0)
ore than a dozen forts were built to defend New York Harbor at the time of the War of 1812. The Southwest Battery was constructed on the rocks off the tip of Manhattan Island between 1808 and 1811. Although fully armed and staffed, the fort never had occasion to fire upon an enemy. In 1817, the fort was renamed Castle Clinton in honor of DeWitt Clinton, Mayor of New York City. The army vacated the fort in 1821 and the structure was deeded to New York City in 1823. In the summer of 1824, a new restaurant and entertainment center opened at the site, now called Castle Garden. A roof was added in the 1840s and Castle Garden served as an opera house and theater until 1854.
On August 3, 1855, Castle Garden, now leased to New York State, opened as an immigrant landing depot.
During the next 34 years, over 8 million people entered the United States through Castle Garden, until it was closed on April 18, 1890. The building was altered once again and reopened as the New York City Aquarium on December 10, 1896. It was one of the city's most popular attractions until it closed in 1941.
|
| | catoctin_mountain_park (0)
In the 1930's, after years of making charcoal to fuel the iron furnace, mountain farming, and harvesting of trees for timber, land was purchased to be transformed into a productive recreation area; helping to put people back to work during the great depression. Beginning in 1935, the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area was under construction by both the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. Originally planned to provide recreational camps for federal employees, one of the camps eventually became the home of the Presidential retreat, Camp David. The Presidential retreat is not open or accessible to the public, but the eastern hardwood forest of Catoctin Mountain Park has many other attractions for visitors: camping, picnicking, fishing, 25 miles of hiking trails, scenic mountain vistas, all await your exploration.
|
| | cedar_breaks_national_monument (0)
A huge natural amphitheater has been eroded out of the variegated Pink Cliffs (Claron Formation) near Cedar City, Utah. Millions of years of sedimentation, uplift and erosion have created a deep canyon of rock walls, fins, spires and columns, that spans some three miles, and is over 2,000 feet deep. The rim of the canyon is over 10,000 feet above sea level, and is forested with islands of Englemann spruce, subalpine fir and aspen; separated by broad meadows of brilliant summertime wild flowers.
|
| | cedar_creek_and_belle_grove (0)
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park will work in partnership to commemorate a nationally significant Civil War landscape and antebellum plantation by sharing the story of Shenandoah Valley history from early settlement through the Civil War and beyond. Throughout the area there are historic, natural, cultural, military, and scenic resources. In addition, the park will serve as a focal point to recognize and interpret important events and geographic locations within the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District.
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park was created on December 19, 2002. The park encompasses approximately 3,500 acres across 3 counties and includes the key partner sites of Belle Grove Plantation, Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation Visitor Center, and a developing Shenandoah County Park. The partner sites will continue to be owned and operated independently allowing such activities as the annual Battle of Cedar Creek Reenactment to continue within the park boundary.
The park’s enabling legislation stresses the importance of working in partnership as families, businesses and others will continue to live, work, and play within the park boundary. Overtime, the park may work with willing sellers and interested families to protect the remaining historic and natural landscape for future generations. Strong community involvement will be critical to plan the new park over the next several years.
|
| | central_high_school_national_historic_site (0)
Little Rock Central High School, now Central High School National Historic Site, is a national emblem of the often violent struggle over school desegregation. It was designated a unit of the National Park Service on November 6, 1998. It is located at the intersection of Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive and Park Street in Little Rock, Arkansas.
|
| | chaco_culture_national_historical_park (0)
Chaco Culture National Historical Park preserves one of America's most significant and fascinating cultural and historic areas.
Chaco Canyon was a major center of ancestral Puebloan culture between AD 850 and 1250. It was a hub of ceremony, trade, and administration for the prehistoric Four Corners area - unlike anything before or since.
Chaco is remarkable for its monumental public and ceremonial buildings, and its distinctive architecture. To construct the buildings, along with the associated Chacoan roads, ramps, dams, and mounds, required a great deal of well organized and skillful planning, designing, resource gathering, and construction. The Chacoan people combined pre-planned architectural designs, astronomical alignments, geometry, landscaping, and engineering to create an ancient urban center of spectacular public architecture - one that still amazes and inspires us a thousand years later.
The Chacoan cultural sites are fragile and irreplaceable and represent a significant part of America's cultural heritage. The sites are part of the sacred homeland of Pueblo Indian peoples of New Mexico, the Hopi Indians of Arizona, and the Navajo Indians of the Southwest, all of whom continue to respect and honor them.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a very special place. Remote and isolated, it offers few amenities, so come prepared. You will find that the rewards are unlimited.
|
| | chamizal_national_memorial (0)
The Chamizal Convention was a milestone in diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States in 1963. Chamizal National Memorial was established to commemorate this treaty which resulted in the peaceful settlement of a century-long boundary dispute between the neighboring countries. Far more than mere acreage, Chamizal is an idea, a dynamic process, dedicated to furthering the spirit of understanding and goodwill between two nations that share one border. Utilizing the visual, literary and performing arts as a medium of interchange, Chamizal serves as an open door to help people better understand not only other cultures, but their own cultural roots as well.
|
| | channel_islands_national_park (0)
Comprised of five in a chain of eight southern California islands near Los Angeles, Channel Islands National Park is home to a wide variety of nationally and internationally significant natural and cultural resources. Over 2,000 species of plants and animals can be found within the park. However only four mammals are endemic to the islands. One hundred and forty-five of these species are unique to the islands and found nowhere else in the world. Marine life ranges from microscopic plankton to the endangered blue whale, the largest animal to live on earth. Archeological and cultural resources span a period of more than 10,000 years. The park consists of 249,354 acres, half of which are under the ocean, and include the islands of San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara. Even though the islands seem tantalizingly close to the densely populated, southern California coast, their isolation has left them relatively undeveloped, making them an exciting place for visitors to explore.
|
| | charles_pinckney_national_historic_site (0)
The historic site was established to interpret Charles Pinckney's plantation Snee Farm, his role in the development of the United States Constitution and the transition of the United States from a group of colonies to a young nation. Interpretive exhibits, located in a house built circa 1828 but which is not Pinckney related, highlight these areas as well as the influences of African-Americans in the development of Snee Farm.
|
| | chattahoochee_river_national_recreation_area (0)
The Recreation Area lies within four counties, north and northeast of downtown Atlanta, Georgia. It consists of 16 land units along a 48-mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River. In addition to providing recreational activities such as fishing, hiking, picnicking, and boating, the park contains a wide variety of natural habitats, flora and fauna, nineteenth century historic sites, and Native American archeological sites.
|
| | chesapeake_and_ohio_canal_national_historical_park (0)
The C&O Canal follows the route of the Potomac River for 184.5 miles from Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, MD. The canal operated from 1828-1924 as a transportation route, primarily hauling coal from western Maryland to the port of Georgetown in Washington, D.C. Hundreds of original structures, including locks, lockhouses, and aqueducts, serve as reminders of the canal's role as a transportation system during the Canal Era. In addition, the canal's towpath provides a nearly level, continuous trail through the spectacular scenery of the Potomac River Valley. Every year millions of visitors come to hike or bike the C&O Canal in order to enjoy the natural, cultural, and recreational opportunities available
|
| | chickamauga_and_chattanooga (0)
Between 1890 and 1899 the Congress of the United States authorized the establishment of the first four national military parks: Chickamauga and Chattanooga, Shiloh, Gettysburg, and Vicksburg. The first and largest of these, and the one upon which the establishment and development of most other national military and historical parks was based, was Chickamauga and Chattanooga. It owes its existence largley to the efforts of General H.V. Boynton and Ferdinand Van Derveer, both veterans of the Army of the Cumberland, who saw the need for a national park to preserve and commemorate these battlefields during a visit to the area in 1888.
|
| | chimney_rock_national_historic_site (0)
Chimney Rock has become one of the most famous landmarks in the American West. This unique formation--the most noted on the Oregon Trail--has come to symbolize the greatest voluntary migration in the history of mankind. The site is adminstered by the Nebraska State Historical Society which operates the Ethel and Christopher J. Abbot Visitor Center at the Chimney Rock National Historic Site. The Visitor Center features museum exhibits explaining the westward migration of the nineteenth century and the significant role Chimney Rock had in the memories of those who traveled the trails west.
|
| | chiricahua_national_monument (0)
Twenty seven million years ago a volcanic eruption of immense proportions shook the land around Chiricahua National Monument. One thousand times greater than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, the Turkey Creek Caldera eruption eventually laid down two thousand feet of highly silicious ash and pumice. This mixture fused into a rock called rhyolitic tuff and eventually eroded into the spires and unusual rock formations of today.
The monument is a mecca for hikers and birders. At the intersection of the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts, and the southern Rocky Mountains and northern Sierra Madre in Mexico, Chiricahua plants and animals represent one of the premier areas for biological diversity in the northern hemisphere.
Of historic interest is the Faraway Ranch, a pioneer homestead and later a working cattle and guest ranch. It is a significant example of human transformation of the western frontier from wilderness to the present settlement. Faraway Ranch offers glimpses into the lives of Swedish immigrants Neil and Emma Erickson, and their children. The house is furnished with historic artifacts which not only give us reminders of our youth and our ancestors, but one can also trace the development of technology during the first half of the twentieth century. Acreage: 12,000 acres.
|
| | christiansted_national_historic_site (0)
Colonial development of the Virgin Islands is commemorated by the 18th and the 19th century structures in the heart of the capital of the former Danish West Idies on St. Croix Island.
|
| | city_of_rocks_national_reserve (0)
"We encamped at the city of the rocks, a noted place from the granite rocks rising abruptly out of the ground," wrote James Wilkins in 1849. "They are in a romantic valley clustered together, which gives them the appearance of a city." Wilkins was among the first wagon travelers to fix the name City of Rocks to what looked like "a dismantled, rock-built city of the Stone Age." California Trail pioneers were leaving civilization as they knew it in the East for new lives in the West. Some wrote their names in axle grease on rock faces, and their signatures can be seen today. No doubt thirsty on this northern edge of the Great Basin Desert, one emigrant saw the distant rocks in August like "water thrown up into the air from numerous artificial hydrants." Beginning in 1843, City of Rocks was a landmark for emigrants on the California Trail and Salt Lake Alternate Trail and later on freight routes and the Kelton, Utah to Boise, Idaho stage route.
The area's historical and geological values, scenery, and opportunities for recreation led to its designation as City of Rocks National Reserve in 1988. This unit of the National Park System is managed cooperatively by the National Park Service and the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, who invite you to enjoy the wonders of the City of Rocks.
|
| | clara_barton_national_historic_site (0)
Clara Barton National Historic Site commemorates the life of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. The house in Glen Echo served as her home, headquarters for the American Red Cross and a warehouse for disaster relief supplies. From this house, she organized and directed American Red Cross relief efforts for victims of natural disasters and war. Clara Barton National Historic Site was established in the National Park Service in 1975 and is administered by the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
|
| | claude_moore_colonial_farm (0)
Claude Moore Colonial Farm is a living history site that demonstrates the life of a poor farm family living on a small farm in northern Virginia just prior to the American Revolutionary War. Today, agricultural and household activities seen on the Farm represent an earlier era when small farms were dispersed throughout the countryside; and, most Americans engaged in activities of an agricultural nature.
The farmer's property includes twelve acres planted with corn, tobacco, wheat, flax, rye, barley, a kitchen garden and an orchard. The fields are tilled, planted and cultivated by hand, applying basic principles of hoe agriculture. The farmer allows his livestock to roam freely, protecting valuable crops with split rail fencing. The small log house is used as the family dwelling, where meals are prepared over the hearth fire using food raised on the Farm. Clothing, furniture, tools, and equipment used by the Farm family are reproductions of 18th-century artifacts.
Staff and volunteers dressed in reproduction period clothes, work the farm, and answer your questions about the farm, livestock, and family, as if you were actually an 18th century visitor. The Farm is managed and operated by the Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm, at Turkey Run, Inc. through a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service, George Washington Memorial Parkway.
|
| | colonial_national_historical_park (0)
Colonial National Historical Park (NHP) administers two of the most historically significant sites in English North America. Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America in 1607, is administered jointly with the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, and Yorktown Battlefield, the final major battle of the American Revolutionary War in 1781.
These two sites represent the beginning and end of English colonial America. Situated on the Virginia Peninsula, these sites are connected by the 23 mile scenic Colonial Parkway. Colonial NHP also includes Green Spring, the 17th century plantation home of Virginia's colonial governor, Sir William Berkeley, and the Cape Henry Memorial, which marks the approximate site of the first landing of the Jamestown colonists in April of 1607.
Colonial NHP has a variety of natural resources including extensive wetlands, forest, fields, shorelines and streams, as well as rare, threatened and endangered plants and animals.
|
| | colorado_national_monument (0)
Established May 24, 1911, and on 20,453.93 acres, Colorado National Monument consists of geologic features including: towering red sandstone monoliths, deep, sheer-walled canyons, and a variety of wildlife (bighorn sheep, golden eagles, mule deer and mountain lions)
|
| | congaree_swamp_national_monument (0)
IN BRIEF
The monument rests on a floodplain of the Congaree River and is not a true swamp. This remnant preserves, in a wilderness state, the largest intact tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the United States. The monument was authorized as a unit of the National Park Service on October 18, 1976.
Three features give national significance: some of the tallest trees in the East with one of the highest canopies in the world, broad biodiversity, and old-growth forest. The monument is recognized as an International Biosphere Reserve, National Natural Landmark, Wilderness Area, and "Globally Important Bird Area."
|
| | constitution_gardens (0)
Constitution Gardens is a living legacy to the founding of the republic as well as an oasis in the midst of a city landscape. The 50 acres of the park were originally beneath the Potomac River! A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging project at the turn of century created the land that became Potomac Park.
|
| | coronado_national_memorial (0)
Coronado National Memorial commemorates the first major European exploration of the American Southwest. The Memorial lies on the United States-Mexico border within sight of the San Pedro River Valley, through which the Coronado Expedition first entered the present U.S. in search of the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola. It is a cultural area situated in a natural setting comprised of 4,750 acres of grasslands and oak woodlands.
|
| | cowpens_national_battlefield (0)
Cowpens National Battlefield commemorates a decisive battle that helped turn the tide of war in the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution. On this field on January 17, 1781, Daniel Morgan led his army of tough Continentals, militia and cavalry to a brilliant victory over Banastre Tarleton's force of British regulars. The battle at the "Cow Pens" is recognized by historians as one of the most important of the American Revolution.
Coming on the heels of a patriot victory at nearby Kings Mountain on October 7, 1780, it was the second successive staggering defeat for British forces under General Charles Cornwallis. Only nine months after the Battle of Cowpens, Cornwallis was forced to surrender his army to General George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia in October 1781.
|
| | craters_of_the_moon_national_monument_and_preserve (0)
Established in 1924, Craters of the Moon National Monument celebrated its 75th birthday in 1999. In November 2000, a Presidential proclamation greatly expanded the Monument area. The National Park Service portions of the expanded Monument were designated as a National Preserve in August 2002. The area is managed cooperatively by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management(BLM).
The Monument and Preserve encompass three major lava fields and 250,000 acres of sagebrush steppe grasslands. The rugged landscape remains remote and undeveloped with only one paved road across the northern end. Traditional livestock grazing continues within the grass/shrublands administered by BLM.
The Craters of the Moon lava field spreads across 618 square miles and is the largest young basaltic lava field in the lower 48 states. The Monument and Preserve contain more than 25 volcanic cones including outstanding examples of spatter cones. Sixty distinct lava flows form the Craters of the Moon lava field ranging in age from 15,000 to just 2,000 years old.
The Kings Bowl and Wapi lava fields, both about 2,200 years old, are now part of the National Preserve. All three lava fields lie along the Great Rift, with some of the best examples of open rift cracks in the world. There are excellent examples of pahoehoe, slabby pahoehoe, shelly pahoehoe, spiny pahoehoe, aa, and block lava, as well as rafted blocks, tree molds, lava tubes, and many other volcanic features.
|
| | crater_lake_national_park (0)
For generations, Crater Lake has been a place of beauty and mystery. One hundred years ago it became one of America's first national parks. Today we celebrate that anniversay and the landscape itself that has inspired so many.
Crater Lake is widely known for its intense blue color and spectacular views. During summer, visitors may navigate the Rim Drive around the lake, enjoy boat tours on the lake surface, stay in the historic Crater Lake Lodge, camp at Mazama Village, or hike some of the park's various trails including Mt. Scott at 8,929 ft. Diverse interpretive programs enhance visitors' knowledge and appreciation of this national park, 90% of which is managed as wilderness. The winter brings some of the heaviest snowfall in the country, averaging 533 inches per year. Although park facilities mostly close for this snowy season, visitors may view the lake during fair weather, enjoy cross-country skiing, and participate in weekend snowshoe hikes.
|
| | cumberland_gap_national_historical_park (0)
The story of the first doorway to the west is commemorated at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, located where the borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia meet. Carved by wind and water, Cumberland Gap forms a major break in the formidable Appalachian Mountain chain. First used by large game animals in their migratory journeys, followed by Native Americans, the Cumberland Gap was the first and best avenue for the settlement of the interior of this nation. From 1775 to 1810, the Gap's heyday, between 200,000 and 300,000 men, women, and children crossed the Gap into the unknown land of Kentucky.
|
| | cumberland_island_national_seashore (0)
Cumberland Island is 17.5 miles long and totals 36,415 acres of which 16,850 are marsh, mud flats, and tidal creeks. It is well known for its sea turtles, abundant shore birds, dune fields, maritime forest, salt marshes, and historic structures.
|
| | curecanti_national_recreation_area (0)
Three reservoirs, named for corresponding dams on the Gunnison River, form the heart of Curecanti National Recreation Area. Panoramic mesas, fjord-like reservoirs, and deep, steep and narrow canyons abound. Blue Mesa Reservoir is Colorado's largest body of water, and is the largest Kokanee Salmon fishery in the United States. Morrow Point Reservoir is the beginning of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and below, Crystal Reservoir is the site of the Gunnison Diversion Tunnel, a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Recently discovered dinosaur fossils, a 5,000 acre archeological district, a narrow gauge train, and traces of 6000 year old dwellings further enhance the offerings of Curecanti.
|
| | cuyahoga_valley_national_park (0)
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, located between Cleveland and Akron, features a wide variety of natural, cultural, and historical resources. Visitors enjoy picnicking, hiking, bike trails, bridle trails, winter sports, golf, fishing, and ranger-guided programs.
|
| | dayton_aviation_heritage_national_historical_park (0)
Dayton Aviation Heritage commemorates three exceptional men - Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright, and Paul Laurence Dunbar - and their work in the Miami Valley.
Through the invention of powered flight, Wilbur and Orville made significant contributions to human history. In their Dayton, Ohio, bicycle shop these two men, self-trained in the science and art of aviation, researched and built the world's first power-driven, heavier-than-air machine capable of free, controlled, and sustained flight. The Wrights also perfected their invention during 1904 and 1905 in their hometown of Dayton.
Paul Laurence Dunbar achieved national and international acclaim in a literary world that was almost exclusively reserved for whites. This gifted and prolific writer produced a body of work that included novels, plays, short stories, lyrics, and over 400 published poems. His work, which reflected much of the African American experience in America, contributed to a growing social consciousness and cultural identity for African Americans in the United States.
The park is a cooperative effort between the National Park Service and four partners, and it contains four separate sites. They are The Wright Cycle Company building and Wright brothers' print shop building; Huffman Prairie Flying Field; John W. Berry, Sr. Wright Brothers Aviation Center which includes the 1905 Wright Flyer III; and the Paul Laurence Dunbar State Memorial.
|
| | death_valley_national_park (0)
Death Valley National Park has more than 3.3 million acres of spectacular desert scenery, interesting and rare desert wildlife, complex geology, undisturbed wilderness, and sites of historical and cultural interest. Bounded on the west by 11,049 foot Telescope Peak and on the east by 5,475 foot Dante's View, Badwater is the lowest point (-282 feet) in the western hemisphere.
|
| | delaware_and_lehigh_national_heritage_corridor (0)
The Corridor is a collection of people, places and events that helped shape our great nation. Come journey through five Pennsylvania counties bursting with heritage and brimming with outdoor adventure. Canals and railroads-remnants of Northeastern Pennsylvania's prosperous coal age-form the spine of this more than 150-mile Corridor. You'll find something for everyone. Follow a history trail marked with stories about hearty lumberjacks, coal miners, lock tenders, canalers and railroaders. Explore quiet canal paths, challenging bike trails and rippling waters of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers.
Relive history and discover a distinctive American landscape within Northeastern Pennsylvania. We invite you to bask in our heritage, ride or walk our trails, and enjoy our waterways.
|
| | delaware_national_scenic_river (0)
The section of the Delaware River that is designated the Middle Delaware National Scenic River is 40 miles long and is contained completely within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park system. The Middle Delaware National Scenic River is administered by the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
|
| | delaware_water_gap_national_recreation_area (0)
This park preserves 40 miles of the middle Delaware River and almost 70,000 acres of land along the river's New Jersey and Pennsylvania shores. At the south end of the park, the river cuts eastward through the Appalachian Mountains at the scenic Delaware Water Gap. A one-day auto tour of the park can include waterfalls, rural scenery, and historic Millbrook Village. Visitors can also canoe, hike, camp, swim, picnic, bicycle, crosscountry ski, and horseback ride. Fishing and hunting are permitted in season with state licenses.
|
| | denali_national_park_and_preserve (0)
It's more than a mountain. Denali National Park & Preserve features North America's highest mountain, 20,320-foot tall Mount McKinley. The Alaska Range also includes countless other spectacular mountains and many large glaciers. Denali's more than 6 million acres also encompass a complete sub-arctic eco-system with large mammals such as grizzly bears, wolves, Dall sheep, and moose.
The park was established as Mt. McKinley National Park on Feb. 26, 1917. The original park was designated a wilderness area and incorporated into Denali National Park and Preserve in 1980. The Park was designated an international biosphere reserve in 1976.
Today the park accommodates a wide variety of visitor use including wildlife viewing, mountaineering, and backpacking. It continues to provide a laboratory for research in the natural sciences.
|
| | devils_postpile_national_monument (0)
Established in 1911 by presidential proclamation, Devils Postpile National Monument protects and preserves the Devils Postpile formation, the 101-foot Rainbow Falls, and the pristine mountain scenery.
The Devils Postpile is a rarity in the geologic world, and ranks as one of the world’s finest examples of columnar basalt. Its columns tower 60-feet high and display an unusual symmetry. Another wonder is in store just downstream from the Postpile at Rainbow Falls, once called “a gem unique and worthy of its name”. When the sun is overhead, a bright rainbow highlights the spectacular Falls.
The monument is also a portal to the High Sierra backcountry, with some 75% included in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. At 800 acres, Devils Postpile National Monument may be considered small by some, yet its natural and recreational values abound.
|
| | devils_tower_national_monument (0)
The nearly vertical monolith known as Devils Tower rises 1,267 feet above the meandering Belle Fourche River. Once hidden below the earth's surface, erosion has stripped away the softer rock layers revealing Devils Tower.Known by several northern plains tribes as Bears Lodge, it is a sacred site of worship for many American Indians. The rolling hills of this 1,347 acre park are covered with pine forests, deciduous woodlands, and prairie grasslands. Deer, prairie dogs, and other wildlife are abundant. Proclaimed September 24, 1906 as the nation's first national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt.
|
| | de_soto_national_memorial (0)
De Soto National Memorial commemorates the landing and legacy of the 1539 expedition of Hernando De Soto. This particular Entrada (Spanish for foray) began when six hundred twenty two Spanish conquistadors, two hundred twenty horses and a pack of vicious war dogs splashed ashore in the lower Tampa Bay area of Florida in May of 1539. What followed were violent encounters with Native Americans while searching fruitlessly for a civilization possessing gold and jewels like the Aztecs of Mexico or the Incas of Peru. Four years later, with Soto dead and half his men gone, the expedition found its way back to Spanish settlements in Mexico. Eventually, the descriptions of new peoples and abundant lands provided by participants would help to inspire other Europeans to colonize North America.
From December 15, 2002, through April 20, 2003, at Camp Ucita, Park Rangers dressed as Conquistadors bring this clash of 16th Century Spanish and Native American culture to life.
|
| | dinosaur_national_monument (0)
In his book, The Immense Journey, Loren Eisley wrote, "Once in a lifetime, perhaps, one escapes the actual confines of the flesh. Once in a lifetime, if one is lucky, one so merges with sunlight and air and running water that whole eons, the eons that mountains and deserts know, might pass in a single afternoon without discomfort."
This is Echo Park, named by John Wesley Powell in 1869 during his first scientific expedition into the Colorado Plateau. It is here that the Yampa River, the last free flowing river in the Colorado River System, joins the Green River. This is home and critical habitat for the endangered peregrine falcon, bald eagle, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker. Indian rock art in Echo Park testifies to the allure these canyons and rivers had for prehistoric people. In 1825, William H. Ashley and his fur trappers were the first Europeans to enter Echo Park. In 1883, Patrick Lynch, a hermit, was the first to homestead in this canyon.
|
| | dry_tortugas_national_park (0)
Almost 70 miles (112.9 km) west of Key West lies a cluster of seven islands, composed of coral reefs and sand, called the Dry Tortugas. Along with the surrounding shoals and waters, they make up Dry Tortugas National Park. The area is known for its famous bird and marine life, and its legends of pirates and sunken gold. Ft. Jefferson, the largest of the 19th century American coastal forts is a central feature.
The Tortugas were first discoverd by Ponce de Leon in 1513. Abundant sea turtles or "tortugas" provisioned his ships with fresh meat, but there was no fresh water-the tortugas were dry. Since the days of Spanish exploration,the reefs and shoals of the Dry Tortugas have been a serious hazard to navigation and the site of hundreds of shipwrecks.
U.S. military attention was drawn to the keys in the early 1800's due to their strategic location in the Florida Straits. Plans were made for a massive fortress and construction began in 1846, but the fort was never completed. The invention of the rifled cannon made it obsolete. As the military value of Fort Jefferson waned, its pristine reefs, abundant sea life and impressive numbers of birds grew in value. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt set aside Fort Jefferson and the surrounding waters as a national monument. The area was redesignated as Dry Tortugas National Park in 1992 to protect both the historical and natural features.
|
| | ebey's_landing_national_historical_reserve (0)
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve provides a vivid historical record of Pacific Northwest history, including the first exploration of Puget Sound by Captain George Vancouver in 1792; early settlement by Colonel Isaac Ebey, an important figure in Washington Territory; growth and settlement resulting from the Oregon Trail and the Westward migration; the Donation Land Laws (1850-1855); and the continued growth and settlement of the town of Coupeville.
Within the fast growing Puget Sound region, Ebey's Landing NHR has quickly become the remaining area where a broad spectrum of Northwest history is still clearly visible in the landscape. The historical landscape of the reserve appears to today's visitors much as it did a century ago, when New England sea captains were drawn to Penn Cove. Historic farms are still farmed, forests harvested and century-old buildings used as homes or places of business.
Unlike many National Park units, the 25 square mile historical reserve encompasses a mixture of federal, state, county and private property, all managed in a way that preserves its historic essence. This means that changes in the cultural landscape will continue but in a way that respects the past.
There are two state parks within Ebey's Landing NHR as well as the historic waterfront town of Coupeville, one of the oldest towns in Washington State.
|
| | edgar_allan_poe_national_historic_site (0)
This is the 1840s home of Edgar Allan Poe, one of America's finest and most influential writers. The small brick house now connected to 530 North Seventh Street was Poe's home, 1843-1844. During the entire six years (1838-1844) that Poe lived in Philadelphia, he attained his greatest successes as an editor and critic, and he published some of his most famous tales, including, "The Gold Bug," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Murders in the Rue Morgue". Of his several Philadelphia homes, only this one survives. It serves as a tangible link with Poe and his days of greatness in Philadelphia. The life and work of Edgar Allan Poe are portrayed in this three building complex. The site became part of the National Park System on November 10, 1978.
|
| | edison_national_historic_site (0)
For more than forty years, the laboratory created by Thomas Alva Edison in West Orange, New Jersey, had enormous impact on the lives of millions of people worldwide. Out of the West Orange laboratories came the motion picture camera, vastly improved phonographs, sound recordings, silent and sound movies and the nickel-iron alkaline electric storage battery.
Edison National Historic Site provides a unique opportunity to interpret and experience important aspects of America's industrial, social and economic past, and to learn from the legacy of the world's best known inventor.
|
| | effigy_mounds_national_monument (0)
Prehistoric mounds are common from the plains of the Midwest to the Atlantic seaboard, but only in this general area was there a culture that regularly constructed mounds in the shape of mammals, birds, or reptiles. The monument contains 2,526 acres with 195 mounds of which 31 are effigies. The others are conical, linear and compound. Eastern Woodland Indians built mounds from about 500 BC until the early European contact period. Natural features in the monument include forests, tallgrass prairies, wetlands and rivers. The visitor center, located |
|
|
