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Illinois

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

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Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Illinois

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

20,283 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/midewin

Overview

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie was established in 1996 and opened to visitors eight years later following some ecological restoration and decontamination.  It is located on the site of the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant that produced TNT from 1940 to 1976.  In combination with neighboring Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Area and other preserves, over 40,000 acres are protected in this area south of Chicago’s suburbs.  Restoration of the tallgrass prairie is ongoing with planting and prescribed burning to promote the growth of native plants.  In 2015, 27 bison were introduced on 1,200 acres and the herd has grown to more than 50.  Midewin (pronounced “mi-DAY-win”) is a Potowatomi word referring to tribal healers.

Highlights

Midewin Welcome Center, Route 66, historic bunkers, bison herd

Must-Do Activity

The best place to start a visit is the Midewin Welcome Center on Highway 53, just south of the Southwest Bison Overlook.  There you can read about the history of the area, pick up pamphlets on birds and wildflowers, and get information on the more than 30 miles of trails, including 21.7 miles open to bikers and equestrians.  The 7,000 acres of accessible public lands are open 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Best Trail

Several trails leave from the Iron Bridge Trailhead north of the visitor center.  We took Group 63 Trail that starts in a forest then opens up as it accesses Bunker 63-1, which is unlocked for exploration.  The entire trail makes a 3.5-mile loop around a group of bunkers following the northern border of the fenced-off bison pasture. 

Watchable Wildlife

Midewin remains the only federal tallgrass prairie preserve east of the Mississippi River, restoring an extremely rare ecosystem that was mostly converted to agriculture.  Golden gophers (or 13-lined ground squirrels) fill the ecological niche of prairie dogs here.  Coyotes and white-tailed deer are also found in this area.  In 2015, bison were introduced on 1,200 acres of the preserve, and the herd has increased from the original four bulls and 23 cows.  A color pamphlet highlighting native birds is available at the visitor center and trailheads.  In addition to songbirds, raptors like red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, and short-eared owls can be seen.  We came across a flock of turkeys near the turtle pond south of Hoff Road. 

Instagram-worthy Photo

A turtle pond is accessible by walking a closed road one mile from the Hoff Road Trailhead.

Peak Season

Spring

Fees

None

Road Conditions

The main access roads are paved and the trailhead parking areas are gravel lots.  Many of the trails are former roads, both paved and unpaved.  At the Iron Bridge Trailhead, bicycles are available to rent as part of the 75 miles of trails following the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor.

Camping

There is no camping at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, as the public lands are only open 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.  Campgrounds outside of Chicago include Starved Rock State Park, Illini State Park, Des Plaines Conservation Area, and across the state border at Indiana Dunes National Park.

Related Sites

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (Kansas)

Pullman National Historical Park (Illinois)

Cedar River National Grassland (North Dakota)

Nearest National Park

Indiana Dunes

Tiff walking to the turtle pond
Turkeys
Tiff at a bunker

Explore More – During World War II, 3,400 women worked at the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, representing what percentage of the workforce?

Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

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Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service (70%), Bureau of Land Management (12%), National Park Service (10%), other (8%)

Established 1978

3,028 miles

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/trails/cdt

Overview

We decided to write about the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) now, since Tiff recently finished backpacking the entire 512-mile Wyoming section of the route.  The CDT stretches 3,028 miles from the Crazy Cook Monument on the border with Mexico north to Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.  The official trail is known as the “red route,” with popular alternatives called “blue routes” detouring through sections like New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness (which 95% of thru-hikers choose).  Tiff was supported by Scott along portions of the trail and they both backpacked through Yellowstone National Park together.  Tiff met dozens of thru-hikers doing the entire trail this year, many of whom were “flip-flopping” after getting stopped north bound (NOBO) by snowy Colorado mountains so switching to a south bound (SOBO) direction to finish.

Highlights

Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Gila Wilderness, El Malpaís National Monument, South Pass City State Park, Wind River Range, Lemhi Pass, Chinese Wall, Triple Divide Pass

Must-Do Activity

It takes the average thru-hiker 147 days to complete the trek (including “zeros days”), but you can get a feel for the experience on shorter point-to-point or loop hikes.  We have done the Rocky Mountain National Park section as a long day hike and Scott has backpacked the minimum 40 miles to see the famous Chinese Wall in Montana’s Lewis and Clark National Forest.  We had all three of our backcountry campsites to ourselves along Yellowstone National Park’s 67-mile stretch of CDT and went a full day without seeing another person near the park’s Idaho border.

Best Trail

The Wind River Range in Wyoming’s Bridger National Forest is probably the most scenic stretch of mountains on the entire CDT.  Many thru-hikers detour to a blue route to see beautiful, but overcrowded Titcomb Basin and the Cirque of the Towers (actually in neighboring Shoshone National Forest).  Read more about our 2020 trip (mostly) following the CDT 120 miles through the range in our newspaper article.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The CDT goes right past crowded Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park’s Lower Geyser Basin, although there are other areas of colorful hot springs like those near Heart Lake (pictured).

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

Fees apply if you camp inside or drive into Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks

Road Conditions

Much of the trail is actually walking dirt roads and some paved roads, especially in New Mexico.  Access roads to certain trailheads can be very rough and require driving long unpaved sections, such as the 30 miles to busy Big Sandy Trailhead in Bridger National Forest.

Camping

Camping is dispersed except for designated sites (permit required) in Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks.

Related Sites

Appalachian National Scenic Trail (Georgia to Maine)

Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (California-Oregon-Washington)

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail (Mississippi-Alabama-Tennessee)

Tiff starting at the Colorado-Wyoming border
Tiff in Wyoming’s South Pass City State Historic Site
Entering the Wind River Range
Tiff in the Wind River Range
Scott near Terrace Mountain
Mule deer
Wolf tracks outside Tiff’s tent in the morning
Tiff at Heart Lake in Yellowstone National Park
Sandhill cranes in Yellowstone National Park
Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone National Park
Scott crossing the Lewis River in Yellowstone National Park
Geysers in Yellowstone National Park
Tiff at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Tiff finished at the Idaho border in Yellowstone National Park
Beargrass in Montana’s Lewis and Clark National Forest
Grizzly bear in Lewis and Clark National Forest
Chinese Wall
Lewis and Clark National Forest

Explore More – Which three oceans receive water from Triple Divide Pass in Montana?

Alaska

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

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Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

Alaska

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1978 National Monument, 1980 National Park

4,030,025 acres

Website: nps.gov/lacl

Overview

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is inaccessible by road and receives only about 15,000 visitors annually.  It sits at the northern end of the massive Alaska Peninsula southwest of Anchorage, home to the twin 10,000-foot volcanoes Redoubt and Iliamna.  Cloaked in the whitest of snow, on a clear day they dominate the skyline view from a boat bobbing in Cook Inlet or a vehicle driving the Sterling Highway.  Behind the mountains lies massive Lake Clark itself, as well as the Twin Lakes made famous in the film Alone in the Wilderness and the book One Man’s Wilderness that both documented Richard “Dick” Proenneke’s cabin building and backcountry lifestyle (see our list of the Top 10 Non-Fiction Books Set in a National Park and Alaska).  Many visitors take flightseeing tours and never step foot on the ground, but that does not make their experience any less extraordinary. 

Learn more in the expanded 2nd edition of our guidebook to the National Parks— A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks.

Highlights

Redoubt Volcano, Iliamna Volcano, Port Alsworth, Lake Clark, Richard Proenneke Historic Site, Double Glacier

Must-Do Activity

You can easily see the twin 10,000-foot volcanoes (Redoubt and Iliamna) within the park from Anchorage or Homer on a clear day, but getting to them is no easy task.  Your best bet is to take a float plane charter service and land on one of the big, glacier-fed lakes.  While you are over there try to do some salmon fishing; that is why the brown bears and bald eagles like it here.  The park’s visitor center is in Port Alsworth on Lake Clark, and another popular destination is Richard Proenneke Historic Site on Twin Lakes.  The park’s best attraction may be the massive glaciers that cling to the peaks of the Alaska and Aleutian Ranges and the Chigmit and Neacola Mountains.  Flying over a jagged glacial field offers a unique perspective on these giant rivers of ice and the boulder strewn valleys where gray, milky streams follow the wide pathways left by receded glaciers. 

Best Trail

At the park’s visitor center in Port Alsworth, 2.5-mile Tanalian Falls Trail is the only officially maintained trail and a popular destination for backpackers.  At Richard Proenneke Historic Site, we hiked the scenic and steep Teetering Rock Trail less than a mile up to its namesake boulder that moves when you push on it.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Viewed from above, Double Glacier appears cracked and fissured like the skin on the back of a human hand.  Rocky debris in lines of black accentuate the frozen white that hint at the slow flow of the ice river down the valley.  Deeper crevasses reflect a cerulean shade that bewilders the eye in this otherwise monochrome landscape.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/lacl/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None, but it is expensive to access by airplane. We took Kachemak Air Service to Twin Lakes and Talon Air Service to Double Glacier and Big River Lakes/Wolverine Creek.

Road Conditions

Essentially, there are no roads in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.

Camping

No designated campgrounds exist within the park, so backcountry campers must come prepared with everything they need, plus the supplies required to wait an extra week for pickup should the weather turn bad.

Related Sites

Katmai National Park and Preserve (Alaska)

Chugach National Forest (Alaska)

Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)

Upper Twin Lake
View from the floatplane flying to Twin Lakes
Lower Twin Lake
Proenneke cabin
Scott’s mother on Upper Twin Lake
Brown bear hair on a back-scratching spruce tree
Scott’s nephew on the Teetering Rock Trail
Scott nudging Teetering Rock
Proenneke cabin on Upper Twin Lake
Proenneke cabin
Proenneke cabin on Upper Twin Lake
Iliamna Volcano and glacier
Lake Clark
A brown bear sow and her three cubs fish for sockeye salmon in shallow Wolverine Creek
Big River Lakes
Redoubt Volcano from Cook Inlet
Black bear at Wolverine Creek
Iliamna Volcano from Cook Inlet

Explore More – Before this area was a National Park, when did Richard “Dick” Proenneke arrive at Twin Lakes to begin building his cabin?

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List

Top 10 States for State Parks

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We are currently finishing up our newest travel guidebook 50 States of Great (for sale now on Amazon), which focuses on our favorite State Park, National Forest, Roadside Attraction, and nine other categories for every state in America.  Choosing one State Park for some states was easy, but others have so many great options it was a difficult decision.  We wanted to honor those states in this list, and we also included our favorite parks in each state (with the best named first).  Some of the listings are State Historic Sites that may be managed by a different government agency than State Parks or State Forests.  Click here to see all of our Top 10 Lists, including our Top 10 States for National Forests and Top 10 States for National Park Service sites.

10. South Dakota (view our 7-Day Road Trip Itinerary)

Custer (pictured), Bear Butte, Palisades, Newton Hills, Fort Sisseton

Custer State Park might be the only one on this list worthy of being a National Park for its iconic wildlife and historic architecture

9. Indiana (view our 7-Day Road Trip Itinerary)

Indiana Dunes, Spring Mill, Falls of the Ohio, Angel Mounds, Clifty Falls, O’Bannon Woods, Brown County

The best part of Indiana Dunes National Park might be Indiana Dunes State Park, plus you can buy some freshly ground cornmeal at Spring Mill

8. Montana

Lewis and Clark Caverns (pictured), Makoshika, Bannack, Pictograph Cave, Flathead Lake

A limestone show cave, badlands full of dinosaur fossils, and the ghost town that started the 1862 gold rush

7. Missouri

Elephant Rocks, Johnson’s Shut-Ins, Taum Sauk, Ha Ha Tonka, Route 66, Prairie, Montauk, Meramec

A fun mix of pretty hiking trails and interesting history can be found in Missouri

6. Nevada

Valley of Fire, Cathedral Gorge, Berlin-Ichthyosaur, Lake Tahoe Nevada

Geology is the highlight in these beautiful State Parks

5. North Carolina

Hammocks Beach, Chimney Rock, Jockey’s Ridge, Fort Macon, Stone Mountain, Fischer Point, Raven Rock, South Mountains, Hanging Rock, Pilot Mountain, Brunswick Town, Morrow Mountain, William B. Umstead

Entry is free to nearly every State Park here and we have visited 30+ in our former home state

4. Hawai‘i (view our 14-Day Trip Itinerary)

Waimea Canyon, Napali Coast (pictured), Kealakekua Bay, ‘Iao Valley, Diamond Head, Lava Trees, Akaka Falls, Koke‘e, Isaac Hale, Iolani Palace, Ahupuaa O Kahana

Incredible scenery is almost a given on the islands of this tropical paradise

3. Arkansas

Crater of Diamonds (pictured), Pinnacle Mountain, Petit Jean, Mt. Magazine, Mississippi River, Devil’s Den, Village Creek, Lake Chicot

The only publicly-owned diamond mine in the world is a major attraction in Arkansas

2. Utah

Goblin Valley, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Kodachrome Basin, Antelope Island, Goosenecks, Dead Horse Point

Geology is the highlight in these beautiful State Parks

…and finally our #1 state for State Parks:

1. Texas

Caprock Canyons (pictured), Palo Duro Canyon, Resaca de la Palma, Big Bend Ranch, Monahans Sandhills, Davis Mountains, Enchanted Rock, Devil’s Sinkhole, Kickapoo Cavern, Old Tunnel, Brazos Bend, Caddo Mounds, Mission Tejas, San Jacinto Battleground, Pedernales Falls

A large, diverse state offers a wide variety of park experiences from evening bat flights to backcountry camping

.

Honorable Mentions

Virginia

False Cape, Grayson Highlands, Fairy Stone, First Landing, Douthat, Westmoreland

Backpacking on the beach in and the mountains, plus collecting fairy stones are highlights of our time in these (somewhat expensive) parks

California

Calaveras Big Trees (pictured), Pfeiffer Big Sur, Anza-Borrego Desert, Humboldt Redwoods, Moss Landing, Emerald Bay, Montaña de Oro, Mt. Tamalpais, Oceano Dunes, Fort Ross, Natural Bridges, Mt. Diablo

There have to be more State Parks here than anywhere else, some of which are amazing while others are not so great

Alabama

Cathedral Caverns, Rickwood Caverns, DeSoto, Cheaha, Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson (pictured), Gulf, Joe Wheeler

Cave tours, waterfalls, and mountain views can all be found in diverse Alabama

Oregon

Silver Falls, Beverly Beach, Smith Rock, Farewell Bend, Fort Stevens, Jessie M. Honeyman, Sunset Bay, Seal Rock, Wallowa Lake, La Pine

From the ocean to the mountains and all in between

Georgia (view our 7-Day Road Trip Itinerary)

Providence Canyon (pictured), Stephen C. Foster, Tallulah Gorge, Cloudland Canyon, Fort Mountain

Forested slopes, steep cliffs, waterfalls, and the lowlands of the Okefenokee Swamp

Michigan

Mackinac Island, Porcupine Mountains, Hartwick Pines, Fort Wilkins, P.J. Hoffmaster, Straits

Mackinac Island State Park was once a National Park and the Porcupine Mountains offer an incredible wilderness for backpacking on Lake Superior

South Carolina

Huntington Beach, Edisto Beach, Colonial Dorchester, Myrtle Beach, Hunting Island, Table Rock, Hampton Plantation, Devil’s Fork, Mountain Bridge

Some of the best ocean side campgrounds in the United States

North Dakota

Cedar River National Grassland

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Cedar River National Grassland

North Dakota

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

6,717 acres (6,717 federal/ 0 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dpg/recarea/?recid=79471

Overview

Cedar River National Grassland was created in 1998 from part of Custer National Forest, as is true of all four of the units managed as The Dakota Prairie Grasslands by the U.S. Forest Service.  The number above showing 0 acres of private inholdings is a little misleading since Cedar River National Grassland is a patchwork of public lands surrounded by the Standing Rock Reservation of the Lakota Sioux.  It is administered from the office just across the state border in Lemmon, South Dakota along with 154,783-acre Grand River National Grassland.  Although situated close to the Cedar River, the grassland contains no river bottomlands and is primarily composed of rolling hills cut by dry gullies.

Highlights

Knispel Wildlife Area, Cedar River

Must-Do Activity

The soils of Cedar River National Grassland are mostly clay, but we found some interesting rocks on the surface near the buttes at Knispel Wildlife Area off Highway 31.  Although it is not in the National Grassland, you should try to drive across one of the bridges over the namesake Cedar River.  Using the Forest Service app, we hiked to a small pond with cattails we could see on the aerial photos near the North Community Allotment.

Best Trail

There are no designated trails in Cedar River National Grassland, so we just walked cross-country.  We do recommend a stop at the World’s Largest Petrified Wood Park in nearby Lemmon, South Dakota.

Watchable Wildlife

About 25% of the National Grassland was reseeded with crested wheatgrass providing good grazing for white-tailed deer, pronghorn, and cattle.  Sharp-tailed grouse and exotic pheasants are also found in this area and the neighboring farm fields (primarily growing sunflowers).  Potholes and stock ponds provide habitat for blue-winged teals, gadwalls, and mallards, as well as fathead minnows, painted turtles, and northern leopard frogs.  In the summer, listen for the songs of western meadowlarks.  Birds of prey reported are red-tailed hawks, ferruginous hawks, Swainson’s hawks, northern harriers, American kestrels, golden eagles, and bald eagles.  We saw evidence of a hut on a dry stream built by a beaver, and there are also or muskrats, raccoons, coyotes, red foxes, and badgers. 

Instagram-worthy Photo

Cottonwood trees are about the only subject that will break the horizon in a photograph at Cedar River National Grassland.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Highway 31 is paved, but most of the roads were unpaved; those with gravel were in good shape in October, although the clay could turn to gumbo during wet spring months.

Camping

There is not a designated campground and dispersed camping might be tough due to the lack of pullouts and the predominance of private land.  It is probably better to head south to Grand River National Grassland, which has campgrounds.

Related Sites

Cimarron National Grassland (Kansas)

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site (North Dakota)

Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site (North Dakota-Montana)

Nearest National Park

Theodore Roosevelt

Knispel Wildlife Area
Tiff rockhounding in Knispel Wildlife Area
Knispel Wildlife Area
Knispel Wildlife Area
Cedar River
Cedar River
Scott with what is possibly a beaver hut
Tiff walking near the North Community Allotment
Tiff walking near the North Community Allotment
Raccoon prints
Scott at a small pond near the North Community Allotment
Farm fields of sunflowers
World’s Largest Petrified Wood Park in Lemmon, South Dakota

Explore More – After the federal government acquired about 48,000 acres of the Standing Rock Reservation from homesteads in the 1930s, how many acres did they later return to the Lakota Sioux (although the tribe would like it all returned)?