St. Croix National Scenic Riverway

October 12, 2021 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

Since 1972, about 255 miles of the St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers have been protected along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. It is a popular route for paddlers and tube floaters, in addition to providing invaluable habitat for a variety of wildlife, including beavers, great blue herons, and 40 species of native mussels. There are a few dams along the rivers and regulations vary by who manages different sections, so it is important to know the rules before you launch your boat.

Highlights

Trego Nature Trail, Sandrock Cliffs, Interstate State Parks

Must-Do Activity

There is a long scenic byway that follows the St. Croix River north from its confluence with the Mississippi River (south of Minneapolis) near the Great River Road Visitor Center in Prescott, Wisconsin. The National Park Service (NPS) manages the seasonal Namekagon River Visitor Center on a stretch of water that is good for floating. If you do not have a boat, just down the road try the 2.8-mile roundtrip Trego Nature Trail that follows the Namekagon River through a forest of white pine, bigtooth aspen, and paper birch trees.

Best Trail

Wisconsin Interstate State Park is located on the St. Croix River and is the western terminus for the partially completed 1,200-mile long Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Both Minnesota and Wisconsin Interstate State Parks are great places to learn about potholes (up to 15-foot deep bowls carved into solid rock) formed by boulders caught in whirlpools during glacial melting.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

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

Fees

None

Road Conditions

All main roads are paved, but some (like the side road to Trego Nature Trail) are good gravel.

Camping

Developed campgrounds can be found in the numerous state parks and state forests along the rivers. Only designated riverside campsites can be used by those paddling (except in the Stillwater Islands area), but no reservations are accepted.

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (Wisconsin)

Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

Tiff playing in the Namekegon River Visitor Center

Explore More – A major proponent of creating this park, Senator Gaylord Nelson was born in Clear Lake, Wisconsin and helped pass the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, as well as founding what annual holiday in 1970?

Minnesota

Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

October 11, 2021 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

The 2,320-mile long Mississippi River is legendary in our nation and well-known worldwide. Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (NRRA) covers 72 miles of the famous river’s course through Minnesota, from busy metropolitan sections in the Twin Cities to secluded stretches of water. Along this section it changes from its shallow headwaters to a powerful force at its confluence with the St. Croix River. Established in 1988, the National Park Service (NPS) owns only 35 acres of the 54,000 acres protected within the NRRA.

Highlights

St. Anthony Falls, Minnehaha Falls, Coldwater Spring, Indian Mounds Park, Mississippi Gorge Regional Park

Must-Do Activity

Near downtown Minneapolis is St. Anthony Falls, the only true waterfall on the Mississippi River’s entire length. The falls powered gristmills and sawmills on both banks that drove the settlement of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Opportunities for walking, biking, boating, fishing, cross-country skiing, and wildlife watching (especially at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge) abound along the river depending upon the season.

Best Trail

In winter, urban trails along the Mississippi River are very pretty under a layer of white snow, and it can be very quiet and peaceful.

Instagram-worthy Photo

We enjoyed Minnehaha Regional Park where we found the 53-foot tall waterfall celebrated in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

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

Fees

None

Road Conditions

All roads paved, but there is no free parking available at the NPS visitor center located inside the lobby for the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Camping

There are no campgrounds managed by the National Park Service within the NRRA, however, there are many places to camp in the area.

Related Sites

Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (Minnesota-Wisconsin)

Missouri National Recreationa l River (Nebraska-South Dakota)

Pipestone National Monument (Minnesota)

This NPS visitor center is located inside the lobby for the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Great River Road Visitor Center in Prescott, Wisconsin

Explore More – What did the city of Minneapolis do to make sure Minnehaha Falls was flowing for President Lyndon B. Johnson’s visit during the 1964 drought?

South Carolina

Reconstruction Era National Historical Park

October 7, 2021 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Overview

Like Freedom Riders National Monument in Alabama, President Obama established Reconstruction Era National Monument in 2017. The park is located about an hour south of Charleston, South Carolina and is still under development, but they already have a Junior Ranger program. The Reconstruction Era took place following the Civil War when the U.S. military helped freed African-American slaves integrate into southern society. It was a complicated and mostly failed social experiment with long-lasting repercussions within American culture.

Highlights

Old Beaufort Firehouse, Robert Smalls Memorial, Camp Saxton, Penn Center, Brick Baptist Church

Must-Do Activity

We recommend the ranger-guided tour of Camp Saxton that leaves from the National Park Service (NPS) operated Porter’s Chapel, next to the skate park in Port Royal, South Carolina. Following the loss of Fort Sumter, the Union Army occupied this area by late-1861, eventually training former slaves to serve as soldiers. There is nothing left to see of the camp, but there are tabby walls from old Fort Frederick. After a short walk, the park ranger will help you imagine what the scene would have looked like when the black soldiers were officially freed on Emancipation Day, January 1, 1863.

Best Trail

You can walk around the historic Penn Center (guided tours offered) where the NPS maintains a visitor center in Darrah Hall, a donated part of this National Historic Landmark that has a long history of African-American education.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The Old Sheldon Church Ruins are not technically part of the park, but they are located just down the road from the Penn Center. The Parrish Church of St. Helena outside Beaufort is also very photogenic.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

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

Fees

None

Road Conditions

All major access roads are paved, although parking can be scarce around Port Royal during the farmers’ market.

Camping

Hunting Island and Edisto Beach State Parks both take camping reservations, so book early. There are also campgrounds and backcountry campsites north of Charleston, South Carolina in Francis Marion National Forest.

Camp Nelson Heritage National Monument (Kentucky)

Fort Monroe National Monument (Virginia)

Explore More – How did future U.S. Congressman Robert Smalls escape slavery during the Civil War?

List

Top 10 National Park Service Sites for Swimming

October 5, 2021 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Swimming at National Park Service (NPS) sites can range from soaking in hot springs to dipping in mountain lakes to riding ocean waves. We tried to include a variety of experiences in this list, although if you love the beach be sure to check out our ranking of the Top 10 National Seashores. Click here to see all of our Top 10 Lists.

10. Olympic National Park (Washington)

If a frigid dip in Lake Quinault does not sound nice, then warm up at Sol Duc Hot Springs

9. Chickasaw National Recreation Area (Oklahoma)

The swimming hole at Little Niagara draws summer crowds, as does the Lake of the Arbuckles

8. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

Jenny Lake is shockingly cold, so it might not be appealing except on the warmest days

7. Gulf Islands National Seashore (Florida-Mississippi)

Incredible white sand beaches, though not known for its big waves

6. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming-Montana-Idaho)

The hot springs are all off limits except seasonally at the Boiling River near Mammoth Hot Springs

5. Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (Washington)

Another cold water spot in an incredibly clear lake that seems to glow turquoise in the sun

4. Haleakalā National Park (Hawai‘i)

In the coastal Kipahulu District, the freshwater Seven Sacred Pools attract tourists

3. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

A variety of sea life is attracted to the human structures in the clear subtropical waters

2. Cape Hatteras National Seashore (North Carolina)

Long stretches of beach, warm water, and awesome waves

…and finally the #1 National Park Service site for swimming:

1. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)

A snorkeler’s (and sea turtle’s) paradise accessible right from the beautiful tropical beaches

Honorable Mentions

Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (Hawai‘i)

Swimming is not allowed within the NPS site, but one of the Big Island’s best snorkeling spots is next door

Big Bend National Park (Texas)

The foundation of a bathhouse still holds in hot springs water on the side of the Rio Grande

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (New Mexico)

Lightfeather and Jordan Hot Springs are actually in neighboring Gila National Forest

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (Alaska)

The truly adventurous can jump into an icy pool atop melting Root Glacier

New Mexico

El Malpais National Monument

September 30, 2021 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

Navajo legend states that during a battle on Mount Taylor, the Twin Gods struck off a giant’s head which became Cabezon Peak, its blood flowing southward, coagulating into the Malpais. Meaning “the badland” in Spanish, this National Monument contains lava tubes and ice caves among its 114,000 rugged acres. Easily accessible from Interstate 40, it does not take long before you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere watching beautiful patterns of cloud shadows drift slowly across the landscape.

Highlights

El Calderon lava tubes, Sandstone Bluffs Overlook, Zuni-Acoma Trail, La Ventana Natural Arch

Must-Do Activity

Be sure to take a hike to truly appreciate these lava flows, the most recent of which inundated agricultural fields of the Acoma people as recently as the 1400s. Carefully stepping across the jagged rocks, we wondered if another cinder cone may be forthcoming to the region. Geologists suggest that the volcanic activity in this area has ceased indefinitely, yet some of the eruptions here go back over a million years, making us wonder if it is only a temporary lull. Be careful during the monsoon season, when giant cumulostratus clouds form in the wide-open blue sky foretelling afternoon thunderstorms.

Best Trail

Lava tube caves are a major attraction to the park (and are sometimes closed), but before entering you must pick up a free permit to ensure you do not spread white-nosed bat syndrome. El Calderon Area is easier to access than the rough road to Big Tubes Area, and in a 3.8-mile loop passes a cinder cone and bat cave, then enters a lava tube. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail and difficult 7.5-mile Zuni-Acoma Trail also traverse this mostly shadeless environment.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Take the short hike back to stand below towering La Ventana Natural Arch and enjoy the aroma of juniper wafting through the desert air. It is technically in the Bureau of Land Management’s El Malpais National Conservation Area, not the neighboring National Monument run by the National Park Service.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

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

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Most trailheads are off paved roads, but some roads in El Malpais National Monument require four-wheel drive (especially when wet), so check at a visitor center before setting out.

Camping

There are no developed campgrounds, but primitive camping is allowed on back roads and in the surrounding Cibola National Forest. On Interstate 40, Bluewater Lake State Park has full RV hookups. There is also a small campground located west down Highway 53 in El Morro National Monument.

Related Sites

Petroglyph National Monument (New Mexico)

Lava Beds National Monument (California)

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument (Arizona)