Tag Archives: film

Florida

Fort Matanzas National Monument

December 4, 2024 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Fort Matanzas National Monument

Florida

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1924

300 acres

Website: nps.gov/foma

Overview

After a failed American settlement by persecuted French Protestants (Huguenots) in 1562, two years later a group of 200 soldiers, artisans, and a few women established a colony at the mouth of the St. Johns River (east of present-day Jacksonville, Florida). Led by René de Goulaine de Laudonnière, they hurriedly assembled the triangular Fort Caroline, named for King Charles IX. In 1565, Jean Ribault arrived with 600 more settlers and soldiers. After learning the Catholic Spanish had established a base to the south at St. Augustine, Ribault set sail for a surprise attack, only to be shipwrecked by a hurricane. The unprotected Fort Caroline was easily captured by the Spanish, who executed 140 of its 200 inhabitants. The Spanish then killed nearly 250 French marooned at Matanzas Inlet, which gained its name from these “slaughters.” Following a British siege in 1740, the Spanish began construction of Fort Matanzas on Rattlesnake Island to guard the southern entrance to the city of St. Augustine where they had built Castillo de San Marcos. Only two years later, Fort Matanzas’ cannons successfully repelled British ships and today you can take a free ferry to tour inside the restored 50-foot-square structure.

Learn more about the other 137 National Monuments in our book Monumental America: Your Guide to All 138 National Monuments. It is now available for sale on Amazon.com.

Highlights

Museum, film, boat ride, Fort Matanzas, Nature Trail

Must-Do Activity

We have tried three times to visit the fort here, but in 2016, 2019, and 2024 the dock was damaged by a hurricane so the National Park Service (NPS) ferry was not running to Rattlesnake Island. Good news is there is an eight-minute film and you can see the small fort from the visitor center. There are also hiking trails, boardwalks, and sandy beaches to explore at the southern tip of Anastasia Island, which are accessible by car. Only 40 miles to the north, the NPS administers Fort Caroline National Memorial as a unit of Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, where you can enter a one-third scale reconstruction of the triangular structure (and no ferries are involved).

Best Trail

The half-mile Coastal Hammock Trail has signs introducing some of the tree and shrub species found in the maritime forest.

Photographic Opportunity

Southern live oak trees stretch their twisted branches above the picnic area in the parking lot of the visitor center.

Peak Season

Spring

Hours

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

Fees

The visitor center, trails, and NPS ferry are free, but there is a parking fee for beach access on the Atlantic Ocean side across Highway A1A from the visitor center entrance road.

Road Conditions

The road to the parking lot is paved from Highway A1A.

Camping

The NPS does not run a campground, but Anastasia State Park does south of St. Augustine.

Fort Caroline National Memorial (Florida)

Canaveral National Seashore (Florida)

View of Fort Matanzas from the visitor center

Explore More – What species of endangered sea turtles nest on the barrier islands protected within Fort Matanzas National Monument?

Learn more about the other 137 National Monuments in our book Monumental America: Your Guide to All 138 National Monuments

Ohio

Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument

October 16, 2024 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument

Ohio

Managed by National Park Service

Established 2013

60 acres

Website: nps.gov/chyo

Overview

Charles Young was born to enslaved parents in 1864 and went on to become only the third African American to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point despite being the target of constant insults and social isolation. He was commissioned an Army officer, serving with the “Buffalo Soldiers,” so named by American Indians because their hair and ferocious fighting style was similar to the bison. Young became the first African American to serve as the Superintendent of a National Park when he commanded troops at General Grant (now Kings Canyon) and Sequoia National Parks in 1903. Four years later, Young and his family purchased the 1839-built house he called “Youngsholm” after teaching military science at nearby Wilberforce University for over a decade. His military career took him to the Philippines, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, and Liberia, but he was not allowed to fight in Europe during World War I. In 1922, Young died while serving as a military attaché in Africa and after a campaign by his family and notable African-American celebrities his body was reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery.

Learn more about the other 137 National Monuments in our book Monumental America: Your Guide to All 138 National Monuments. It is now available for sale on Amazon.com.

Highlights

Youngsholm, film, living history demonstrations

Must-Do Activity

A “15-month renovation” of Youngsholm began in October 2021 to restore the house and add an elevator, which in typical government fashion was not finished until April 2024. There is a film focused on his life as a civil rights trailblazer that is played on the second floor of the house, which you can also watch online before visiting. We also recommend the 2023 PBS special Buffalo Soldiers that focuses extensively on Charles Young. None of the rooms inside Youngsholm are furnished, but there are many informational signs about Young and the Buffalo Soldiers. In addition, 30-minute talks on a variety of topics are given on most weekends by park rangers and there is a Junior Ranger booklet for the site.

Best Trail

None

Photographic Opportunity

A short drive across Highway 42 from Youngsholm takes you to Wilberforce University where there is an Ohio Historical Marker telling the story of Charles Young’s connection with the school.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

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

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Youngsholm is located right off paved Highway 42 near the campus of Wilberforce University.

Camping

The scenic Hocking Hills State Park has 172 campsites (reservations recommended) and is one of the most popular places to camp in Ohio. Hueston Woods State Park offers 490 campsites, 59 cabins, and a lodge.

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (Ohio)

Fort Davis National Historic Site (Texas)

Explore More – What fraternity of African-American leaders is represented by the purple-and-green stained-glass window in Youngsholm?

Learn more about the other 137 National Monuments in our book Monumental America: Your Guide to All 138 National Monuments

Missouri

Gateway Arch National Park

October 9, 2024 Raven About The Parks 4 Comments

Gateway Arch National Park

Missouri

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1935 National Expansion Memorial, 2018 National Park

91 acres

Website: nps.gov/jeff

Overview

On February 22, 2018, the 60th National Park in the U.S. was created from what was formerly Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri. Gateway Arch National Park encompasses 91 acres on the Mississippi River, including the historic 1828 courthouse and the iconic 630-foot-tall arch that was finished in 1965. We first visited on our cross-country road trip in 2007 and returned in 2016 while the underground museum was under construction and the greenway was extended over Interstate 44. When we came back in 2022, the courthouse was closed for renovation, but the museum had reopened with exhibits explaining the importance of this city as a starting point for the settlement of the west after President Thomas Jefferson signed the Louisiana Purchase, doubling the size of the country in 1803. It is by far the smallest of the 63 National Parks (5,457 acres less than Hot Springs), which begs the question: Why wasn’t this designated a National Historical Park instead?

Learn more about how to visit this National Park in the expanded second edition of our guidebook A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks.

Highlights

Gateway Arch, tram, film, museum, Old Courthouse, Old Cathedral

Must-Do Activity

Unlike other National Parks, this one does not preserve a natural landmark, but it does have claustrophobia-inducing tram cars (fee) that take you four-minutes to the top of the Gateway Arch for excellent views across Illinois and Missouri. It is worth the hassle to go through a security screening to see the new museum. The 35-minute film Monument to the Dream is also available for a fee.

Best Trail

There are sidewalks that follow the Mississippi River and loop around the arch. Be sure to cross the street to the Old Courthouse where the first of two trials in the infamous Dred Scott case was held in 1854. Continue west behind to the courthouse to the Kiener Memorial Fountain for a photo that frames the building beneath the Gateway Arch.

Photographic Opportunity

The 630-foot-tall Gateway Arch is the defining landmark of St. Louis, but the historic 1834 Old Cathedral still serves as an active Catholic Church inside the park boundaries.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

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

Fees

There is no fee to walk the grounds or pass through security for the museum and gift shop, but you do have to pay to view the film or ride the tram to the top of Gateway Arch. When open, the Old Courthouse is also free to enter.

Road Conditions

All roads are paved, but parking can be tricky. We suggest paying for a parking garage or paying to park on the river levee near the paddlewheel boats, since car break-ins are common in downtown St. Louis.

Camping

This is the only National Park without the option to camp, so consider heading southwest to the wonderful Ozark National Scenic Riverways or Mark Twain National Forest. In southeast Missouri, Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park is rated as one of the best RV campgrounds in the country.

Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park (Missouri)

Harry S Truman National Historic Site (Missouri)

Entering the museum after security screening

Explore More – In 1947, how many city blocks were razed to make way for the memorial, including several historic buildings dating back to 1818?

We designed this Gateway Arch logo for the park available on Amazon.com

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Alabama

Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument

August 14, 2024 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument

Alabama

Managed by National Park Service

Established 2017

18 acres

Website: nps.gov/bicr

Overview

Created by President Barack Obama on January 12, 2017 (the same day as Freedom Riders and Reconstruction Era National Monuments), this site encompasses four city blocks of downtown within the larger 36-acre Birmingham Civil Rights District. In 1963, this area was where the 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed and the Children’s Crusade (a non-violent protest march) was attacked by policemen with water hoses and dogs. The only portion of the site run by the National Park Service (NPS) is the A. G. Gaston Motel, which was bombed by the KKK after Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders stayed there from April through May 1963 to plan their non-violent campaign against segregation laws. The City of Birmingham and the NPS have restored the motel to its historic appearance and a park ranger is stationed there three days a week.

Learn more about the other 137 National Monuments in our book Monumental America: Your Guide to All 138 National Monuments. It is now available for sale on Amazon.com.

Highlights

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, A.G. Gaston Motel, 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, St. Paul United Methodist Church, Bethel Baptist Church

Must-Do Activity

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a history museum that opened in 1992 across from the 16th Street Baptist Church (see Photographic Opportunity). With a timed entry ticket, your self-guided tour starts with a short video, then an immersive walk through the struggle for civil rights in Birmingham and around the U.S. It includes powerful displays on the Freedom Riders bus burning and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” as well as the decades-long effort to bring to justice the bombers of the 16th Street Baptist Church. If you come on one of the three days per week that a park ranger is posted at the A.G. Gaston Motel, be sure to stop there afterwards to see the ongoing reconstruction work. Six miles north of the city in the Collegeville neighborhood, Bethel Baptist Church was bombed three times in 1956, 1958 and 1962, partly why the city earned the nickname “Bombingham.” The church is associated with the influential Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, who has a statue outside the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Best Trail

Across the street from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Kelly Ingram Park features sculptures, interpretive signs, and an audio tour describing the violent attacks by police officers and dogs on civil rights protesters (many of them children) on May 7, 1963.

Photographic Opportunity

Across the street from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed on September 15, 1963, killing four young girls, an act of domestic terrorism that propelled the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Tours inside the church are by appointment only.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Hours

The A.G. Gaston Motel is open Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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

Fees

No cost for the A.G. Gaston Motel or Kelly Ingram Park, but there is an admission fee at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (online reservations recommended).

Road Conditions

All roads are paved with a free parking lot next to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Camping

In northeast Alabama, De Soto State Park offers camping, in addition to excellent hiking trails to several waterfalls. There are also three backcountry campsites in Little River Canyon National Preserve available from February through September with a permit. Cheaha State Park and Joe Wheeler State Park both have campgrounds and lodges. Talladega, Tuskegee, and William B. Bankhead National Forests also offer car camping and backpacking opportunities.

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park (Alabama)

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (Alabama)

Explore More – When did the City of Birmingham establish the 36-acre Birmingham Civil Rights District?

Learn more about the other 137 National Monuments in our book Monumental America: Your Guide to All 138 National Monuments

Arizona

Navajo National Monument

August 7, 2024 Raven About The Parks 5 Comments

Navajo National Monument

Arizona

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1909

360 acres

Website: nps.gov/nava

Overview

Navajo National Monument was created to protect the Keet Seel ruin on the Navajo Nation, although the Ancestral Puebloan people who lived here in the 1200s are more closely related to the Hopi and Zuni. Three years later, the ruins at Betatakin and Inscription House (closed to the public) were added to the National Monument. We had such a great visit that we had to add it to his list of Top 10 National Monuments.

Learn more about the other 137 National Monuments in our book Monumental America: Your Guide to All 138 National Monuments. It is now available for sale on Amazon.com.

Highlights

Tsegi Point Overlook, museum, film, Sandal Trail, Keet Seel overnight trip

Must-Do Activity

During the pandemic, the National Park Service (NPS) closed all access to the ruins until 2023, but visitors can now reserve spots on the 20-person ranger-led backpacking trips to Keet Seel that are offered twice per month in the summer. This strenuous trip covers 17 miles total with numerous stream crossings and all water must be carried in. The hardest part is at the end, when a 1,000 foot climb awaits, but it is worth it to be one of the few who get to see Keet Seel, the 150-room ruin that is second in size only to Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park. You also get to eat lunch at a surprisingly large waterfall in Keet Seel Canyon. For those looking for a shorter five-mile trip with only 580 feet elevation change, weekend day hikes to Betatakin are led by park rangers (sign up the day before on a first-come, first-served basis).

Best Trail

From the NPS visitor center (which is actually on Navajo land outside the National Monument boundary), the paved Sandal Trail follows the canyon rim to an overlook of the Betatakin cliff dwelling. There are signs explaining the local plant species and their uses by indigenous people on the 1.3-mile out-and-back trail. The 0.8-mile roundtrip Aspen Trail and 0.8-mile Canyon View Trail also leave from the visitor center.

Photographic Opportunity

Outside the visitor center, a replica sweathouse and male hogan are on display, plus examples of three-toed dinosaur footprints left in the sandstone. Inside the visitor center, pottery and an example of a family dwelling are on display, plus a short introductory film is offered.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

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

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Highway 564 is paved to the visitor center and Sunset View Campground, then a good dirt road leads to the Canyon View Campground and gated trailhead for ranger-led hikes to Betatakin and Keet Seel.

Camping

The free Sunset View Campground has running water and is one of the nicest campgrounds in the entire NPS system (now added to the Top 10 National Park Campgrounds with Running Water). There are vault toilets at Canyon View Campground, which is also free. Campers are limited to a total of seven nights per year at the campgrounds.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument (Arizona)

Walnut Canyon National Monument (Arizona)