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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

Utah

Bears Ears National Monument

November 6, 2024 Raven About The Parks 8 Comments

Bears Ears National Monument

Utah

Managed by U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management

Established 2016

1,351,849 acres

Website: https://www.blm.gov/visit/bears-ears-national-monument

Overview

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service manage the more than one-million acres of Bears Ears National Monument in partnership with five local Native American tribes. After it was established, in 2017 it was controversially reduced in size to 201,876 acres before being restored four years later. Much of the southern portion of La Sal National Forest, including the Dark Canyon Wilderness, is included inside its boundaries. The entire area protects millions of years of the paleontological record and has more than 100,000 archaeological sites, especially on Cedar Mesa where day-use and overnight permits are required. The BLM has excellent maps and trip-planning resources available on their website.

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

Butler Wash, Moon House Ruin, Newspaper Rock, Moki Dugway, San Juan River, Elk Ridge Scenic Backway, Dark Canyon Wilderness, Mule Canyon, Seven Kivas, The Citadel Trail

Must-Do Activity

It would be easy to spend more than a week exploring the roads and trails within Bears Ears National Monument. Everyone should try to drive the good 17-mile-long dirt road through Valley of the Gods to see rock formations like Rooster Butte and Woman in the Tub. West of Blanding, paved State Route 95 passes Mule Canyon Interpretive site, Butler Wash Interpretive Trail, and Butler Wash Dinosaur Tracksite. In La Sal National Forest, the 58-mile-long Elk Ridge Scenic Backway is a well-maintained (though unpaved) route that leads north from Natural Bridges National Monument to Highway 211, which connects to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. There are multiple trails along the way that provide access to the Dark Canyon Wilderness, an area known for old-growth forests, natural arches, and Ancestral Puebloan ruins and pictographs.

Best Trail

There are many trails to choose from, but one of the most popular is off unpaved Texas Flat Road that enters Mule Canyon (parking fee) and accesses House on Fire, a well-preserved granary located one mile in after multiple stream crossings. There is a paved parking lot suitable for RVs at Butler Wash Interpretive Trail, a half-mile one-way walk on to an overlook of a cliff dwelling.

Photographic Opportunity

Along Highway 211 to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, be sure to stop at the paved parking lot for Newspaper Rock. Another nice panel of rock art is found in Sand Island Campground along the San Juan River near Bluff, Utah.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Fees

A day-use fee of $5 per person applies at several parking areas on Cedar Mesa in southern Bears Ears National Monument, including Mule Canyon access to House on Fire Ruins. There are pay stations at several sites, as well as pre-paid online permits (including for 20 people per day to access Moon House Ruin).

Road Conditions

State Route 95 and Highway 211 are both paved, but other roads like the Moki Dugway, Valley of the Gods Road, and 58-mile-long Elk Ridge Scenic Backway should not be attempted by RVs. A high-clearance vehicle is required to drive many side roads, including six-mile-long Cigarette Springs Road to The Citadel and Seven Kivas Trails. Be aware that flash floods are a danger as many roads traverse canyons.

Camping

There are numerous developed campgrounds spread throughout Bears Ears National Monument. We enjoyed our stay at Hamburger Rock Campground outside the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. Dispersed camping is also a good option, especially in scenic Valley of the Gods and along lightly-traveled Elk Ridge Scenic Backway. All backcountry camping on Cedar Mesa requires a permit and no campfires are allowed.

Related Sites

Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

Natural Bridges National Monument (Utah)

Hovenweep National Monument (Utah-Colorado)

Explore More – Where are the actual Bears Ears formations that give the National Monument its name?

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

Colorado, Utah

La Sal National Forest

October 30, 2024 Raven About The Parks 4 Comments

La Sal National Forest

Utah, Colorado

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region

535,288 acres

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

Overview

La Sal National Forest is found in two separate sections of southeastern Utah surrounding the La Sal and Abajo Mountains, topping out on 12,721-foot Mt. Peale. Much of the southern portion of the National Forest, including the Dark Canyon Wilderness, was included in the 1.35-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument, established in 2016 and then controversially reduced in size before being restored. Since 1949, it has been administratively combined with the northern and separate Manti National Forest, so it can be difficult to find information for La Sal National Forest alone.

Highlights

Bears Ears National Monument, La Sal Mountain Loop Scenic Backway, Warner Lake, Bull Canyon Dinosaur Tracks, Buckeye Reservoir, Elk Ridge Scenic Backway, Harts Draw Highway, Abajo Loop State Scenic Backway, Mt. Peale, Arch Canyon, Mt. Tukuhnikivatz

Must-Do Activity

Many visitors access the forest south from Moab on the mostly-paved La Sal Mountain Loop Scenic Backway, a steep drive suitable for passenger vehicles that is accessible in the warmer months. The often snow-capped La Sal Mountains are featured as the backdrop in nearly every photo of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. The Sierra La Sal (“Salt Mountains” in Spanish) were a prominent landmark on the Old Spanish Trail between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. Be sure to make the dirt Gateway Road (FS 207) detour 5.4 miles to visit Bull Canyon Dinosaur Tracks, where there is also a commanding view of Fisher Mesa and Bull Canyon. Oowah Lake and Warner Lake are also located on unpaved side roads (3.2 and 5.2 miles respectively) from La Sal Mountain Loop Road.

Best Trail

The 58-mile-long Elk Ridge Scenic Backway is a well-maintained, though unpaved route that leads north from Natural Bridges National Monument to Highway 211, which connects to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. There are multiple trails along the way that provide access to the Dark Canyon Wilderness, an area known for old-growth forests, natural arches, and Ancestral Puebloan ruins and pictographs. A high-clearance vehicle is not required to reach Big Notch Trailhead where a trail steeply drops into Dark Canyon. Erosion has cut red clay walls that make navigation somewhat difficult in places. About four miles in, not far past the large Cicada Arch on the north side, you reach a spring at the meeting with Drift Trail Canyon. Another two miles takes you to Scorup Cabin, a good place to turn around or explore Horse Pasture Canyon.

Watchable Wildlife

Wildlife species are similar to Utah’s Dixie National Forest and Fishlake National Forest, including black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, porcupines, raccoons, skunks, badgers, bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, and pronghorns. Large birds include bald eagles, golden eagles, northern goshawks, turkey vultures, wild turkeys, common ravens, and various species of owls and woodpeckers. Look for short-horned lizards in the Dark Canyon Wilderness. There are many trout and other gamefish found in the streams and small lakes spread across the high-elevations of the La Sal and Abajo Mountains.

Photographic Opportunity

In the summer months, take La Sal Mountain Loop Scenic Backway to Bull Canyon Dinosaur Tracks to see 200-million-year-old therapod tracks, plus an awesome overlook to the north.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

La Sal Mountain Loop Road is mostly paved, but side roads to Bull Canyon Dinosaur Tracks, Oowah Lake, and Warner Lake are not. The 58-mile-long Elk Ridge Scenic Backway is a rocky, unpaved route that leads north from Natural Bridges National Monument to Highway 211; and side roads to some trailheads require a high-clearance vehicle.

Camping

Warner Lake Campground takes reservations, as does Buckeye Reservoir in Colorado and a few others. Dispersed camping is also an option, especially along lightly-traveled Elk Ridge Scenic Backway.

Wilderness Areas

Dark Canyon Wilderness

Wilderness

Related Sites

Arches National Park (Utah)

Bears Ears National Monument (Utah)

Natural Bridges National Monument (Utah)

Nearest National Park

Canyonlands

Conifer Tree Species

Utah juniper, Rocky Mountain juniper, two-needle pinyon pine, ponderosa pine, white fir, subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir

Flowering Tree Species

Gambel oak, quaking aspen, Fremont cottonwood, Utah serviceberry, bigtooth maple, manzanita, sagebrush

Explore More – Due to an administrative error in 1908, what was the misspelled name of La Sal National Forest (which was quickly corrected)?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

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Idaho, Montana

Kootenai National Forest

October 2, 2024 Raven About The Parks 1 Comment

Kootenai National Forest

Montana, Idaho

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

2,145,268 acres (1,812,380 federal/ 332,888 other)

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

Overview

In northwest Montana, Kootenai National Forest includes parts of the Cabinet, Purcell, Salish, Selkirk, and Whitefish Mountains on the border of Canada. In 1975, the 422-foot-tall Libby Dam on the Kootenai River created 90-mile-long international Lake Koocanusa (a contraction of Kootenai-Canada-U.S.A.). Elevations in Kootenai National Forest range from 1,832 feet up to 8,738-foot Snowshoe Peak in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, encompassing a variety of habitats from subalpine meadows to arid plains with cacti.

Highlights

Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway, Northwest Peak Scenic Area, McGregor Lake, Yaak Falls, Ten Lakes Scenic Area, Ross Creek Cedar Grove Scenic Area, Loon Lake, Tenmile Falls, Bluebird Basin Trail, Vinal McHenry Boulder National Recreation Trail, Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

There are more than 1,200 miles of trails in Kootenai National Forest, including 90 miles of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. Two of the best places to hike are the Northwest Peak and Ten Lakes Scenic Areas, in the remote upper corners of the National Forest. Outside of Libby, Montana, Blue Mountain Trail (1.5 miles one-way), Skyline National Recreation Trail (22 miles), and Scenery Mountain Lookout Trail (2.5 miles) all climb to incredible overlooks. At Kootenai Falls (see Photographic Opportunity), a new suspension bridge crosses the Kootenai River to Forest Service land on the north shore. From there, Koot Creek Canyon Trail travels another three miles to a dirt road in Kootenai National Forest.

Best Trail

In 1959, Ross Creek Cedar Grove Scenic Area preserved 101 acres of western redcedar trees up to eight feet in diameter. A one-lane paved road with pullouts leads 4.3 miles from Highway 56 to a large parking area with a day-use fee. The main trail is a less than one-mile loop with interpretive signs, but continues five miles to the North Fork of Ross Creek. The old-growth forest is also home to large Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, grand fir, and western hemlock trees growing above a lush green understory of ferns and Devil’s-club.

Watchable Wildlife

The mountains provide habitat for grizzly bears, black bears, Canada lynxes, bobcats, mountain lions, wolverines, mink, pine martens, long-tailed weasels, porcupines, snowshoe hares, pika, moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. Hoskins Lake is a wintering range for mule deer and white-tailed deer, as well as an osprey nesting area in the summer. The National Forest’s numerous rivers and more than 100 lakes support gamefish like cutthroat, rainbow, brown, and endangered bull trout. The endangered white sturgeon is also found in this area.

Photographic Opportunity

Located in a county park on the side of Highway 2, Kootenai Falls is only about 20 feet tall, but it is impressively wide and beautiful. An overlook is located one-tenth of a mile from the parking lot, but there is also a walking bridge that crosses over the railroad tracks to a viewpoint at the edge of the falls, and a suspension bridge only a quarter-mile further downstream.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

Ross Creek Cedar Grove Scenic Area has a day-use fee (or the America the Beautiful pass is also accepted).

Road Conditions

Paved roads like the Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway, U.S. Highway 2, and State Highway 56 make it easy to explore Kootenai National Forest. To access Ross Creek Cedar Grove Scenic Area, a one-lane paved road with pullouts leads 4.3 miles from Highway 56. A nice drive through the Purcell Mountains can be made by looping State Route 508 and Forest Road 68.

Camping

There are Forest Service campgrounds at Kilbrennan Lake, Loon Lake, Rexford Branch, Caribou, Red Top, Whitetail, Pete Creek, Howard Lake, and elsewhere. Big Creek Baldy Mountain lookout cabin can be rented, too.

Wilderness Areas

Cabinet Mountains Wilderness (also in Kaniksu National Forest)

Related Sites

Kaniksu National Forest (Idaho-Montana-Washington)

Bitterroot National Forest (Montana-Idaho)

Coeur d’Alene National Forest (Idaho)

Nearest National Park

Glacier

Conifer Tree Species

lodgepole pine, whitebark pine, ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, , western larch, alpine larch, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, grand fir

Flowering Tree Species

Rocky Mountain maple, boxelder, quaking aspen, balsam poplar, dwarf birch, paper birch, Piper’s hawthorn, Bebb willow, western mountain-ash, choke cherry, western serviceberry

Explore More – The Kootenai (or Kootenay in Canada) River is named after the local Ktunaxa Indians, which translates as what in the Algonquian language?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

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New York

Governors Island National Monument

September 18, 2024 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Governors Island National Monument

New York

Managed by National Park Service

Established 2001

22 acres

Website: nps.gov/gois

Overview

Originally named Nutten Island by the Dutch who settled New Amsterdam in 1624, this 172-acre island off Manhattan was later set aside for the exclusive use of the British royal governors of New York. The indigenous Lenape called it Paggank (“Nut Island”) because of its chestnut, hickory, and oak trees. After 200 years of military use by the Army and Coast Guard, Governors Island was retired in 1996. Like nearby Castle Clinton National Monument, Fort Jay and Castle Williams date to pre-War of 1812 and were saved from demolition in 1901 by forward-thinking Secretary of War Elihu Root. Over the decades, the island served as a Civil War prison, a muster area for troops during the Mexican-American War and World War II, the largest Coast Guard base in the nation for its final 30 years, and runway for Wilbur Wright’s 1909 flight around the Statue of Liberty. Governors Island National Monument is part of a 90-acre National Historic Landmark District that contains the commanding officer’s quarters known as the Admiral’s House.

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

Ferry, Castle Williams, Fort Jay

Must-Do Activity

Private boats are not allowed, so the only way to get onto Governors Island is by ferry and it is only open to visitors from Memorial Day weekend through September. From the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan you will dock at Soissons Landing near Fort Jay. There may also be weekend ferry service from Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 and Wall Street/Pier 11 that both land at Yankee Pier near the South Battery. During special events, living history demonstrations celebrate the island’s military heritage. Near Soissons Landing, be sure to enter Castle Williams and Fort Jay, which have interpretive signs from the National Park Service.

Best Trail

Most visitors do not go much south of the Parade Ground, but almost the entire island is open for walking or biking (rentals available) on the old roads.

Photographic Opportunity

On a clear day, the ferry boat and island both afford incredible views of the New York City skyline, Ellis Island, and Statue of Liberty.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/gois/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

Fees

Ferry tickets cost about $5 roundtrip for an adult.

Road Conditions

Roads are heavily trafficked in New York City and there is no designated parking for the National Park Service site, so we recommend you take the subway to access the ferry.

Camping

Collective Retreats has glamping tents and suites on their private property on the west side of Governors Island. Click here to visit their website for details.

Related Sites

Castle Clinton National Monument (New York)

African Burial Ground National Monument (New York)

Hamilton Grange National Memorial (New York)