Tag Archives: history

Puerto Rico

San Juan National Historic Site

May 10, 2023 Raven About The Parks 4 Comments

San Juan National Historic Site

Puerto Rico

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1949

75 acres

Website: nps.gov/saju

Overview

San Juan, Puerto Rico was established in 1509 as a military outpost by Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León and 30 years later construction began on the Castillo San Felipe del Morro to guard San Juan Bay. Starting in 1634, Castillo San Cristóbal was added to the east, eventually becoming the largest fortification built by Europeans in the Americas (covering 27 acres). The city was captured by the English in 1598, but quickly abandoned due to disease and lack of provisions. U.S. warships destroyed the fort’s lighthouse during the 1898 Spanish-American War, after which the U.S. seized Puerto Rico and Guam, gained protection over Cuba, and bought the Philippines. The U.S. military turned over the San Juan forts to the National Park Service in 1961, and 22 years later they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Highlights

Castillo San Felipe del Morro (El Morro), Castillo San Cristóbal, Paseo del Morro

Must-Do Activity

It does not matter which fort you start with, but both are unique and worth exploring with plenty of interpretive signs found throughout. It is about a one-mile walk between the two forts on a sidewalk that follows the wall and bastions protecting the north side of Old San Juan (and providing a great overlook of the Cementerio Maria Magdalena de Pazzis). Most visitors arrive by cruise ship, so drivers are very aware of pedestrians, and the whole area has sidewalks and crosswalks.

Best Trail

The Paseo del Morro follows the shoreline outside the walls surrounding the western edge of Old San Juan, only accessible from Castillo San Felipe del Morro or further south through the San Juan Gate. Watch for friendly feral cats, huge orb-weaver spiders, and anole lizards along the paved route.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The forts’ sentry boxes (garitas) are the symbol of Old San Juan and all of Puerto Rico, which is why they were featured on the U.S. quarter-dollar coin chosen for the territory in 2009. It is also the reason we added this park to the list of Top 10 National Park Service License Plates.

Peak Season

Year round

Hours

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

Fees

$10 per person or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

Street parking is always full around the forts, but there is a parking deck with reasonable hourly rates. The free White Trolley runs between the two forts and the cruise ship piers.

Camping

There are no campgrounds in San Juan, but plenty of other accommodations. Camping on the island of Puerto Rico is permitted at Bosque Estatal de Cambalache, Bosque Estatal de Río Abajo, and Reserva Forestal de Carite.

Christiansted National Historic Site (U.S. Virgin Islands)

El Yunque National Forest (Puerto Rico)

Explore More – Who was the Irish-born engineer who designed Castillo San Cristóbal, because Spain and Ireland were both enemies of England?

Utah

Zion National Park

April 26, 2023 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Zion National Park

Utah

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1909 National Monument, 1919 National Park

146,598 acres

Website: nps.gov/zion

Overview

Zion National Park protects an outstanding canyon where steep sandstone walls up to 3,000 feet high appear to glow at sunrise and sunset. Views are great from the road along the North Fork of the Virgin River, but to really get a sense of scale here you have to hike uphill on one of many trails. Check out a new film on the park here: https://zionpark.org/wethekeepers/

Learn more in our guidebook to the National Parks, A Park to Yourself: Finding Adventure in America’s National Parks (available on Amazon).

Highlights

Kolob Canyons, The Narrows, Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock, Observation Point, The Subway, Angels Landing, Canyon Overlook Trail

Must-Do Activity

Kolob Canyons is in the northern section of the park located just off Interstate 15, where a short drive leaves the road noise behind and opens up a world of red rock beauty. There are no campgrounds in this area of the park, so we picked up a backpacking permit at the visitor center to spend the night near Timber Creek. The flowing water meant croaking frogs and toads provided a chorus throughout the night. This site provided a good jumping off point for the La Verkin Creek Trail which travels 7.5 miles one-way to Kolob Arch. At 310 feet across, this arch is one of the biggest in the world, but you cannot get nearly as close to it as you can to those at Arches National Park. Hiking anywhere in Kolob Canyons is much less busy than other parts of Zion National Park, but the trails can be snow covered in the winter (when the access road sometimes closes).

Best Trail

The Narrows, Angels Landing, and The Subway are hiking destinations known around the world, and their popularity means they each require a reservation. Wading upriver through the frigid water of the Narrows, where the canyon pinches to only 18 feet wide in places, is an essential experience open to all visitors for the first five miles to Big Spring. The busy 5.4-mile out-and-back trail to Angels Landing is not for the faint of heart as it follows a knife-edge route with chains mounted in places. But it is worth the effort, even if you just make it to the saddle at the end of Walter’s Wiggles, perhaps the world’s most famous trail switchbacks.

Instagram-worthy Photo

We watched a huge California condor flying over Zion Canyon from Observation Point, a popular eight-mile out-and-back hike that leaves from the same trailhead as Weeping Rock.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Hours

https://nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

$35 per vehicle or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

The main roads into Kolob Canyons and Zion Canyon are paved, but a free shuttle bus is required to enter the dead end Zion Canyon Scenic Drive from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily from March to November (click here for more shuttle information). There is an extra fee for large RVs to use the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, since they require a pilot car and the road must be shut down to one-way traffic only.

Camping

There is not a campground in Kolob Canyons, but in Zion Canyon you can wake up to an awesome morning view in sprawling Watchman or South Campgrounds. Lava Point Campground is located down the long, unpaved Kolob Terrace Road and is closed in the winter. Dispersed camping is allowed by the Bureau of Land Management outside park boundaries, but it can be hard to find an open spot.

Related Sites

Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

Cedar Breaks National Monument (Utah)

Dixie National Forest (Utah)

Explore More – Walter’s Wiggles may be the world’s most famous trail switchbacks, so who are they named after?

*This design we created to celebrate Zion National Park is available on a variety of products at* Cafe Press *and* Amazon.

Explore More – Walter’s Wiggles may be the world’s most famous trail switchbacks, so who are they named after?

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.

Oregon

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

April 19, 2023 Raven About The Parks 6 Comments

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Oregon

Managed by U.S. Forest Service

Established 1990

54,822 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=66159

Overview

Newberry National Volcanic Monument was carved from Deschutes National Forest by presidential proclamation in 1990 and here you must purchase a recreation pass to visit. The main area of development is around Paulina Lake, but short roads off Highway 97 also lead to Lava River Cave and the top of Lava Butte. Lava River Cave, at 5,211 feet in length, is Oregon’s longest lava tube and one of more than 250 known caves found throughout Deschutes National Forest. A one-mile interpretive trail enters the Lava Cast Forest, where 6,000 years ago the forms of trees were preserved in lava before burning up.

Highlights

Paulina Lake, East Lake, Paulina Falls, Lava Cast Forest, Paulina Peak, Lava River Cave, Lava Butte, Big Obsidian Flow Trail, Crater Rim Trail, Peter Skene Ogden Trail

Must-Do Activity

Newberry National Volcanic Monument has everything you would expect from a volcanic area: lava tubes, cinder cones, cast trees, and basalt flows. There are also some things you might not guess, like an 80-foot tall waterfall, two big lakes for boating, forested campgrounds, and two lakeside resorts. We have seen photos of people soaking in a hot springs on the shore of chilly Paulina Lake, but we are not sure exactly where those are located.

Best Trail

There are a variety of hiking trails in the area, like the 21-mile Crater Rim Trail that circles Newberry Caldera or the one-mile Big Obsidian Flow Trail. These both offer outstanding views of Paulina Lake or you can drive to the top of 7,984-foot-tall Paulina Peak. Sharp chunks of obsidian (volcanic glass) mean that you should wear good shoes (not sandals) on the Big Obsidian Flow Trail.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Lovely Paulina Falls is split into two separate waterfalls off the cliff face on the caldera’s western edge. The overlook is accessible by a short hike and user trails lead steeply to its base.

Peak Season

Late summer

Fees

$5 daily recreation pass or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

The roads we drove to access Paulina and East Lakes were paved, but there are many other unpaved Forest Service roads in the National Monument.

Camping

One of numerous campgrounds, Little Crater Campground is situated on Paulina Lake, plus there are two lakeside resorts.

Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Washington)

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument (Arizona)

Explore More – What is the name of the popular museum of wildlife and living history located just north of Newberry National Volcanic Monument on Highway 97?

Oregon

Deschutes National Forest

April 12, 2023 Raven About The Parks 3 Comments

Deschutes National Forest

Oregon

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region

1,853,929 acres (1,596,900 federal/ 257,029 other)

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

Overview

Bend, Oregon is the gateway to Deschutes National Forest, with the beautiful Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway located west of town. To the south, Newberry National Volcanic Monument is also managed by the U.S. Forest Service, which we will cover in our next blog post. The Deschutes River was named La Rivière aux Chutes by French trappers because Celilo Falls was located near its confluence with the Columbia River. Deschutes National Forest contains five Wilderness areas, six National Wild and Scenic Rivers, Metolius Conservation Area, and part of Oregon Cascade Recreation Area (mostly in Umpqua National Forest).

Highlights

Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, Devils Lake, Mt. Bachelor, Sparks Lake, Broken Top, Three Sisters, McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway, Skeleton Cave, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

The 66-mile-long (89-mile loop) Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway curves around the mountains west of Bend past numerous lakes reflecting multiple snow-capped peaks—a real photographers’ paradise. To spend the golden hours up here, consider staying at campgrounds on the shores of Lava Lake or Sparks Lake with excellent views of Broken Top and South Sister Peak. Like Mt. Hood to the north, 9,065-foot Mt. Bachelor is known for its ski resort. A summer trip up Pine Marten Express Lift offers unsurpassed panoramas of the Cascades and Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

Best Trail

Sisters Mirror Lake is four miles and 650 feet up from a trailhead on the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway and is located on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Just as a warning, this entire trail was thick with aggressive mosquitoes on our hike in mid-July.

Watchable Wildlife

Elk, pronghorn, and mule deer are large ungulates found in Deschutes National Forest. Carnivorous mammals include black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, and bobcats. Large birds frequently seen are bald eagles, Canada geese, mallards, and whistling swans, and the northern spotted owl is a species of concern. There are many lakes found throughout the National Forest that support a variety of gamefish, including bull trout (a threatened species).

Instagram-worthy Photo

Sparks Lake is a great place to watch the sun set behind the Cascades.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

There is a day use fee for Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

Road Conditions

Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway is paved, as are the main roads into Newberry National Volcanic Monument, but there are many miles of logging roads to explore, too.

Camping

Campgrounds on the shores of Lava Lake or Sparks Lake provide views of Broken Top and South Sister Peak. Walk-in campsites on crystal clear Devils Lake offer a bit more secluded experience.

Wilderness Areas

Diamond Peak Wilderness (also in Willamette National Forest)

Mt. Jefferson Wilderness (also in Mt. Hood and Willamette National Forests)

Mt. Thielsen Wilderness (also in Umpqua and Winema National Forests)

Mt. Washington Wilderness (also in Willamette National Forest)

Three Sisters Wilderness (also in Willamette National Forest)

Crooked River National Grassland (Oregon)

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (Oregon)

Nearest National Park

Crater Lake

Conifer Tree Species

ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, western white pine, sugar pine, western juniper, Douglas-fir, western redcedar, white fir, subalpine fir

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, balsam poplar, Bebb willow

Explore More – The namesake of the Deschutes River (Celilo Falls) is now underwater behind what dam on the Columbia River?

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

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.

Mississippi

Delta National Forest

April 5, 2023 Raven About The Parks 3 Comments

Delta National Forest

Mississippi

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Southern Region

118,150 acres (60,898 federal/ 57,252 other)

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

Overview

In western Mississippi, the U.S. Forest Service manages the entirety of Delta National Forest as Sunflower Wildlife Management Area through a Memorandum of Understanding with the state of Mississippi. The Big and Little Sunflower Rivers run through these bottomland hardwood forests west of the Yazoo River, flooding the landscape throughout the summer. This is the only National Forest preserving bottomland hardwood forests, which have primarily been converted to agriculture due to their rich soil. It was in Delta National Forest that the idea for the Teddy Bear was born in 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a tethered black bear while hunting.

Highlights

Blue Lake Recreation Area, Kay Cypress Tree, Lost Lake, Howlett Bayou, Green Ash-Overcup Oak-Sweetgum Research Natural Areas, Rock Bottom Trail

Must-Do Activity

This National Forest is unique because it is flooded throughout the summer, so it is primarily used from September through March. All vehicles must display a free Daily Visitor Use Permit and all ATV, horse, and bike riders must carry a pass (fee) on the multi-use trails. The Yazoo-Mississippi Delta (or simply “the Delta”) is a distinct section of western Mississippi renowned for its blues musicians. Throughout this area, there are blues clubs and museums dedicated to preserving the memories of Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Bessie Smith, and others.

Best Trail

Delta National Forest has two main developed areas at Blue Lake and the Little Sunflower River, with Blue Lake Nature Trail and Rock Bottom Trail found at these sites respectively. Both were flooded during our April visit, so in lieu of hiking, we opted to launch our inflatable kayak and paddle around Blue Lake to get up close to some huge baldcypress trees.

Watchable Wildlife

Declared National Natural Landmarks in 1976, the Green Ash-Overcup Oak-Sweetgum Research Natural Areas are rare examples of pristine bottomland hardwood forests. To improve wintering waterfowl conditions, three of the five greentree reservoirs are pumped and over 100 acres are planted as wildlife food plots. Established in 1978, the neighboring Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is one of seven refuges in the Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The forest’s white-tailed deer herd is in very good condition, as are the numbers of wild turkeys, fox squirrels, swamp rabbits, river otters, raccoons, and American alligators. The forest is known for its 32 different species of butterflies that congregate in July, with an average population of 21,000.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Across from Blue Lake on unpaved Fire Tower Road, be sure to stop at the Kay Cypress Tree, which is more than ten feet in diameter.

Peak Season

Winter

Fees

All vehicles in Sunflower Wildlife Management Area must display a free Daily Visitor Use Permit and all ATV, horse, and bike riders must carry a pass (fee) on the multi-use trails.

Road Conditions

Fire Tower Road is unpaved, but was flat and above floodwater levels during our April visit, as was the road atop the dike along the Little Sunflower River.

Camping

Camping is only allowed at 57 primitive sites with a permit obtainable online ($7 per night fee).

Wilderness Areas

None

Related Sites

Bienville National Forest (Mississippi)

De Soto National Forest (Mississippi)

Vicksburg National Military Park (Mississippi)

Nearest National Park

Hot Springs

Conifer Tree Species

baldcypress

Flowering Tree Species

Nuttall’s oak, overcup oak, cherrybark oak, willow oak, water oak, bur oak, swamp chestnut oak, water hickory, sweetgum, boxelder, swamp red maple, American elm, green ash, sugarberry, September elm, honeylocust, pecan, black gum, red mulberry, persimmon, deciduous holly, swamp dogwood

Explore More – What was the name of the legendary hunting guide and woodsman who found and tied up the black bear that Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot in 1902?

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

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.

San Juan National Historic Site

Zion National Park

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Deschutes National Forest

Delta National Forest

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