Tag Archives: National Monument

Alabama

Russell Cave National Monument

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Overview

Humans have been visiting Russell Cave in northeast Alabama since about the time its limestone roof collapsed creating an entrance around 10,000 years ago.  A timeline of human invention was preserved in the floor of this hunting camp for millennia, from atlatls to bows, pottery to pump drills.  The park rangers were the friendliest we encountered during Pretirement and often offer demonstrations of prehistoric tools and weapons.

Highlights

Museum with American Indian artifacts, boardwalk to cave entrance, nature trails

Must-Do Activity

There are a select few artifacts displayed on site in the National Park Service (NPS) visitor center.  From there a short boardwalk leads through the forest to an overlook of the archaeological digs at the cave entrance, which you cannot enter. 

Best Trail

Two nature trails (0.6 and 1.2 miles long) split off from the boardwalk to explore the surrounding hills.

Instagram-worthy Photo

This cave is not famous for its pretty cave formations, but for its incredible archaeological record.  If you want to see beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, I recommend you head west to the impressive Cathedral Caverns State Park.

Peak Season

Summer, when it can be muggy and buggy.

Hours

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

Fees

None

Road Conditions

All roads paved, but RVs are not recommended on Highway 156 if entering from the north.

Camping

DeSoto State Park has a campground and primitive camping is allowed at three sites in nearby Little River Canyon National Preserve.

  • A limestone sinkhole on a nature trail
  • Scott with the champion blue ash tree (the largest in Alabama)

Explore More – How far down into the cave floor did archaeologists dig in the 1950s?

List

Top 10 National Monuments

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National Monument is the most common designation in the National Park Service (NPS) System.  Many of our favorites among the roughly 130+ National Monuments are wild places managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.  The NPS typically has a more developed, tourist-friendly infrastructure with visitor centers, trails, and tours.  Here is a ranking of our top 10 National Monuments of the approximately 88 run by the NPS.

10. John Day Fossil Beds (Oregon)

Fantastic colors and geology in the hills of Oregon

9. Organ Pipe Cactus (Arizona)

28 species of cacti are found here in southern Arizona’s Sonoran Desert

8. Statue of Liberty (New York/New Jersey)

Ellis Island and Lady Liberty make an unforgettable day trip

7. Cedar Breaks (Utah)

High-elevation amphitheater of red rock hoodoos in Utah

6. Timpanogos Cave (Utah)

Make the climb to see incredibly delicate helictites in Utah

5. Navajo (Arizona)

Ranger-guided tours lead down into the canyon to well-preserved Betatakin and Keet Seel cliff dwellings

4. Bandelier (New Mexico)

Climb into these cliff dwellings in northern New Mexico

3. Jewel Cave (South Dakota)

Tour the world’s third longest cave under South Dakota

2. Dinosaur (Utah/Colorado)

A significant fossil quarry surrounded by a beautiful landscape

…and finally our #1 National Monument managed by the NPS:

1. Lava Beds (California)

Explore below ground in this remote section of northern California

 

Honorable Mentions

Fort Stanwix (New York)

An exact 1750s replica surrounded by Rome, New York

Oregon Caves (Oregon)

Fun cave tours and excellent hiking in an old-growth forest

World War II Valor in the Pacific (Hawaii/Alaska/California)

Disbanded in 2019, Pearl Harbor National Memorial was one part of this diverse monument

New Jersey, New York

Statue of Liberty National Monument

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Overview

By the time the Statue of Liberty was completed in 1886, New York City was already the gateway to America for millions of “homeless, tempest-tost” immigrants.  Between 1855 and 1890, Castle Clinton on Manhattan Island served as a landing facility for 8-million people.  The federal government took control of immigration in 1890, within two years opening a processing station on Ellis Island in New York Harbor. Ferry service to Ellis Island and Liberty Island is available from Castle Clinton National Monument in New York City or Liberty State Park in Jersey City.

Highlights

Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island Immigration Museum, ferry ride

Must-Do Activity

Approximately 12-million people were screened on Ellis Island between 1892-1924, though nearly 10% were turned away.  Reopened to tourists in 1990, it is a haunting place to visit.  The National Park Service museum offers excellent exhibits and films highlighting the travails of immigrants over the centuries. 

Best Trail

None, but a special ranger-guided tour of Ellis Island will take you to areas you cannot see on your own.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the U.S. ally France, intended to mark the centennial of the Declaration of Independence in 1876.  By the time the 151-foot tall,225-ton copper woman was ready, the U.S. was scrambling to come up with money to build its 154-foot tall pedestal. Pocket change was collected across the nation, a truly grassroots effort that allowed even schoolchildren to claim a part of the monument. 

Peak Season

Summer, but these world-renowned monuments are busy year round.

Hours

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

Fees

$18.50 per adult for ferry to both sites, plus a parking fee at Liberty State Park.  While free timed tickets are available to access the pedestal, you must reserve months in advance if you wish to climb to the Statue of Liberty’s crown.

Road Conditions

Paved, but you will likely have to deal with traffic.  There is plenty of parking at Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

Camping

None

  • Scott with Manhattan behind him
  • First view of Ellis Island
  • Tiff on board the ferry
  • Historic graffiti on the walls
  • Scott in the Registry Room
  • Under the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty
  • A replica of Lady Liberty’s foot (actual size)

Explore More – Why is there a boundary on Ellis Island that divides it between the states of New Jersey and New York?

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Virginia

Fort Monroe National Monument

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Overview

At the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay near Yorktown, Virginia, there is a brick fort so large it puts all others to shame.  It was held throughout the Civil War by the Union Army, hosting President Lincoln multiple times and providing a refuge for escaped slaves.  Following the War Between the States it served as a prison for Confederate President Jefferson Davis (his cell is contained within the Casemate Museum).  The fort was not decommissioned by the military until 2011 when it was declared Fort Monroe National Monument, though it still contains private residences.

Tiff with the moat that you could drive over!

Highlights

Casemate Museum, Building #50, moat you can drive over

Must-Do Activity

After you visit the Casemate Museum, walk around the ramparts and the parade ground with its countless live oak trees, including the 500-year-old Algernourne Oak.  Nearby Outlook Beach is popular for swimming, as is North Beach which is also part of the National Monument.

Best Trail

There is a self-guided walking tour that passes Building #50 (the house President Lincoln stayed in) and the Algernourne Oak.  Watch for traffic when you cross the moat through the East Gate.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The author Edgar Allen Poe served here in 1828, so you can pose with him and his raven inside the Casemate Museum.

Monroe

Peak Season

Open year round, though the summertime brings more tourists to the Yorktown Peninsula.

Hours

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

Fees

None to walk the grounds and even the Casemate Museum is now free ($3 for guided tours).

Road Conditions

All roads paved, but be aware that most moat-crossing bridges are only one lane wide.

Camping

None in the monument which is filled with private homes, but there are several private campgrounds in the area.

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Drive across the moat to enter the fort.

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Flagstaff Bastion Overlook offers great views of Fort Monroe and the coastline.

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Inside the Casemate Museum.

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Scott with a house that Lincoln stayed at when he was visiting the fort
Building #50 housed Abraham Lincoln during his stays at Fort Monroe during the Civil War.

Tiff with the historic fort church
Live oak trees line the extensive Parade Ground inside Fort Monroe National Monument.

Explore More – The fort was completed in 1834 under the supervision of which famous Civil War General (then a Lieutenant)?

South Dakota

Jewel Cave National Monument

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Overview

Sometimes overshadowed by nearby Wind Cave National Park, the third-longest mapped cave system in the world is located within Jewel Cave National Monument.  Thick calcite crystals are the sparkly jewels that adorn the walls of this gem in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Jewel Cave.JPG

Highlights

Lantern Tour, Scenic Tour, Wild Caving Tour

Must-Do Activity

The Wild Caving Tour is reserved for those willing and able to squeeze through the 8.5 x 24-inch crawlspace located out front of the visitor center.  It is a taste of what is to come during sections like the “Brain Drain.”  Thick layers of manganese will permanently stain clothing worn by those brave enough to take this epic 4-hour journey that crawls less than half a mile past rare hydromagnesite balloons and gypsum flowers.

Best Trail

Most of the forest within the monument has burned, but Canyons Trail makes a 3.5 mile loop from the visitor center or Historic Ranger Cabin.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Most cave tours do not allow you to touch anything, but on the Historic Lantern Tour at the historic entrance to the cave (summer only) you can feel the 4-inch long calcite crystals (also called dogtooth spar) that formed like a bathtub ring as water slowly drained out.

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Peak Season

Summer when the Historic Lantern Tour and Wild Caving Tour are offered.

Hours

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

Fees

None to park, but there is a charge for all tours.

Road Conditions

All roads paved.  Note that the Historic Lantern Tour at the historic entrance to the cave is not at the main visitor center where the elevator is.

Camping

None, but plenty of places at Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, and Black Hills National Forest.

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Wild Caving Tour patrons have to prove they can squeeze through this 8.5×24-inch crawlspace.

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Thick layers of manganese will permanently stain clothing worn on the Wild Caving Tour.

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Ranger at the entrance for the Historic Lantern Tour.

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August 2012 505
This formation is known as “Madonna and Child.”

Explore More – How many miles of the cave’s passages have currently been mapped?

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