Tag Archives: wildlife

Chickasaw National Recreation Area

October 18, 2018 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

In 1976, Platt National Park was combined with the nearby reservoir at Arbuckle National Recreation Area to form Chickasaw National Recreation Area, named for the neighboring Chickasaw Nation of central Oklahoma. The trails and infrastructure in the park were predominantly built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

Highlights

Natural springs, bison herd, Lincoln Bridge, reservoir

Must-Do Activity

Visitors should start at the Travertine Nature Center, then visit the bison pasture and “take the waters” at Vendome Well. Other diverse recreational opportunities include camping and water sports on the Lake of the Arbuckles.

Best Trail

Take the trail from the Travertine Nature Center to Antelope Springs and photogenic Buffalo Springs. There is also loop trail around the bison pasture.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The U.S. Mint quarter (see photo below) for Oklahoma depicts the Lincoln Bridge built by the CCC, but it can be difficult to photograph through the trees.

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Peak Season

Summer

Hours

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

Fees

None

Road Conditions

All roads paved, except in Bluestem Prairie.

Camping

Multiple campgrounds, including several on the shores of the Lake of the Arbuckles.

IMGP1892 — The adventurous road to Travertine Nature Center.

IMGP1896 — There is a lot to learn inside the Travertine Nature Center.

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IMGP1898 — The acorn caps from bur oak trees are huge.

IMGP1912 — You have to try the sulphurous water fountain at Vendome Well.

Explore More – What was the original name for this federally protected area in 1902?

WONDON WAS HERE

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North Dakota

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

October 16, 2018 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

Located in western North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is where Teddy came in 1883 to become a cattle rancher prior to his political career. The park is divided into a North and South Unit (in different Time Zones), each with impressive vistas and wildlife. It is home to a demonstration herd of longhorn steers and free-ranging wild horses, plus reintroduced bison, bighorn sheep, and elk.

Highlights

Historic cabin, badlands, petrified forest, wildlife, hiking

Must-Do Activity

Teddy Roosevelt’s Maltese Cross cabin was relocated to the park’s South Unit visitor center, which is easily accessible off Interstate 94, as is the Painted Canyon Overlook and trail. A portion of the 36-mile paved scenic loop road is closed indefinitely due to melting from a decades long underground coal fire.

Best Trail

Wind Canyon Loop Trail in the South Unit is less than half a mile in length but offers an opportunity to walk on the eroding slopes of the badlands and an excellent vista of the Little Missouri River. We have also backpacked on the North Petrified Forest Trail, where we woke up near a sleeping bison bull (see photo below).

Instagram-worthy Photo

Cannonball concretions are sandstone spheres formed by groundwater and can be seen only in the North Unit badlands.

Peak Season

Summer, but late September has good fall colors.

Hours

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

Fees

$30 per vehicle or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

The scenic drives are paved, and the gravel roads in the park are good enough for a passenger vehicle when dry, including the 60 mile drive to Elkhorn Ranch.

Camping

There are large campgrounds in both the North and South Unit.

Bison can be seen in both the North and South Unit of the park

Scott in the petrified forest

Petrified wood

Tiff on the North Petrified Forest Trail

We woke up and saw this bison too close to our tent so we quietly left and came back later to pack up

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

Cafe Press

Explore More – The death of which two important women in his life led Roosevelt to flee New York for North Dakota in 1884?

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Maine

Appalachian National Scenic Trail

September 21, 2018 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

The Appalachian Trail (or A.T.) is one of only three National Scenic Trails that the National Park Service (NPS) includes in its total of 420+ units, despite there being many other affiliated trails (some with their own Visitor Centers). The trail stretches 2,185 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia (in Chattahoochee National Forest‘s Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area) to Mount Katahdin, Maine, crossing 14 states, 6 NPS sites, 8 National Forests, and countless other parks.

Highlights

Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Shenandoah National Park, Mount Washington State Park, Baxter State Park

Must-Do Activity

Even if just for a short stretch, gets a taste for the A.T. by following the white rectangular blazes going north or south anywhere along its length. The trail through Newfound Gap in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is especially popular. Check out our blog post on the short hike to the southern terminus of the A.T. at Georgia’s Springer Mountain in Chattahoochee National Forest‘s Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area.

Best Trail

The last stretch of the trail ascends Katahdin in Maine’s Baxter State Park. My impression from the surly park employees is that they would rather not be the official end of the Appalachian Trail. For instance, they fined record-setting Scott Jurek for public alcohol consumption and littering when he spilled some champagne celebrating his accomplishment atop Katahdin in 2015. The funny thing about the A.T. is that it ends (and begins) on top of a mountain where you have to turn around and hike out.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The views on top of Katahdin are unsurpassed and you might get to celebrate with a thru-hiker finishing the 2,185-mile journey.

At the top! The mountain looks similar to many of the 14ers in Colorado

Peak Season

Most thru-hikers go in the summer due to snow. Baxter State Park closes in the winter, but most of the trail is accessible year round.

Hours

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

Fees

Free to hike, but some parks (like Shenandoah National Park) charge for admission and camping.

Road Conditions

Trailhead access can be both paved and dirt (which is the case in Baxter State Park). The trail is only paved in a few portions like atop Clingman’s Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Camping

There are more than 160 trail shelters along the A.T. and in some places like Great Smoky Mountains National Park backpackers are required to utilize them. Otherwise dispersed camping is mostly allowed along the entire length of the trail.

A view of the new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument — A view looking east at the new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

Explore More – Approximately how many steps must a human take to cover 2,185 miles?

Louisiana

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

September 20, 2018 Raven About The Parks 1 Comment

Overview

Jean Lafitte was a New Orleans “privateer” (a.k.a. pirate) who assisted General Andrew Jackson in the fight with the British after the War of 1812 had officially ended. In addition to three Acadian Cultural Centers spread throughout southwestern Louisiana and a small visitor center in New Orleans’ French Quarter, the NPS also offers trails and boat tours (fee) through the bayou.

Lafitte

Highlights

Barataria Preserve, Chalmette Battlefield, French Quarter, boat tours

Must-Do Activity

Every American needs to visit the French Quarter at least once in their life, but also make sure you visit the 24,000-acre Barataria Preserve to experience the bayous of Louisiana, whether you hike or take a boat.

Best Trail

South of downtown New Orleans off Highway 45 in the Barataria Preserve, keep your feet dry by hiking the boardwalks on the Bayou Coquille Trail.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Look up when hiking in the bayou to find huge spiders, like this golden silk orb-weaver.

Peak Season

Summers are muggy and buggy, but the park’s many visitor centers are closed only two days per year: Christmas and Mardi Gras.

Hours

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

Fees

None

Road Conditions

All roads paved

Camping

None in the park, but in 2016 we camped at Bayou Segnette State Park in the suburbs of New Orleans.

IMGP1506 — Learn about the region’s music, food, and culture at the French Quarter visitor center in downtown New Orleans.

IMGP1519 — Exhibits in the Old U.S. Mint are free

IMGP1564 — Hiking the boardwalks on the Bayou Coquille Trail.

IMGP1562 — Spanish moss drapes from the trees in the humid climate of the Mississippi River delta.

IMGP1567 — The bayou stretches for miles in the undeveloped areas around New Orleans, Louisiana.

Explore More – Which president is mounted horseback on a statue in Jackson Square?

WONDON WAS HERE

Indiana

Indiana Dunes National Park

September 14, 2018 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

A 20th-century battleground east of Chicago between industrialists seeking to build more steel mills and conservationists wanting to preserve natural diversity, in 1966 Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was created as a compromise between the opposing sides. Its scattered bogs and dunes surround a beachside state park on Lake Michigan that dates back to the 1920s, with an Art Deco bathhouse dating to that era.

Update: As of February 15, 2019 it is called Indiana Dunes National Park.

Highlights

West Beach, Bailey Homestead, Chellberg Farm, Century of Progress Homes, Mount Baldy, Glenwood Dunes Trail, heron rookery

Must-Do Activity

It is worth the price of admission to access the trail system within Indiana Dunes State Park to complete the 3 Dunes Challenge. Take your photos back to the joint NPS-State Park visitor center to claim your prizes.

Best Trail

Cowles Bog Trail covers 5 rugged miles and accesses an isolated beach with views of the Chicago skyline. The trail to the top of Mount Baldy is closed due to erosion.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Beach grasses with a backdrop of a steel mill are a surreal mix on the Cowles Bog Trail.

Peak Season

The park is open year round, with the Lake Michigan beaches attracting crowds in the summer.

Hours

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

Fees

No admission for most of the National Park, except $6 per vehicle for summer lifeguards at West Beach and $12 per vehicle day use fee year round to enter Indiana Dunes State Park.

Road Conditions

All roads are paved.

Camping

While it is not on the beach, we enjoyed the quiet Dunewood Campground (fee) with its hot showers.

INDU — Historic bathhouse at Indiana Dunes State Park.

Climbing the dunes - there was a hiking challenge, so we had to do it

A view of Chicago from the dunes — The Chicago skyline is visible from the beach.

Explore More – Mount Baldy stands 126 feet tall, but how much shorter is that than Mount Tom in neighboring Indiana Dunes State Park?

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.

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.

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.

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