Why Winter is the Best Time to Hike to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park
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Why Winter is the Best Time to Hike to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park

Why is winter the best time to hike to Delicate Arch? Two words – no crowds. In summer, the parking lot is usually packed before 7am. In winter, you can roll in after 9am and still find a place. If you want solitude in Arches National Park plan your trip in January or February.   … Continue reading

Hiking Wedding Canyon and Monument Canyon Loop in Colorado National Monument
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Hiking Wedding Canyon and Monument Canyon Loop in Colorado National Monument

This is a loop hike filled with stunning views of red rock canyons, towering sandstone rock formations I hiked through two canyons, past stunning sandstone scenery for a 5-mile loop on the canyon floor in Colorado National Monument  I had gotten into Fruita late afternoon and drove the scenic drive up to the Visitor Center … Continue reading

Solo in Fossil Butte National Monument in Southwest Wyoming
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Solo in Fossil Butte National Monument in Southwest Wyoming

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks get droves of tourist, but Fossil Butte National Monument in southwest Wyoming, not so much.  I had seen the national monument signs multiple times driving Interstate-80.  For some reason, I decided a frigid winter morning was the perfect time to detour on a road trip from Heber City, Utah … Continue reading

Exploring Fantasy Canyon near Vernal, Utah
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Exploring Fantasy Canyon near Vernal, Utah

Fantasy Canyon near Vernal is unlike anywhere else I’ve visited in Utah. It’s filled with faces, animals and images created over time in the weathered sandstone rising out of the clay beds. The landscape looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. This is a place to let your imagination run wild as you … Continue reading

See Petrified Ancient Redwoods at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument near Cripple Creek, Colorado
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See Petrified Ancient Redwoods at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument near Cripple Creek, Colorado

Did you know Colorado was once home to giant redwood trees, similar to those found in California and Oregon?  Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is considered one of the world’s richest fossil deposits.  It has yielded more than 50,000 museum fossil specimens from over 1,700 species including 1,500 insects, 150 plants and one of the … Continue reading

Sound of Silence Hike in Dinosaur National Monument
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Sound of Silence Hike in Dinosaur National Monument

Dinosaur National Monument is one of the most unique places on earth, partly because it is home to one of the richest known fossil beds.  There are bones from over 500 dinosaurs and ten species entombed in ancient river sediments called Morrison sandstone.  The remains date back to the Jurassic Period 150 million years ago.  … Continue reading

Tour a Historic Fort in Georgia:  Fort Pulaski National Monument
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Tour a Historic Fort in Georgia: Fort Pulaski National Monument

While staying on Tybee Island, Georgia, for a few days I had a chance to check off another national park site. Fort Pulaski National Monument is on Cockspur Island, between Savannah and Tybee Island. Fort construction started in 1829, but it took 18 years to complete. In 1833, it was named after Casimir Pulaski, a … Continue reading

Hike inside Capulin Crater
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Hike inside Capulin Crater

Ever wanted to venture into the crater of a volcano?  In Northeast New Mexico, you can do just that in Capulin Volcano National Monument. Capulin is in the heart of the 8,000-square-mile Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field.  Capulin Volcano rises more than 1,300 feet above the shortgrass prairie.  The first time I saw it was at sunset … Continue reading