Carrizo Plain National Monument is fairly new as national monuments go. The park was established in 2001 from land in Southern California that had been a part of the Carrizo Plain Natural Area. When I visited the monument a couple…
Highlands of Colorado: The Causeway
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like the Flattops Wilderness in northern Colorado. Ever. This pristine wilderness has some of the most grand views I’ve seen, and the top-of-the-world feeling is simply out of this world. I can…
Campgrounds at Badlands – Sage Creek Campground
If you’ve ever read the Ideas on Free Camping page of my website, you know that I much prefer free campgrounds to campgrounds that charge a fee. Part of this is due to the size of my group (many campgrounds…
The Craters in Craters of the Moon: Big Crater Trail
I’ve been to Craters of the Moon National Monument several times, and it’s got to be one of the best volcanic areas in the US. For miles, it seems, there is nothing but cinder cones and lava fields. And the…
Walk in an Ancient Indian Home at Lowry Pueblo
I visited Hovenweep National Monument inside of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument several years ago, but didn’t find it too exciting. Others in my group liked the square towers and round towers, but I guess I thought I’d seen…
The Coolness of Lava Caves at Craters of the Moon
One of the best volcanic parks in the country has got to be Craters of the Moon National Monument in central Idaho. Fields of all kinds of hardened lava stretch in all directions, with just enough craters to give the…
Kootenai Falls: Swing Bridge, Train Bridge, and Waterfalls!
Several years ago, we were driving down a small highway in Montana looking for a place to eat lunch. A roadside sign that said “Kootenai Falls” caught our attention, so we pulled into the parking area. We were rewarded, too:…
Graveyard of Fallen Arches
In Southern Utah there is a fin—or a butte—or a mesa—whatever you want to call it—that sticks up almost out of nowhere just north of the Lake Powell Dam. We visited the fin while searching for Skylight Arch, which I…
Rustic Hoodoos Like No Others in Bisti Wilderness
In a previous post, I talked about Bisti National Wilderness, where you can wander for miles without any trails to keep you from experiencing the formations. However, after my most recent jaunt across the Wilderness, I realized that there is…
Crazy Moqui Marbles!
Have you ever seen a moqui marble? Most people have never even heard of these phenomena, let alone seen them. Yet they are a fascinating piece of geology, and they are just cool to look at. Even if you’re not…