Memories of our National Parks

 Memories of our National Parks, Monuments, Lakeshores, and Seashores

Re-lived and written down, March, 2023.

Isle Royale: Canoed to and set foot on the largest island (Ryan) in the largest lake (Siskiwit) on the largest island (Isle Royale) in the largest lake (Superior) in the world.

Voyageurs: Canoed on a rough Rainy Lake with superb paddling by bow paddler Patti on the way to a wilderness campsite, and eventually to a historic hotel accessible only by water.

Theodore Roosevelt: Longhorn cattle, bighorn sheep, and bison, surrounded by a frenzy of oil wells and fracking.

Yellowstone: Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, bison.

Grand Teton: Boated on the Snake River, hiked Jenny Lake trail.

Glacier: Hikes to rivers and waterfalls.

Mount Rainier: Hikes to waterfalls, Reflection Lake.

Olympic: Camped overlooking the Pacific and on the Hoh River, hiked in the Hoh Rainforest, Olympic Mountains, mountain goat.

Crater Lake: A blue as deep - average depth 1148 feet - as the lake, climbed Mount Scott, Rim Drive.

Redwood: Tallest trees in the world.

Yosemite: Yosemite Falls, hiked  through a falls at Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite Valley.

Sequoia: massive General Sherman Tree.

Kings Canyon: Vast overlook of green.

Death Valley: Badwater Basin - Set foot on the lowest point in North America.

Joshua Tree: Hiked among the trees resembling human form with upraised arms, named by Mormons thinking the trees resembled the biblical Joshua leading his followers to the Promised Land.

Zion: Hiked Angel’s Landing, took the scenic drive, walked in the Virgin River at The Narrows.

Bryce Canyon: Hiked down among the hoodoos, including Queen Victoria.

Capitol Reef: Hiked.

Arches: Hiked and saw many stone arches.

Petrified Forest: Wood at one time, now stone logs.

Grand Canyon: Hiked down nine miles on the Bright Angel Trail to the clear Colorado River, green with minerals. Returned - up, up, up - the same day, passing a mule train.

Great Sand Dunes: Hiked the huge sand dunes.

Mesa Verde: Ancient stone village in a rock grotto.

Hot Springs: Took a mineral bath.

Mammoth Cave: Underground hike among the stalagmites and -tites.

Great Smoky Mountains: Great and smoky.

Congaree: Swamp hike.

Rocky Mountain: Rocky and mountainous.

Badlands: Good lands to see while hiking.

Effigy Mounds N.M.: Mounds in animal shapes, made by human hands.

Grand Portage N.M.: Where the voyageurs began their inland quest of beaver pelts, after journeying across Lake Superior in large canoes.

Muir Woods N.M.: A hike among redwood giants.

Gila Cliff Dwellings N.M.: A guided hike among stone dwellings in a huge rock alcove.

Sunset Crater N.M.: Hike around what was once a hell-on-Earth volcano.

Wupatki N.M.: A large, ancient native dwelling.

Pipe Spring N.M.: A fortified dwelling defending the water source.

Navajo N.M.: A hike to view another cliff dwelling.

Hovenweep N.M.: Wild horses greeted us.

White Sands N.M.: White like giant snow drifts, sand washed down from the distant mountains.

Devil’s Tower N.M.: Camped in its shadow, hiked its base.

Mount Rushmore: Not a national monument, but a carved mountain.

Pictured Rocks N.L.: Folboted to Grand Island, hiked to its northernmost point, took the glass-bottom boat to view an old shipwreck. 

Sleeping Bear Dunes N.L.: Took the Badger Carferry across Lake Michigan, hiked the giant sand dunes.

Apostle Islands N.L.: Folboted and camped on several of them. Another trip: Folboted with Bruce and Lucas and entered sea caves. A third one: walked on the ice with Bruce and Gary to the sea caves in winter.

Point Reyes N.S.: Beaches, elk in the dunes.

As of March, 2023, 29 National Parks. 11 National Monuments, 3 National Lakeshores, 1 National Seashore. I need to get out the tent and canoe. We have many more to see.

.