250 Years Later, Revolutionary Rallying Cry Still Echoes At Minute Man National Historical Park

In the mid-afternoon of April 19, 1775, a group of men from the American colonies prepared to ambush retreating British soldiers near Hartwell Tavern in Lincoln, Massachusetts. THE WHOLE STORY

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 321 | National Park Science At Risk

There has been much upheaval in the National Park Service this year, with firings, then rehires, and staff deciding to retire now rather than risk sticking around and being fired. There have been fears that more Park Service personnel are about to... THE WHOLE STORY

  • A panoramic view of the river and landscape at Dinosaur National Monument
    A Panoramic View From Split Mountain Of Rainbow And Island Parks, Dinosaur National Monument
    Dinosaur National Monument - NPS/Lee Christensen

    There's a lot of landscape beauty packed into Dinosaur National Monument, straddling the border between Utah and Colorado. You can get to these views from several overlooks as well as five different scenic drives.

  • A bighorn sheep walking along a cliff face with the green river flowing below, Dinosaur National Monument
    Bighorn Sheep Near The Green River, Dinosaur National Monument
    Dinosaur National Monument - NPS/Erin Cahill

    Seventy mammal call Dinosaur National Monument in Utah and Colorado their home, including bighorn sheep, which are very good at scaling rocky hills, canyons, and cliffs.

  • A  black and white photo circa 1909 of horses hauling plaster-wrapped fossils from what is now Dinosaur National Monument
    Hauling Fossils Out By Horse In The Early 1900s, Dinosaur National Monument
    Dinosaur National Monument - Earl Douglass diaries edited by Evan Hall via NPS

    Here's a little throwback for you. Back in the early 1900s, wrapped Jurassic-period fossil bones were hauled out of what is now Dinosaur National Monument via horse. According to the National Park Service: "Dinosaur National Monument includes one of Earth's richest known dinosaur fossil beds. These remains are from the Jurassic period 150 million years ago. During a drought, many dinosaurs died near a river's edge. When rains returned, flood waters carried the jumbled bones of over 500 dinosaurs, representing ten species, here."

  • Rafters on muddy river water between tall canyon walls, Dinosaur National Monument
    Rafting The Yampa River, Dinosaur National Monument
    Dinosaur National Monument - NPS/Jacob W. Frank

    Rafting the Yampa and Green rivers in Dinosaur National Monument is a great way to see the landscape from a different perspective. According to the National Park Service, "From origins high in the Rocky Mountains, the Green and Yampa Rivers wind their way across sagebrush covered plains before entering this outstretched arm of the Unita Mountains. The mountains force the rivers into tight channels surrounded by towering cliffs. Drops and obstructions in the rivers create rapids. The thundering fury of Warm Springs, Hells Half Mile and other rapids can challenge even the most experienced boatman. Other locations such as Rippling Brook or Island Park allow you to sit on a quiet beach and escape the pressures of everyday life."

  • Red-colored paintings of bighorn rams on the rocks at Dinosaur National Monument
    Deluge Shelter Pictographs, Dinosaur National Monument
    Dinosaur National Monument - National Park Service

    Approximately 800 to 1,400 years ago, this area was home the ancestral indigenous people of the region. They left evidence of their presence in the form of petroglyphs, patterns chipped or carved into the rock, and pictographs, patterns painted on the rock. For a thousand years, this rock overhang has shaded these pictographs from the strong midday sun. This limited exposure to sunlight may have helped to preserve the vibrant colors in these ancient images.

  • People looking at large dinosaur fossil bones embedded in rock inside the Quarry Exhibit Hall at Dinosaur National Monument
    Viewing Dinosaur Fossils At The Quarry Exhibit Hall In Dinosaur National Monument
    Dinosaur National Monument - National Park Service

    The Quarry Exhibit Hall allows visitors to view the wall of approximately 1,500 dinosaur bones in a refurbished, comfortable space. Here, you can gaze upon the remains of numerous different species of dinosaurs including AllosaurusApatosaurus, Camarasaurus, Diplodocus, and Stegosaurus along with several others.

  • A muddy ribbon of river with folded and faulted rocks beneath a blue sky at Dinosaur National Monument
    A View Of The Green River And Mitten Park Fault From Harpers Corner, Dinosaur National Monument
    Dinosaur National Monument - NPS - Dan Johnson

    Located on the Colorado side of the monument, the Harpers Corner Overlook provides a stunning view of the Green and Yampa Rivers as they join and carve vast canyons. The upturned layers of the Mitten Park Fault below the overlook dramatize the millions of years worth of erosion needed to create the staggering geologic views.

  • People sitting on a rock ledge watching a sunset at Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Watching The Sunset At The Ledges Overlook, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Jackie Boesinger Meredyk via NPS

    Hiking the Ledges Trail in time to view sunset at trail's end is a popular thing to do at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.

  • Hikers on a snow-dusted trail surrounded by trees and boulders, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Hiking The Ledges Trail In Winter, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - NPS/Bob Trinnes

    Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio is open year-round. A popular trail to hike any season is the Ledges Trail. To read more about hiking in this national park, click here.

  • A large hummingbird clearwing moth hovering near a lavender flower, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    A Hummingbird Clearwing Moth, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Michael SIlvestro via NPS

    Insects are part of the wildlife species found at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, including this hummingbird clearwing moth, whose wings look like clear cellophane and beat so fast they sound like a hovering hummingbird.

  • The leading line of a snow-covered bridge trail surrounded by stark bare trees and a snow-covered ground, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    A Trail Covered With Winter's Snow, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - NPS/Bob Trinnes

    Even during the winter at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, you can still hike many of the trails, as well as sled, snowshoe, cross-country ski, and ice fish.

  • Two bicyclists riding a wide paved trail next to a river with golden autumn leaves on the trees on each side at Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Bicycling The Towpath Trail In Autumn, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - National Park Service

    Bicycling is a great activity for exploring Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Most people are going to use the Towpath Trail, since 22 miles (35 km) of the trail’s 101 miles (162.5 km) are located within the park. To read more about bicycling in this national park, click here.

  • The leading line of a beige dirt trail with lush green vegetation on either side, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    A Trail Through The Tall Grass In The Boston Area, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - NPS/Victoria Stauffenberg

    There are over 125 miles of hiking trails in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. These trails range from nearly-level to more challenging, and pass through various habitats including woodlands, wetlands, and old fields. 

  • A brightly-painted passenger train passing the Indigo Lake train station on an overcast day at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
    All Aboard The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Bill Currier via NPS

    How many other units of the National Park System can boast of a scenic train ride through park landscape? At Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, you can take yourself and even your bike aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad for a relaxing ride while you learn the area’s history, watch for wildlife, and even purchase a snack, beverage, or souvenir. To read more about this, click here.

  • The leading line of a train on train tracks over a snowy landscape with bare trees beneath a white sky, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - NPS/Stian Rice

    "All Aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad! The National Park Scenic excursion is a unique way to experience all the natural wonder Cuyahoga Valley National Park has to offer. Sit back and relax as the train weaves through the Cuyahoga Valley and races along with the rushing Cuyahoga River. The route provides passengers the opportunity to possibly spot eagles, deer, beavers, and herons in their natural habitat."

  • A quirky least bittern straddling long green cattail at a wetland in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Least Bittern Straddling The Cattails, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Rick McMeechan via NPS

    Cuyahoga Valley National Park's diverse landscape provides habitat for about 250 species of birds, including this quirky least bittern pictured here.

  • A tree-lined portion of the Cuyahoga River with kayakers pushing off from a pebbly beach at Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Preparing To Kayak The Cuyahoga River Water Trail, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - NPS/D.J. Reiser

    Twenty-five miles (40 km) of the river’s 100 miles (161 km) run the length of the park from south to north, so it’s a no-brainer to want to paddle a canoe or kayak through the park on this waterway. Click here to read more about paddling the Cuyahoga River.

  • A blue sky with white clouds over a wildflower-filled wetland, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Krejci Wetland, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Jim Roetzel via NPS

    From Superfund Site to environmental success story, Krejci was once a salvage yard and waste disposal facility. Cuyahoga Valley National Park acquired the land and began the task of cleanup. Click here to read more about this.

  • A clear winter day and an icy river with frost-covered trees on either side and a bridge overhead, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    A Frosty Winter Day On The Cuyahoga River, Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Jeffrey Gibson via NPS

    According to the National Park Service:

    The Cuyahoga River is a famous ecosystem. Today its flowing water supports fish and insects that feed birds and amphibians along its muddy banks. But the river wasn’t always so full of life. The Cuyahoga River has a very polluted past. The river between Akron and Cleveland was dangerously dirtied by a century of dumped factory waste and sewage from cities. In the summer of 1969 a floating pile of oil-soaked logs and other trash caught fire on the river in Cleveland. The Cuyahoga River became known as the river that burned.

    News of a river so polluted that it caught on fire made people demand action. The Cuyahoga River’s sad state sparked the modern environmental movement in America. The Environmental Protection Agency was created and legislators passed pollution control and clean-up laws. The fire even helped inspire the first Earth Day in 1970. Thanks to decades of clean-up work, the Cuyahoga River is on the mend. 
  • A dark sky with a bright Milky Way over the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
    A Bright Milky Way And Starry Sky Over Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
    Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - NPS/G. Owens

    According to the National Park Service, "Due to its exceptional night skies and efforts to mitigate light pollution, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was designated as an International Dark Sky Park in 2015."