"Over the last ~570,000 years, water has transformed the Upper Las Vegas Valley. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is an urban park that preserves the unique story of this ever-changing ecosystem."

"Cow Island was the site of the Battle of Cow Island on September 23, 1877. The Nez Perce were fleeing from pursuing Army units toward Canada. They crossed the Missouri at the Cow Island ford on September 23." Cow Island Landing is one "of 38 places [within Nez Perce National Historical Park] important to the history and culture of the [Nez Perce] nimíipuu."

How would you like to explore a little of the backcountry at Wupatki National Monument in Arizona? The park is offering three overnight backcountry hikes this April to the Pueblo site known as Crack in The Rock. All hikes are Saturday to Sunday and the hike dates for April are the 8-9, 15-16, and 22-23. Click here for more information. The application period closes on March 14, 2023.

An honorary designation given by the National Park Service, NNLs are chosen as the best examples of a biological of geologic feature. A water gap is a pass in a mountain ridge cut by a stream or river. The Umtanum Ridge Water Gap was created by the Yakima River cutting downward through the Umtanum Ridge anticline (a series of upfolded rock layers).

"To survive in a hot and arid environment the native Hawaiians (kanaka maoli) used ancient fishing skills, including the building of fishponds, and the knowledge of the location of precious fresh water (wai) that flows into the many brackish pools throughout the park. The spirit of the people (poe) and the knowledge of the elders (kupuna) created a tradition of respect and reverence for this area."

"In Jean Lafitte's day, silver and gold filled a pirate's treasure chest, but today's treasures are people, places, and memories. Discover New Orleans’ rich cultural mix. Learn Cajun traditions from people who live them. Watch an alligator bask on a bayou’s bank. Walk in the footsteps of the men who fought at 1815’s Battle of New Orleans."

Need a break from all that hiking? Take a self-guided tour around the historic, rustic Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, then sit for awhile in the warmly-lit lobby or walk around and view the display cases filled with Native American artwork.

A half-hour drive from the town of Grand Junction will put you smack dab into red-rock scenery. "Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. But this treasure is much more than a monument. Towering monoliths exist within a vast plateau and canyon panorama. You can experience sheer-walled, red rock canyons along the twists and turns of Rim Rock Drive, where you may spy bighorn sheep and soaring eagles."

"Some of the world's best preserved fossils are found in the flat-topped ridges of southwestern Wyoming's cold sagebrush desert. Fossilized fishes, insects, plants, reptiles, birds, and mammals are exceptional for their abundance, variety, and detail of preservation. Most remarkable is the story they tell of ancient life in the warm, wet environment in and around a freshwater lake."

"Soda Springs Meadow is one of the best places to observe seasonal changes in the monument. As summer progresses, the river's depth and flow wanes, revealing previously submerged gravel bars and the soda springs."