Our national parks are national and global treasures, but a lot of them have gotten really busy in recent years, and that has taken away some of the enjoyment for many people.
National monuments, which are created by the President rather than by Congress, are usually much smaller than national parks are, but they can be equally beautiful, and they tend to receive less visitation.
Following are 13 national monuments you won’t regret visiting.
Admiralty Island, Alaska
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Admiralty Island in southeastern Alaska is the 7th largest island in the U.S., and the national monument here covers most of it and protects it from future development. The monument is notable for having the densest population of brown bears on the planet.
Agua Fria, Arizona
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The scenery around the canyon of the Agua Fria River is worthy of special protection on its own, but this area is also notable for its cultural significance. In the area are more than 450 structures built by ancient Native Americans.
Basin and Range, Nevada
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This huge national monument includes three mountain ranges and two valleys between them. Also included are the White River Narrows, which is notable for its ancient rock art among their winding course. Some of the rock art here is 4000 years old.
Bears Ears, Utah
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Established in 2016, this national monument contains spectacular red sandstone canyons, mesas, and peaks as well as important ancient Native American archeological sites and rock art. It’s also the site of one of America’s premier rock-climbing destinations, Indian Creek.
California Coastal, California
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There’s no disputing that the California coast is one of the most spectacular landscapes on Earth. This monument protects all of the islets, rock outcroppings, and reefs from the coastline to 12 nautical miles out to sea, and that’s from the northern end to the southern.
Cedar Breaks, Utah
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Cedar Breaks is a colorful natural amphitheater similar to what you find at nearby Bryce Canyon National Park. Several overlooks and a handful of trails help you experience the site up close, and its high altitude– mostly above 10,000’– makes it a nice respite from the summer heat that bakes most of southern Utah.
Chiricahua, Arizona
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Around 27 million years ago, a massive volcanic eruption transformed the landscape here. Notable among what it left behind are the numerous pinnacles of rhyolite “tuff”– basically cemented volcanic ash– that give this area its distinctive look.
Craters of the Moon, Idaho
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Three ancient (and cooled) lava fields dominate the landscape here, and the barrenness is what earned the area its name. There are also cinder cones, lava tubes, and volcanic fissures in this surreal but beautiful location.
Devils Tower, Wyoming
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Ancient Native American folklore holds that a massive bear scraped her claws up and down this volcanic plug, causing the striated appearance we see today. Geologists explain that the basalt columns on display have a more scientific explanation. Either way, Devils Tower is a must-see in the Black Hills of northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota.
Dinosaur, Colorado-Utah
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The remote location in far northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado keeps the crowds mostly at bay. Here, you’ll see a display of dinosaur fossils, ancient rock art, and beautiful sandstone scenery along the Yampa River.
El Malpaís, New Mexico
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In Spanish, the name means “badlands” or “bad country.” The name fits because much of the landscape is a rough, dark lava flow that will chew up your shoe soles before too long. This national monument also has lava tubes, prehistoric rock art, a spectacular natural arch, and much more.
Giant Sequoia, California
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The Giant Sequoias are Earth’s largest living things, and you have to see them to believe how big they are. Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks have well-known groves that are almost always packed with visitors. The national monument is to the south of them, and it doesn’t have the oldest or the biggest tree, but the trees there are still massive and will wow you.
Gila Cliff Dwellings, New Mexico
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In a remote and rugged area of southwestern New Mexico, the Ancients thrived and built structures that have lasted remarkably well over many centuries. Here, you can walk through some of those structures and marvel at the resilience and ingenuity of the people who made lives here long ago.
The 30 Most Beautiful Places in the World That Everyone Must See
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There’s no way you could ever come up with a definitive list of the world’s most beautiful places. However, if you ask around, some places come up a lot more frequently than others do.
The following are some of the places that people mention over and over again, not in any particular order.
30 Breathtaking Places You Must See Before You Die
The Two Best Scenic Wonders in Each of the Mountain States
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The Mountain States– Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico– have some of the wildest and most rugged landscapes in the United States. Because they’re so big, it can take a lot of time to visit them, so it helps to be able to plan for some specific destinations.
Following are our choices for the top two must-see outdoor locations in each of these seven states.
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