Explore soaring sand dunes set against snow-capped peaks at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. This Colorado park protects the tallest dunes in North America, formed over countless years by wind and water in the heart of the San Luis Valley. As a preserve, the park provides the perfect balance of outdoor recreation and natural preservation, serving as a sanctuary for hundreds of vulnerable species of wildlife and plants. Enjoy a stunning natural wonder that preserves delicate and diverse ecosystems from beautiful wetlands to alpine tundra.
Wallace James Jr is the Trader at Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, the oldest continuously operated trading post in the West. He and the Hubbell team will travel to Bandelier National Monument, White Sands National Park, and Petroglyph National Monument this spring and summer in a traveling series known fondly as “Hubbell on the Road,” where attendees can browse exquisite Navajo rugs and jewelry and listen to inspiring talks about the history of Navajo weaving, artistry, and culture.
Nestled in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, the mountains, canyons, and hidden ponds of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument are like nowhere else on Earth. It’s the only place in the United States where organ pipe cacti grow wild, and is home to...
What Are Zuni Fetish Carvings? Zuni fetish carvings are made from stone and sometimes accented with other traditional materials, depicting animals that each hold unique and significant spiritual meaning. The Zuni people believe that each fetish...
In the high-altitude forests of southwestern New Mexico is an important Indigenous cultural heritage site. Here at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, visitors can learn about and see several cliff dwellings built by the people of the Southern...
Looking to spend a day exploring trails full of petroglyphs and a desert teeming with life and signs of an ancient volcanic past? If you love cultural sites, geology, and desert landscapes, Petroglyph National Monument is a great place to spend a day...
Emily Pennington // Western National Parks Winter, for some, means curling up indoors with a good book, and for others, it means zooming down the ski slopes, feeling the wind on your cheeks. However, we’d like to suggest a less-expected pastime...
Looking to spend a day exploring trails full of historic pueblos and cultural sites and a high desert teeming with life and signs of a recent volcanic past? Wupatki National Monument is a great place to spend a day or two enjoying Northern Arizona’s...
Roger Naylor, thecelebrated and award-winning Arizona travel writer, has released a new book: Arizona National Parks and Monuments: Scenic Wonders and Cultural Treasures of the Grand Canyon State. The book is a beautiful travel companion for anyone...
Indigenous peoples have traveled through and stewarded the area now known as White Sands National Park since at least 21 thousand years ago, when they left footprints that later fossilized. The park is on the ancestral land of the Mescalero Apache...
