Hiking is the best way to see everything in Congaree National Park. Even though this park is just 30 minutes from downtown Columbia, South Carolina, it feels rural and isolated. The park protects 27,000 acres of hardwood bottomland forest and all the wildlife that call this area home. What does…
The first National Parks Free Entry Day is always MLK Day! What better way to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday in January or Black History Month in February than visiting a key site from the Civil Rights Movement? The National Park Service (NPS) doesn’t just preserve amazing natural…
The United States is huge, but it can still be difficult to avoid other people when planning a vacation. For instance, how do you plan a road trip in the eastern US without running into huge crowds? Go during shoulder season and pick outdoor activities. Try this one-week road trip…
Washington, DC monuments are grand and impressive and should be at the top of your DC must-see list. Washington, DC monuments at night are even more amazing to behold and warrant a second visit! Stunning photo opportunities await! Whether you take a guided tour one evening or create your own…
The US is full of interesting places, and the US National Park system highlights and protects some of the best natural landscapes the country has to offer. Cuyahoga Valley National Park in the state of Ohio showcases a river corridor in the middle of a great comeback. This post may…
Today we’re discovering the most underappreciated and underrated national monuments in the United States. The National Park Service (NPS) in the United States maintains over 400 parks, monuments, and other protected areas. The ones officially named “national parks” get all the credit though. Everyone knows the biggies: Great Smoky Mountains,…
Congaree National Park, near Columbia, South Carolina, is a beautifully preserved old growth bottomland hardwood forest adjacent to the Congaree River. Not quite a swamp but also unlike any mountain forest you’ve ever seen, Congaree National Park is a unique park. Towering trees thrive in the river floodplain and support…
Channel Islands National Park, just off the coast of southern California, is a fantastic way to spend a day exploring! The five islands that make up Channel Islands NP each have their own unique ecosystems, including plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world. It’s basically the Galapagos…