Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
Another remarkable place that preserves a much older chapter of Earth’s story is Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument. Located in southern Idaho, along the Snake River Canyon near the small town of Hagerman, this landscape holds fossil deposits dating back 3 to 4 million years.
This region was once very different. Instead of the dry terrain seen today, the Snake River valley supported lakes and wetlands. These conditions attracted a variety of animals including mastodons, camels, saber-toothed cats, sloths and many species of birds and fish.
The most famous discovery at Hagerman is the Hagerman horse. This animal is considered one of the earliest members of the modern horse family. The site contains the largest concertation of fossil horses ever discovered in North America.
Recognizing the scientific importance of these discoveries, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument was established in 1988 with President Ronald Reagan signing the legislation.
The National Park Services preserves many layers of history. Some places tell the story of people, industry and communities, while others, reached deeper into the past.
Read More From Nancy
Oregon Caves National Monument
Driving solo the Redwood Highway along the northern California border is an experience in itself. The road winds through towering trees and dense forest. This is the kind of drive where discovery is around every bend. As I made my way towards the Oregon state line, I turned inland toward Oregon Caves National Monument. Here […]
Denali National Park
Flying into Anchorage, our first destination was Denali, and the drive itself felt like the beginning of the adventure. Leaving the city behind, the road quickly opened into vast stretches of wilderness where the scale of Alaska became unmistakable. The Parks Highway winds north through wide valleys and uninterrupted views that seem to stretch forever. […]
Whitman Mission National Historic Site
I had known the story of Narcissa Whitman long before I visited this site. I remember reading about her to my daughters when they were growing up—the young missionary who crossed the continent with her husband, Marcus, in 1836 to establish a mission among the Cayuse people in what was the Oregon Country. Visiting Whitman […]
