Big Cypress – Florida
Big Cypress is not exactly a national park, but a national preserve. A national preserve allows certain traditional uses to continue while still protecting the land. When Congress established Big Cypress in 1974, it became one of the very first two national preserves in the country,
Big Cypress protects nearly 729,000 acres of land, making it larger than the state of Rhode Island. There are countless ways to explore its varied landscape, including boardwalks and trails. Birds are everywhere along with alligators and a mosaic of swamps, cypress and mangroves.
Big Cypress also regulates the freshwater flow that feeds the fisheries, agricultural land and drinking water for many Floridians. It is a quiet preserve that sustains the life and communities that are rooted in its waters.
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Acadia National Park – Maine
The only designated National Park in the Northeast, Acadia National Park, is another spectacular place. There are sweeping ocean views and granite. Mountains rise from the sea, while waves crash against ancient rock. Long before Acadia became a national park, the rugged coastline and granite mountains of Mount Desert Island drew wealthy summer residents and by […]
Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Historical Park – Pennsylvania
I visited the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Historical Park a few years ago. Tucked along a narrow street in Philadelphia’s Society Hill neighborhood is a house that reveals the story of a man whose ideals helped shape two nations. Thaddeus Kosciuszko was a Polish-born military engineer and idealist who came to America during the Revolutionary War. He […]
Pipestone National Monument – Minnesota
During our 1995 cross-country road trip, our route carried us through a part of Minnesota, where we stopped at one of the most remarkable sites: Pipestone National Monument. Here, the soft red stone, pipestone, has been quarried for centuries by Native people and carved into ceremonial pipes used in prayer and spiritual life. This is […]
