North Carolina has some really interesting park units. Some are full of the beauty of nature, others tell the story of some pretty significant events in history. All of them are worth a visit and should be added to your North Carolina bucket list. Some will take you an hour or two, while others will have you coming back again and again for weeklong trips.

Below is a list of all of the North Carolina National Parks. When we started going to all of them, we learned of some new ones. We have lived in North Carolina for most of our lives and we had no idea that Carl Sandburg Home was anything! For this list we left off the three National Trails – Appalachian, Trail of Tears, and Overmountain Victory. These all are significant trails, but they are not talked about extensively in this post.

How many of these parks have you been to? Which one is next on your travel list? Are there some you had never heard about?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Smokies are the only unit with the National Park designation in North Carolina. This stunning park sits on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. The main visitor’s center and where most people enter through is Tennessee. This has caused many people to say this is a Tennessee National Park. In reality though, slightly more than half of the acreage of the park is in North Carolina. To get into the park from the North Carolina side, you will need to go through Cherokee and through the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. There are numerous other entrances to check out like Catalooche.

This park is the most visited park in all of the United States, and it isn’t even close. Millions more people come into this park than the second-highest on the list. It is beautiful, there is tons of wildlife, and there are so many options for people of all activity levels. This is a great park to drive through (Little River Gorge Road is amazing) or hike. They have a ton of really great visitor’s centers, plenty of camping options, and a ton of historical buildings. This park really has it all. It is also great because there are some really great towns on both sides of the border.

When you are there, check out Clingman’s Dome. This is the second tallest mountain on the East Coast and has a great observation tower. Drive through Cade’s Cove – this is where some really great bear spotting is. You can also get out and visit the historic buildings and go for a hike to Abrams Falls. If you want to see elk, Catalooche and Oconaluftee both have great fields nearby where most days you will see herds hanging out in the morning or right before sunset. This park is best done with three or four days, but you can also hit most of the highlights in a day. Of course, that will only make you want to come back.

We have a full post on visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that will help you plan for your next adventure!

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

North Carolina has some incredible beaches and you would be hard pressed to find any better than Cape Hatteras. This seashore runs from Nags Head to Ocracoke Island. Highway 12, the road that connects it all, is just a spectacular drive along the water’s edge. The road has great views of dunes, the sound, the ocean, and of course you get to ride on the ferry to Ocracoke. There are three visitor centers within the park – Bodie Island, Hatteras Island, and Ocracoke Island.

There is a ton to do along this National Seashore. It is an ideal place to take a week-long vacation, but even if you have only a day to cruise through, take advantage of it. There are three lighthouses you can explore – Hatteras, Bodie, and Ocracoke. You can climb to the top of Hatteras and Bodie for a small fee. Ocracoke is off limits.

There are miles and miles of open beach areas. If you ever want to go to a beach with nobody around, this is the place for it. You can camp, take your foul-wheel drive vehicle out, or search for seashells for hours here. Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to park and hangout at the beach.

Cape Hatteras also has a ton of really great towns to visit. Hatteras is really great, and Ocracoke is spectacular. This is where Blackbeard the pirate hung out, and just about everywhere you go on this island you will see nods to him.

Check out our 10 Things to do in the Outer Banks if you are headed to this beautiful North Carolina destination!

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park is located right in the middle of Greensboro off of Highway 220. This is an urban park that flows in and out of the town pretty seamlessly. The park is focused on the Battle of Guildford Courthouse during the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution. This was a battle between Cornwallis and the British and Nathanael Greene’s Continental forces. The British won the battle, but it actually set them on course to lose the war. It is pretty interesting how the Park Service explains everything.

The visitor center is really awesome. They have some incredible artifacts and displays with a wealth of information. There are some interactive features and a pretty good movie to watch. We used to not watch the movies at the parks, but we have learned that they are worth the extra 15 minutes to get a good overview.

The park has trails and roads to take you from point to point through the battle. You can listen to their audio tour on the app or stop at each marker and read the different plaques. If you are driving, it will take you about an hour to two hours. Walking will take you much longer. Along the way there are close to 30 monuments that you can look at. Some of them are just small little markers in the woods and some are massive. Definitely check out the Greene and Forbus Monuments.

Greensboro is a great city to spend a day in! We have a day trip guide for visiting Greensboro that includes more details about the National Battlefield.

Cape Lookout National Seashore

Out of all of the beaches we have been to, Cape Lookout National Seashore might be our favorite. This place is just awesome. Cape Lookout is located on the Southern Outer Banks spanning from just south of Ocracoke to Beaufort. Cape Lookout is an undeveloped stretch of land three miles off the mainland. To get to Cape Lookout, you need to take the ferry or have your own boat. The ferry takes off from either Beaufort or Harkers Island. They have visitors centers at both locations. The Beaufort Ferry takes way longer and you will not have as much time in the water, so we recommend leaving from Harkers Island. There are a couple of vehicle ferries farther north for off-road access, but most will take the passenger ferries.

Cape Lookout has so much to do, but you need to be prepared. There is a small store on the main island of Cape Lookout, but besides that you are on your own. Make sure you pack plenty of food and drinks. On Cape Lookout, you can spend time at the beach or tour the lighthouse and surrounding areas. You can also take the shuttle to the north end for a slight fee to get the best shells (though we have found plenty at the main beach). On the sound side you can enjoy calm and peaceful water. The water on the sound side is pretty shallow and crystal clear. It is like you are in the Caribbean, just beautiful. This is where most people hang out, so if you want more quiet go to the ocean side. We have gone there and been alone all day long before.

You can also get off the ferry at Shackleford Banks. This is just right across the sound from Cape Lookout. Here, you can get on the beach and walk around the sand bars. It is really fun. But what makes this place the best is the wild horses that are on the island. They are everywhere, just don’t get too close. Even if you don’t get off here, you can typically see them from the ferry.

For a full overview on how to spend a day here, check out our guide to Cape Lookout!

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site

Carl Sandburg National Historic Site is one of the reasons we love National Parks. We never would have gone to a place like this if it weren’t for the Parks System. This site is located in the mountain town of Flat Rock just outside of Hendersonville. We went there during this trip to the N.C. mountains. The Carl Sandburg Home was the estate of the American poet and biographer, Carl Sandburg.

The grounds are open late into the day, but make sure you go during normal operating hours so you can take a tour of the house. This is a 30-minute tour that you have to do with the a guide. The cost is $10. If you have the National Park Pass you do get a discount.

The coolest thing to do at this place though is to tour the farm. The Sandburg Home is still a working farm, with animals and crops. You can check out the goat shed, horse barn, goat barn, cow shed, milk house, and so much more. We had a lot of fun petting the animals. Once again, don’t come late or you will miss out on this.

There are also miles and miles of really great trails you can hike on here. These trails take you deep into the forests that Sandburg used to roam. They are a great little get away right in the middle of town. If you are there for an overnight stay, try and get a ticket to the theater across the street from the home.

We have an entire 5 day plan for visiting Hendersonville in the mountains of North Carolina that includes a stop to this National Historic site! It’s one of our favorite mountain towns to visit!

Blue Ridge Parkway

The United States is full of some really beautiful drives. It would be tough though to find one more scenic than the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway stretches from the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina all the way to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. For our money though, the best sections are found in North Carolina. Keep your eyes open, you may very well see black bears, wild turkeys, foxes, wolves, deer, and so much more while driving.

This road is 469 miles in total and has too many hikes, scenic overlooks, and special mountain towns to name. However, here are some of our favorite spots to stop for a visit:

• Devil’s Courthouse, a nice little trail at MM 422
• French Broad River Bridge and surrounding trails at MM 393
• Blue Ridge Parkway Visitors Center at MM 384
• Craggy Gardens Trail and Overlook at MM 364
• Glassmine Falls at MM 361
• Mt. Mitchell at MM 356
• Little Switzerland at MM 334
• Linville Falls at MM 316
• Linn Cove Viaduct at MM 304
• Moses Cone at MM 294

During the winter they often have road closures because of the snow. Our favorite times to go are the fall and spring. You know, when everyone else wants to be in the mountains.

We have a full overview on visiting Mt Mitchell off of the Parkway!

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

Fort Raleigh is the site of England’s first New World settlement that lasted from 1584 to 1590. This is the group of colonists who became lost and eventually became known as the Lost Colony. This area is run by the National Park Service along with the Lost Colony Outdoor Drama Company. 

The site is at the northern tip of Roanoke Island right where Highway 64 begins. It is a beautiful property with some great trails, a really nice museum, and of course the outdoor theater. There is not much original left of the colony, so the Park Service has plenty of placards around saying what was probably in different spots.

The best thing to do here is to see the Lost Colony Outdoor Drama. This show is put on throughout the summer from Memorial Day until late August. It tells the story of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the New World. Shows are right along the sound with the water in the background making for a beautiful backdrop. These shows start every night at 8:30. Tickets for adults start at $20, so not terrible. They do get higher the better the seat. Definitely worth checking out.

Plan ahead with our post all about visiting the National Parks of the Outer Banks!

Moores Creek National Battlefield

Did you know that the first major victory of the Patriot forces during the American Revolution happened in North Carolina? We didn’t either until we went to Moore’s Creek National Battlefield. Moores Creek tells the story of the battle that surrounded the Moores Creek Bridge. Here, close to 1,000 North Carolina Patriots fended off the forces of King George.

Moores Creek NB is in Currie, NC. It is a short drive off of exit 408 along I-40. This is a great stop when you are headed to the beach. This park has a pretty big parking lot with a couple of nice picnic tables and benches surrounding it. The visitor’s center is more than adequate. The museum does a great job explaining the what happened and the people working there are super friendly and willing to answer any and all questions. They also have a nice little book store.

Of course, the main thing to do is to take a tour of the battlefield. The Park Service has done a really great job with this. There are a couple of different trails that you can take that give you a good overview. The main trail is the History Trail. This trail tells the story of the Battle of Moore’s Creek. Along the way, you can see numerous monuments to different people and events of the battle. The highlight is the bridge site that the Patriots defended. Make sure you get your Junior Ranger book before you start your hike.

Moore’s Creek can be conquered in about an hour and half. You don’t need the whole day, but it is worth the stop.

Wright Brothers National Memorial

Wright Brothers National Memorial is another Outer Banks National Park Unit situated in the town of Kitty Hawk. The memorial commemorates the first manned airplane flight in 1903. This park does have an entrance fee of $10 for everyone over 16. They do take the America the Beautiful Annual Pass.

There are a couple of main things that you can do at the park. The first is check out the visitor center. This is one of the best visitor centers we have ever been to. There are so many great exhibits that are hands on and fun. The Junior Ranger book is really great here, make sure you do it. The highlight of the visitor center is the replica of the Wright Brothers flyer. The original is in the Smithsonian, but this one is pretty cool.

Another great thing to do is to check out the grounds. A really fun activity is to go to the exact spot where the flight took place and see if you can run the distance faster than the original plane flew. We bet you can do it. This is all a part of the overall grounds of the unit. The main attraction is the Wright Brothers monument on the top of the hill. It is a great place to climb to and check out the views of the ocean and sound. It is awesome!

FAQ’s About North Carolina’s National Parks

What are the best North Carolina National Parks?

This is a tough question because each of these are so different. However, for us, our favorite is Cape Lookout National Seashore. This one has it all. Low crowds, beautiful water and beaches, wild horses, a ferry ride, and plenty of history.

Of course, if you are a mountain person it is tough to beat Great Smoky Mountains. There is a reason this is the most visited park in the United States. There is so much to do here, so many hidden gems, and you can spend a month here and not do the same thing twice. It is great.

How many North Carolina National Parks are there?

There are 12 official National Park units in North Carolina according to the National Parks Service. However, there are two National Cultural Heritage Areas (Blue Ridge and Gullah Geechee) so many people say there are 14. You can get National Park stamps of both of these, so in our book it is 14!

Can you camp in North Carolina National Parks?

Yes! At certain ones at least. You won’t be able to camp at most of the historical sites, but there are plenty more you can. The Smokies are full of campgrounds, but you need to make sure you get your reservation in if you want an actual spot.

A super cool thing to do is camp out at either Cape Hatteras or Cape Lookout. Nothing like beach camping! Just make sure you have plenty of supplies for these.

Of course, you can camp just about anywhere along the Appalachian Trail. We have done some backpacking on this trail a couple of times and loved it – except for the time a freak snowstorm came in and dumped two-feet of snow on us in one night.

Does it cost money to visit the North Carolina National Parks?

Depends on the park. Most of the parks are free to enter, including Great Smoky Mountains. However, there are some that do have an entrance fee. Wright Brothers charges per adult, Carl Sandburg charges for house tours (though the grounds are free), Cape Lookout has a fee for the ferry. All of the parks that you camp at have a fee if you use an actual campground site.

When are North Carolina National Parks open?

Good news! These parks are typically open year round. Of course, the visitor centers and other amenities will be closed on major holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Some of the smaller parks are open year round but the visitor center is closed on certain days of the week. For instance, Moores Creek is open but the visitor center is closed on Sunday and Monday each week. It is always best to check the park website before you visit any park for the most up to date information.

Takeaways

We love our home state of North Carolina and feel blessed with so many diverse places to see and discover. Over the last couple of years we have realized that many people don’t even know we have so many great National Park units. We have enjoyed visiting each one and would encourage any locals to start exploring our awesome parks! As a family, one of the best things to do at each park is to participate in the junior ranger program – every National Park Unit has one! Grab a park passport book and make sure to start collecting your stamps! It’s a fun way to start going the adventure way together!

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Dry Tortugas is one of the least visited parks in the whole system. Over the last five years it is averaging around 66,000 visitors per year. That means on average, only 180 people come to this park per day, that is crazy. It is a great place to find solitude in a beautiful setting. A lot of people don’t know about this park, and many who do don’t think they will ever be able to go. Hopefully, this post will be helpful in showing you that you can do this and will prepare you with everything you will need to know.

Where Is Dry Tortugas National Park?

Dry Tortugas is roughly 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico. In total, this park is about 100 square miles, but nearly 98% of the park is underwater. There are seven small islands that are in the park boundaries. The biggest island is home to Fort Jefferson, which is the largest brick structure in the Western Hemisphere. The fort used to be a prison during the Civil War. Samuel Mudd, the man who set John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg, was imprisoned here. A lot of history and natural beauty. This park is a little slice of paradise. Beautiful views, crystal clear water, incredible snorkeling, and so much more.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Dry Tortugas National Park?

When we were doing our research, everything we read said go between October and March. Our trip to Florida was right in the middle of summer, end of June to early July. Because of that, we were worried about afternoon storms and extreme heat. We were wrong on both counts.

We were told that because of where Dry Tortugas was located, most of the afternoon storms that plague Florida in the summer do not hit them. As a matter of fact, even if there is a storm in the Keys, chances are that it is clear at Dry Tortugas. That actually turned out to be true in our case. So, make sure you check the weather for the Park and not Key West.

It definitely was hot, but it wasn’t unbearable. And if you pack plenty of water to drink and get in the water from time to time to swim, you will be fine. If you are going to only visit the fort, we definitely recommend going in the fall or winter.

How Do You Get To Dry Tortugas National Park?

There are two main ways that you can get to the park from the mainland – the ferry or the seaplane. Both of these have their benefits. Of course, if you have your own private boat, you can get there on your own.

Ferry Boat

The ferry boat is the transportation that most people use to get to Dry Tortugas. The Yankee Freedom is the name of the catamaran that gets you from Key West to Fort Jefferson. The ferry takes off daily at 8 am and drops you off at Dry Tortugas around 10:15. It is a pretty long trip, so make sure you pack some activities for the ride. The ferry leaves Dry Tortugas around 3 pm, so you have close to 5 hours on the island. That will give you plenty of time to explore and hang out at the beach and in the water. Typically, the ferry returns to Key West right at 5:15. It lets you out in an area full of restaurants which makes it really great.

It is expensive to take the ferry – $190 for adults and $135 for kids 4-16. You get more than just a spot on the boat with your ticket, which helps justify the hefty price tag. Included with your ticket is breakfast and lunch, entrance into the National Park, a 45 minute narrated tour of the fort, and complementary snorkeling equipment. These are all really great perks to go along with the fun boat ride and day on the island.

If you are going to take the ferry, it is recommended that you make a reservation 6 months in advance, though you can find spots open a couple of weeks out from time to time.

Seaplane

If you think that the cost for the ferry was expensive, you might want to sit down for the seaplane. They have two options, the full and half-day excursions. All excursions take off from Key West International Airport. The full-day costs $634 for adults and $508 for kids 2-12. The half-day is $361 for adults and $289 for kids 2-12. However, there are some pretty big benefits to doing this if you can.

For starters, if you are on the first plane or the last plane you will get the island all to yourself with the exception of the handful of overnight campers. The reason for that is the plane takes a shorter time to get there than the boat, it is a 35 minute flight. So, if you are the first plane out you get to the park about an hour and 45 minutes before the ferry. If you take the last plane out around 2, you will be arriving while the ferry is loading up to leave and pretty much your whole time at Fort Jefferson is by yourself.

In addition to that, you get a cooler stocked with drinks. We recommend just asking for water, you won’t want soda out there. Also, everyone who wants it can get snorkeling equipment thrown in.

Is it Worth it?

This was a special trip for us so we opted for the half-day option on the seaplane leaving in the afternoon. When we spend a lot of money on something, we always worry we will feel like we wasted our money. As soon as we checked in at the airport we knew this was going to be an experience of a lifetime. Walking out on the runaway to the seaplane was so exciting for all of us and we were hooked. We cannot recommend this option enough.

There is something special about flying right over the water searching for sharks and sea turtles. We counted well over 15 sharks and lost track of the amount of giant sea turtles after we hit 50. It was a spectacular trip. Not only that, the feeling of circling Fort Jefferson and getting that view from the plane followed by landing on the water is something we will never forget. Oh, and if you have never taken off from the water, that is a crazy experience. If you can save for this or not do other experiences on your trip to do this, do it.

What Can You Do At Dry Tortugas National Park?

Snorkeling

Some of the best snorkeling in the United States is found at Dry Tortugas. This is one of the main reasons why you come here. This park is the perfect spot to see all sorts of incredible coral and fish. We couldn’t believe how many we saw everywhere we turned. There is so much to see, simply incredible. Seriously, we have been snorkeling all throughout the Carribbean and Gulf and have never seen as many fish as we saw there.

On the back end of the park is a small beach that is about 40 feet long. This is a perfect spot for you to go if you are new to snorkeling. We took our son for the first time ever and he had a blast. The key is to stay near the fort. That is where the coral and fish are.

On the front side of the fort where the ferry boat and seaplane dock, there are some old pier beams that stick out of the water. This is another great spot to snorkel. This is a little deeper, but still great. If you can, try and snorkel from the back beach all the way around the perimeter of the fort. So much fun! Make sure you wear your life jacket and have fun exploring.

Exploring The Fort

Fort Jefferson is massive. Like we said earlier, it is the largest brick building in the Western Hemisphere. The crazy thing about it is it never got finished! This fort is right in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, something to behold. When you visit Dry Tortugas, you need to make sure you take time to walk around the fort.

The visitor center to Fort Jefferson is located right inside the main gate (Sally Port). To the left is the office for the Park Rangers. There are 8 Park Rangers that live on site during the year. We had a really great conversation with one of them. They get off the island a couple of days a month, but mostly they are living at the fort.

The right side holds the visitor center with plenty of great information about and artifacts from the fort. Here you will learn all the history and get to know the wildlife. It isn’t the biggest visitor center, but it is helpful. This is also where we found the Passport Stamp on our trip.

Make sure you walk around the fort and get all of the way to the top level. There is nothing like the views from up there. It is incredible to be so high up yet surrounded by water everywhere you look. There are no railings up there, but if you stay on the worn down trail you will be fine.

Our favorite part of the fort might have been the wall along the water that kind of set up the moat along the back side. It was kind of like a trail out in the middle of the Gulf. Make sure you take a couple of minutes to check that out. It is a really great spot for pictures too!

Hanging Out At The Beach

There are a couple of really great beaches at Dry Tortugas. We already mentioned it earlier, but our favorite one was on the backside of the fort. The water is calm everywhere on the island, but especially here. We didn’t see anyone the whole time we were there, had the whole place to ourselves. there are a couple of other beaches that we checked out, but it wasn’t where we stayed for the majority of our time. You are definitely coming here for the beach, so make sure you plan accordingly.

We flew in with a family who just wanted to check out the fort. After about an hour they wished they had brought their beach apparel. Don’t be that family.

Camping

We did not do this, but we hope to one day. We don’t typically write about experiences we didn’t have, but this one is probably worth talking about. If you can, try and get a reservation to camp here. If you do this, you will have to take the ferry and bring all of your own equipment. We heard over and over form the Ranger there that this is the absolute best way to experience the park. You are out 70 miles in the ocean with absolutely no other light around you. It is you, a handful of other campers, and stars galore. Going to Dry Tortugas has always been on our bucket list. Now, camping there is.

What To Pack For Dry Tortugas National Park?

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The biggest takeaways for us after spending the day at Dry Tortugas is to know it goes by super fast and you will be hot from walking around the fort and wet from getting in the water. There are very limited facilities on the island. They have a changing room, a national park type bathroom (if you know you know!) and little visitors center. This is also a no waste Park so you need to be prepared to take any trash home with you. You can’t buy any water or food on the island. The seaplane company provided us with a cooler and two drinks per person – you will need them all! They also provided our snorkeling gear. Here is what we brought additionally for our few hours there, we tried to pack minimally but also be prepared. The seaplane could accommodate with any bags we wanted to bring!

• Big Water Bottle – our favorite one
• Beach Bag – we needed a rather big one, bogg bags are waterproof and awesome!
• Beach Towels – these are nice
• Sunscreen – make sure to use a reef safe sunscreen!
• Bugspray – I don’t think we needed this but you never know!
• Snacks – Especially for the ride back
• Change of Dry Clothes
• Bathing Suits (we wore them under our clothes going and changed to dry clothes leaving.)
• Big Sun Hats (there is minimal shade and lots of bright sun!) – Men’s Option, Women’s Option
• Mini Backpack with our ids, keys, hair ties, chapstick, phones, sunglasses, etc (all those little things) – Meg’s Fave
• We just wore decent sandals that could get wet – Tevas for Meg, These for Silas, These for Justin

Junior Ranger At Dry Tortugas National Park

We try and take the time to do the Junior Ranger program at every National Park unit we go to. At Dry Tortugas you can actually get two Junior Ranger badges – the regular park badge and the underwater explorer badge. This is one of five National Park units where you can get the underwater explorer badges.

Because time can be limited on this island, you might not be able to squeeze it into your day at the park. We highly recommend printing this out at home from the National Park website and doing as much as you can before your visit. If you are taking the ferry, you will have plenty of time to work on it on your way in to the park. If you are on the seaplane, you will not be able to do it on the flight. You will be too busy looking for sea turtles and sharks.

We actually didn’t get the books until we got to the park, but we were able to complete it as we were checking out Fort Jefferson. Some activities have to be done on site, but in hindsight it would have been better for us to have done as much as possible before we got to the park. It took about 15 minutes of extra time so it wasn’t terrible, but every minute at this park counts.

Takeaways

Dry Tortugas National Park is a place we will never forget. Even if you aren’t on a mission to visit all of the National Parks – this should be a place you consider coming to! Since it’s a little more difficult getting out there it was worth it to us to splurge and do the seaplane. That experience alone really put the whole day over the top. If you do take the seaplane know that it’s pretty hot inside the plane (we were sweating a lot before even getting out there). When you hear a half day that seems like tons of time on such a small island but we were so surprised how quickly it all went! We could have stayed many more hours there.

You definitely want to take advantage of the snorkeling gear the Ferry or Plane serve provides for you – the snorkeling was simply incredible. We are so glad we opted for that! If you get a chance to talk to a Ranger – do it! We had a fun time learning about the island and hearing about their fun lifestyle on the island.

PS! If you enjoy checking out beautiful National Park beach destinations check out our post about Cape Lookout National Seashore and Canaveral National Seashore. Both of these National Park sites are incredible!

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Recently we had a conversation with someone about visiting National Parks. The conversation revolved around how much time people spend in the parks. Do you need a week to visit a particular park? How much time do you need to really experience a park? Right now in life we are trying to experience as many parks as possible. Though we would love to spend weeks and weeks in some parks, we just can’t do that. We have jobs, bills, and limited vacation time. One day we will have the time. But until then, we will take what we can get.

Why did we write that? Because this post might not be for everyone. This is not for the person who has a week to spend in the Badlands. This is for someone who wants a really great overview on how to spend a day. A lot of times when people go to this part of the country, they are hitting up a wide range of parks and activities, so a day is all they have. If that is you, this post should be pretty helpful.

There are two units to the Badlands, the North and South. The North is where most people end up. It has the majority of the trails, scenic drives, and things to do. The South Unit is located in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. This is where you can get a ton of information on the Lakota heritage of those who have lived here for centuries.

Around Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park is located about an hour east of Rapid City, South Dakota. Many people will use this town as their launching off point for a trip in this area of the country. There is good reason for that. Custer State Park, Jewel Cave, Wind Cave, Crazy Horse Monument, The Black Hills, and Mt. Rushmore are all great places to visit from Rapid City. Rapid City has an awesome downtown area with plenty of awesome restaurants and shopping. We enjoyed our time visiting this trendy and fun city. If you have kids, make sure you take them up to Dinosaur Park. Great views of the city below and you get to see a bunch of roadside attraction style dinosaurs.

When we were on our road trip, we stayed closer to the park in Wasta – about a 20 minute drive. Wasta is a “town” of 130 people. There are a couple of airbnbs in the area, but not a ton. We liked our time here, felt safe and friendly.

Wall

Wall is the better known town in the area and about 10 minutes closer than Wasta to the Badlands. This is the closest town to the Badlands with hotels, dining, and of course, Wall Drug. Wall Drug is the world’s greatest roadside attraction. It is more than a store or restaurant, it is an experience. This place takes up a couple of blocks and has something for everyone. Tons of souvenirs, $.05 coffee, statues of famous Wild West characters, jackalopes you can get on, and plenty of gag gifts. If you are in to roadside attractions and tourist traps, this is for you. If not, stop by any way so you can say you have experienced it. It is worth at least 20-30 minutes.

Wall is home to the only grocery store we could find in the immediate area of the Badlands. There might be others, but we couldn’t find them. It is pretty much a large convenience store but it has all of the staples that you will need. This is where we stocked up on food for dinner and lunch the next day.

Minute Man Missile National Historic Site

There is another National Park unit around the Badlands, Minute Man Missile National Historic Site tells the story of the roughly 1,000 missile silos hidden in plain sight through the Great Plains region of the U.S. These missiles were active for 30 years during the Cold War. There are still a couple of hundred that are active today.

They have a really great visitor center off of exit 131 on I-90 (same exit as one of the main entrances to the Badlands). It does a great job telling the story of the Cold War and has some really fantastic pieces of history. Our kid enjoyed doing the Junior Ranger book while we were there.

You can tour a couple of their facilities to see the actual missiles. These require advanced reservations and they tend to fill up fast. Check the park site for details on that. There is a $12 fee to do the tours.

Entering The Badlands

As with most National Parks out west, overcrowding has become a huge issue. When it comes to this park in particular, we can’t stress enough how important it is for you to get there early to beat the crowds. This park is open 24 hours a day, plenty of amazing spots for star gazing, but most people start to show up around 8:30-9 am. We would recommend getting to the park no later than 8 am if you only have one day and want to experience everything. This will allow you to beat the crowds at the heaviest trafficked areas and get ahead of everyone as you head through the park.

Entrances

There are three entrances to the park – the Northeast Entrance, the Interior Entrance, and the Pinnacles Entrance. The Northeast Entrance is off of I-90 at exit 131. This is the entrance people will use if they are coming from the east or from Minute Man Missile. The Interior Entrance comes in from the south off of Highway 44, not too many people will come from this way, but it is an option. The Pinnacles Entrance is the entrance closest to Wall. A lot of people use this one when staying in the towns of Wall, Wasta, and Rapid City. We recommend using the Northeast entrance and taking the road all the way through the park. This way, there is no doubling back and you get to the hiking portions earlier in the day.

When we drove through, we went all the way to the Sage Creek Rim Road out to Highway 590. There is a sign that tells you that you are entering the National Park, but there is not an entrance gate. We think you can enter through here, but you will need to pay at one of the gates. Don’t want to get pulled over without a pass for the day (and you shouldn’t try and cheat the parks haha).

Entrance Fees

It costs $30 per vehicle for a week long pass. This covers everyone in your car. If you are in this area you might be headed to Devil’s Tower, Yellowstone, or the Tetons. If that is you, go ahead and get the American the Beautiful National Parks Pass. It is $80 for the year and gets you into places all over the country. If you have a 4th grader, you can get one for free.

Badlands National Park Visitor Centers

There are two visitor centers on the National Park property. The Ben Reifel visitor center is the main park headquarters and is located in the North Unit. The White River visitor center is located in the South Unit.

Ben Reifel

This visitor center is the main one for the park. There is a really great museum here where you can learn all about the unique geological formations throughout the park. They always have plenty of Rangers here and they are a wealth of information. These Rangers have the most up to date information and can give you info you won’t read in the pamphlet. It is always a great idea to talk to them about current conditions and events. They are the ones with the best pro tips. While you are here, don’t forget to grab your Junior Ranger book and your National Park passport stamp.

This park has plenty of picnic tables with some shade for you to eat your lunch (we highly recommend packing a lunch for this park, it is pretty much a must). There are also bathrooms, water fountains, and other hook ups in this area. After we ate lunch here, we hiked to the top of one of the nearby rock formations. There really is adventure all around you in this park.

White River

White River is where you go to learn all about the Lakota people and the special place the Badlands has played in their lives. There are many Lakota people who work in the park and share their vast knowledge with the visitors. This side is definitely less visited, but worth it if you have the time.

Wildlife In The Badlands National Park

The Badlands might not be known for its wildlife, but if you now where to look you can see a ton. The best place to check out the animals is along the Sage Creek Rim Road. This road will take you anywhere from 1-2 hours. There are a bunch of overlooks as well where you have views of the Badlands that others might miss. The Sage Creek Road takes you by a couple of awesome prairie dog towns – definitely stop at Robert’s Town. It is super cool and so many prairie dogs sticking their heads up!

Along this road is a huge herd of bison. If you get it at the right time you can get stuck right in the middle of all of them. It is really cool to be stuck in a bison traffic jam. There are also plenty of bighorn sheep, deer, and even a coyote or two.

Hiking The Badlands National Park

Our favorite thing we did in the Badlands was to get out and hike. This park is pretty crowded during peak season, so in order to get away from the crowds you have to get out on the trails. If you are not able to hike, the Badlands still has a ton to offer, beautiful scenery and boardwalks, so don’t let that keep you from visiting.

The Badlands has an “open hiking policy”. What that means is you can pretty much hike wherever you want to in the park. You can go on or off trail. This made it super fun for us, felt like we were forging our own path. Pro tip, it is easier to hike up one of the rock formations than down one. You might get stuck at the top with a very strenuous and difficult path down. Obviously, don’t do anything stupid or put yourself or your group in danger by going places that simply aren’t safe. Just have fun exploring.

Here are the trails that we did. We hiked all of them in a day. There are a lot of trails here, but they only add up to about 5 miles in total. We did do part of the Castle Trail as well. The Castle Trail is 10 miles, we did a section near Saddle Pass while we were up there. This section was an awesome walk through the high plains of South Dakota

Door Trail

The Door Trail was the first trail that we hiked when we got to the Badlands. It is in the same parking lot as the Window, Notch, and Castle trails. This trail is only about three-fourths of a mile of maintained trail. It starts with a really nice boardwalk through the rock formations. If you are not an avid hiker, this is a great place for you to check out. After the maintained trail ends, you can go on as long as you would like to. We loved being able to hike wherever we wanted to and adventuring at our own pace. Our son loved being able to just run around, jumping in and out of holes and climbing the different rocks. This area is like you are exploring another planet. It is amazing. It was super cool hiking as far out as we wanted to.

A word of caution. There are signs all over warning about snakes. We never saw any, but they are there. Also, this area can be dangerous. We saw a kid try and do a little too much more than he could handle and he hit his head pretty hard on the rocks. Have fun, run around, but be aware of your surroundings.

Window Trail

The Window Trail takes off from the very same parking lot as the Door and Notch Trails. This is by far the shortest of the three, and really might not even be considered a trail. It is still one that you should stroll down and enjoy the view out the “window” overlooking the canyon. This trail is just .25 miles, you can see the end from the parking lot, but like we said, it is a good view and spot for pictures.

Notch Trail

The Notch Trail was our favorite hike in all of the Badlands National Park and might be our favorite hike we have ever done. This hike is truly spectacular and offers so much. It would be great if you stayed on the trail alone, but the fact that you have open hiking here makes this area a place you can stay and play all afternoon.

This hike takes off from the Door and Window parking area and begins in a little canyon with awesome rock formations on both sides. Eventually, you make it to the log ladder that takes you up along the side of the canyon along a sometimes narrow ledge. After the ledge, you end up in another canyon, just on another level up and this is where you can really get out and explore.

A lot of people stop at the log ladder, they get to the top, get their pics for Instagram, and head back to the parking lot (take plenty of pics, but keep going!). There was nobody after the ledge. It was weird, people just disappeared. This was a really great place for us to get away from the crowds for a little bit. We actually had the whole walk from the ledge to the notch overlooking the White River Valley to ourselves. It is an epic view, one you don’t want to miss.

The highlight though is the log ladder. It looks really steep, but you can easily do it. This makes the trail exceptionally unique. There are a lot of drop-offs on this trail. Nothing super crazy, but if you are not careful you will get in trouble real fast.

Cliff Shelf

Cliff Shelf is probably the most different of all of the other trails at the Badlands. This is a half-mile loop trail that takes you through an actual juniper forest with shade. Yes, you can have a little bit of shade on this trail. You won’t find that anywhere else in the park! There are some stairs here as well as a nice boardwalk. We have heard that bighorn sheep like to hang out around here.

Saddle Pass

Saddle Pass is off of the Badlands Loop Road. It is a super steep hike up the side of the Badlands Wall. The trail is only a quarter of a mile, but it takes a while because you are scrambling. It is tough, but if you take your time it can be done. At the top of the wall you have a magnificent view of the White River Valley. It is pretty intense but worth it. At the top of the wall, you can continue on the Castle and Medicine Root Loop Trails and climb higher in elevation. This was a short trail, but the most difficult hiking we did the whole time we were there.

Fossil Exhibit Trail

This is a super short trail that takes you on a boardwalk with fossil replicas of animals that once roamed the park. This is a great place to get out and stretch your legs and let your kids imagination run wild.

What To Bring To Badlands National Park

As with most National Parks you need to be prepared for your trip. This is a post about one day in the park, so we tried to limit our what to bring list to that, no overnight stuff on this list. This does not include your typical first aid kit, sunscreen, and other basic needs.

• Hiking shoes -We really like the Merrell Moab 2’s (Megan wore her Tevas to the Badlands and honestly was happy with the decision – it was really hot and my feet were super dusty at the end of the day but it worked for me).
• Long hiking pants – There are a ton of snakes and no shade in this park, so it is good to keep your legs covered. However, we did not take this advice and wore shorts and were fine. These are Megan’s favorite “National Park” shorts.
• Water bottle – we love and use Tal water bottles. PS – if you go in the summer fill that water bottle with ice if you can. It will be so nice to use on your neck when the sun is getting to you.
• Binoculars– these are great for hiking with
• Cooler – for your picnic…you really need to plan for one!
• Big Hat – His and Hers
• Plenty of Food – snacks, picnic lunch, more snacks!
• Megan’s favorite small backpack

Takeaways

The Badlands National Park is one of our favorite places in the world to visit. Silas would say it is his all time favorite National Park! You could definitely spend multiple days exploring at this amazing place but it is also very doable to do in a day – (and still feel like you took in all there was to do)! Our best takeaway would be to get out and enjoy the trails. We couldn’t believe how few people were not actually out hiking. A ton of people were just cruising through and pulling over for just the view points. You get to see so much more when you get out to explore together. This park offers awesome trails in all sorts of hiking levels. Don’t let the ladder scare you! The Badlands can be very hot in the summer so don’t forget to bring plenty of water and wear those big hats! If you have the chance we would definitely say to put Badlands on your must do National Park list!

Have you been to Badlands National Park? What would be your must dos or takeaways? Share with us in the comments!

PS! If you love visiting National Parks and are looking for more inspiration check out our post about visiting the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Smoky Mountains National Park!

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There are a lot of factors that are at play with those numbers. It is on the east coast where there isn’t as much competition for other parks. It is located by a couple of really big tourists towns in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg on the Tennessee side, and Cherokee and Bryson City on the North Carolina side. But, the real reason why so many people go to this park year after year is because it is just a beautiful place with a ton to do. We recently went on a trip to the Smokies and had a blast. Here is all you need to know to have a great time on your visit.

About Great Smoky Mountains NP

The Smokies are a mountain range located on the border on North Carolina and Tennessee. The park is home to a very diverse plant and animal life. Because there is so much variation in elevation, rainfall, and temperature there are so many different types of plant – there are over 1600 different flowering plants alone! As far as wildlife, the Smokies are a great place to see black bears (over 1500 live here), elk, deer, wild turkeys, coyotes, and salamanders. We love searching out animals on our trips and the Smokies are a great place to do this.

The park has two main entrances that are connected by the Newfound Gap Road. This road is the main road for the whole park connecting the Gatlinburg, TN entrance to the Cherokee, NC entrance. This is a super scenic road and if you are just in the park for a day or two you will want to stick to this. There are other entrances to the park, and you will actually need to drive around the outside of the park to access many of the areas of the park. Look Rock, Abrams Creek, Twentymile, Cataloochee, Big Creek, and Greenbrier are all best (and sometimes only) accessed by leaving the park and driving around.

Where To Stay

There are plenty of campsites located throughout the park. If you like to backpack, tent camp, or park an RV or Skoolie, there is a spot for you. Most people however, opt for one of the awesome mountain towns surrounding the town.

The towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are a tourist lovers dream. There is anything and everything you could want or imagine. Plenty of great local and chain restaurants. Tons of hotels, cabins, apartments, and Airbnbs. A variety of nightlife, shows, aquariums, and museums. And for the shopper – everything from outlet malls to high end retailers. And of course, you can’t miss the most important thing from that area of Tennessee – Dollywood.

The North Carolina side is a lot quieter but they have plenty as well in Bryson City and Cherokee. Both of these towns are great to stay in and will keep you busy. A really great part of staying on this side is the amount of waterfalls that are available to you right outside of the park gates. Mingo Falls, Soco Falls, Indian Creek Falls, Juney Whank Falls, and Tom Branch Falls are all located on the North Carolina side of the park.

Great Smoky Mountains Visitor Centers

There are four visitors centers located throughout the park. Sugarlands, Oconaluftee, Cades Cove, and Clingmans Dome. You can get a National Park passport stamp at each one of these locations. Two of the centers are at the main entrances. The other two are a little off the road, but are major areas that you will want to visit.

Sugarlands and Oconaluftee (ask a Park Ranger how to say it and then enjoy saying it the rest of the day) are the two main entrance visitor centers. Sugarlands is on the Tennessee side at the Gatlinburg entrance. This is the most visited visitor center because it is so close to the more touristy towns of Tennessee. There is a nice gift shop and a pretty cool museum. Oconaluftee is a pretty new visitor center and has a really cool topographical map of the park as well as a great gift shop. In addition, there is a fantastic mountain farm museum that you can walk through and learn how families lived a 100 years ago.

The other two visitors centers are located in Cades Cove and Clingmans Dome. There isn’t too much to these two centers. Cades Cove is actually an open air structure that kind of looks like a giant bus stop and Clingmans is like an old camp canteen. They do have food and souvenirs to purchase at both places, but the real reason a National Park lover needs to go is for the passport stamp.

A bonus, the Clingmans Dome center has a passport stamp for the Appalachian Trail because it passes right through there. We were thrilled by that because we had just been to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia a couple of weeks before which is the halfway point of the AT. When we were there, all of the places to get the stamp were closed because of Covid and they didn’t have any out. Lucky for us, Clingmans Dome had them!

Cades Cove

Cades Cove is one of the coolest spots you can check out when you go to the Smokies. You can get to it from the entrance outside of the park off of Highway 73, but our favorite way to access the area is by taking Fighting Creek Gap and Little River Gorge Roads from the Gatlinburg entrance. The Little River section is one of the most beautiful drives we have ever been on. This drive is one of the highlights of the park. Take your time, make some stops, and enjoy.

Cades Cove is a peaceful valley area that was settled in the 1800s. It is an 11 mile loop road that takes you through a ton of awesome stops. You can get out and hike to waterfalls (Abrams and Laurel) and see a bunch of fantastic historic buildings. There is a church for every denomination as well as tons of historic homesteads. They make for a great place to explore.

What makes Cades Cove so special though is the wildlife. We definitely recommend going early in the morning or right before the sun sets. You can see black bears, deer, wild turkeys, coyotes and so many other awesome animals. This is such a fun place to slow down and take it easy.

This drive can take up to 2 hours on some days because it can get so crowded. Come prepared and pack a lot of patience if you are there on one of those busy days. Make sure you prepare for that. It also takes a while to get here, so plan on at least a half a day.

Take A Hike In The Great Smoky Mountains

Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the home of some incredible hikes for all different skill levels. There are far too many to name here, but we did want to point out a couple of the best ones.

The AT

The Appalachian Trail goes right through the park. There are a couple of really great places to hop on the trail and hike. Maybe the best is the hike from Newfound Gap to Charlie’s Bunion. It is a four mile one way hike with a little bit of elevation change. There are some tough spots, but the views along the way are well worth it.

Rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls is perhaps the most popular of all of the trails in the smokies. Parking is tough here so try and get here early. This trail follows LeConte Creek at the beginning and crosses through some beautiful vegetation before getting to the falls. Rainbow Falls is an 80-foot waterfall that is just stunning (when the water is flowing). The main parking area is off of Historic Nature Trail Drive in Gatlinburg.

Gatlinburg Trail

An easy and fun hike for just about anyone is the Gatlinburg Trail. This trail is located right by the Gatlinburg entrance. You can actually get on it from downtown (or the Sugarlands visitor center). This is a 3.9 miles trail that takes you by the Little Pigeon River. You can hike on this for as long as your kids legs can handle. There is a really beautiful bridge over the river. A great place to take some pictures. There are plenty of stops along the way where you can learn about the history of the park. You can also take a spur trail to Cataract Falls from this trail. This is a relatively easy, flat trail that most beginning hikers will be able to hike.

Abrams Falls

Abrams Falls is another great hike. This one is located in the Cades Cove area of the park. Abrams Falls is not a giant waterfall, but it is usually pretty full with some swift water. This trail is a 5.2 mile hike that takes you through some pretty scenery. We read somewhere that this is the 9th most dangerous hikes in all of the United States. We thought that was crazy.

There are so many other amazing hikes in the Smokies. Gregory Bald, Alum Cave, Mount LeConte and so many more. For the best hike for your ability and family, we definitely recommend stopping by one of the visitors centers and talking to a Park Ranger. They can point you in the right direction for a great time with your group.

Clingman’s Dome

Clingman’s Dome is the highest point in the Smokies and at one point was thought to be the highest point east of the Mississippi. Now it ranks third behind Mt. Mitchell and Mt. Craig. This mountain is over 6,600 feet tall and has an incredible viewing tower at the peak. It is a fun spiral walkway up to the top. On a clear day you can see up to 100 miles, but it is the Smokies so those days are few and far between. Either way, there are plenty of great views no matter the weather.

To get to Clingmans Dome take the Newfound Gap Road (Hwy. 441) to Clingmans Dome Road. It is pretty much right between Gatlinburg and Cherokee. From the parking lot it is about a half-mile trail to the summit. It is a pretty steep trail. There are a ton of places to stop and sit on benches, all with spectacular views. The road does close during the winter, so if you come during that time you will need to hike up (and that is miles and miles!). You can’t miss Clingmans Dome on your visit to the Smokies.

Mingus Mill

The Smoky Mountains and surrounding areas are full of historical buildings. These buildings tell the story of the different people that settled in this area through the years. An important part of life in those days revolved around mills. Many of the old mills have been restored, none better than Mingus Mill.

The Mingus Mill parking area is located on the North Carolina side of Newfound Gap Road near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. It is a short walk over a beautiful little creek to get to the mill that was built way back in 1886. This is still a working mill today and it is staffed with millers who will be able to educate you on all things dealing with mountain life. We sat and talked with them for a while about mountain music – some are pretty great musicians.

Throughout the year they offer special programs. They have everything from educational programs to bluegrass concerts on the porch. This is a great place to relax, go on the nearby trail, or have a picnic.

Wildlife Viewing

Roaring Fork

There are so many great places to check out wildlife throughout the park. Many of the places you can view from the comfort of your own car. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a super fun one-way 5.5 mile loop road. There are plenty of historic buildings, cabins and mills, beautiful streams, and an old looking forest. This is a great place to see animals in the wild.

Cataloochee

Cataloochee is a favorite for people looking for elk. They were reintroduced into the Smokies in 2001 and they have thrived. If you want to see elk, try and get there first thing in the morning or at sundown. They are so fun to watch and listen to. The easiest way to get there is to take I-40 at NC exit 20, just follow the signs to Cataloochee from there. If you want a more adventurous route, come in from Tennessee on Highway 32. Just don’t do it if you get car sick easily.

Cades Cove

Cades Cove is probably the best place to see black bears. There are a bunch in the area. The key to seeing them is to be patient and to be there in the morning or right before the sun goes down. Find a good pull off spot in a valley and see if you can see them running around. Also, black bears in the mountains are often found in the trees. So, make sure you look up as much as you look down.

Newfound Gap Road

Another really great spot to see elk is the valley by the Mingus Mill parking area on Newfound Gap Road. We were just driving by and saw a huge herd right before it got dark. There were Park Rangers directing traffic and answering questions. It was a great experience. The Rangers said they are out there just about every day, so make sure you plan to be there around sundown.

Newfound Gap

The Newfound Gap parking area is located near mile marker 15 along the Newfound Gap Road. This is a great place to relax and take a lunch break with some incredibly scenic views. You can climb the Rockefeller Overlook that towers over the parking area. Great views from the top. The Appalachian Trail crosses right through this area. You can get on the trail here and hike for a couple of miles just to say you have been on it. This is also the state line of North Carolina and Tennessee, always fun to be in two states at once.

Great Smoky Mountains Packing List

You should always be prepared when heading to a National Park! Click here to sign up for our newsletter and receive our packing list for any trip we go on. For the Smokies, we wanted to highlight a couple of items that will help you have the best experience as possible.

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• Hiking boots – with all of the hiking in this park, you will need to have a good pair of boots, these are the ones that we use and we love them!
• Backpack – this pack is a little more on the expensive side for a day use pack, but it is lightweight with plenty of storage.
• Water bottle – always pack a water bottle that can be reused. This is a good one.
• Scope – we always carry a pair of binoculars but recently got a scope and have been able to see animals up close and personal. When we went to Yellowstone the people who had a scope had much better views of wildlife. If you can invest in one and go to parks a lot, go for it. These can go into the high hundreds, might want to start cheaper and see if you use it.
• Fanny pack – you read that right, fanny packs are back! This one is great for going into the woods for a couple of hours. You can hold a water bottle, some snacks, your phone, and you are good to go!

We hope you have a blast visiting Great Smoky Mountain National Park! We know we did, can’t wait to go back! What are some of your favorite places to visit while in the park? Leave a comment below and let us know.

For more guides to National Park units, check out our posts on Pipestone National Monument, Congaree National Park, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Big Thicket, Tuskegee, Gettysburg, or Canaveral National Seashore.

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Field Of Dreams

What got us to this part of Iowa was the Field of Dreams. Growing up, this was Justin’s favorite movie (might still be). You know the movie, man hears a voice in Iowa cornfield, he rips it out, builds a baseball field, and a bunch of dead ball players come and play. When we found out that the actual movie set was open we decided to make it part of our itinerary. The most famous line in the movie is “If you build it, he will come”. Well, they built the set and we went – and had a blast!

The Field of Dreams movie location is located in Dyersville, Iowa. It is literally in the middle of miles and miles and miles of cornfields – just like in the movie. Driving up was one of the coolest experiences of our whole trip, seeing the lights pop up over the corn fields was super cool. You drive up and you are transported right into the movies – it is the exact same thing! Best part about the whole thing – it is totally free!

You can play baseball on the actual field. For this baseball family we thought we were in Heaven, not Iowa. We made sure we had our baseball equipment and went out and had so much fun playing catch, running around the bases, and walking in and out of the cornfield.

The other part of the movie set you can check out is the home of the Kinsella family. This is a 30 minute tour that takes place every hour. The cost is $20 for an adult and $12 per kid. We didn’t do this, but have heard it is worth it.

They have a great little concession stand along the third base line, just like you would have at a regular little league field. Really authentic. Something new that they have is the gift shop run by Baseballism. This is a super cool gift shop with some really unique gifts. Any Northeast Iowa road trip has to take you to the Field of Dreams.

Effigy Mounds National Monument

We are on a quest to visit all of the National Park Sites in the continental United States before our kid graduates high school. So, most of the time we travel we find routes that have these sites along the way. We were excited that Effigy Mounds was near this area.

Effigy Mounds is located in Harpers Ferry, Iowa on the banks of the Mississippi River. This is an ancient American Indian mound-building site. There are many theories out there as to why these 200+ mounds were built, but all agree that this is a sacred site for the more than 20 tribes who have lived in this area. These mounds are in the shape of different animals. It is pretty sweet to hike around and hunt these down.

In order to see this park you will need to do some hiking. There is a north and south side to Effigy Mounds. The south side is an easier hike with little elevation change. From here you will be able to see the March Bear Group mounds. The north side is the more challenging hike. You are pretty much going straight uphill at the beginning, but once up there you get some incredible views of the Mississippi River. We didn’t realize that there were cliffs like this in Iowa. A really fun surprise. There are a bunch of lookout points, Fire Point is about a two-mile hike round trip from the parking lot, Twin Views is about three miles, and if you feeling really adventurous you can do the seven-mile hike to Hanging Rock.

Make sure you get your National Park Passport stamp as well as the Junior Ranger Badge while you are there. This is a great stop on any Northeast Iowa road trip.

The Stockman House

Frank Lloyd Wright is considered the greatest architect in American history. In 1908 he built a house, The Stockman House, in Mason City, Iowa. This house remains as an early example of the Prairie School style of architecture. We aren’t really into architecture, but were wowed by this building. What stood out to us the most was the fact that it was built so long ago. The house feels so modern yet it is over 100 years old.

Tours are available on a first come, first served basis. They can get expensive, around $15 per person and they last an hour. If you want to just walk around the grounds you are able to do that. We happened upon someone who was part of the historical society. They were great and told us all we needed to know.

Mason City is a cool little town. A lot of the buildings are inspired by the Stockman House. Just driving around is fun in itself. A great place to get off of the main roads on your Northeast Iowa road trip.

Pikes Peak State Park

Pikes Peak State Park is located just south of McGregor, Iowa along the shore of the Mississippi. This is a great place to go hiking along the cliffs of the Mississippi. From this park you will have a ton of great views of the river. You even have a waterfall just a short hike from the main parking lot.

There is no entry fee to get into the park, but there are fees for camping. Overall, there are 11 and a half miles of hiking with views of the surrounding towns, Bridal Veil Falls, fossil remains, and the sheer limestone walls. This is a great place to stop for the afternoon – or spend the night if you have an skoolie or RV.

Historic McGregor Iowa

McGregor, Iowa is a historic town on the Mississippi River in between Effigy Mounds and Pikes Peak State Park. This town rose to prominence during the 1870’s because the ferry service that ran between the two banks of the river. When a train was headed west, they would disassemble the cars, ferry them across, and put them back together in McGregor. At this time, McGregor was the busiest shipping port west of Chicago. Unfortunately for the town, the railroads decided to build a bridge, and the boom town went bust.

Today though McGregor is a quaint little downtown that transports you back in time. They have some pretty cool shops, a lot of food options, and even an “old west” themed area. McGregor is a great place to take a break after a day at one of the two local parks.

Barrel Drive In

Barrel Drive In. Yep, that’s the name. The Barrel Drive In is a 1950’s era driven in diner located in West Union, Iowa that specializes in broasted chicken. If you are wondering what broasted chicken is – we were too. We asked our carhop what it was. His response “it is chicken that is put in our broaster.” Well…thanks, I guess? We laughed and laughed because we have no idea what a broaster is anyway. (The service here was awesome, the kid we asked was like 13 and had no idea, but they were amazing!!!)

So, broasted chicken is a midwest tradition. It is kind of like fried chicken but cooked with a combination of pressure cooking and deep frying. It is pretty delicious. The best things that we had there though were the onion rings, the milkshakes, and Megan especially loved the chocolate malt. We felt like we were in Back To The Future when we were there. Definitely check that out.

We don’t know if we will be back through this section of Iowa, but we hope to one day. What were some things we missed out on? What would you want to check out from this list?

If you are looking for more road trip adventure ideas check out our Kentucky Road Trip or Southwest Virginia.

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The post Is This Heaven? No – It’s Northeast Iowa first appeared on Go The Adventure Way.

We have lived in North Carolina our whole lives but until the last four years we had never been there either. It is hard to imagine us leaving this perfect place off of our list of favorite North Carolina beaches from now on. We have been multiple times now and will continue to go back as long as we are in the area. With 112 miles of uninhabited shoreline, crystal clear water, wild horses, and a beautiful lighthouse – once you go you will see why it is one of our faves.

Because so many people haven’t been to Cape Lookout, we wanted to put together a little information to help you plan your first (next) trip. Here is all you need to know for Cape Lookout National Seashore.

Where Is Cape Lookout

Cape Lookout National Seashore is located along the coast of North Carolina between Fort Macon and Ocracoke. The seashore makes up the southern part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Cape Lookout National Seashore is made up of three main islands that separate the Atlantic Ocean from the various sounds along the North Carolina coast. Shackleford Banks is on the southwest area of the seashore, South Core Banks is located in the middle of the seashore (and is where Cape Lookout is), and North Core Banks in the northeast area of the seashore.

How To Get To Cape Lookout

Maybe one of the reasons why not too many people list Cape Lookout as one of their favorite beaches is because it is tough to get to. If you don’t own your own boat, you will need to take a ferry to get to Cape Lookout. The National Park Systems has contracted with local ferry operators to get people back and forth from the seashore. There is a charge for each ferry service.

It is important to note that there are different locations you will need to take off from to get to the different parts of Cape Lookout. With most of the ferries, you are allowed a couple of personal items per person. You will need them – much more on that later in the post.

From Harkers Island

The main visitor’s center and point of departure is located on Harkers Island. Harkers Island is a beautiful little fishing community about 25 minutes east of Beaufort. It is out of the way, but it is such a fun drive that takes you through the beginning of the Outer Banks Scenic Byway.

From Harkers Island you can go to the west end of Shackleford Banks or Cape Lookout Lighthouse area on the Island Express Ferry. The ferry stops at Shackleford Banks first and then goes to the lighthouse. If you want to do both in a day, you can purchase the two islands in one day ticket (about $10 more), spend some time on Shackleford Banks, then head to the lighthouse on a later ferry (you will have to make sure there is room). It is about a 15-20 minute ferry ride from Harkers Island to Cape Lookout Lighthouse.

The cost to ride the ferry is $18 for adults 12 and over and $11 for kids 3-11. During peak season the ferry runs every 30 minutes from this location. You can make reservations in advance, but walk-ons are welcome.

From Beaufort

Beaufort is one of our favorite towns on the Inner Banks. It is full of history and fun – a great place to spend the weekend. There are numerous ferry services that operate out of Beaufort, but once again Island Express is the official ferry service from this location. There are two options from Beaufort.

The first option is the ferry to Cape Lookout Lighthouse. This ferry fills up fast so you will need to reserve your spot plenty of time in advance. This is a four-hour narrated roundtrip ferry ride. It is a 45-minute one way and you have between 2-2 and a half hours at the lighthouse area. Along the way you will see the wild horses of Shackleford Banks and maybe even some dolphins. The cost is $35 for adults 12 and up and $25 for kids 3-11.

The second option from Beaufort is the 15-20 minute ride to the west end of Shackleford Banks. This ferry drops you off and will pick you up at your desired pick up time. The cost is $18 for adults and $11 for kids.

From Ocracoke

From Ocracoke you can take Rudy Austin’s Portsmouth Island Boat Tour. You can either be dropped off at historic Portsmouth Village on the northern end of Cape Lookout or simply take the 90-minute boat tour of the surrounding area. Capt. Austin is an Ocracoke native and it is an experience not to be missed. You will need to call for availability and prices.

Vehicle Ferry Locations

You can take your four-wheel drive vehicle out on the beach at Cape Lookout. You will need to get a permit and take one of the vehicle ferries. The vehicle ferries take off from Atlantic and Davis, both small villages on the inner banks. The cost to get your vehicle to the island runs from $35 to $400 depending on the size.

Things To Do At Cape Lookout

There is plenty to do at Cape Lookout National Seashore. It is the perfect place to spend a week or come back over and over again for day trips.

Visit The Lighthouse

The Cape Lookout Lighthouse is one of the seven coastal lighthouses in North Carolina. At 169 feet, this lighthouse is the second tallest in North Carolina and the fifth-tallest in the United States. Visitors to the lighthouse can explore the whole light station area. This includes the lighthouse as well as the surrounding living quarters and storage areas.

To climb the lighthouse, you will need to purchase a ticket at the Light Station Visitor Center. This is the visitor’s center located where the ferry drops you off at on Cape Lookout. Tickets are $10 per person and $5 for kids 12 and under. Your ticket is time stamped and you will need to show up at least 10 minutes before your climb time. The reason for this is only 10 people can be at the upper level of the lighthouse at a time. They do not give refunds to late arrivals.

This is a pretty strenuous journey to the top. There are 207 steps and you will feel them. However, the view from the top is well worth it. Kids must be 44-inches or taller to climb because of the wind at the top, so keep that in mind. If you can’t make it to the top, there is a pretty cool panoramic picture in the nearby Keeper Quarters Museum.

Spend A Day At The Beach

Cape Lookout has something for everyone when it comes to hanging out on the beach. The best way to break it down is sound side or ocean side.

In a lot of ways the sound side reminds us of a Caribbean beach. The water is crystal clear and there are not too many waves. This is where you want to go if you have kids that like to get in the water or if you like to be around people while you are at the beach. There are a ton of boats that come in and out which is pretty cool to watch. It is a perfect spot to spend a beach day.

The ocean side is for people who want the whole beach to themselves. Every time we have gone we have had times where we look both ways and don’t see anyone else for miles. It is crazy. The waves can get really big here, so you will see surfers from time to time. From the sound to the ocean it is about a five minute walk. It is crazy how different it can be.

Hunt For Some Shells

One of our favorite pastimes at the beach is going shelling. We love walking down the beach hunting for sea shells. The best place we have found so far for this is Cape Lookout. Because it juts so far out into the ocean and few people make it out there, you can find shells pretty easily. If you head out there as the tide is going out you will be able to see so many just sitting there.

Shackleford Banks

Shackleford Banks is one of the islands that make up the seashore. This island is ideal for fishing and swimming. The eastern side is protected from the ocean by Cape Lookout. Because of this, the water around it is pretty shallow and you can walk out to the many sand bars surrounding it. This island has the largest maritime forest in the world.

As great as all of that stuff is, the reason why people go to Shackleford Banks is the herd of wild horses that live here. The are over 100 horses in the herd. Nobody knows where these horses came from, but there are some great theories out there. Some say they were shipwrecked and swam to shore, others say they were thrown overboard to lighten the load. No matter where these horses came from, they have been here for centuries and have found a way to survive in some rough conditions. We can’t get over how they get by with all of the hurricanes that come through this area.

If you get a chance to stop by Shackleford Banks, remember to give the horses some room. They are not domesticated, so be careful!

Camping

You can camp on the beach at Cape Lookout National Seashore. You don’t even need a permit to do it. Now, there are no designated camp sites. All of the camping is anywhere you can find along the beach. Also, all of the camping is primitive. No water, no facilities, just you and your loved ones in nature. This might not be the place for people who are new to camping, but if you are seasoned what better way to enjoy camping than out on an island with no light anywhere near you?

Visit A Village

Cape Lookout National Seashore has multiple uninhabited villages that take you back in time. These are fishing, shipping, and lifesaving villages that were once important places in the life of coastal North Carolina. As other towns and ports sprung up, these places lost their status, but they still stand today reminding visitors of a time long gone.

The most famous of these villages is Portsmouth Village. This area is only accessible by the Ocracoke Ferry (or private boat). Once in the village you can visit the general store, post office, some historical homes, and the local church. The village is open seasonally, so check the times and dates on the National Park page.

Make Sure You Know These Things

Come Prepared

You are allowed a couple of personal items each on the ferry to the barrier islands. If you are going to be out there for any amount of time make sure you take advantage of this. We always bring all of our beach equipment like our chairs, coolers, toys, and games. We never know what we will end up doing so it is good to come prepared.

No matter what though make sure you bring plenty of food and water. Once you get to the barrier islands you are pretty much on your own. We typically bring a couple of gallons of water and more than enough snacks. You will not be upset if you do this.

Facilities

There are not a ton of facilities once you get to the barrier islands. Most of the major points of interests have bathroom facilities and water fountains. Besides that, you are on your own. Make sure you come prepared.

At the Cape Lookout Lighthouse area there is a small shop where you can purchase beach equipment, water, souvenirs, and snacks. We would not recommend counting on that being open, it can be hit or miss.

Hiking

There are no hiking trails on the barrier islands (there are two trails through the forest by the Harkers Island Visitor’s Center). However, you can hike for hours and hours along the beach. There are some really cool places that you can get to as well – whether that is an old fishing village or lifesaving station. Make sure you have plenty of water and good hiking shoes.

Shuttle Service

The islands of Cape Lookout are pretty large. There are no roads, so if you are trying to get to one end or another you will have a long walk ahead of you (unless you have your own off-road vehicle).

There is one shuttle service that we know of on the island. The shuttle is at the Cape Lookout Lighthouse area and takes you to the northern end of the island where the shelling is especially good. There is a fee for this service, so bring some cash.

Places To Stay

In addition to the primitive camping at Cape Lookout there are a couple of places that you can stay on the islands. Great Island Cabin Camp is located on the South Core Banks and has a little over 20 cabins. These cabins are wired for generators – need to bring your own, and have bathrooms inside. These can house between 4 and 12 people and prices range from $80-$180 per night. Not bad for your own place right on the ocean.

Long Point Cabin Camp is located on North Core Banks and has 10 units. These are duplexes that can hold 6 per half or 12 for the whole building. Much like Great Island Camp, Long Point Cabin Camp is pretty primitive but provides some good place for families to fish or hit the beach.

There it is – all you need to know for your next trip to Cape Lookout National Seashore. Have you ever been? What are your favorite places to go when you are there?

Planning a trip to other North Carolina beaches? Check out our posts on the Outer Banks National Parks, 8 Inner Banks Towns You Must Visit, Fort Fisher and Carolina Beach,

Want to hit up another National Seashore? Check out our Getaway to Canaveral National Seashore.

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The post Everything You Need To Know For Cape Lookout National Seashore first appeared on Go The Adventure Way.

Where Is Pipestone National Monument?

Pipestone National Monument is located in Pipestone, Minnesota in the southwest corner of the state. It is about a 30 minute drive north of I-90. If you are in the east and heading to the South Dakota or Wyoming parks, it could seem like too long of a detour. We thought it was worth it.

The town of Pipestone is mainly a farming community but they have a great downtown area with shopping and dining. We ate lunch at Lange’s Cafe. This food was so good! Some really great comfort food that was made to order with some fresh ingredients. They also have a ginormous dessert menu with tons of pies. This was almost worth the detour in itself.

Around the corner from the downtown area sits Fort Pipestone. This is a replica of a fort from pioneer days that is free to explore. You can find American Indian crafts and souvenirs for sale here, including many that are made from pipestone (including ceremonial pipes). The fort is only open from May to October. The National Monument is literally right around the corner from fort, super convenient.

Why Go To Pipestone National Monument?

Pipestone really blew us away. We had no idea that this beautiful landscape was hiding inside the town. Matter of fact, the Park Ranger told us that a lot of people who live in and around the Park don’t even realize it’s there and don’t visit! For us, this truly is a hidden gem in Minnesota and the National Park System.

What is Pipestone anyway? As East Coast people, we had no idea! Pipestone is considered to be the the thick bedrock layers of ancient rock called Sioux Quartzite that are now exposed. Pipestone National Monument was founded in 1937 to preserve this sacred American Indian site. This is still an active quarry and the stones collected are still used to carve into their sacred pipes and other crafts.

The park may seen small and unassuming compared to some of the larger well known National Parks. But – the beautiful red and pink rock formations are something you don’t see everyday. Truly it is magnificent to see in person, to touch and explore. The park is really well laid out with a trail along the pipestone formations teaching you the history and importance along the way.

What is there to do in Pipestone National Monument?

Circle Trail

The Circle trail is a 3/4 mile trail that leads you through the park along each significant landmark. The trail is easy and paved with a few little spur trails or places to climb into the quarry to get a view. It may seem like this isn’t a big deal…but we thoroughly enjoyed it. There is so much to see and discover along the trail that we spent way more time than you think you would.

You walk through the Tall Grass Prairie, the Pipestone Rock Formations, climb to get a view up top and see the oracle, walk to Winnewissa Falls, follow the river path and see an active quarry. So much to see in less than a mile! This really is a great place for kids to run and explore. Don’t forget to get your junior ranger badge too!

Tall Grass Praire

We loved taking our time walking through the Tall Grass Prairie. Because of it’s protected status this native habitat is one of the only Tall Grass Prairie’s left in America. There are a lot of unique and rare plant species found here and even one that is endangered. The day we went it was really windy…which was awesome because it kept the bugs away! The many flowers and grasses were in bloom and it was stunning. Side note, you can also snowshoe along the trail of the Tall Grass Prairie during the winter if the weather allows for it! Don’t rush through this special landscape.

Pipestone Rock Formations

Once you pass through the Tall Grass Prairie the Rock Formations jump out of nowhere. They are truly incredible and the colors are stunning. It was almost as if you are transported to another part of the world it is so sudden. The trail takes you right up close and you are taken away as they keep going and going. We loved climbing up to get a view from the top. Honestly the rocks almost didn’t seem real they were so perfect.

Winnewassa Falls

This was a total surprise for us! We had no idea this park held such a beautiful waterfall. This is a super easy waterfall to get to…we are used to hiking up major mountains to get this kind of view. We spent a while just soaking up the refreshing spray and shade in this section of the trail. You can also climb to the top of the waterfall (super easy) for another angle. Probably the biggest surprise of the experience.

The 3 Maidens

This portion of the park is not located on the Circle Trail. You will pass the 3 Maidens as you enter the park and it’s easy to find. The 3 Maidens are a spiritually significant spot for Native Americans. They still bring offerings and honor this area so people are asked to not climb or sit on the rocks here. This is a granite boulder that was most likely brought here by a glacier at some point that has split into 3 separate pieces. There is a lot of history and stories surrounding these interesting and out of place rocks. The visitor center is a great place to discover more about these and also view some of the ancient petroglyph slabs that at one time surrounded them!

Active Quarries

One of the neat aspects of this park is that it is still used as an active Quarry. The quarrying of pipestone is a slow and difficult process. The American Indians still use many hand tools and long hours to extract this stone. You can view one of the quarry sites along the Circle Trail. Most quarrying is done in the fall. This is a skill and craft that only a small number of people still do.

Takeaways

Don’t overlook this special National Monument! We were so taken by it and would love to visit again one day. Don’t think you will just run in and out of this one. Really take some time to enjoy and appreciate all of the special aspects found in Pipestone! It was a special find for us!

Have you been to Pipestone National Monument? What did you think? What are some other smaller, lesser known National Park Sites that you have enjoyed! We would love to know!

PS! If you like visiting National Park Sites, check out our Guide to the National Parks of the Outer Banks, our 5 Yosemite Views you Must see or Visiting the Missions in San Antonio.

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The post Pipestone National Monument Day Trip Guide first appeared on Go The Adventure Way.

The San Antonio Missions

The city of San Antonio was founded over 300 years ago and the Spanish missions followed shortly after. These missions are spread out along the Camino Real de Tejas. This road went from Mexico City to Louisiana originally. There are four missions run by the National Park Service located along the Camino Real in and around San Antonio (The Alamo is run by the state of Texas). These sites are still active churches where worship services occur on Sundays and other religious holidays. Today, the missions are all connected by the Mission Trail.

The Mission Trail is an incredible road that runs from Mission Espada in the south all the way to the Alamo in downtown San Antonio. We recommend driving because there are plenty of places to stop along the San Antonio River, but if you fly in there is a bus service that stops at all of the missions.

The best way to visit the missions is to start in the south and move north towards downtown. The missions get larger as you go this route, so it just gets better and better. Mission Espada is the farthest south. This is the first mission built in all of Texas, all the way back in 1690. These are beautiful grounds here and a wonderful little chapel. The next one up is Mission San Juan. This one was probably our least favorite, but still beautiful.

Mission San Jose is next and this one is definitely a can’t miss. Before you get there though, make sure you stop between San Juan and San Jose along the river, so pretty! Mission San Jose is the main mission. This is where you will find the visitor center for the National Parks, get your stamps, do the Junior Ranger activities, and learn most of the history. It is crazy how big the grounds are here, and the architecture is amazing. Mission Concepcion is the final mission before the Alamo. It is simply stunning. Definitely take some time to go down the Mission Trail.

Japanese Tea Garden

We love a good Japanese Tea Garden, who doesn’t? We fell in love with Japanese Tea Gardens during our time in San Francisco a couple of years ago. When we heard that San Antonio had one we knew we had to check it out!

These gardens are run by the city and have been open to the public since 1901. The park used to be a rock quarry but was transformed into a beautiful garden. There are some incredible bridges, winding walkways through beautiful gardens, a pretty impressive waterfall feature, ponds, and an immense pavilion at the entrance overlooking the whole park.

The tea garden does have a restaurant but it wasn’t the most authentic place to grab some tea. Meg is a true tea drinker so she was a little disappointed in the selection there. But, it is a good place to grab a bite to eat and a drink.

An interesting part of the garden is the main entrance actually says Chinese Tea Garden. The reason for that is because during World War II they changed the name and never changed that sign. It stands as a pretty somber reminder of that time in history.

The gardens get very crowded during the day, so try and go early or late (which helps beat the heat too). The park is open 7 am to 5 pm 365 days a year. Admission is free. This is not the best tea garden we have been to but is definitely worth a visit.

Remember The Alamo

If you are going to San Antonio you have to visit the Alamo. This is the symbol not only of the city but the state of Texas. This is one of the most important historical landmarks in the United States and it is special to be on the grounds there.

The Alamo is owned by the State of Texas and is run by the Alamo Trust. They do a fantastic job of telling the story of the brave men and women of the Alamo leading up to the battle but also the history before it.

As weird as it sounds, our least favorite part of our visit at the Alamo was actually going inside the Alamo. You can’t take pictures in there which is understandable, and it is pretty dark and plain in there. The rest of the grounds are the highlight in our opinion. They have a great gift shop there as well.

The Alamo opens every day at 9 and closes at 5:30 or 7 pm depending on the time of year you visit. There is no admission charge to enter the Alamo, though there are some guided tours that come highly recommended that have a charge.

Explore The Riverwalk

The crown jewel of the whole city is the San Antonio Riverwalk. Overall the Riverwalk is 15 miles long with 5 miles going through downtown. This is one of the most beautiful places you will find in any city in the U.S. There are incredible walkways on both sides of the river, world-famous bridges, incredible restaurants, fantastic shopping, and stunning gardens. It is a perfect place to go for a peaceful stroll in the morning and get out in crowds for some exciting nightlife.

The Riverwalk is free to walk down but for a relatively small fee you can book a trip on one of the many boats that go up and down the river. Go Rio Cruises offers different types of cruises depending on the time of year you visit. If you can go around Christmas, try and go at night so you can get the Christmas light cruise. We were able to do that and had so much fun. The lights go on the day after Thanksgiving and stay up a couple of days after the New Year.

Historic Market Square

Market Square is an incredibly colorful open air market where you can find just about anything you need. It is a place that is simply full of life. There is great live music, street performers, food vendors, and so much more. You have to get over to this historic shopping area when you are in San Antonio.

We had so much fun shopping and finding some pretty cool stuff from San Antonio. You can get lost for hours shopping in this area. However, the best thing about the open air market might be the churros! The churros we bought here were easily the best ones we have ever eaten – and we have had Disneyland churros. Crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. Just fantastic!

Tower of the Americas

The Tower of the Americas soars 750-feet above the San Antonio skyline. It is a great place to get some epic views of the city. The tower was built for the World’s Fair in 1968 and celebrated San Antonio turning 250 years old. In addition to the observation deck at the top the site offers an immersive 4D theater and a gift shop. There is a cafe at the foot of the tower with reasonably priced food and Chart House Restaurant at the top. You typically will need to make a reservation for this place and expect to pay over $100 for a date night.

The cost for a ticket is $14.50 for adults, $11.50 for kids 3-12, and under 3 there is no charge. There are military and senior discounts as well. The ticket covers the observation deck, the 4D Theater, and Flags Over Texas. They do charge for parking, so expect another $8-15 depending on the day. The tower is open 4-10 pm Monday – Thursday, 12-11 pm Friday and Saturday, and 12-10 pm Sunday.

San Antonio: The Saga

This was a super unexpected highlight of our time in San Antonio. We absolutely loved this! San Antonio: The Saga is a laser light show that plays on the historic San Fernando Cathedral. This is the oldest operating sanctuary in North America, and it is located right in the middle of San Antonio. This show tells the story of San Antonio and it really is amazing, you can’t miss this.

San Antonio: The Saga is a 24-minute, 7,000 square foot projection show that plays every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This show is completely free to the public. There are usually three showings every night, but the hours change depending on the night you go so make sure you check their website in advance. This show is scheduled to go on until 2024, so get there soon!

Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery

We ate a ton of really great food in San Antonio but our favorite experience was at Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery. This place is kind of touristy but in a really good way. It is located in Historic Market Square and there is always a line to get in. This place has a tasty bakery, an awesome food menu, and a pretty large bar area.

Everything we had was really great. All of us enjoyed our meals. Megan was especially a fan of the Tres Leches cake. Highly recommended.

So, that is it! Our must-dos for a weekend in San Antonio. We know that there are some great theme parks and San Antonio has a great zoo, but we just didn’t have time for those this time around. Just another reason to head back there again soon! Have you ever been to San Antonio? What are some places we should check out next time? Let us know in the comments and have fun Going The Adventure Way!

Looking for some other fun guides to cities in the U.S.? Check out our guide to Richmond, Baltimore, or New Orleans.

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We are on an epic quest to visit all of the park sites in the Lower 48 before our son graduates high school. We have a long way to go, but we think we can do it! One thing we like to do is print off the booklets for the travel time there.

We wanted to make a resource for everyone to find all of the printable Junior Ranger Books out there. They can sometimes be hard to find so we wanted to have them all in one place for easy access for us (and you!).

A couple of things about the list. Most of these allow you to actually do the book before you go to the park. You can mail them in and they will mail you the Junior Ranger badge or patch. If you see (***) by the park site it means that you can print off the book but you will need to visit the site to complete it (though you can complete some of the book before you get there).

We recommend going to all of the sites, but that isn’t possible for everyone so it is cool that so many parks have the option to complete from far away. Many of the parks look at it as advertising. If a kid does the booklet they are more likely to want to go and visit. That has happened with us with a couple of booklets.

Just because a park is listed below without the asterisks doesn’t mean that they will always send you a badge. We would recommend contacting the park office if it does not expressly state on their page if they will mail you the badge (some expressly state they will not send out badges). Each park has different ways to redeem the prizes, but we linked to the page that should give you most of the information you need.

At the time of writing, Covid-19 is spreading throughout the United States. Because of that, many park offices are closed. We would recommend completing the booklets and emailing the park to see if they will take screen shots of the work. Many are doing this already. It will save you on postage and will keep the virus from spreading.

In addition to the park booklets, you can become a Junior Ranger in things like archaeology, fishing, caving, and other fun activities! Check them out here.

So, here is the Junior Ranger Book list alphabetically by state or territory (some states do not have any parks who do this):

Alaska

Cape Krusenstern National Monument

Denali National Park & Preserve

Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve

Katmai National Park and Preserve

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park

Kobuk Valley National Park

Sitka National Historical Park

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve

American Samoa

National Park of American Samoa

Arizona

Canyon de Chelly National Monument

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Grand Canyon National Park ***

Montezuma Castle National Monument

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ***

Petrified Forest National Park

Pipe Spring National Monument ***

Saguaro National Park ***

Tuzigoot National Monument

Arkansas

Arkansas Post National Memorial ***

Fort Smith National Historic Site ***

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site

Pea Ridge National Military Park ***

President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site

California

Cesar E. Chavez National Monument

Channel Islands National Park ***

Death Valley National Park ***

Devils Postpile National Monument

Fort Point National Historic Site ***

Golden Gate National Recreation Area ***

Mojave National Preserve ***

Point Reyes National Seashore

Redwood National Park

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Colorado

Colorado National Monument ***

Dinosaur National Monument ***

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

Hovenweep National Monument ***

Mesa Verde National Park ***

Connecticut

Weir Farms National Historic Site ***

Delaware

First State National Historical Park – This park does not have a junior ranger booklet but you can complete challenges for a park badge.

District of Columbia

Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument

Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site ***

Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac – Part of the George Washington Parkway Booklet.

Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site

National Mall – This includes most of the monuments you will visit in D.C.

Rock Creek Park ***

Theodore Roosevelt Island

Florida

Big Cypress National Preserve – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Biscayne National Park – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Canaveral National Seashore

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

De Soto National Memorial

Everglades National Park – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Fort Caroline National Memorial

Fort Matanzas National Monument

Georgia

Jimmy Carter National Historic Site

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Ocmulgee National Monument

Guam

War in the Pacific National Historical Park

Hawaii

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park

Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site

Indiana

George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

Indiana Dunes National Park ***

Iowa

Effigy Mounds National Monument

Kansas

Fort Scott National Historic Site ***

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Kentucky

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Louisiana

Cane River Creole National Historical Park

New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park

Maryland

Antietam National Battlefield ***

Assateague Island National Seashore

Catoctin Mountain Park

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Clara Barton National Historic Site

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine ***

Hampton National Historic Site ***

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park

Monocacy National Battlefield – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Thomas Stone National Historic Site

Massachusetts

Adams National Historical Park

Boston National Historical Park

Boston African American National Historic Site

Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area

Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site

Lowell National Historical Park

Minute Man National Historical Park ***

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park

Michigan

Isle Royale National Park

Keweenaw National Historical Park

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore ***

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Minnesota

Mississippi National River and Recreation Area – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Pipestone National Monument – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Mississippi

Natchez National Historical Park

Natchez Trace Parkway – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Missouri

Harry S Truman National Historic Site

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

Montana

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Glacier National Park ***

Nebraska

Homestead National Monument of America

Missouri National Recreational River – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Niobrara National Scenic River – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Nevada

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

New Jersey

Gateway National Recreation Area ***

Morristown National Historical Park ***

Thomas Edison National Historical Park ***

New Mexico

Aztec Ruins National Monument

Bandelier National Monument ***

Carlsbad Cavern National Park ***

El Malpais National Monument

Fort Union National Monument ***

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument ***

Manhattan Project National Historical Park

Pecos National Historical Park

Salinas Pueblo Mission National Monument ***

White Sands National Park

New York

African Burial Ground ***

Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Federal Hall National Memorial ***

Fort Stanwix National Monument

Gateway National Recreation Area

Governors Island National Monument

Hamilton Grange National Memorial

Harriet Tubman National Historical Park

Saint Paul’s Church National Historic Site ***

Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site *** They also have a not-so-junior-ranger booklet!

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site *** They will not mail badges as stated on their site.

Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site *** You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

North Carolina

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site

North Dakota

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Ohio

Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument

First Ladies National Historic Site

Hopewell Culture National Historic Park

James A. Garfield National Historic Site

Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial

Oklahoma

Chickasaw National Recreation Area

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site

Oregon

Crater Lake National Park

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve

Pennsylvania

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Fort Necessity National Battlefield ***

Friendship Hill National Historic Site ***

Gettysburg National Military Park

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

Johnstown Flood National Memorial

Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Valley Forge National Historical Park ***

Puerto Rico

San Juan National Historic Site

Rhode Island

Roger Williams National Memorial

South Carolina

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Conagree National Park

Cowpens National Battlefield

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

Kings Mountain National Military Park ***

South Dakota

Jewel Cave National Monument – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

Wind Cave National Park

Tennessee

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Great Smoky Mountains National Park – There is a $2.50 cost for this download.

Manhattan Project National Historical Park

Obed Wild and Scenic River

Shiloh National Military Park

Stones River National Battlefield

Texas

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument

Amistad National Recreation Area – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Big Bend National Park ***

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area

Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park ***

Waco Mammoth National Monument ***

Utah

Arches National Park ***

Bryce Canyon National Park ***

Canyonlands National Park ***

Capitol Reef National Park ***

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Natural Bridges National Monument

Rainbow Bridge National Monument

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Zion National Park ***

Vermont

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park ***

Virginia

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial ***

Assateague Island National Seashore

Booker T. Washington National Monument ***

Colonial National Historical Park – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

Fort Monroe National Monument ***

Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park ***

George Washington Memorial Parkway

Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

Manassas National Battlefield Park

Prince William Forest Park ***

Richmond National Battlefield Park

Shenandoah National Park

Washington

Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

North Cascades National Park – You will need to email the park to receive a booklet.

San Juan Island National Historical Park

West Virginia

Appalachian National Scenic Trail ***

Wisconsin

Apostle Island National Lakeshore

Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

Wyoming

Grand Teton National Park ***

We hope this list is an easy resource for you in your future travels as well as your current stay at home situation! If you are looking for more ways to bring travel home we have you covered! If you are wanting to plan a trip to visit a National Park check out our guides to Gettysburg or Yosemite or check out our US Travel tab! We can’t wait to get back out to explore!

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The post Every Junior Ranger Book You Can Print At Home first appeared on Go The Adventure Way.

Big Thicket is located in eastern Texas. It is just over the border from Louisiana. We don’t necessarily plan our trips based on the destination. We plan our trips based on what is on the way to the destination. Ultimately we wanted to go to San Antonio, and Big Thicket was just an hour outside of our route, so might as well stop by while we were there. We are so glad we did!

Big Thicket Natural Preserve was our first time being in Texas (outside of airports, which don’t count!) together. One of our first interactions with anyone in the state was a guy we met at the trailhead at Big Thicket who had just got done hiking. This dude was in his early 60’s wearing Wranglers, a cowboy hat, and boots. He looked at us and said “Howdy”. It was pure Texas. It was awesome. That was just the beginning of our incredible time in this great state.

Where Is The Big Thicket

Well, everything is bigger in Texas and Big Thicket is no exception. This park is well over 100,000 acres. There are 15 separate units located in 7 counties. It is not a giant clump though, these units truly are separated and you will need to get on public highways to get back and forth between them.

The visitor center is located just north of Kountze off of Highway 69/287. The center is located at the Turkey Creek unit of the park. This is where you can get your passport stamp, watch a short video about the park, get your junior ranger book, and check out a pretty good museum. They have a large gift shop area as well.

At this visitor center we might have had one of the best interactions ever with a Park Ranger. I couldn’t remember the rangers name and asked Silas if he did. Silas immediately responded with Alex! I am writing this about a month and a half after we went and Silas still remembers his name. That was how great he was. If you get a chance to go and visit, I hope you get Ranger Alex so you can tell him hello from us!

What Makes This Park Unique

Big Thicket Natural Preserve is huge, like we stated above. One of the main features of this park are the diverse eco systems. You can find 9 different eco systems within this one park site. It’s this crazy intersection of swamps, forest, sandhills, plains and pine savannas. Because of this, the diversity of animals and plant life are abundant. The park boasts a lot of carnivorous plants as well. Not only is this a National Park location but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s pretty interesting when you find places like this – it is a little unique pocket of the world you might have not known about (like us!). This made it a fun park to explore and adventure through!

What To Do In Big Thicket

Hunting

Big Thicket is this incredible forest in eastern Texas that goes from Beaumont to Livingston. Though it is massive, there really isn’t a ton to do at this park. What this place is known for is hunting. If hunting is your thing, this is the place to go. You can’t hunt at all of the different units, so check the NPS website for information on that. When we were doing research on visiting this park we saw that there are wild hogs and other things there. We are always wanting to see wildlife (though we would freak out if a hog started chasing us), so we were pretty pumped.

Hiking

Another really big thing at Big Thicket is hiking. This preserve offers over 40 miles of trails that you can hike along. On our trip to Big Thicket, we opted for the Kirby Nature Trail which is a little over 2 miles from the visitor’s center.

This trail was absolutely spectacular. On this trail we came to understand why it is called the Big Thicket. This is an awesome hike with incredible views and beautiful foliage. There were times we would walk down the trail and think that we were going to get lost right in the middle of it. The way the trees and bushes sprawl over the trail makes it look like you are going through tunnel after tunnel. It really is awesome. We loved this trail and highly recommend it. It is not like the Texas we thought about in our mind, much greener, but it was incredible.

Boating

Another big thing in Big Thicket is the amount of canoeing and kayaking available in the park. There are three main canoeing trails that the park system offers. Village Creek, Cooks Lake, and Collier’s Ferry all offer great spots to get in the water. The Village Creek one is 21 in miles in total, but you can get out at various points to shorten the journey. Definitely check that out if that is your thing.

Camping

There are not actual campsites at Big Thicket, but you can go camping there. This is not at all locations, just a couple of them. If you are going to camp at Big Thicket, you will need a permit that you will need to get through the visitor’s center. These permits are free, but you will need to get them in advance. Camping is not huge here, but there are some locations. These do not include the larger hiking areas or the hunting areas.

Overall, we loved our time at Big Thicket Natural Preserve. If you are not a local, this is a great place to stop by for a hike and drive out of. Because there are so many different access areas, there are plenty of places for you to visit and stay. We do highly recommend going to the Turkey Creek Area. This access area will give you a pretty good overview of the whole park. Check it out and enjoy your time going the adventure way by getting lost in Big Thicket.

Takeaways

• If you are a first time visitor, enter at the Turkey Creek Area
• Hiking is big here and there are plenty of options for every level of hiker!
• Try and find one of the many carnivorous plants located here!
• Learn about the diverse eco systems while here, the visitors center has lots of info!
• It’s a great road trip stop to get out and enjoy nature along the way!

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Enjoy visiting National Parks? Check out our guides to Gettysburg, Fort McHenry in Baltimore and 5 Views You Must see in Yosemite!

The post Getting Lost In Big Thicket Natural Preserve first appeared on Go The Adventure Way.