Happy birthday to the Antiquities Act!

Today is the anniversary of Antiquities Act of 1906. Not many people know much about this law, even though it probably ranks as the most important conservation tool in our nation’s history. Not only did it, for the first time, protect historical and prehistoric structures and artifacts, but it gave the President the authority to designate national monuments, helping to effectively preserve so much of our natural and cultural heritage. Many of these places have since been incorporated into larger national monuments or national parks, and many of them form the basis for the National Conservation Lands.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit darn near 100 of these places.

Update: I’ve actually visited more than 100. Here’s the updated total from my National Monuments quest.

There have also been a number of additional designations since this was originally posted.

• 9/24/06 Devils Tower, WY*
• 12/8/06 El Morro, NM*
• 12/8/06 Montezuma Castle, AZ*
• 12/8/06 Petrified Forest, AZ
• 3/11/07 Chaco Canyon, NM
• 5/6/07 Cinder Cone, CA
• 5/6/07 Lassen Peak, CA
• 11/16/07 Gila Cliff Dwellings, NM*
• 12/19/07 Tonto, AZ*
• 1/9/08 Muir Woods, CA*
• 1/11/08 Grand Canyon, AZ
• 1/16/08 Pinnacles, CA*
• 2/7/08 Jewel Cave, SD*
• 4/16/08 Natural Bridges, UT*
• 9/15/08 Tumacacori, AZ
• 12/7/08 Wheeler, CO
• 3/2/09 Mount Olympus, WA
• 3/20/09 Navajo, AZ*
• 7/12/09 Oregon Caves, OR*
• 7/31/09 Mukuntuweap, UT
• 9/21/09 Shoshone Cavern, WY
• 11/1/09 Gran Quivira (now Salinas Pueblo Missions), NM*
• 5/30/10 Rainbow Bridge, UT*
• 6/23/10 Big Hole Battlefield, MT
• 5/24/11 Colorado, CO*
• 7/6/11 Devils Postpile, CA*
• 10/14/13 Cabrillo, CA*
• 1/31/14 Papago Saguaro, AZ
• 10/4/15 Dinosaur, UT-CO*
• 11/30/15 Walnut Canyon, AZ*
• 2/11/16 Bandelier, NM*
• 8/9/16 Capulin Mountain (now Capulin Volcano), NM*
• 3/18/18 Zion, UT (incorporated Mukuntuweap NM)
• 8/3/18 Casa Grande (now Casa Grande Ruins), AZ*
• 12/12/19 Scotts Bluff, NE*
• 12/12/19 Yucca House, CO*
• 1/24/22 Lehman Caves, NV
• 10/14/22 Timpanogos Cave, UT*
• 1/24/23 Aztec Ruin (now Aztec Ruins), NM*
• 3/2/23 Hovenweep, UT-CO*
• 5/31/23 Pipe Spring, AZ*
• 6/8/23 Bryce Canyon, UT
• 10/25/23 Carlsbad Cave, NM
• 4/18/24 Chiricahua, AZ*
• 5/2/24 Craters of the Moon, ID*
• 10/15/24 Castle Pinckney, SC
• 10/15/24 Fort Marion (now Castillo de San Marcos), FL*
• 10/15/24 Fort Matanzas, FL*
• 10/15/24 Fort Pulaski, GA*
• 12/9/24 Wupatki, AZ*
• 2/26/25 Meriwether Lewis, TN
• 11/21/25 Lava Beds, CA*
• 4/12/29 Arches, UT
• 5/26/30 Sunset Crater (now Sunset Crater Volcano), AZ*
• 3/17/32 Great Sand Dunes, CO*
• 12/22/32 Grand Canyon, AZ
• 1/18/33 White Sands, NM*
• 2/11/33 Death Valley, CA-NV
• 3/1/33 Saguaro, AZ
• 3/3/33 Black Canyon of the Gunnison, CO
• 4/26/33 Channel Islands, CA
• 8/22/33 Cedar Breaks, UT*
• 1/4/35 Fort Jefferson, FL
• 8/10/36 Joshua Tree, CA
• 1/22/37 Zion, UT
• 4/13/37 Organ Pipe Cactus, AZ*
• 8/2/37 Capitol Reef, UT
• 7/16/38 Fort Laramie, WY
• 5/17/39 Santa Rosa Island, FL
• 7/24/39 Tuzigoot, AZ*
• 3/15/43 Jackson Hole, WY
• 10/25/49 Effigy Mounds, IA*
• 1/18/61 Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, MD-WV
• 5/11/61 Russell Cave, AL*
• 1/20/69 Marble Canyon, AZ
• 9/18/96 Grand Staircase-Escalante, UT* (Bureau of Land Management)
• 1/11/00 Grand Canyon-Parashant, AZ* (Jointly managed by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management)
• 1/11/00 Agua Fria, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
• 1/11/00 California Coastal, CA* (Bureau of Land Management)
• 1/10/00 Pinnacles, CA (Expansion)
• 4/15/00 Giant Sequoia, CA (Expansion—-Forest Service)
• 6/09/00 Ironwood Forest, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
• 6/09/00 Canyons of the Ancients, CO* (Bureau of Land Management)
• 11/9/00 Craters of the Moon, ID* (Expansion of Existing Monument; Bureau of Land Management)
• 11/9/00 Vermilion Cliffs, AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
• 1/17/01 Carrizo Plain, CA* (Bureau of Land Management)
• 1/17/01 Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, NM* (Bureau of Land Management)
• 1/17/01 Minidoka Internment, ID
• 1/17/01 Pompeys Piller, MT* (Bureau of Land Management)
• 1/17/01 Sonoran Desert , AZ* (Bureau of Land Management)
• 12/05/08 World War II Valor in the Pacific (Incorporated USS Arizona Memorial), HI
• 11/01/11 Fort Monroe, VA
• 9/21/12 Chimney Rock, CO (Forest Service)
• 3/25/13 Río Grande Del Norte, NM (Bureau of Land Management)

Wow, it’s impossible to count how many amazing memories I’ve created in all of these places. Thanks to the many Presidents, both Republican and Democratic, that took action to protect these American treasures for all time.

Take a look at the full list of national monuments designated under the Antiquities Act and leave me a comment about how many you’ve been to.