The interstate climbs uphill for a dozen miles, generating a steady stream of sedans, pickups and SUVs jockeying for position in the passing lone, intent on overtaking the slower-moving traffic.

Frustrated drivers are racing to get to the top of the plateau where the congestion will even out and they’ll finally regain the speed limit. Their passengers, meanwhile, are hoping for a stop at the upcoming rest area after a nervewracking ride.

As a child in the backseat, I was interested in neither. Each time we finally crested the mesa top, I’d immediately look east, across the grassy plateau to a small, unassuming knoll. A watchful eye would notice that the knoll, listed on maps as Joe’s Hill, was actually on an adjacent mesa, with the top edge of a gorge that divided the two occasionally peeking into view as our minivan sped past. To my eyes, that sliver of cliff face was visual confirmation that there was something interesting over there.

Unfortunately, it would take nearly two decades for me to finally peer into the river gorge and explore what was on the other side. By that time, those mesas and canyons had been protected as Agua Fria National Monument.

Ask anyone in Phoenix where the Sunset Point Rest Area is and they’ll answer without hesitation. But ask them where Agua Fria National Monument is and you’ll receive many confused looks. In spite of being located conveniently along one of the most popular roadways in Arizona and directly across the interstate from the state’s best known rest stop, relatively few people know much about the national monument.

Amid the grassland mesas and the river canyon I saw as a child lies the remains of a fascinating prehistoric people known today as the Perry Mesa Tradition. There are hundreds upon hundreds of pueblo ruins, rock art panels, and other archaeological resources to be found here. But you need to be willing to investigate the area in order to see any of them. I’ve brought a dozen friends with me to Agua Fria over the years and each one is immediately stunned. “I never knew this was here,” is a confession repeated by most first-time visitors.

Agua Fria National Monument was designated in 2000 by President Clinton, who called it “one of the most significant systems of later prehistoric sites in the American Southwest.” Managed as part of the Bureau of Land Management’s National Conservation Lands, these national monuments differ from those managed by the National Park Service. While the national parks are known for their interpretative visitor centers, ranger talks, and famous lodges, these new national monuments feature none of those.

Agua Fria National Monument has no official visitor center, no paved roads, and just two short trails. What it might lack in visitor amenities, however, it more than makes up for by offering an unusually unconfined adventure. Here, the experience really is what you, the visitor, make of it. There are no roped off areas, no manicured trails, no entrance fees and—thank goodness—no crowds, either. You’ll need some curiosity and imagination to enjoy your time here, as you won’t find any interpretative walks or detailed trail guides, either. While it may not seem particularly visitor-friendly at first blush, this model often provides a far more personal and meaningful experience.

It’s probably not a surprise that my first foray into the backcountry of Agua Fria led me towards the place I’d always examined from afar. A bumpy truck ride and a short offtrail hike later, I found myself at the edge of the river canyon. In front of me lay the ruins of an ancient settlement, nearly 300 rooms in total, perched at the edge of a deep side canyon emptying into the main gorge. On the other side of the gorge was Black Mesa, the plateau bisected by the busy interstate.

I bent down to inspect some painted pottery sherds, which littered the ground all around the structure. Unlike many famous ruins, these have not been partially reconstructed. You find them as they are: worn down, overgrown with vegetation and deserted for centuries. Piles of partially toppled walls provide a mere hint of the ruin’s former glory.

I spent some time reconstructing them in my mind before scrambling down the edge of the cliff a bit to inspect a rock face filled with ancient art. I studied the images, pondering the interplay between the various depictions. As I turned to scout further down, I couldn’t help but look back across the canyon towards the semis and sedans barreling down the highway just two short miles away. Was anyone staring back, probing the horizon for future places to explore as l once had?

I think that’s why I treasure this place so much. Every time I visit, I can relive that childhood sense of wonder at what might lie over there—whether “over there” refers to a cluster of ruins at the canyon’s edge, or just a mundane pile of rocks in the distance. Like most of the National Conservation Lands, Agua Fria National Monument is a place that’s meant to be explored and investigated, not a place to blandly stroll from interpretative marker to interpretative marker. The excitement of discovering something on your own, whether a solitary petroglyph or an unexpected ruin, creates a visceral and intimate memory that’s hard to replicate in more developed parks. Once you spend some time enthusiastically inventorying the land, inspecting that rock face or traipsing down the hillside just to see if there’s anything there, you’ll understand why I cherish a national monument like Agua Fria so much. As I approach 40 years old, it’s where I go to explore like a kid again.

The post Where I Go To Explore Like a Kid Again: Agua Fria National Monument appeared first on rscottjones.

To the uninitiated, Sonoran Desert National Monument stands primarily as an unfamiliar blob of color on the state map, sandwiched between two Indian reservations, a bombing range, and a generally blank space on the map. Cleaved into thirds by both an interstate and a state highway, and situated near the sprawling edge of the nation’s fifth largest city, a would-be visitor might imagine this to be a busy urban playground. A place to arrive early in order to find an open parking spot.

Instead, it’s nearly half a million acres of classic Sonoran Desert habitat: forests of iconic saguaro, veins of usually dry washes punctuated by mesquite, ironwood and palo verde trees, and basalt-strewn slopes that lead up to craggy high points, sometimes separated from one another by a flat valley occupied by a creosote army.

A place without a visitor center, only a handful of signed access points, and few obvious tourist destinations. A place large enough to contain within it three separate designated Wilderness Areas. A place where it’s not hard to find some solitude, especially when you get out on foot and follow your own path.

While I’ve traveled to many of our nation’s most cherished places—from Acadia to the Everglades, Yosemite to Denali—I feel most at home in the diverse Sonoran Desert, a land of specialized plants and animals each remarkably adapted to thrive in an arid climate. One of the best places I’ve found to explore this special ecosystem is Sonoran Desert National Monument.

This is classic wandering territory. It’s cresting a rocky ridge line to see the desert unfold in front of you towards the morning sun. It’s finding a small tinaja during an otherwise dry month. It’s passing the remains of a prehistoric toolmaking site, not far from a historic trail through the low mountain pass. It’s unintentionally startling a coyote who was eyeing lunch. It’s spinning in a circle and not seeing a single building. It’s stillness and quiet as you turn to face a cool breeze.

There are no crowded parking lots here, but a few rough dirt roads penetrate inwards from nearly every edge, allowing deeper explorations into this unique national monument. But do not enter if you’re unprepared. There are hazards and dangers here, along with occasional natural resource damage, and of course, harsh elements that can ruin more than just your day.

While you can see a lot of this place through a truck window, you can’t experience its soul without getting your feet dusty. One thing I love about the desert is that it requires you to look down, often, to place your next step. This has always helped ground me more closely to the land. I notice more: the path a lizard made in the soft soil, a wildflower searching for sunlight from under the edge of a bush, an occasional pot sherd, a rusty pop top from a previous era, a glistening rock trying hard to be noticed in the late morning sun, a small piece of cholla looking for its next free ride.

I wasn’t there when the Butterfield Overland Stage passed through, nor when Juan Bautista de Anza or the Mormon Battalion did. And certainly not when the descendants of today’s indigenous tribes did. But I’ve walked these same paths too, stopping often to smell the creosote, survey a hillside crowded with saguaros, listen to the desert birds make themselves known, trudge through sandy washes, and inspect a peculiar variety of cactus I hadn’t noticed before—just as all those before me might have. Walking here feels like my own personal connection to the past.

Perhaps the biggest threat to this national monument is that it’s too often overlooked, by visitors and advocates alike. In a state blessed with iconic parks and uber-famous public lands, it’s sometimes easy to disregard the places you don’t see in every traveler’s social media feed.

For many though, places like this offer the real magic of our treasured public lands. Because it’s in these places—large, protected, mostly undeveloped landscapes like Sonoran Desert National Monument, where you can explore largely on your own terms—that you discover truly intimate and unforgettable experiences. There are important personal treasures to be found here, and it’s our collective responsibility to ensure future generations have the same opportunity to find them, too.

The post A short ode to Sonoran Desert National Monument appeared first on rscottjones.

To be honest, it didn’t look very promising, at least not yet.

“Yep, it’s up ahead a few more miles,” I responded, in a tone that likely overstated my own confidence.

We had already driven an hour from Phoenix to Gila Bend, then another hour west along Interstate 8, then turned off at an exit to seemingly nowhere, jogged back east a mile along the access road, then turned north on an unremarkable dirt road impossibly named Avenue 76½ E. Along this rough-at-times road, we had passed two desert squatter communities, an out-of-place boat shipwrecked on the top of a small hill, and miles of seemingly barren desert.

Some skepticism was probably to be expected. After all, I hadn’t exactly explained where we were going; I had just said that we’d find some rock art when we got there.

As it turns out, we were indeed on the correct road. A few miles further ahead was the Sears Point petroglyph site, an array of prehistoric and historic petroglyphs carved into a basalt ridge overlooking the floodplain of the once mighty Gila River. This is BLM land, a site well known by those who hunt rock art, but not a destination where you’ll find many tourists.

Finally, the road crested a small ridge, dipped towards the dry riverbed in the distance, and we could see our destination ahead. Ribbons of sandy driving routes spiderwebbed around tamarisk and mesquite clumps that dotted the lowland. I was glad to have my Subaru as we sloshed through deep pockets of sand and gravel, maintaining enough speed around the corners to avoid getting stuck. And just like that, we arrived at a patch of dirt sporting two informational kiosks and some carsonite signs indicating the road’s end. We parked, stepped out of the subie, and immediately scanned the butte for the first sign of rock art.

“There’s some over there,” I said, nearly in code, and pointed towards a prominent panel gazing down upon us.

We grabbed some cold water from the cooler, donned our daypacks, and scrambled up towards the first panel with cameras in hand. And so began our rather impromptu visit to Sears Point.

The Sears Point petroglyph site

Archaeologists consider Sears Point to be one of the most significant rock art sites in the Southwest. In addition to more than 2,000 rock art panels incorporating nearly 10,000 petroglyph elements, the area contains a number of geoglyphs and other archaeological and historical features.

Simply put, there’s a lot to see out here. And you’ll need to do some exploring to see it.

Sears Point is just one of several other similar sites along the Gila River, including Quail Point, Hummingbird Point, and Oatman Point just a bit upstream. The only site signed from the interstate is Painted Rock, a now-defunct state park that’s since reverted to BLM management. I won’t get into what you’ll find at each of these sites, how to get to them, or what makes them special, but a quick google search will answer most questions one would have.

It’s important to note that while Sears Point is a named archaeological district, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is managed as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by BLM, sadly none of these adds sufficient protection for this site or its neighboring ones.

The campaign to protect the Great Bend of the Gila

As a result, several organizations—led by Archaeology Southwest and the National Trust for Historic Preservation—have been campaigning to protect Sears Point and other important archaeological and historical sites upstream as the Great Bend of the Gila National Monument. It’s a good idea and the cultural resources here are definitely worthy of such a designation.

The short video below explains a bit more about the cultural heritage this campaign seeks to protect.

Some tips if you plan on visiting

• You’ll want an AWD or 4WD vehicle to drive to the parking area, though don’t attempt it if it’s rained recently. You could probably make the drive with a 2WD high clearance vehicle if you stopped short of the deepest sand, which starts around here, roughly a mile from the main petroglyph panels. Either way, be prepared to extricate yourself if you get stuck no matter what you’re driving.
• Don’t go in the summer heat, and be prepared with water and shade. You’ll spend your entire visit scrambling over rocks while the sun beats relentlessly down on you, so please act accordingly. If it’s warm out, you might want to consider gloves to protect your hands from hot rocks.
• If you don’t have much time, check out the rock art panels near the top of the butte to the right. The largest panels and most easily accessible glyphs are found in that area, which will require some scrambling to get up to the faint trail that connects them. If you can, spend some time exploring the entire area, including the tops of the basalt mesas—there are thousands of petroglyphs, geoglyphs, rock alignments, and other artifacts in walking distance of your car. Stay alert to your surroundings and bring a gps to help you find your way back.
• Photographing sometimes faint petroglyphs on shiny basalt in the glaring sun can be a challenge, so keep this in mind as you plan your arrival and departure times. A circular polarizing filter can also be helpful in reducing shine and helping the rock art stand out better. An umbrella can both help keep you cool and shade smaller glyphs for better photographs. I wish I had considered these things before my visit.
• Practice Leave No Trace principles, and don’t touch the petroglyphs or do anything else that might impact the site. Once damaged, we can never get these resources back.
• Want to learn more about lesser-known archaeological sites the public hasn’t ever heard of? Here’s the very best way to do that.
• Do some research before you go, especially on other nearby sites, if you’d like to make a longer day out of it. There are many accessible places to explore in the surrounding area and within the Great Bend of the Gila proposal area.

How to get there

From Gila Bend, Arizona, drive west on I-8 towards Yuma for roughly 30 mins to exit 78, Spot Road. At the end of the off ramp, turn north and then right on the frontage road. Head back east for about 1 mile to Avenue 76½E, then go north along the dirt road for about 7 miles. When you hit the sandy wash, stay on the most used route and aim for the low buttes to the west. You’ll find a small dirt parking area and two kiosks; park here and explore the area on foot.

The post Exploring the Sears Point petroglyph site appeared first on rscottjones.

Here’s what we wrote:

• Deeply Personal—Why I Care About National Monuments – Just Get Out More
• Five Reasons to Love National Monuments – Nightborn Travel
• A Monumental Fight – AZ Day Hiker
• Rio Grande del Norte National Monument – Nature Tech Family
• Pro Tips: Tommy Caldwell Talks Public Lands – Little Grunts
• In the Heart of the Creek – Mike Off the Map
• Dear Mr President – The Zesty Traveler
• A Monumental Day of Blogging – Parks and Points
• A Monumental Day – West Coast Hiker Girl
• Hands Off Our National Monuments – Campfire Guy
• Celebrating National Monuments For All of Us – Val in Real Life
• Why You Should Be Championing #MonumentsForAll – Inner Compass
• National Monuments: The Bears Ears Debate and How You Can Help – Sun Kissed Hiker
• What is a National Monument & Why Should You Care? – Bearfoot Theory
• Speak Out For Our National Monuments Under Review – Terra Galleria
• Dear Secretary Zinke – Wilderness Within Her
• National Monuments, Public Lands & Wilderness – Southwest Dude
• Public Comment on the National Monument Review – Modern Hiker
• Hikes Across America’s Monumental Day of Blogging – Hikes Across America
• New York National Monuments: What Are They? – Backcountry Petite
• Monuments For All—Help Save Our National Monuments – G Who Travels
• My National Monuments Public Comment & How You Can Submit Your Own – Explore With Heather
• Two Monumental Reasons To Fight: Grand-Staircase Escalante & Bears Ears – The Modern Outdoors
• A Monumental Day For Our Nation – A Gray(t) Adventure
• The Antiquities Act: A Monumental Success – Illuminations from the Attic
• 4 Lesser Known National Monuments and Historic Sites of Arizona – Hiking the Trail

Thank you to everyone who submitted comments during the comment period. Even though we were largely ignored by Sec Zinke in his attack on Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, the remaining national monuments have been spared—for now, at least.

The post A ‘Monumental’ Day of Blogging appeared first on rscottjones.

I’ve struggled for days to write this post. But nothing I type seems remotely adequate.

Some drafts have been too argumentative. Or too wonky. Others have been downright angry. One was rather melancholy, a sad ode to losing the places you care most about. I’m stumped—there’s really no way to say all that needs to be said. I guess I should start with this simple sentence:

National Monuments are deeply personal to me.

Over the last two decades, I’ve visited most of the places that term has ever graced—from the very first to be designated, Devils Tower, to one of the last, Bears Ears. I’ve backpacked in National Monuments that have been expanded and recast as crown-jewel National Parks, and hiked in National Monuments that have lost their protected status entirely. I’ve camped in obscure national monuments you’ve never heard of, and navigated through crowds of tourists to gaze upon the most famous of vistas. I haven’t been to all of them—not quite yet—but I will. I’ve been inspired by too many to ever stop.

But this post really isn’t about any of those experiences.

Nor will this post argue policy, or point out the infuriating inaccuracies and bald-faced lies that we’ve heard from monument opponents. It won’t detail the troubled legality of Trump’s national monument review, or recount why the whole thing has been an utter sham, or explain the economic value of protected lands to rural communities. I won’t lament the short-sightedness of this administration or the lasting scars they can cause. I could refute for hours the arguments proffered by opponents, dazzle you with charts and maps, or spellbind you with the words of those inspired by these treasured places. I could stir your very soul with photographs and video.

Instead, I’ll share a few glimmers of what I saw while working on national monuments over the last 12 years—the personal side of it. The full tale is, as you’d imagine, far too long to recount here today, and so is the list of characters involved. This will be but a brief glimpse into that world.

When I see national monuments, I don’t just see amazing landscapes that protect our natural and cultural heritage. Because of my involvement over the years, I can’t help but see several layers of story deeper. I see the countless people that help make these places even more special than they already are—that make the national monument designation actually mean something.

I see a middle-age woman who fell in love with a single vista, and left her man and corporate job and happy life in the city in order to see that view every night. An unexpected community leader, she’s now involved in everything of note in her tiny gateway community, including personally financing the creation of a volunteer friends group she runs for the adjacent public lands she cares so much about.

I see a retired man who loves exploring, who spends countless weekends traipsing across wind-whipped plateaus in search of pottery sherds and rock art—making a hobby out of expanding our knowledge of the area while populating the database that’s studied by land managers and archaeologists.

I see a government bureaucrat who still remembers the first time he stepped foot in his favorite national monument—two decades before it became one—and couldn’t stop smiling at the scene before him. He endures the tedious parts of his job because of memories like that one. And that tedious work, even when I don’t agree with each of his decisions, brings the promise of the national monument closer to fruition.

I see a graduate student, lending her newfound knowledge and seemingly boundless energy to the board of directors of the national monument’s volunteer friends group. She stumbled into involvement with the group last year, and now spends her Tuesday nights in meetings and her treasured Saturdays—her only day off—coordinating various monitoring and outreach projects.

I see a shy man, who inherently avoids conflict and any remotely political discussion, sitting at his computer in the dim light of his living room. He’s carefully outlining a powerful guest editorial that will be published in the city’s newspaper later that week. Secretly terrified at taking such a public stand on a controversial issue, he pushes on because he believes in the cause at hand. He owes it to his two small grandchildren.

I see the young mother of a toddler, missing bathtime once again so she can sit in the dingy conference room to plot with her colleagues how to recruit more volunteers for next month’s restoration project. She’ll return home, put her daughter to sleep, and spend the next few hours making good on the volunteer tasks she took on during that meeting.

I see a small group of three volunteers practicing soliciting each other for a donation during a fundraising training session, trying to get comfortable with the act of asking for money for a big project they’re involved in. It feels awkward and uncomfortable and nerve-wracking and they repeatedly stumble through the words. They high five each other after finally pulling it off without faltering or nervously fidgeting with their hands.

I see a monument manager remaining steadfast in her willingness to make the right management decision for the land and the American public, even though doing so might sabotage the promotion she desperately wants and definitely deserves. The possible political repercussions are disconcerting, but she signs the document anyway.

I see a guy skipping dinner so he can make it a public comment meeting, wanting to weigh in with a few words about the invasive grass he sees climbing the desert slopes. A former botanist, he tells the audience that the grass could cause great harm to the ecosystem by carrying wildfire to hardy desert plants unequipped to recover from such an event. He’s willing to organize his friends and others to remove it, even by hand if necessary—an activity he’ll end up spearheading for the next seven years.

I see a bleary-eyed staffer from a conservation organization patiently assist, for the fifth time today, a volunteer struggling to understand the arcane intricacies of a thousand-page resource management plan. It’s not what either had in mind when they first got involved. It takes serious resolve and tenacity for them both, but it’s important to the places they each care about, so they persist.

I see a retired art teacher who now finds herself as treasurer for a friends group. She hates the actual work (she hasn’t balanced her own bank account in decades), but took the position because no one else would and the job needed to be done. She now spends her mornings reading blog posts on becoming a better nonprofit treasurer, a habit even her close family is surprised by.

This is just a quick sample of the stories and people involved in these efforts. Individually, they may not seem like extraordinary or especially noteworthy examples. They’re not. But collectively, it’s a truly impressive. People from all walks of life, personal interests and hobbies, skills and experience, religions and political tribes, all sacrificing and working hard to bring the words “national monument” to life. I’ve been up close and personal with these stories for more than a decade and I can’t overstate how inspiring they can be.

It’s not hard to review any of the national monuments of the last 20 years—or just about any of those ever designated for that matter—and see why they’re important places to protect. Unworldly landscapes. Critical wildlife habitat. Stunningly gorgeous scenery. Ancient artifacts and seemingly untouched pueblo ruins. We’ve been granted an amazing inheritance of public lands containing innumerable important resources.

But these places aren’t just scenic destinations you scroll through on your instagram feed. They’re deeply personal and important places to many who have toiled, sacrificed, and sweated to make them worthy additions to that revered inheritance we pass along to future generations. When you see these names on a map—when you visit them—remember that countless people worked to bring that place to you.

Thank you to all those wonderful people.

The post Deeply Personal: Why I Care About National Monuments appeared first on rscottjones.

There are hundreds of these sites that are well-known and publicly interpreted, usually in national parks, state parks, national forests, or on other public lands.

And then there are a host of other ruins and sites that aren’t publicized, but—especially in the age of the Internet—are still easily located with some basic research.

And then there are the secret sites. The confidential ones. These aren’t the ones you’ll find listed in guidebooks or on a blog post, and they may not even be well known by the land managers themselves. Their locations are often obscured, even in archaeological literature.

How to find the secret sites

There is a way to learn of these secret sites, however. It requires a bit of work, but it’s very rewarding and educational. And you’ll be giving back to the public lands you love. Here’s how:

Become a site steward.

Site stewardship is a relatively new phenomena on or public lands, but it’s a powerful one. It’s one of the most rewarding volunteer opportunities I’ve participated in.

What does a site steward do?

Simply put, a site steward is a trained volunteer that monitors a specific set of archaeological resources. They regularly visit the sites in their portfolio, looking for the signs of damage and trying to head off future negative impacts. They serve as the eyes and ears of land managers who are often understaffed and increasingly office-bound.

The benefits of being a site steward

The main benefits of being a site steward come down to two words: access and knowledge.

Site stewards are not only given detailed information about the archaeological sites they monitor, but also learn about many other sites in the program. In addition, archaeologists often utilize site stewards in special projects, everything from inventorying areas for artifacts to helping to record rock art to conducting research.

In addition, strong communities often form around the programs, providing some serious opportunities for networking and learning.

When you’re accepted in a site steward program, you’ll receive some basic training. Here in Arizona, that means a half-day of classroom instruction followed by a half-day field visit.

In addition, there are annual site steward conferences, plus other archaeology conferences and other special events. All together, these educational opportunities will completely expand and enhance the way you recreate on our public lands.

Site steward programs

• Alabama/TVA
• Arizona
• California
• Florida
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Wyoming

No site steward program in your state?

Not every state has a statewide site stewardship program, but some states not listed above have partial programs. You can also contact one of the federal land managers, such as the US Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management, to see if they have active programs in your area.

If you still aren’t having any luck, don’t despair. Para-archaeologist organizations like the Arizona Archaeological Society offer similar training, networking, and volunteer opportunities. You can attend conferences and guided trips with organizations such as the Utah Rock Art Research Association and American Rock Art Research Association. And other organizations, like Archaeology Southwest, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center advocate on behalf of cultural resources on public lands and have a variety of programs to get involved. A few google searches will likely find a similar organization in your neck of the woods.

The photo of “Hidden Bird” petroglyph site in Agua Fria National Monument, which is monitored by the Arizona Site Steward volunteers, is courtesy of the stellar Bob Wick of BLM.

The post The best way to find secret Indian ruins in your state appeared first on rscottjones.

The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States.

It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in both public and private ownership.

The National Park Service administers the program, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they manage the land. NNLs are designated irrespective of land ownership—whether that’s a federal entity, state entity, indian reservation, or even a private individual.

Participation in the program is completely voluntary, and does not convey any intention for federal acquisition. It is not a precursor for national park status. In fact, the NNL designation does not even transfer to the new owner if land ownership changes!

While many would assume that inclusion in the program would provide some level of resource protection, it’s sadly not the case. Participation does not include any encumbrances or limitations on the property whatsoever. Similarly, there’s no requirement for NNLs to be open or accessible to the public—and many are not. In fact, the National Park Service does not even provide a plaque for each area included in the program.

Nonetheless, the system does include some really amazing areas—from the La Brea Tarpits in LA to the Diamond Head Crater on Oahu to the under-appreciated Joshua Tree Forest in northwestern Arizona. All places worthy of a visit.

So be sure to consult the national NNL listing before you finalize your next road trip. Don’t believe me? Check out the NNL photo contest for some instant inspiration.

The post What are National Natural Landmarks? appeared first on rscottjones.

But BLM’s National Conservation Lands are among the least heralded and most underappreciated protected landscapes in the country. Many even rival the national parks we love so much.

The newest system of protected public lands

BLM (occasionally referred to by its full name, the Bureau of Land Management) traditionally wasn’t known as a federal public lands manager with a strong commitment to conservation. But after the establishment of the National Landscape Conservation System—what we now call the National Conservation Lands—in 2001, that’s starting to change.

More than 36 million acres, or about 10% of BLM’s vast holdings, are now part of the system. That includes 27 national monuments and 22 national conservation areas (or similar designations), plus hundreds of BLM-managed wilderness and wilderness study areas. The system also includes the BLM-managed stretches of wild and scenic rivers and national scenic and historic trails. Needless to say, there’s something for everyone in the National Conservation Lands.

If you’re not familiar with the system, don’t worry. I’ll be writing about the National Conservation Lands here quite a bit.

A different kind of experience

Most areas in the National Conservation Lands offer a far different experience than the national parks. The vast majority have no visitor center in the unit, nor the regular ranger-led tours or programs. There aren’t many visitor services to be found, and often not much interpretation either.

This lack of development allows for a much different visitor experience. Instead of being led down the path, visitors are forced to rely on their own preparation. That means you get to interact with the lands in a more intimate way. Instead of staying on the gravel trail and behind the fence, you can walk right on up to the pueblo ruin. You can pick up (and put down!) the pottery sherds, inspect the rock art up close (but don’t touch it!), and generally experience the place on your own terms. Well, as long as you plan head at least.

Add these places to your bucket list

For now, you should immediately include these places in your to-visit list. Seriously, do it now. Right now.

• Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (UT)
• Gold Butte National Monument (NV)
• Agua Fria National Monument (AZ)
• Vermilion Cliffs National Monument (AZ)
• Rio Grande del Norte National Monument (NM)
• Bears Ears National Monument (UT)
• Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NV)
• King Range National Conservation Area (CA)
• Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (CO)
• Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area (NV)

As you travel the country in search of our nation’s most important natural and cultural resources, make sure that you include the National Conservation Lands.

If you’d like to support the National Conservation Lands, please check out the Conservation Lands Foundation, and as well as the local groups in their network. The Wilderness Society also plays an important role nationally in defending the system.

The post National Conservation Lands: a series of underappreciated destinations appeared first on rscottjones.

The post Words of Wilderness appeared first on rscottjones.

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.

The post Happy birthday to the Antiquities Act! appeared first on rscottjones.