Come to South Dakota


Under-discovered Gems in our National Park System

What could be more American than ouracross the canyon to Mexico! Retrieving
National Park Service? People everywhereyour ball and scoring the hole is
express interest in exploring thesedifficult since there is no physical
symbols of our national heritage. Theconnection to the green.
parks range from large and well-known,Little Bighorn National Monument - This
like Yosemite and Zion, to small andPark gets our vote for the best ranger
obscure, like The Golden Spike Nationaltalk. The site of Custer's last stand
Historical Park and Moore's Creekpresides over the valley below with such
National Battlefield.visual splendor that one can easily
The parks are divided into severalimagine the Indians camped below and the
categories including National Parks,obedient men under the direction of
National Historic Parks, NationalGeneral Custer being led to their
Monuments, National Seashores and more.slaughter. As the wind blows over the
The difference is not just thesite, the rangers do an incredible job
significance of the park, but also theof setting the mood, the facts and the
funding and, therefore, staffing andstory of Little Bighorn. Armed with the
amenities of each location. In all,knowledge of the battle, an audio tour
there are over 400 locations maintainedis available as you head out through the
by the National Park Service and they doactual battlefield.
a great job keeping everythingDry Tortugas National Park - On of the
maintained, accessible and enjoyable forleast accessible of all our parks is Dry
the millions of annual visitors. TheTortugas, 67 miles off the tip of Key
parks are truly one of the gems of ourWest. Best reached by several companies
tax-supported services.who offer "fast Cat" service to the
Each park, monument, seashore and moreisland, the history and the remains of
was designated due to some uniqueFort Jefferson mix with the wonderful
characteristic worth preserving andsnorkeling to make for a great day trip,
showcasing. From the intricate laceworkor a multi-day stay for the adventurous,
of Wind Cave in South Dakota, to thesince there are no improved campsites on
fragile eco-system of the Floridathe island, no lodging, no bathhouses
Everglades, the park rangers are welland no drinking water available. Fort
informed and eagerly teach visitorsJefferson dates to the early 1800s, when
about their park. The Junior Rangerit was constructed to protect the Gulf
program for kids in some of the largerof Mexico. This is one of the parks
parks is better than a year of sciencethat has fallen victim to the loss of
and history back home.Park Rangers, partly due to the desolate
So what are some of these lesser knownconditions there. Fortunately, our
locations of special significance? Hereguide for the boat trip had become
are three that you might want to includeknowledgeable about the history of the
in your next trip.fort and provided excellent "ranger"
Big Bend National Park - Located in fardescriptions for our group.
south Texas, this park is visited byThe National Parks website at is a
less than a million people a year andtreasure trove of information, whether
stretches over 800,000 acres, with threeyour visit is to a famous or
distinct eco-systems. The Chisosnot-so-famous park. If your goal is to
Mountains loom from most every vantagevisit many of the national parks, be
point in the park. In the spring, thesure to pick-up your personal "Passport"
desert portion of the park is alive withat your first park - a clever and unique
wild flowers and animals of everyway to catalog your visits. The
description. And finally, the canyonsNational Parks Pass is a bargain at $50
of the Rio Grande make a spectaculara year for unlimited access to the parks
trip via rubber raft or canoe. Thewith a 50% discounts on use fees within
Santa Elena canyon is spectacular withthe park. The Golden Age passport is
the canyon walls rising 1500 feet on oneavailable to those 62 and older and is
side to Mexico and the same distance ongood for a lifetime. Our disabled
the other in the US. The nearby town ofcitizens are also entitled to Golden
Lajitas (outside the park) boasts theAccess Passes, regardless of age. See
only "international" golf course in thethe website for complete details.
US when one hole has an optional green



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