By Tatum Lyles
Numerous parks, monuments, and recreation areas dot the landscape of America. From national to state and city parks, there are literally millions of acres of land conserved for the plants and animals who inhabit them, as well as the people who need them (that’s all of us). They conserve endangered species of plants and animals, maintain landscapes from which we can learn about the history of our people and planet, and serve as a reminder that there’s a much bigger world than our day jobs and endless responsibilities would have us believe.
Capulin Volcano National Monument
Head south from Colorado into New Mexico on I-25, then take Highway 87 east for a once-in-a-lifetime view!
We drove to the top of this dormant volcano after checking in at the visitor’s center, shopping for fun National Parks items and stamping our National Parks Passport books.
The drive around the outside edge of the volcano was exciting and provided numerous photo opportunities, but we had to remain safely in the car. Once at the top, we took in an amazing view of the surrounding landscape. There, we also found bathrooms, water, and a nice place to park.
We stretched our legs with the short walk to the middle of this dormant volcano, where we saw lots of lava rocks. We even saw a family of deer grazing about 50 feet from the center.
You can learn more about this park from the on-site rangers and from the National Parks’ web page on the Capulin Volcano, but you’ll never believe how beautiful it is until you see it in person. [Google Maps]
This is one of my many favorite parks. I challenge you to explore as many as you can and discover your own.
Click here to read about other parks I’ve visited.
NATIONAL PARKS PASSPORT
These fun, little books allow you to stamp the date of each park visit. When you return to the same park with others, you can show them when you visited before, or re-live your adventures among family and friends at home. They can also be a really nice gift for future generations. Leave your completed book to your children and grandchildren with the challenge that they explore even more than you have. Either way, it’s an adventure and a win for the whole family.
Tatum Lyles Flick 