Category: State Parks

manatees at blue spring state park florida
Florida, Springs, State Parks, USA

Manatee Dreams: Spotting Manatees At Blue Spring State Park

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YOU GUYS!  I finally got to see manatees in Florida!  That’s it.  That’s all.  I can leave Florida happy now.  It’s been great seeing you here.  I’m kidding. 

But really, I finally got to see manatees in Florida with my very own eyes and I am still so excited.  My parents came to visit in the beginning of February and one of the things I wanted to do with them was to go to Blue Spring Park outside of Orlando to see the manatees.  Not to be confused with the Blue Spring State Park by Gainesville.

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Megan Johnson!9 Comments
coral pink sand dunes state park Utah
State Parks, USA, Utah

Climb The Coral Pink Sand Dunes Near Kanab, Utah

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Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a little slice of sandy paradise not too far from Kanab, Utah. 

It’s the perfect stop if you’re passing through Kanab on your way to or from Zion National Park or as a fun stop on a weekend getaway in southern Utah.

You can either climb the dunes or, if you’re an off-road enthusiast, you can drive your off-highway vehicle there! Just remember, if you’re hiking, keep an eye out for vehicles and if you’re on a vehicle, watch out for hikers!

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Megan Johnson!10 Comments
State Parks, USA, Utah

Snow Canyon State Park: Lava Tubes And Pioneer Names

Snow Canyon State Park in Southern Utah is the perfect little day getaway from St. George.  It’s a great way to spend a day out hiking while avoiding the crowds in nearby Zion National Park.  It’s almost like a mini Zion.  Don’t go in expecting huge, towering canyons like Zion, but it’s similar.  Just much smaller.

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Megan Johnson!2 Comments
Minnesota, State Parks, USA

Gooseberry Falls In The Winter: A Frozen Paradise In Northern Minnesota

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It was a cold winter Friday (I’m assuming) in Menomonie, Wisconsin, when me and my roommate and two friends decided to drive up to Duluth, Minnesota just for funsies. 

We didn’t really know what we wanted to do there other than see Gooseberry Falls.  So, of course, we packed up the car and headed out!

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State Parks, USA, Utah

Scorched At Sand Hollow State Park

Last year I remember reading a blog post about Sand Hollow State Park.  I got confused and was thinking of Snow Canyon State Park.  I looked up both and they both looked cool, so in the morning before we went to Zion, we stopped at Sand Hollow for like, 30 minutes and left because it was so hot, not because it was terrible.  Sand Hollow is a reservoir state park just outside of Hurricane, not too far from fellow reservoir and state park, Quail Creek.

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Ichetucknee springs state park florida
Florida, Springs, State Parks, USA

Visiting Florida’s Springs at Ichetucknee Springs State Park

Crystal clear and 72 degrees year-round.  Those are Florida’s famous springs, conveniently located near Gainesville, where we were.  There are tons of springs to see, but we were going to the Ichetucknee Springs State Park in Fort White to see the Blue Hole, mostly.  We only saw one or two other people while we were in the park, but November isn’t the peak swimming month there, either.  But, if you want to avoid the crowds and visit when it isn’t 1000 degrees plus humidity, this is the time to go.

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Megan Johnson!5 Comments
big talbot state park jacksonville florida
Florida, State Parks, USA

A Cold Day at the Beach in Big Talbot State Park

It was almost time for us to leave Florida, but we had to do one thing before we left: go to the beach.  We decided to go to Big Talbot State Park in Jacksonville, Florida.  It was a little cloudy when we left, but we held out hope for it to brighten (and warm) up.  It didn’t, but we didn’t let that stop us.

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Nevada, Slot Canyon, State Parks, USA

Hike To The Fire Wave And Pastel Canyon In Valley of Fire State Park

The two things I wanted to see in Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada on our way to Vegas were the Fire Wave and Pastel Canyon.  The Fire Wave is rumored to be super cool, almost rivaling, and not to be confused with, The Wave in Arizona.  More on that later.  And Pastel Canyon is supposed to look a little bit like Easter threw up all over it.  It’s safe to say my expectations were high after taking a gander at good old Google images.

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Megan Johnson!4 Comments
Nevada, State Parks, USA

Finding Petroglyphs in Valley of Fire State Park

After reading about Valley of Fire on Alex in Wanderland and knowing I was going to Vegas in September, I figured why not make a stop there since I’ll be in the area.  I wasn’t really sure what to expect, well hot, but that’s about it.  I knew about the Fire Wave, which is supposed to be TOTALLY WICKED, and Pastel Canyon, which looks SUPER COOL on Google, and that was it.

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State Parks, USA, Utah

Goblin Valley State Park: The Coolest State Park In Utah

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Goblin Valley State Park in Utah is the perfect side stop on a southwest US road trip.  It’s much less visited than the nearby national parks and can be visited in just a few hours on your way to other parks, like Capitol Reef or Lake Powell from Moab.  It’s my favorite state park in Utah so far because it’s such a fun place.

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Megan Johnson!6 Comments