Places that should be National Parks or Monuments?

[Blitzvogel]

I was Google Earthing earlier and was looking at the Devil's Tower National Monument. If you haven't been there, it's quite a sight, and the surrounding scenery itself is quite gorgeous. However I didn't know about the Missouri Buttes a mile or so to the west of Devil's Tower which seemed to have formed for the same reason.

I remember going there when I was 10 years old with my grand parents. Taking note of the extra surrounding scenery makes me a bit giddy as it looks like an outdoor play land of sorts to me like much of the Black Hills region.

It got me thinking about places that should be National Parks or Monuments. Luckily, the Devil's Tower is a National Monument, but I'm sure there are plenty of places that are not. I can think of plenty of reasons to argue against the idea, but at the same time the extra profiling of something special makes it more renowned so more people can discover it. I'd say the more National Parks and Monuments, the more spread out the tourists will be :awe:

So what places do you guys think should be National Parks or Monuments that are not? A co-worker of mine wishes the Davis Mountains area in Western Texas should be, and I somewhat agree. It's a gorgeous area.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

There are about 78 National Parks and about 100 National monuments. Most ATOTers have never been to a significant portion of those. That said, I wish there was a National Park along the Southern shore of Lake Superior and along the coast of Texas.

 

[schneiderguy]

The tower of fap rags at TridenT's apartment.

 

[BoomerD]

Pretty cool place...I kept humming the "dee-doo-dee-doo-dah" from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

The tower of fap rags at TridenT's apartment.

It's just a mosquito bump as compared to your collection...

 

[schneiderguy]

It's just a mosquito bump as compared to your collection...

I don't have to fap. There are many women who would die for the chance to be my sperm receptacle.

 

[Blitzvogel]

The tower of fap rags at TridenT's apartment.

:awe:

 

[Farang]

If there were better road access around Glacier Peak wilderness, it would be a national park for sure. There is just a hell of a lot of cool stuff back there. Also getting between Mt. Adams and Mount St. Helens isn't very efficient, if they were better connected that would be a great park as well.

The Enchantment Lakes qualify for awesomeness, but are a bit small.. I guess you'd include them in the Glacier Peak park.

That said I'd like to keep them as they are so I don't have to pay fees or deal with permits.

 

[BoomerD]

I don't have to fap. There are many women who would die for the chance to be my sperm receptacle.

Errr...

 

[esquared]

There's a push to have Pinnacles National Monument made into a national park.

There were newspaper articles on this just last week.

http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_21203476/bill-making-pinnacles-national-park-passes-house

http://www.losbanosenterprise.com/2012/08/10/186420/our-view-pinnacles-should-become.html

http://www.nps.gov/pinn/index.htm

 

[Meghan54]

Guess we can always use a new nat'l park......just wonder why? Do we have a new major bond issue going to China and need to secure it with land like the last few times? (We've essentially been guaranteeing the money China's been loaning us with land/real estate, very quietly, so "we" keep putting more and more under Federal "protection" via making wilderness areas/parks/monuments/etc.)

 

[Blitzvogel]

Guess we can always use a new nat'l park......just wonder why? Do we have a new major bond issue going to China and need to secure it with land like the last few times? (We've essentially been guaranteeing the money China's been loaning us with land/real estate, very quietly, so "we" keep putting more and more under Federal "protection" via making wilderness areas/parks/monuments/etc.)

As I said earlier, I can argue for and against more National Parks and monuments.

 

[OCNewbie]

My kinda thread! :thumbsup:

Monument Valley would be one, but it's owned by Native Americans I think?

Niagara Falls too, but that's so built up I doubt that'll ever happen.

I'm sure there's more, but those are the first two that come to mind. Not sure if that's what you were looking for, as both of the ones I mentioned aren't National Parks/Monuments because of circumstances beyond the typical hurdles a National Park/Monument faces.

 

[the DRIZZLE]

Guess we can always use a new nat'l park......just wonder why? Do we have a new major bond issue going to China and need to secure it with land like the last few times? (We've essentially been guaranteeing the money China's been loaning us with land/real estate, very quietly, so "we" keep putting more and more under Federal "protection" via making wilderness areas/parks/monuments/etc.)

US government bonds are not backed by real property, national parks or otherwise. Some agency debt may be indirectly backed by real estate but that is the exception, not the rule. US debt is backed by the full faith and credit of the US government which basically means our willingness to pay it.

 

[Blitzvogel]

My kinda thread! :thumbsup:

Monument Valley would be one, but it's owned by Native Americans I think?

Niagara Falls too, but that's so built up I doubt that'll ever happen.

I'm sure there's more, but those are the first two that come to mind. Not sure if that's what you were looking for, as both of the ones I mentioned aren't National Parks/Monuments because of circumstances beyond the typical hurdles a National Park/Monument faces.

I thought they were both on the National system?

/Googles

Well I'll be.

Perhaps Meteor Crater Arizona should be a National Monument? I remember going there at 7 years old. As cool as it is, it's also somewhat unsettling to look at D: What is nice is Sunset Crater Nat'l Monument and the Grand Canyon are in the general vicinity too! It just came to me that the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs I think is pretty awesome as well. I've been wanting to go to Colorado again, as it's been 10+ years since I was last there.

Damn I love the Southwest.

 

[DCal430]

Burney Falls:

They should also incorporate Sequoia National Monument into Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.

 

[mugs]

Guess we can always use a new nat'l park......just wonder why? Do we have a new major bond issue going to China and need to secure it with land like the last few times? (We've essentially been guaranteeing the money China's been loaning us with land/real estate, very quietly, so "we" keep putting more and more under Federal "protection" via making wilderness areas/parks/monuments/etc.)

You realize this is a person on Anandtech asking the question, not the government, right? So your conspiracy theory, while hilarious, is not really relevant to this hypothetical question.

 

[OCNewbie]

Damn I love the Southwest.

I think the entire western US is pretty spectacular: Consider places like Glacier National Park, or Crater Lake NP, Olympia, Mt. Rainier, Yellowstone, etc. As a lifetime resident of Florida, I'm envious of all the amazing landscapes those in the western US have within a day's drive or so. I aim to become a western resident in the next ~5 years or so (the sooner, the better!).

 

[Blitzvogel]

I think the entire western US is pretty spectacular: Consider places like Glacier National Park, or Crater Lake NP, Olympia, Mt. Rainier, Yellowstone, etc. As a lifetime resident of Florida, I'm envious of all the amazing landscapes those in the western US have within a day's drive or so. I aim to become a western resident in the next ~5 years or so (the sooner, the better!).

They are all certainly worth seeing. I like the SW because I've been through it so many times, and it certainly holds a big place in my heart. Luckily, living in Texas, I'm not too far from it, but road trips are always expensive. But now since I have a GF, maybe we could go on a trip together, which of course means gas and lodging costs are certainly spread out nicely. We're both attune to the idea of going camping, but with me so busy working and her about to start her final year of college, it might be hard working out our schedules to make it happen, plus money is always tight.

I was thinking West Texas would be pretty cool. I went out there with my dad when I was 16. Fort Davis, Marfa, and Alpine have quite a bit more charm than you'd initially expect.

All the old WW2 era airfields out near Marfa and general West Texas are really interesting too. You can still see the general outlines of the runways, taxiways and aprons on Google Earth or whatever Earth imaging system you prefer. Check out this site: Little Known and Abandoned Airfields - Big Bend Area, Texas