Pawsitively Intrepid

If you enjoy rock formations and canyons, then you need to visit Canyonlands National Park. This impressive national park is split by the Colorado River and its tributaries. These 4 distinct regions are Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers themselves. Each district is worthy of deep exploration, although much of this park can not be accessed with a four-legged companion. The easiest district to access is Island in the Sky. Most visitors will choose to…

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Next to the many wonderful national parks in Colorado, is another state with an abundance of federally maintained outdoor spaces: Utah. Utah contains 5 of the 46 national parks on our contiguous United States road trip. This post is dedicated to Arches National Park, but stayed tuned for our summaries of the other 4 (Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Zion, and Capitol Reef). Arches National Park is located near Moab, Utah and contains an impressive 2,000+ natural stone arches. The red rock…

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On the western side of Colorado, is one of the lesser known national parks: Black Canyon of the Gunnison. With just over a mere 200,000 annual visitors, the crowds are smaller here.  The drive to it’s entrance feels remote. Especially compared to it’s nearby better known cousins – such as Rocky Mountain National Park (with over 4 million annual visitors) or Arches National Park (with 1.4 million annual visitors). But don’t let this small national park go by unnoticed. The…

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From northern British Columbia all the way down to New Mexico, the Rocky Mountains form a stunning natural barrier. With snow-capped peaks rising up to just over 14,400 feet, this mountain chain contains the tallest mountains in Central North America. These majestic mountains contain lakes and rivers that supply water for approximately one quarter of the United States.  In 1915, over 250,000 acres of the Rocky Mountain range located in Colorado was signed into protection, creating Rocky Mountain National Park….

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Between the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado, are the tallest sand dunes in North America. The dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park reach up to 750 feet tall and cover more than 30 square miles. The adjacent preserve protects over 41,000 acres of pinyon-juniper forests rising to high elevation alpine tundra. Some peaks in the preserve rise to 13,000 feet.   And if that wasn’t enough, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve also contains…

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Located in the southwest corner of Colorado, is a unique national park. Where many national parks were formed to preserve dramatic landscapes and unique ecosystems, Mesa Verde National Park preserves history. Ancestral Puebloan People lived in this area for around 700 years. If you travel the southwestern area of the United States, you probably already know that these people lived in several different locations in this region. So what makes Mesa Verde unique? Here during the 12th and 13th centuries,…

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Located conveniently off of I-40 in Arizona is an ancient preserved forest. Scientist suspect that 225 million years ago, this region was a humid and subtropical climate with trees as tall as 200 ft. As they were washed away and buried by silt, soil, and volcanic ash, the conditions were perfect for fossilization. Today these fossils of long ago trees are surrounded by ruins and petroglyphs, animal and other plant fossils, and a colorful badlands. Today, you can find these…

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Stretching for over 270 miles is a trench in the earth that is up to 18 miles wide and one mile deep. Visiting this impressive canyon is awe-inspiring. Almost indescribable. It certainly leaves me breathless every time. Located in northern Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park is one of the most famous US national parks. Theodore Roosevelt declared it “the one great sight which every American should see.” So in 1919, the National Park service took over preservation and protection of…

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Saguaro National Park is a desert garden sprinkled with too many towering giant saguaro cactus to count. To the east, these cactus are set against the backdrop of the Rincon Mountains, creating scenery just waiting to be photographed. This national park is split into an east and west portion, separated by the city of Tucson. Both regions have drive-able scenic loops, although the west’s scenic loop was not paved at the time of our visit. We visited this park in…

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Located beneath the Guadalupe Mountains, is an extensive cave network protected by Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The park contains more than 118  of the over 300 limestone caves in this area. The caves are part of a fossil reef formed by an inland sea millions of years ago. While Carlsbad Caverns is famous for its caves, there are also plenty of above ground treasures to be explored in this area of the Chihuahuan Desert. Dog-Friendly Activities Carlsbad Caverns is not…

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