Central Region National Parks
Arkansas
Hot Springs
Hot Springs was established by act of Congress as a federal reserve on April 20,1832. As such it is the oldest federally preserved land managed by the National Park Service. Congress changed the reserve’s designation to national park on March 4,1921 after the National Park Service was established in 1916. Hot Springs is the smallest and only national park in an urban area and is based around natural hot springs that flow out of the low lying Ouachita Mountains. The springs provide opportunities for relaxation in an historic setting; Bathhouse Row preserves numerous examples of 19th-century architecture. We visited Hot Springs National Park for several days in March 2018 and enjoyed touring the former Fordyce Bathhouse that is now the park visitor center and walking on some of the park’s 30 miles of bucolic trails. The Fordyce Bathhouse opened in 1915 and is classified as Renaissance Revival architecture. We stayed in our RV at the Cloud Nine RV Park.
National Parks Website: Hot Springs National Park
Kentucky
Mammoth Cave
With more than 400 miles of passageways explored, Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest known cave system. Subterranean wildlife includes eight bat species, Kentucky cave shrimp, Northern cavefish, and cave salamanders. Above ground, the park provides recreation on the Green River, 70 miles of hiking trails, and plenty of sinkholes and springs. We visited and took the Domes and Dripstones cave tour in December 2015. We stayed at the Horse Cave KOA. We also hiked on the Echo River & River Styx trails.
National Parks Website: Mammoth Cave National Park
Michigan
Isle Royale
Isle Royale is NOT accessible by car, only by plane or boat. We have not visited Isle Royale.
Isle Royale is the largest island in Lake Superior is a place of isolation and wilderness. Along with its many shipwrecks, waterways, and hiking trails, the park also includes over 400 smaller islands within 4.5 miles of its shores. There are only 20 mammal species on the entire island, though the relationship between its wolf and moose populations is especially unique.
National Parks Website: Isle Royale National Park
Minnesota
Voyageurs
We have not visited Voyageurs National Park.
Voyageurs National Park protects four lakes near the Canada–US border and is a site for boating, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. The park also preserves a history populated by Ojibwe Native Americans, French fur traders called voyageurs, and gold miners. Formed by glaciers, the region features tall bluffs, rock gardens, islands, bays, and several historic buildings.
National Parks Website: Voyageurs National Park
Missouri
Gateway Arch
We have not visited Gateway Arch National Park.
The Gateway Arch is a 630-foot (192 m) (both high and wide) catenary arch built in St. Louis, Missouri to commemorate the Lewis and Clark Expedition, initiated by Thomas Jefferson, and the subsequent westward expansion of the country. Gateway Arch attained national park designation in February 2018. The nearby Old Courthouse, across a greenway to the west of the arch, was the first site of the Dred Scott case about slavery. A museum, located in the underground visitor center below the arch, describes the arch’s construction and the country’s westward expansion.
National Parks Website: Gateway Arch National Park
North Dakota
Theodore Roosevelt
This region that enticed and influenced President Theodore Roosevelt consists of a park of three units in the northern badlands. Besides Roosevelt’s historic cabin, there are numerous scenic drives and backcountry hiking opportunities. Wildlife includes American bison, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and wild horses. We visited Theodore Roosevelt via RV for several days in September of 2012. We stayed outside of the park at the North Park Campground in Dickinson North Dakota. There are three sections of the park, the north, south and Elkhorn Ranch units. We hiked the Caprock Coulee and Coal Vein Trails. We saw bison, wild horses, and prairie dogs.
National Parks Website: Theodore Roosevelt National Park
South Dakota
Badlands
The Badlands are a collection of buttes, pinnacles, spires, and mixed-grass prairies. The White River Badlands contain the largest assemblage of known late Eocene and Oligocene mammal fossils. The wildlife includes bison, bighorn sheep, black-footed ferrets, and prairie dogs. We enjoy visiting Badlands National Park and have visited via car in 2011 and via RV in June 2012 and November 2015. The park can get very hot in the summer. We saw temperatures climb to 107 F in June 2012. We like hiking in the Badlands and viewing the formations. There is also a surprising amount of wildlife to observe in the park. Both RV trips we have stayed at the White River/Badlands KOA. There is a campground without hook-ups in the park.
National Parks Website: Badlands National Park
Wind Cave
Wind Cave is distinctive for its calcite fin formations called boxwork, a unique formation rarely found elsewhere, and needle-like growths called frostwork. The cave is one of the longest and most complex caves in the world. Above ground is a mixed-grass prairie with animals such as bison, black-footed ferrets, and prairie dogs, and ponderosa pine forests that are home to cougars and elk. The cave is culturally significant to the Lakota people as the site “from which Wakan Tanka, the Great Mystery, sent the buffalo out into their hunting ground. This park has caves, great above ground hiking, and lots of wildlife. It is close to the town of Custer, South Dakota, Custer State Park, and Jewel Cave National Monument. We have visited Wind Cave via car in 2011 and RV in 2012 and 2017. In 2012 we stayed at the Fort WeLikIt and in 2017 we stayed at the Broken Arrow Horse Camp. We have written a post about hiking in the region and the story of our backpacking trip cut short by bison. Other area attractions include Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse monument.
National Parks Website: Wind Cave National Park
Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountains, span a wide range of elevations, making them home to over 400 vertebrate species, 100 tree species, and 5000 plant species. Hiking is the park’s main attraction, with over 800 miles of trails, including 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Other activities include fishing, horseback riding, and touring nearly 80 historic structures. The park spans the Tennessee and North Carolina border. Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited National Park with over 11.3 million visitors in 2017.
We spent a few days in the Great Smoky Mountains during a car trip in March of 2010. We also visited the region for three weeks in March-April 2018. Both times we visited in spring to avoid heavier crowds. We enjoyed exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We spent our first two weeks staying in our RV at the River Plantation RV Resort in Sevierville, Tennessee. We hiked numerous day hikes which we have written about in two posts. Great Smoky Mountains Hiking Part 1 includes: Cucumber Gap Loop Trail, Abrams Falls, Appalachian Trail at Newfound Gap, Alum Cave Bluff, and Laurel Falls. Great Smoky Mountains Hiking Part 2 includes: Clingmans Dome Trail, Andrews Bald, Goldmine Loop, Grapeyard Ridge, and Ramsey Cascades. We also enjoyed visiting the southern section of the Blue Ridge Parkway which starts from the southern entrance of Great Smoky Mountains.
National Parks Website: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Texas
Big Bend
Named for the prominent bend in the Rio Grande along the U.S.–Mexico border, this park encompasses a large and remote part of the Chihuahuan Desert. Its main attraction is backcountry recreation in the arid Chisos Mountains and in canyons along the river. A wide variety of Cretaceous and Tertiary fossils as well as cultural artifacts of Native Americans also exist within its borders. We spent 8 days here in January 2019. We enjoyed hiking and explored numerous trails: Chimneys Trail, Rio Grande River Trail, Mule Ears Trail, Pour Offs Trails, Pine Canyon Trail, Boquillas Canyon, Dog Canyon Trail. We also spent a day visiting Big Bend Ranch State Park, which is located adjacent to the National Park. We stayed at BJ’s RV Park, but would look for somewhere else for a return trip.
National Parks Website: Big Bend National Park
Guadalupe Mountains
This park in northern Texas contains Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas, as well as the scenic McKittrick Canyon filled with bigtooth maples, a corner of the arid Chihuahuan Desert, and a fossilized coral reef from the Permian era. We spent 10 days visiting Guadalupe Mountains National Park and nearby Carlsbad Caverns National Park in December 2018. We hiked McKittrick Canyon, Bear Canyon, and Dog Canyon trails. Expansive views are found from the higher elevations. The park has two RV camping areas without hook-ups. We chose to stay at the Carlsbad KOA, which was a little over an hour drive. We only made it to the visitor center once due to a government shutdown, but it was well done with excellent displays.
National Parks Website: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
