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National Parks Traveler Episode 94: Wonders Of Sand And Stone, Utah's Parks And Monuments

By Kurt Repanshek - November 29th, 2020
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Wonders of Sand and Stone, A History of Utah’s National Parks and Monuments

Utah harbors an amazing collection of National Park System units, from five national parks including Arches, Bryce Canyon and Zion to such national monuments as Natural Bridges, Rainbow Bridge and Cedar Breaks. More recently, the state became home to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which the Bureau of Land Management oversees, and Bears Ears National Monument, which is shared by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service. 

How did these places come to be? What challenges did they face along the way to inclusion in the National Park System or the overall public lands network, and what challenges continue to confront them? Frederick Swanson is a Salt Lake City writer who long has studied public lands issues in Utah, and his latest book, Wonders of Sand and Stone, A History of Utah’s National Parks and Monuments, delves into the history of these parks and monuments. It’s a worthy title to include in your own national park library.

Traveler footnote: You can find a review of Swanson's book on this page.

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode introduction with Kurt Repanshek
2:15 Vista Verde - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of Peaks, Plateaus and Canyons
2:54 WildTribute.com promotion
3:24 Western National Parks Association promotion
3:48 Grand Teton National Park Foundation promotion
4:26 Discussing Wonders of Sand and Stone with author Frederick Swanson
20:08 Escalante - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of Peaks, Plateaus and Canyons
20:33 National Parks Traveler promotion
20:46 North Cascades Institute promotion
21:05 Washington’s National Park Fund promotion
21:41 Friends of Acadia promotion
22:08 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation promotion
22:37 The discussion of Wonders of Sand and Stone continues
35:16 The Horsemen - Randy Petersen - The Spirit of South Dakota
35:47 Episode closing
36:20 Orange Tree Productions promotion
36:56 Splitbeard Productions
37:08 National Parks Traveler footer

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A wolverine climbing on rocks, photo courtesy of NPS

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Catherineberg plantation ruins, Virgin Islands National Park, photo by Kurt Repanshek

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Composite image of a total solar eclipse from Grand Teton National Park, from NPS Archives

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Bison at Grand Teton National Park, photo by Rebecca Latson

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An image of a baby sea turtle at Padre Island National Seashore, by Rebecca Latson

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The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.