138 National Monuments.
How many have you visited?

Unique fact: The first US National Monument, designated by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, and made famous by "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." This 867-foot volcanic rock formation is sacred to over 20 Native American tribes who call it Bear Lodge.

Why visit: Circle the tower on the 1.3-mile trail and watch rock climbers scale its distinctive columns. Witness the tower change colors at sunrise and sunset, and attend summer storytelling events that share Indigenous perspectives on this sacred site.

Unique fact: A gift from France in 1886 celebrating the friendship forged during the American Revolution, Lady Liberty stands 305 feet tall and was the first sight for millions of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island.

Why visit: Climb the 354 steps to the crown for unmatched views of New York Harbor and the Manhattan skyline. Explore Ellis Island's moving immigration museum and stand where 12 million people first set foot in America in search of a better life.

Unique fact: One of the largest and most remote monuments at 1.87 million acres, this wilderness contains slot canyons so narrow you can touch both walls. Scientists continue to discover new dinosaur species here regularly.

Why visit: Hike through the zebra-striped walls of Zebra Slot Canyon and explore the ancient petrified forest. Navigate the challenging Hole-in-the-Rock Road, discover 75-million-year-old fossils, and experience true solitude in one of America's last frontiers.

Unique fact: One of the last remaining old-growth coast redwood forests, with trees soaring over 250 feet and some over 1,000 years old. The forest was saved from logging in 1908 and named after naturalist John Muir.

Why visit: Walk among cathedral-like groves of ancient giants just 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Stand at the base of trees that were saplings when William the Conqueror invaded England, and experience the profound silence of the forest floor.

Unique fact: Contains over 100,000 archaeological sites from ancient Puebloan cultures, including cliff dwellings, ceremonial kivas, and rock art spanning 12,000 years of human history. The twin buttes are sacred to five tribes.

Why visit: Explore one of the most significant cultural landscapes in America and discover petroglyphs and pictographs hidden in remote canyons. Camp beneath stars unmarred by light pollution and walk in the footsteps of the Ancestral Puebloans.

Unique fact: Home to cliff dwellings carved into volcanic tuff (compressed ash) by Ancestral Puebloans over 11,000 years ago. The soft rock made it possible to carve rooms directly into the canyon walls.

Why visit: Climb wooden ladders into ancient cave homes and explore reconstructed kivas where ceremonies were held. Walk the Main Loop Trail past hundreds of dwelling sites and imagine life in these cliffs before Europeans arrived in the Americas.

Unique fact: Features lava flows so recent and moon-like that Apollo astronauts trained here before their lunar missions. The last eruption was only 2,000 years ago, and geologists expect the volcano to erupt again.

Why visit: Walk through an otherworldly landscape of cinder cones, lava tubes, and spatter cones that looks like another planet. Explore caves formed by flowing lava, stand in the caldera of an ancient volcano, and hike across fields of frozen black rock.

Unique fact: Home to The Wave, one of the most photographed rock formations on Earth, with swirling sandstone striped in red, orange, and white. Only 64 permits per day are issued to protect this fragile landscape.

Why visit: Win the lottery for a permit to see The Wave's surreal, undulating stone canvas shaped by 190 million years of geological history. Even without a permit, explore the spectacular White Pocket formations and spot endangered California condors soaring overhead.