Natural Wonders continue to Amaze
Back to the now famous Natural Wonders list. Coming up we’ll take a look at Maquoketa Caves, Iowa; The Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah; and Connecticut, Dinosaur State Park. First of all I have not been to any of these. You can go back to previous Natural Wonder Posts if you’ve forgotten any so far. Lets explore together. Shall we begin?
24. Iowa – Maquoketa Caves
Photo from the internet
Let me say right off that I am not a fan of caves. I’ve explored some caves on well planned paths with a park ranger. They have all been amazing but when I see a show on TV where the hosts are “caving” or spelunking I get uncomfortable just watching. I think it goes back to when I was a kid and the family went to Howe’s cavern and the guide turned off the lights so we could experience total darkness. Caves have made me uneasy since then.
But these caves have quite a history. They say you can find arrow heads, pottery shards and tools. Maquoketa Caves is part of a Maquoketa State Park and encompasses a 5 mile trail system as a total of 323 acres to explore.
25. Utah – The Narrows
Located in Zion National Park. Zion is on my bucket list right next to Bryce Canyon and Arches. But back to the Narrows, at the bottom of the narrows flows a shallow river known as the Virgin River. However, water levels can vary greatly and the narrows are prone to flooding. Best time to hike the Narrows is late spring (after the run off) or summer.
Internet Photo
26. Connecticut- Dinosaur State Park
Now this is a surprise. I’ve been to Connecticut many times. It’s our neighboring state but I have never hear of Dinosaur State Park. I will definitely have to check this out.
The dinosaur tracks are protected in a Geodesic dome along with interactive exhibits and activities. There are over 750 dinosaur tracks preserved exactly as they were found.
photo: Wikimedia