Top 10 Wildlife Experiences

There’s perhaps nothing more exciting than coming across wildlife in our National Parks. Tara and I have had a number of wildlife-viewing experiences in the parks we have visited so far. This post will rank the Top 10 National Parks based on wildlife viewing opportunities we have had in each one.

NOTE: of course, this list is limited to the experiences that Tara and I have had. There is no guarantee of what animals you will see in each park (but you can pretty much bet 100% that you will see at least one bison in Yellowstone...it’s practically inevitable) 😁

NOTE: keep in mind that our National Parks are not petting zoos. DO NOT APPROACH WILDLIFE! Keep a safe and healthy distance. Every year, thousands and thousands of tourists are injured (some even killed) by wildlife. Use caution, pack bear spray, educate yourself, and be smart!

Links to some of my other Top 10 lists:

Top 10 Waterfalls: https://paulnationalparks.blogspot.com/2019/10/top-10-waterfalls.html

Top 10 National Park gateway cities: https://paulnationalparks.blogspot.com/2019/06/top-10-national-park-cities.html

Top 10 Guided Tours: https://paulnationalparks.blogspot.com/2019/03/top-10-guided-tours.html

And now, our Top 10 National Parks for wildlife experiences:

10.      Saguaro National Park

While driving in the eastern section of the park, the Rincon Mountain District, I saw what looked like a big rock in the middle of the road. But then, the rock started to move! It was a desert tortoise, according to the rangers, a sighting of one of these creatures is relatively rare. It was the highlight of our tour of this park.

9.      Dry Tortugas National Park

This remote key has lots of wildlife viewing opportunities. There is great snorkeling here, particularly along the moat of the old fort. The day we went, the visibility was pretty low, but we did get to see lots of fish. There were also lots of pelicans (pictured above) flying around and making themselves at home.

8.      Zion National Park

Zion always seems to pop up on my Top 10 lists...but it really is one of the best parks of the NPS. On our hike to the Emerald Pools, we happened upon these deer right next to the trail, calmly eating in the early morning sun. We also got to see some wild turkeys shoot across the road while going down the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.

7.      Theodore Roosevelt National Park

On our trip to the North Unit of this rugged National Park, we were treated with herds of these stoic, majestic beasts. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a great place for buffalo (bison) sighting. Almost hunted to extinction in the late 1800s, bison have made a great comeback, thanks in part to conservation efforts by the NPS.

On our way out of the park, we got snarled in a bison traffic jam! Just go slow, and enjoy the experience. These guys were huge, as big as the car! 😀

6.      Shenandoah National Park

Before our visit to Shenandoah NP last September, the only bear I have seen in the wild was a small black bear in Yellowstone years ago (I was like 16) and was very far away.

So, imagine our surprise and delight when we crossed paths with this black bear as we were driving to our room at Skyland Lodge.

5.      Rocky Mountain National Park

As we traversed the spine-tingling Trail Ridge Road, we came across this beautiful, proud elk. The antlers were incredibly impressive. As we got above the tree line, there were many herds of these amazing elk. Simply spectacular.

4.      Pinnacles National Park

Another success story of our National Parks, is the preservation and rehabilitation of the California Condor, which have been saved from near extinction. In fact, the California Condor did go extinct (in the wild) but have now been re-introduced in Pinnacles, Grand Canyon, Zion and a few other places. They are flourishing in Pinnacles. Along our hike of the High Peaks loop, we were lucky to espy this juvenile condor right along the trail. A small group had gathered to gawk at this rare species.

As we stood there enjoying the show, it became even more exhilarating. Two adults flew down from high in the sky and perched on the rocks right next to the juvenile. It was incredible and awe-inspiring. Getting up close and personal with these impressive birds was an unforgettable moment and one of the highlights of our quest to visit every national park. We are very grateful to have had this experience.

3.      Channel Islands National Park

The Channel Islands off the coast of California is a treasure trove of wildlife. The islands themselves are home to a number of endemic species, including the Channel Island Fox.

But the real highlight of a visit here is the ferry ride over. We were super lucky on our ride over to Santa Cruz Island. We saw pelicans, harbor seals, dolphins playing in the wake of the ferry boat, and three humpback whales! It was awesome.

2.      Everglades National Park

Simply put...Everglades exceeded our expectations immensely. Everglades is a bird-watchers paradise, we saw herons, egrets, anhinga (snakebird), ibis, wood storks, and the stunning roseate spoonbill with it’s brilliant pink feathers.

But the big daddy and real prize here...are the alligators. They...are...everywhere! Wow, I never would have imagined that we would have seen so many. Alligators are yet another success story of our national parks, and have bounced back incredibly strong. If you come across a natural body of water in Florida...you can pretty much bet there’s going to be a gator in it. They are fierce, so keep your distance, but they are not very aggressive. They won’t bug you as long as you don’t bug them. They are definitely menacing though, kind of scary. Crocodiles are relatively rare here (we didn’t spot any), they live in saltwater, or brackish, water so they are near the ocean. Crocodiles are incredibly aggressive and territorial. Don’t go anywhere near them.

Best wildlife viewing opportunities are in Shark Valley (take the tram tour...well worth it) and the Anhinga Trail, near the Ernest F. Coe visitors center. Our tour guide at Shark Valley told us that the novelty of seeing an alligator on the tour would wear off, I can’t believe he was right! 😀 Maybe, if you’re super lucky, you’ll have a chance to see a Florida panther (they are incredibly rare, though). Everglades is a wildlife observer’s dream.

1.      Yellowstone National Park

No doubt about it, Yellowstone is THE national park when it comes to wildlife. There’s a multitude of bison, elk, deer. You also have a good chance to see moose, black bears, and even grizzly bears. Yellowstone is the premier destination for wildlife viewing. Tara and I have had so many experiences with wildlife here. Love it.

Last October, Tara and I experienced winter in Yellowstone for the first time. It was incredible, it was almost like visiting a new park. 

As we started the Fairy Falls Trail to get to the Grand Prismatic Spring overlook, we were blessed with a rare treat. We saw two wolves walking through the slow. We kept our distance, but it was an amazing and unique experience to see these wolves.

If you don’t get a chance to see any bears or wolves in the wild, stop by the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. It’s a very fun stop.

What are some of your wildlife experiences in our National Parks?

Russell Cave National Monument

Visited: Sept 2017

Nearby town: Bridgeport, AL; Chattanooga, TN

Our visit to Russell Cave National Monument was one of our biggest “oops” moments in our quest to visit as many NPS units as we can. We went through the visitor center museum, and then took the short nature trail to the main cave entrance. Alright, let’s take some pictures...oops...we forgot our camera in the car.

Paul: “So, do you want to walk back to the car and get the camera?”

Tara: “...No...why don’t you get it?”

Paul: “...eh...(it’s very hot and humid, it’s not a long walk back to the car, but long enough...is it really worth getting a picture?)...No.”

😀

Once we got back to our car and started to head back to the main highway, we did manage to get a picture of the entrance sign (seen above). But...that’s it...the only photo document of our visit to this National Monument. And we’re not even in it (we got the picture from our car)...😂

The thought did pass through my mind...”boy, when I end up doing a blog post on Russell Cave...it’s going to be really lame.”

And...yep...it is. That’s not to say that Russell Cave is not beautiful (it is) or not worth a stop (it is...it’s just a few miles off the freeway), but, yeah, it might be a little underwhelming.

Ok, so anyway, your first stop should be the visitor’s center. It’s got a number of artifacts and information on the people who lived in the cave nearly 10,000 years ago.

Then take the short hike on the boardwalk to visit the main entrance. The distinctive feature of Russell Cave is its gigantic, large main entrance. Here’s a picture from Wikipedia:

So, yeah, it is pretty cool. I should have just gotten my fat butt back to the car to get the camera.

I will say that I was a little disappointed that visitors are not allowed to go beyond a few feet into the cave. I understand it though, there’s still a lot of archaeological excavation going on. And obviously most of it would be destroyed if people could enter, just be aware that you really can’t do any exploring or spelunking in the cave. You can take a guided tour of the “shelter” (the name given to the area right at the natural entrance) and Park Rangers will tell you all about the archaeological significance of the cave.

Experts have determined that the cave was likely used by humans during the winter months, where it provided shelter from cold temperatures and was a great water source. The cave was used and occupied during the Archaic period (about 10,000 years ago - 1000 BC), Woodland period (1000 BC to 500 AD), and the Mississippian period (500 AD - 1000 AD or so). During the Mississippian period, Native Americans started to use the cave less and less, transitioning from a hunter-gatherer culture to a more agrarian culture (the “Mound builders”). The Cherokee tribe occupied the area hundreds of years later, but did not use the cave at all. Because it was relatively untouched for a long period of time, Russell Cave is a great site for the study of these ancient inhabitants of the Woodland and Mississippian period.

So, yes, even though we didn’t take pictures, stop by Russell Cave to learn about the first inhabitants of the continent and enjoy the scenery of northeastern Alabama. For more info: https://www.nps.gov/ruca/index.htm

Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park

Visited: Sept 2017

Nearby city: Chattanooga, TN

“This...is the death-knell of the Confederacy.”

From the journal of an unnamed Confederate Soldier, Nov 1863

It was September 1863. A few months prior, the Union had secured two major victories, at Vicksburg and Gettysburg, that had effectively split the Confederacy in two and stymied any attempt by the Confederates to invade Union territory, respectively. Confederate morale was extremely low. However, the Confederates had a lot of fight left in them.

Despite the Union victories, Lincoln realized that the Union army needed to deliver a death blow to the Confederacy to accomplish the war’s goals. There were rumblings that some foreign powers (France and UK) were seeking to recognize the Confederacy as a sovereign state, and there were also interludes for a brokered peace, a peace where the Confederacy would remain separate from the Northern States, or at least a reunited country where slavery still existed. Lincoln knew that either of these actions would be disastrous. His Gettysburg address had made things clear: this was now a war to preserve the Union AND free the slaves.

Lincoln knew that the Union must occupy the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia to deliver that death blow. But how? Previous invasions of Richmond (from Washington DC and the Peninsular Campaign) had been an utter failure. It was now time to attempt to cut off Richmond from the South. The Union Army (which already controlled portions of Tennessee), would advance southward towards Chattanooga, known as “the Gateway to the Deep South.” Chattanooga would then serve as an ideal home base to launch an advance, or a “march to the sea,” thereby enabling the Union Army to completely surround the capital of Richmond, lay siege, and force an unconditional surrender of the Confederate Army and reunify the Nation.

The battlefields of the Chattanooga Campaign are now preserved at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. Established and dedicated in 1895, it was the first national park unit set aside to preserve a battlefield of the Civil War. It preserves a number of battlefields surrounding Chattanooga in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. The two main sites are (1) Chickamauga Battlefield: here you will find the main visitor center and the self-guided auto tour that takes you all around the battlefield. And (2) Point Park: this beautiful site that overlooks the city of Chattanooga and a wide bend of the Tennessee River, and is the site of the important Union victory of Lookout Mountain Battlefield. There are also additional sites, such as Missionary Ridge, Orchard Knob, the Chattanooga National Cemetery, and Moccasin Bend National Archeological District. However, we only had time to visit the two main sites.

Our first stop was at Chickamauga Battlefield. The visitor’s center is really good and has lots of excellent info about the entire campaign.

Errant cannon balls that have been lodged and stuck in tree trunks

In August 1863, Chattanooga was under control of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, under the command of General Braxton Bragg. The Union Army of the Cumberland was tasked with driving Bragg from the area and occupying Chattanooga. The Army of the Cumberland was under command of Major General William Rosecrans.

Rosecrans was able to take Chattanooga, with Bragg retreating across the border into Georgia and holding ground outside of the small village of Chickamauga. Rosecrans decided to pursue Bragg’s army and crush them. Meanwhile, Bragg began to plot how to strike back and retake Chattanooga. Rosecrans was not expecting Bragg to counter-attack. The first day of the battle (September 19 1863) was fierce, but neither army was able to break through the other’s line. The next day, Bragg resumed his assault on the Union line. And the unthinkable happened...due to a miscommunication, Rosecrans was misinformed that he had a large gap in his line. He decided to move a number of units to the north to plug the supposed “gap” in the line. However, once those units arrived, they discovered that there actually was no gap. Even worse, by moving those units, Rosecrans had actually CREATED a gap in the southern end of the Union line. A gap that Lt. General James Longstreet (who had fought alongside Lee at Gettysburg) was able to march right through and pierce the Union’s defenses. The entire southern flank of the Union Army collapsed. At this point, Rosecrans had no choice but for his Army to hastily retreat back to Chattanooga. 

This was a resounding Union defeat. However, there was a saving grace that helped preserve the Chattanooga campaign. Upon receiving the order to retreat, General Major George H. Thomas volunteered to remain and hold his position on Horseshoe Ridge, giving the retreating Army time to reach Chattanooga, fortify the position, and live to fight another day. Thomas rallied a number of scattered units and ferociously stalled the Confederate advance for sufficient time to allow Rosecrans to fortify Chattanooga. Thomas’s efforts were aided by a mounted infantry unit, “The Lightning Brigade” commanded by Colonel John T. Wilder. His brigade was equipped with the newly invented Spencer repeating rifle, a superior weapon that was able to fire at a much greater rate than the guns used by the Confederates. The soldiers had paid for the rifles themselves, for the U.S. government hadn’t yet budgeted for the new technology. The actions of Thomas and Wilder saved thousands of Union lives, and avoided a total rout by allowing the Union Army to retreat to Chattanooga. For his actions, Thomas was nicknamed “The Rock of Chickamauga.”

Take your time to drive the auto tour route and see the battlefield. The highlight is the monument to Wilder and the “Lightning Brigade.”

The Wilder Monument 

After the victory at Chickamauga, the Confederates were able to hold the high ground overlooking Chattanooga, at Lookout Mountain and at Missionary Ridge, and began plans to retake the city. But the victory would prove to be short-lived. Rosecrans’ defeat had rattled him severely, leaving him unfit to continue command. Lincoln relieved him of duty of the Army of the Cumberland and replaced him with General Ulysses S. Grant (who had recently achieved a great victory at Vicksburg). General William Tecumseh Sherman had also been sent to reinforce the Union Army at Chattanooga. Fortunately, the Confederates were unable to completely cut off Chattanooga from the North, allowing the supplies and reinforcements to arrive. This gave the Union the manpower and firepower they needed in the battle ahead.

Grant knew he had a tough road ahead of him, but he knew that the only way to victory was to drive Bragg off the high ground at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. Although the Confederates held the strategic high ground, they were outmanned and outgunned. The Union staged a simultaneous attack on both defenses on November 24 and November 25, 1863. Bragg simply did not have enough units to defend all the high ground he held all at once, and no reinforcements arrived (the Confederates simply couldn’t spare anyone). The Union was able to overrun Bragg’s Army in the “battle above the clouds” and Bragg’s army fled south to Atlanta.

Point Park (on top of Lookout Mountain) preserves the site of this important Union victory, and was later used as a training ground for U.S. troops during the Spanish-American War. It provides beautiful sights overlooking the city and the Tennessee River.

With Chattanooga secured, Gen. Sherman was now able to conduct his brutal “march to the sea,” which devastated and decimated the South. Sherman’s campaign signaled the beginning of the end of the Confederate Army, which would later surrender in April 1865. As the nameless Confederate soldier penned in his journal, the loss at Chattanooga was indeed the “death-knell of the Confederacy.”

BONUS:

Be sure to visit Rock City on the top of Lookout Mountain. Rock City is a kitschy, touristy spot. It’s one of those places that’s advertised for miles around (the small red barns that proudly implores visitors to “See Rock City” are ubiquitous in this part of the country), but don’t let that drive you away. It’s a great place to visit. You get to hike though narrow, cavernous walkways; a beautiful, intricate garden; see a spectacular (albeit man-made) waterfall at Lover’s Leap; and it offers fantastic panoramic views (boasting that one can see seven states from one spot). We enjoyed our visit here.

Chattanooga is a great place for scenic beauty and Civil War history. If you find yourself passing through Chattanooga, take some time to explore the area. More info: https://www.nps.gov/chch/index.htm