I recently completed EV visits to all 47 park units in the 10 states of the Midwest region, as well as 5 affiliated sites, 8 heritage areas, trails and biospheres. The region also has Cahokia Mounds, Hopewell Culture and 4 Frank Lloyd Wright world heritage sites.

Illinois

• Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley: learn what sparked the Civil Rights Movement
• Lincoln Home: Springfield preserves his neighborhood, near his library
• New Philadelphia: a new park for the first town founded by an African American
• Pullman: learn about this company town, labor and national strikes
• Springfield Race Riot: the terrible events here inspired the founders of the NAACP

Indiana

• George Rogers Clark: dramatic story of the young man who won the Midwest
• Indiana Dunes National Park: miles of beaches, dunes and trails to hike and see birds
• Lincoln Boyhood: best place to walk in young Abe’s footsteps and see his humble origins

Iowa

• Effigy Mounds: ancient burial grounds on the beautiful bluffs of the upper Mississippi
• Herbert Hoover: Quaker village origins and presidential library

Kansas

• Brown v. Board: learn about the case against structurally unequal education
• Fort Larned: well-preserved fort on the Santa Fe Trail during westward expansion
• Fort Scott: site of a Bleeding Kansas event, Civil War recruiting & logistics and more
• Nicodemus: still thriving African American pioneer town
• Tallgrass Prairie: preserves a trace of the once vast ecosystem

Michigan

• Isle Royale National Park: remote wilderness in Lake Superior
• Keweenaw: copper mines & historic towns in the upper peninsula
• Pictured Rocks: miles of scenic cliffs, waterfalls, beaches and trails
• River Raisin: consequential battlefield from the War of 1812
• Sleeping Bear Dunes: tallest dunes on Lake Michigan

Minnesota

• Grand Portage: access point from the Great Lakes for canoeing fur traders
• Mississippi River: paddling, hiking & history in Twin Cities area
• Pipestone: sacred Native American site for thousands of years
• Saint Croix River: shared by both Minnesota & Wisconsin
• Voyageurs National Park: wilderness among the lakes on the border

Missouri

• Gateway Arch National Park: iconic landmark with history and terrific views
• George Washington Carver: birthplace where Carver began unraveling nature’s mysteries
• Harry S Truman: summer White House, home and history
• Ozark River: paddling, pools, hiking, caves, wildlife and more
• Ste. Geneviève: historic French settlement between Quebec and New Orleans
• Ulysses S. Grant NHS: family home filled with history
• Wilson’s Creek: first major Civil War battle west of the Mississippi

Nebraska

• Agate Fossil Beds: Miocene mammals and Lakota heritage
• Homestead: learn about the pioneers and the Homestead Act
• Missouri River: 100 miles of nature, Native American heritage and Lewis & Clark history
• Niobrara River: paddle past Nebraska’s largest waterfall
• Scotts Bluff: learn about the pass used by generations of pioneers

Ohio

• Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers: history making officer, corps and community
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park: miles of bike trails, history and nature
• Dayton Aviation Heritage: learn how Wilbur & Orville built the first fully functional aircraft
• First Ladies: see rotating exhibits of these most influential partners in politics
• Hopewell Culture: ancient Native American burial ground
• James A. Garfield: from his campaign porch outside to his library inside
• Perry’s Victory: see the view of Canada & the US from the international peace memorial
• William Howard Taft: tour the home of the President and Supreme Court Justice

Wisconsin

• Apostle Islands: tour the scenic islands or paddle along the beach
• Ice Age Scenic Trail: explore the landscape carved by glaciers and erosion
• Saint Croix River: shared by both Minnesota & Wisconsin