United States Monuments

There are about 100 monuments in the United States. Some of them include the Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument, Rainbow Bridge National Monument, and the Buck Island Reef. The Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument was started in 1982 and it has an area of 110,000 acres of land. This monument has a visitor center located near Silver Lake with a gift shop and a theater. There is also a Forest Learning Center, which has exhibits that show information on the history of this park. Another attraction at this monument is the Johnston Ridge Observatory, whose half mile long trail offers several interesting views of the volcano.

Rainbow Bridge National Monument resides in San Juan County, Utah, and has an area of one hundred and sixty acres. At 275 feet long, it is usually said to be the biggest natural bridge in the world. The stone that makes up this bridge was created during the Jurassic time period. Many Native Americans revered this bridge for hundreds of years and even today, Indian families still live near the place. There are many trail heads that can be gotten to by getting permission from the Navajo Indian people.

Buck Island Reef is an island located north of the Virgin Islands. It is 176 acres and has one of the three United States underwater trails. This monument was formed in 1961. The reef around the island is filled with coral, sharks, rays, turtles, and many other species of fish. Snorkelers and scuba divers can swim through the reef while enjoying the view of so many different animals.