
Visit Museums and Cultural Sites
Explore destinations where history, culture, and natural beauty converge. Whether you're interested in museum exhibits or trails that wind through areas of cultural significance, these places offer unique opportunities to connect with the heritage and stories that define our public lands.
Plan ahead and prepare, as some facilities may have seasonal hours, and some trailheads may be challenging to access. Wherever you go, please visit cultural sites with respect.
- Alaska
-
- Campbell Tract WWII - Anchorage, Alaska (Outdoor)
- Fort Egbert - Eagle, Alaska (Outdoor)
- Iditarod National Historic Trail - Seward to Nome, Alaska (Outdoor)
- Mesa Site - Northern Brooks Range, Alaska (Outdoor)
- Raven Bluff Site - Kivalina River drainage, northwest Alaska (Outdoor)
- Sitka Blockhouse - Sitka, Alaska (Outdoor)
- Steele Creek Townsite - Steel Creek, Alaska (Outdoor)
- Tangle Lakes Archaeological District - Paxson, Alaska (Outdoor)
- Arizona
-
- Museum of Northern Arizona - Flagstaff, Arizona (Indoor exhibit)
- Painted Rock - Phoenix, Arizona (Outdoor)
- Pueblo La Plata Cultural Site - Phoenix, Arizona (Outdoor)
- Turkey Creek Cliff Dwelling Trail - Safford, Arizona (Outdoor)
- California
-
- Autry Museum of the American West - Los Angeles, California (Indoor exhibit)
- Amargosa Canyon - Baker, California (Outdoor)
- Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument - Wild Bill Place, California (Outdoor)
- California Coastal National Monument - Monterey, California (Outdoor)
- Carrizo Plain National Monument - Bakersfield, California (Outdoor)
- Fort Ord National Monument - Salinas, California (Outdoor)
- Mojave Trails National Monument - Needles, California (Outdoor)
- Sand to Snow National Monument - Palm Springs, California (Outdoor)
- Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument - Palm Desert, California (Outdoor)
- Colorado
-
- Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum - Dolores, Colorado (Indoor exhibit)
- Lowry Pueblo National Historic Landmark - Cortez, Colorado (Outdoor)
- McDonald Creek Cultural Area - Grand Junction, Colorado (Outdoor)
- Penitente Canyon Campground - Monte Vista, Colorado (Outdoor)
- Western Museum of Mining and Industry - Colorado Springs, Colorado (Indoor exhibit)
- Florida
-
- Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area - Jupiter, Florida (Outdoor)
- Idaho
-
- Idaho Museum of Natural History - Pocatillo, Idaho (Indoor exhibit)
- Idaho State Museum - Boise, Idaho (Indoor exhibit)
- Montana
-
- Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center - Fort Benton, Montana (Indoor exhibit)
- Pompeys Pillar National Monument Interpretive Center - Pompey’s Pillar, Montana (Indoor exhibit)
- Shoshone Ridge - Dillon, Montana (Outdoor)
- Nevada
-
- Baker Archaeological Viewing Site - Baker, Nevada (Outdoor)
- Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area - Winnemucca, Nevada (Outdoor)
- California Trail Interpretive Center - Elko, Nevada (Indoor exhibit)
- Historic Mill Site at American Flat - Carson City, Nevada (Outdoor)
- Mt. Irish Archeological Site - Alamo, Nevada (Outdoor)
- Nevada State Museum - Las Vegas, Nevada (Indoor exhibit)
- Sloan Canyon Petroglyph Site - Henderson, Nevada (Outdoor)
- New Mexico
-
- Casamero Chacoan Outliers Recreation Management Area - Farmington, New Mexico (Outdoor)
- Casamero Pueblo - Farmington, New Mexico (Outdoor)
- Guadalupe Ruin - San Ysidro, New Mexico (Outdoor)
- Rio Bonito Petroglyph National Recreation Trail – Access from Rob Jagger's Campground - Fort Stanton, New Mexico (Outdoor)
- Oregon
-
- Huntington Wagon Road - Bend, Oregon (Outdoor)
- National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center - Baker City, Oregon (Indoor exhibit)
- Utah
-
- Bears Ears National Monument - Bluff, Utah (Outdoor)
- Virtual Tour of Bears Ears National Monument
- Butler Wash Interpretive Trail - Blanding, Utah (Outdoor)
- Cedar Mesa - Bluff, Utah (Outdoor)
- Cannonville Visitor Center - Cannonville, Utah (Indoor exhibit)
- Kanab Visitor Center - Kanab, Utah (Indoor exhibit)
- Mule Canyon Interpretive Site - southeast Utah (Outdoor)
- Museum of Peoples and Cultures - Provo, Utah (Indoor exhibit)
- Bears Ears National Monument - Bluff, Utah (Outdoor)
- Washington, D.C.
-
- Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture - Washington, D.C. (Indoor exhibit)
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History - Washington, D.C. (Indoor exhibit)
- Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian - Washington, D.C. (Indoor exhibit)
- Wyoming
-
- Crookston Ranch Cultural Site - Rock Springs, Wyoming (Outdoor)
- National Historic Trails Interpretive Center - Casper, Wyoming (Indoor exhibit)
- White Mountain Petroglyphs - south of Eden, Wyoming (Outdoor)
Visiting Cultural Sites with Respect
The cultural sites we manage are fragile and irreplaceable - containing imagery, artifacts, and other historical evidence from centuries long ago. It’s import that when you visit, you Visit with Respect. These principles are designed specifically for visiting areas of cultural significance to help to preserve and protect resources. Here's a summary of the core principles:
- Leave all artifacts: The stories told by artifacts are lost when the artifacts are moved or removed from a cultural site. Artifacts include historical objects such as bullets, buttons, tools, and other discarded objects from early American explorations, migration routes, and settlements, as well as Native American pottery pieces, stone tools, rock flakes, corn cobs, and much more. To modern eyes these objects might look like trash or seem like a fun ‘finders keepers’ souvenirs. However, it’s illegal to remove any artifact, including historic refuse, from public lands.
- Steer clear of structures: Historic and prehistoric structures are easily damaged. Please refrain from touching, leaning, standing, or climbing on any structures, no matter how solid they look.
- Guide children through sites: Archaeological sites are not playgrounds. Teach children to respect these places. Keep a close eye on them, so they don’t get hurt or accidentally damage cultural resources.
- Dogs and archeology don't mix: To prevent digging and erosion, pets are not allowed in archaeological sites. In areas where pets are allowed, please keep them leashed while near cultural resources.
- Don't touch rock imagery or make your own: Natural oils on your hands damage these delicate images. Vandalism of petroglyphs and pictographs erases stories of ancient people and destroys the experience for future visitors.