The southwestern United States is a region unlike any other, as its plethora of national parks and monuments illustrates. Here, canyons record geologic time in a tableau of color, grand archaeological sites connect us to the lineage of communities who built thriving societies over thousands of years, train tracks and military posts reveal the complicated history of westward expansion, and vast backcountries shelter flora and fauna found nowhere else on Earth. The Guide to National Parks of the Southwest is perfect for anyone who yearns to explore America’s greatest places. This guide covers 52 sites with great historical, biological, geological, or archaeological significance. Each one is different and has a unique story to tell. There are caves, canyons, rivers, deserts, mountains, frontier forts, Spanish churches, cliff dwellings, and million-acre wildernesses, all awe-inspiring spaces where the power of natural forces and human history can be directly witnessed and experienced. (Softcover, 88 pp., 182 photos and maps)