This will be a brief summary of a few of the various places I’ve traveled to do photographic work. I’ve been through a large part of the United States and a little of northern Mexico. I’ve been to all the southern states and most of my traveling photographic work is based on that. I’ll just list a few that I spent enough time in to give a decent description. Keep in mind each season may bring a different experience altogether.

 Nature Parks and Forests

Everglades National park: (Florida) I wish I could say more about this park but I was one of the unfortunate few without a boat. With small watercraft, (canoe or other) this would have been an entirely different world to explore. The plant life is interesting, to say the least. The greatest photographic possibilities probably lie with the abundant bird life present in the park. The easiest trail in the park, the Anhinga Trail, also happened to have the most viewable wildlife… including plenty of alligators and many large wading birds. It had easy photographic possibilities; but it’s just not the kind of experience I’m used to or prefer. Theses animals practically posed for the camera. Many of the large aquatic birds literally allowed a camera just a few inches away from their bodies. I actually had my best experience on the way out of the park on the road. While heading north on the main road through the park I saw (and almost ran over) a large eastern diamond back rattle snake! This was a tremendous sighting, as these creatures are no longer a common sight as they once may have been. I expect they will find their way onto the threatened species list in just a few years. As for photographs, I didn’t get anything great-- just a couple snap shots but it was a privilege just to see this awesome snake!

Apalachicola National Forest: (Florida) This is an area of excellent Florida habitat, but as for viewing wildlife it’s a hit or miss.  I missed. However it’s some really nice scenery and I did recognize that it contains some great habitat for a variety of interesting critters including eastern diamond back and pigmy rattlers. I took a sandy back road into this forest and I warn you to be careful. I actually got lost in this forest for a brief amount of time!

Saguaro National Park: (Arizona) Great Sonora desert scenery.  The large saguaro cactus and various other cacti make this park a truly unique and interesting place to visit. The sunsets alone would make the trip worthwhile to many photographers. Wildlife is abundant to the observant and well-trained eye. Small reptiles are easy sites; as are gambels, quail and an assortment of other birds.

Jean Lafitte National Historic Park: (Louisiana) This is actually a great place for viewing local wildlife. This park offers a nicely developed walking trail system. To really get the feel of the place rent a canoe from one of the local outfitters. They’ll drive the canoes right up to the water for you and pick you up when you’re done. It’s cheap and fun. I paid about $20 for a daylong rental. I went into two local outfitters I left the first one because the lady tried to trick me into the rental by saying that they have an 18 foot alligator! (BS) I left and went to the one across the road!  After getting into my canoe the real trip began. Floating within just a few feet of an alligator is more than enough to justify the $20 rental fee. This trip allows for a nice leisurely view of some of the south’s most beautiful scenery, water plants, Spanish moss covered trees, large colorful wading birds and of course gators and snakes.

 Rocky Mountain National Park: (Colorado) A great place to visit for wildlife and great scenery. Snow capped mountains make a great scenic backdrop and the wildlife is abundant. Elk are commonly seen from the road. If one is real lucky a mountain lion or bear is a possibility. Drive the entire trail ridge road and view glacial valleys and high country tundra all from the comfort of your car. Hiking trails are plentiful and range from simple to difficult.

Arches National Park: (Utah) Here is another great place for you landscape shooters! I failed to locate any interesting animals, but I saw plenty of amazing rock formations and sandy desert landscape. Well, my input here will be short.  After Arches I headed south to Arizona.

Badlands National Park: (South Dakota) Excellent place for landscape shooters! Look for herds of bison; they should be easy to spot. A large prairie dog town can also be found in this park. These fun little critters will practically pose for the camera. They're cute and allow a reasonably close approach. 

Theodore Roosevelt National Park: (North Dakota) This is a much more interesting place than anybody who hasn’t been here will ever think it is. It’s like a cross between South Dakota Badlands national park and Custer State Park rolled up in one. It has the shapes and colors of the Badlands but with more green vegetation and water sources. TRNP is a very scenic and interesting place.

Wildlife is easy to find and easy to photograph. Bison herds are a common sight and prairie dog towns are abundant. The real pleasure in the park is the wild horses, in fact if the park had nothing else to see but the wild horse it would be worth it.

Wild horses may look just like domestic horses, however one look at these animals and one understands they are not the same animals running around on a local ranch. These are wild animals, born and raised! Photographing wild horses was a real pleasure for me. 

The north section of this park does differ dramatically in scenery and is well worth taking time to explore.

Padre Island National Seashore: (Texas) This refuge is mostly comprised of coastal grasslands, dunes and beach. A good place for photographing shorebirds, and one can do this from the comfort of ones own car. Driving directly on the beach is allowed here, and your car will serve as a mobile blind.

Smokey Mountains National Park: (Tennessee/ NC.)  This can be a pleasant Park to just drive through and occasionally stop at one of the roadside parking areas and overlooks. But, to truly enjoy this park you must be ready to hike. During the warmer months it's an incredibly humid park, keep this in mind when loading your gear. The true beauty of the Park lies within its abundant forests. The many waterfalls and clear streams make for beautiful scenery. Wildlife, I'm sure, is also abundant.  In fact this park likely has the largest population of black bears in the US. Despite the abundance of wildlife, sightings are rare. This is a densely forested park; bear sightings are not common for tourists. The scenery along the trails and the waterfalls make this Park worth the visit. Keep in mind; some of the hikes can be quite a challenge.

Joshua Tree National Park: (California) This is a desert park. As with most southwestern parks this one offers excellent photographic opportunity, especially with landscape. Sunsets and sunrises in the desert make for classic images. The sky over Joshua Tree is remarkably clear; allowing for beautiful blues. I found that with the tremendous blue against the somewhat drab browns of the desert one could make interesting images even in midday sun. The night skies are incredibly filled with stars!

Wildlife images are definitely possible, but one must possess a keen eye. Colorful lizards are a common sight. Snakes can be found, especially at night. Gambels quail are abundant and easy to spot. The coyote walking through the desert may be a common image, but it's also a classic image.

Monument Rocks/Chalk Pyramids: (Kansas) If you happen to be in western Kansas and have some time to kill I'd recommend stopping by here.  If for no other reason than to just see these odd shapes in the middle of a grassland prairie.

Cedar Bluffs State Park: (Kansas) The highlight of this park is the lakeside bluffs. I didn't see much in the way of wildlife but the bluffs during sunrise or sunset will make fine landscape images.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park: A west Texas National Park with lots of mountain scenery. Wildlife is abundant as long as you're looking for lizards. Numerous bird species were also observed during my visit to this park. This park is best observed by hiking the many trails. Trails range from easy to difficult. If you're the type that wants to auto tour, this park may not be for you.  In fact, I'd say if you just observe from a car window you'd be wasting your time here. Good hiking boots and backpack are my recommendations for exploring this diverse landscape.

Organ Pipe National Monument: (Arizona) This park is located right on the Mexican/Arizona border and is listed as one of the most dangerous US parks. I spent time here from early day to late in the night and at no time did I feel in any danger. Camping was readily available and appeared clean and safe. The park is easily navigated via vehicle and does offer plenty of reasonably well kept hiking trails. The most obvious wildlife I encountered however was Border Patrol. The backcountry, I'm sure, still has plenty of viewable wildlife. But, I'm concerned the easily accessed portions may see a little too much activity. Scenery images will be an easy target, as this park does reflect exactly what one expects from an Arizona desert park.

Yellowstone National Park: (Wyoming) Thanks to the geothermal activity at this park one really can have a unique experience from a visit here. The geysers are interesting but it's the thermal pools that really make the place stand out. The colors and clarity of the water is simply amazing. Aside from the interesting and often beautiful landscape the park seems to have abundant wildlife. This is one of the few places in the lower 48 states where one can have good chances at seeing grizzly bears. Another interesting experience to be gained here is a first hand look at the cycles of forest life. Recent and not so recent forest fires have left quite a lesson in how the cycle of new growth works in the forest.

Grand Tetons National Park: (Wyoming) This park comes packaged with the Yellowstone entrance. This park offers much of what Yellowstone offers minus the geothermal activity. Look for great lake views and craggy mountain images when visiting.

Bryce Canyon NP And Capital Reef National Park: (Utah) I put these two together because the offer very similar attractions. Most of southern Utah is a playground of photographic opportunity. The red rock canyons and wildly shaped mountains are truly an awesome site to view. Bryce canyon offers some higher elevation timberline views as well as the typical southern Utah desert. Capital Reef is more of the lower valleys but at least in my opinion slightly more photogenic. I failed to see much animal life but the landscape will easily meet ones photographic needs.

Grand Canyon Nation Park: (Arizona) I can't offer too much input on this park, due to current fire conditions I was only able to view the north rim portion. I can't say I was overly impressed by this either. The view was impressive of course, but the abundance of tourists made it difficult to photograph or to even find a decent parking space. I just prefer my workspace a little less crowded, but then my view may change entirely once I view the south rim and the rest of the park.

Big Bend National Park: (Texas) As the name would imply, this park is BIG. As far as shooting landscape, it's really all about light here. The terrain is harsh, with lots of dark volcanic rock. Wildlife largely depends on the season. I was there in early summer, most animals are nocturnal by this time of year. Photographically, it can be a challenge. The best thing about this park is the lack of other visitors. If you find a nice place to shoot with good light chances are you'll have it to yourself! The Trans Pecos region of Texas has many unique and interesting critters. If you're trying to photograph reptiles plan on being out late.

National Wildlife Refuges/ Reserves

  Big Cypress National Reserve: (Florida) I began my photographic adventures in southern Florida at Big Cypress National Reserve. If you really want to see this place be prepared to get your shoes muddy! I took a brief look around. I recommend it if you have time to actually get in and get dirty, I didn’t. I did however still see a few alligators, one small grass snake that I failed to identify and plenty of water birds. I would assume this would be a good place to find some interesting critters with adequate time and apparel. Looked like some good snake habitat even for eastern diamond backs, coral and cottonmouth.

 Sabine National Wildlife Refuge: (Louisiana) This is a good place if you don’t have a boat or maybe have a slightly less developed sense of adventure. One can easily see alligators and colorful wading birds from the comfort of a paved trail system and a raised boardwalk over the marsh areas. Easy, safe and accessible, but not as interesting as the up close and personal view offered from a canoe.

  Savannah National Wildlife Refuge: (South Carolina) Ok Savannah is in Georgia but the wildlife refuge is right across the river in South Carolina. Another great place for viewing alligators, even from the comfort of your car window. Wading birds and other aquatic birds are a common sight. Sunsets over the marsh landscape are particularly nice.

 Bosque del Apache NWR: (New Mexico)  Simply a great place for bird photography. This park is a wetland refuge in the middle of a desert. Snow geese and sandhill cranes are abundant during the fall and winter. It is perfect for wildlife photography with a scenic desert and mountain backdrop. Bosque Del Apache is a unique and interesting place to visit and photograph. It's hard to go wrong here, but I'd check the weather because frozen water makes getting great shots more of a challenge.

Aransas NWR: (Texas) This refuge is best known for it's wintering population of Whooping Cranes. If you go here to photograph Whooping cranes be prepared to do it from a boat with a LONG lens.  I saw and photographed none. This refuge however does offer ample photographic opportunities for other bird life and alligators.

Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge: (Missouri) This is a wetland prairie refuge mostly known for it's large flocks of wintering geese. This is also a great place to photograph bald eagles, during December one can often see more than 100 from a single trip around the loop drive. This is a great place to photograph a large assortment of birds, from waders to songbirds. Deer are also a common sight and are surprisingly approachable. I enjoy this refuge for its abundance of reptiles as well.

Quivira NWR: Birdlife is abundant including many species one would expect to see in a coastal state, not the Midwest. Many species are easily photographed from ones car. Part of the refuge is a little difficult to navigate but even getting lost on the back roads can prove to be fun and advantageous for wildlife viewing. Keep in mind that birding is seasonal; each season will have different species.

Flint Hills NWR: Interesting place to visit, again good bird diversity and pretty landscape. Difficult to navigate and large parts are often impassable due to flooding. This is another place where getting lost is as much fun or better than staying on the path. The largest downside is large chunks of the refuge is private land; meaning exploring has to be kept to a minimum. This is farm country, lots of cowboy hats and friendly faces.  Pay attention to road conditions.

Buenos Aries NWR: This is likely the last stand for Black faced bobwhite quail. If one expects to see one be prepared to spend some time waiting. I failed to observe the bobwhite, but gambels quail are abundant. Mule deer were also a common site during my visit. I'd suggest a 4x4 vehicle to properly explore this refuge or at the very least a vehicle with high ground clearance.