US National Monuments Trivia Quiz

Answer: Devil's Tower

Devil's Tower is a monolithic igneous intrusion in northeastern Wyoming that rises 1,267 feet (386 m) above the surrounding terrain. The Native Americans believed that the long columnar formations on the edges of the monument were caused by a giant bear clawing the sides trying to attack warriors on the summit.

In the 1977 sci-fi classic 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind', aliens make contact with the US government through a series of musical notes and flashing colors on the back side of the monument.

It was set aside by President Theodore Roosevelt as the very first U.S. National Monument in 1906.

Answer: Lava Beds

Formed by lava flows from the Medicine Lake Volcano in northeastern California, the lava tube caves are open to the public to explore. Medicine Lake Volcano itself, although only 2,300 feet high, is over 30 miles in diameter. At places, the lava is over a half a mile thick, making it the largest volcano, by volume, in the Cascade Range.

Answer: Muir Woods

Because Muir Woods was being eyed by loggers and water/power companies in the early 1900's, Congressman William Kent bought the land to protect it. However, his plan was foiled by a local power company who got the rights to dam Redwood Creek, which if built would flood the area. To prevent this from happening, the congressman quickly donated the land to the US government in hopes that it would be managed by the US Forest Service as a National Forest.

However, after hearing that the USFS allows logging, he decided that making the area a National Monument would be a better decision, and President Roosevelt agreed.

Answer: Newberry

Newberry National Monument in central Oregon is an amazing place to see. Some highlights include: Lava River Cave, Oregon's longest lava tube at over 5,000 feet in length; and, the Big Obsidian Flow, a flow of volcanic glass over 700 acres in area. Also, both Paulina and East Lakes are stocked with trout, which makes for some awesome fishing!

Answer: Pinnacles

Pinnacles National Monument was formed from an ancient volcano nearly 200 miles to the southeast near present-day Lancaster, CA. The volcano, which straddled the San Andres Fault, was split in two by the fault. The western portion was moved northwest to its current position. In addition to the Pinnacles, one of the best features of the park is the series of caves that can be explored.

Answer: Mt. St. Helens

Mt. St. Helens, in southern Washington, erupted on May 18, 1980, at 8:32am PDT. Before its eruption, its summit was 9,677 feet above sea level. The eruption blew out the side of the volcano and collapsed the top. The highest point of the crater rim ended up at 8,365 feet. It became a national monument in August 1982.

Answer: Craters of the Moon

In central Idaho, Craters of the Moon is full of lava flows, craters, and rift cracks (the deepest in the world). Visiting Craters of the Moon National Monument is definitely an otherworldly experience.

Answer: White Sands

Located in south central New Mexico, the adjacent White Sands Missile Range is the site of the 1945 Trinity nuclear test, the first successful atomic bomb. The white sand that the monument is named after is composed of gypsum crystals, and makes for some extremely picturesque scenery (when there aren't missiles or bombs in the area).

Answer: Jewel Cave

Not far from Mt. Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota's Black Hills, Jewel Cave National Monument has 141 miles of passageways. The longest cave system known in the world is Mammoth Cave in Kentucky with 365 miles of passageways.

Jewel Cave has the absolute best cave tour I have ever been on in my life. Officials offer a few different ones, but I recommend the 'Historic Tour', a candlelight tour through the first discovered areas of the cave.

Answer: Yes

When the Antiquities Act was passed by Congress in 1906, one of the things it did was allow the President to proclaim "historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest" as national monuments by issuing an executive order.

Congress can vote in a national monument as well, but it is usually done by an executive order.