Top Outdoor Places to Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month

To many Latino visitors, a deep appreciation and constant admiration towards nature is inherently passed down from every generation. Latino immigrants have historically dignified our country’s land and the great outdoors through various conservation and labor efforts.

Today, as Latinos continue to seek outdoor recreation activities, we wanted to share a few locations for your next day trip to celebrate Latinos’ contributions to these distinct public lands.

Take a day trip to one of these unique locations honoring the people and places of Hispanic heritage

The histories of Latinos and Latinas in America are diverse. They include the experiences of people with cultural, religious, and linguistic traditions from Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua, among other nations from Latin America and Iberia. It is impossible to tell the experiences of these various groups with a single history.

The breadth of Latino/a experience is a vital aspect of America's rich and diverse past. The places explored here barely begin to hint at the varied ways their lives intersected with one another. Discover these remarkable stories preserved in our national parks and historic places.

Tumacácori National Historical Park (National Park Service)

You can relive the Juan Bautista de Anza expedition along the 1,200-mile (1931 km) Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail that connects history, culture, and outdoor recreation from Nogales, Arizona, to the San Francisco Bay Area. Add Tumacácori National Historical Park to your itinerary for a vibrant look at Native American and early Spanish colonial cultures, traditions, and interactions. Along your journey, celebrate the influential Spanish history and culture that still thrives along the trail today.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is an outdoor recreation gem complete with camping, hiking, and incredible sights. During The El Paso Salt War, American businessmen and the local Mexican American community fought for ownership of the Salt Flats. Seeing this as a threat to their livelihood, the community fought back. Today, thanks to the bravery of that entire community, we are all able to enjoy the magnificent sight of the Salt Basin Dunes.

Add San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico to your must-visit list and take a walk through 500 years of history. You can explore several forts that have stood for centuries, including the iconic Castillo San Felipe del Morro (“El Morro”). Stop by Castillo San Cristóbal, the largest fortification built by the Spanish in the New World, and see where the first shots of the Spanish-American War were fired. So much awaits you to learn and explore!

Explore Related Trips

• A Slice of History at Joshua Tree National Park
• New Mexico's Scenic Rio Chama River
• Must-See American Monuments
• Mejores Lugares al Aire Libre para Celebrar el Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana

Bring Home a Story

• Tumacácori National Historical Park Tours Tumacácori National Historical Park, Arizona
• Reservaciones para El Yunque / El Yunque Reservations El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico
• Pine Springs Campground Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
• Guadalupe Mountains National Park Wilderness Permits Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
• Castillo de San Marcos National Monument Tours Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, Florida