Kyle Magnuson Profile

I live and work in Los Angeles, California, though I am originally from Northern Wisconsin. I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in History, and a Master's degree in Teaching (Social Studies) from the University of Southern California (USC). As an undergraduate I completed coursework in China, Scotland, and Korea. As a member of AmeriCorps, I provided educational services to communities throughout Los Angeles. Today, I am a founding teacher at Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy, where I teach U.S. History.

I have contributed an overabundance of information to the country page and forum for South Korea. I consider Korea to be one the great rewards for world heritage travellers. Firstly, a high number of accessible inscriptions reachable by efficient public transport. Secondly, excellent interpretation and management of each site, including translation. Lastly, the public awareness and domestic interest in world heritage in Korea is exceptional.

I often travel plan and create lists/goals regarding future trips. Currently, I aspire to visit all 50 U.S. states, every World Heritage site in the United States (excluding Papahanaumokuakea for now), six continents, and surpass 125 world heritage sites by June 18th, 2026. That would be my last day of my 40th year, as the following day I will turn 41.

My Flickr

Complete California

World Heritage Planning

Australia/Singapore (6 WHS)

Sydney Opera House (New South Wales, Australia)
Greater Blue Mountains Area (New South Wales, Australia)
Australian Convict Sites (New South Wales, Australia)
Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens (Victoria, Australia)
Budj Bim Cultural Landscape (Victoria, Australia)
Singapore Botanic Gardens (Singapore)

Canadian Atlantic Provinces (4 WHS)

Québec City
Old Town Lunenburg
Grand Pré
Joggins Fossil Cliffs

Canadian Prairie Provinces (4 WHS)

Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai’pi
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Dinosaur Provincial Park
The Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks

Central Mexico (3 WHS)

Guanajuato
San Miguel de Allende
Camino Real

Curaçao Netherlands (1 WHS)

Historic Area of Willemstad, Inner City and Harbour, Curaçao

Ghana (1 WHS)

Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions

Gulf States (3 WHS)

Al Ain (UAE)
Qal'at al-Bahrain (Bahrain)
Pearling, testimony of an island economy (Bahrain)

Japan - via Korea Ferry (2 WHS)

Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region
Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining

Nordic/Baltic Nations (5 WHS)

Visby (Sweden)
Karlskrona (Sweden)
Birka and Hovgarden (Sweden)
Fortress of Suomenlinna (Finland)
Tallinn (Estonia)

Northern Mexico (2 WHS)

Guerrero Negro: Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino (including San Ignacio Lagoon)
Nuevo Casas Grandes: Archaeological Zone of Paquimé
Loretto: Bahía de Loreto (component of Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California)

Slovenia/Italy (3 WHS)

The Works of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Škocjan Caves (Slovenia)
Venice (Italy)

United Kingdom (10 WHS)

Kew Gardens
Westminster
Tower of London
Maritime Greenwich
Blenheim Palace
Stonehenge
City of Bath
Great Spa Towns of Europe
Frontiers of the Roman Empire
Durham Castle and Cathedral

United States (2 WHS)

Puerto Rico: La Fortaleza and San Juan Historic Site in Puerto Rico
Alaska: Kluane/Wrangell-St. Elias/Glacier Bay/Tatshenshini-Alsek
San Juan County: Aztec Ruins National Monument (component of Chaco Culture)

Travel Plans [Country List]

California - United States of America Last Update 23.09.22 83 WHS Visited 124 Reviews 84 WHS Rated 40 TWHS Visited

Visited Sites Kyle Magnuson

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Recent Reviews Kyle Magnuson

Hawaii Volcanoes

Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 10-Jan-22

For all visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the visitor center is a smart first stop to get information about current eruptions. During our exploration of the park, there were eruptions occurring, but the distance was significant. My camera captured the dramatic scene, but I regretted not bringing my binoculars. We spent 1.5 days in the park and there was certainly still more to see. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was reminiscent to me of both Yellowstone National Park (Steam Vents and Sulphur Banks) and Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes (Thurston Lava Tube).

Read On

Gulf of California

Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 03-Dec-21

We visited this world heritage site over a period of 8 days. One recommendation (based on your own resources), spend a bit more with established tour companies to get a more full experience of the major components that make this enormous natural WHS unique. We primarily used "Cabo Adventures" and they are professional and offer basics like sunset tours to more serious excursions to places like Cabo Pulmo National Park. It is also possible to rent your own vehicle, but it's not an absolute requirement, since there is a bus system that connects Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Loretto, and pretty much the whole Baja Peninsula for reasonable prices. I will return to other components of this WHS in the future, it's so expansive and vast that it will be rewarding to return.

Read On

Yellowstone

Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 16-Oct-21

Yellowstone has survived for 150 years. Mineral exploitation, logging and poachers were the most serious threats between 1872 and 1916. In the 'The Act of Dedication' (1872), Yellowstone was "set apart as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people". As of October 2021, Yellowstone has already received more than 4 million visitors. The threat to Yellowstone National Park today is primarily heavy visitor usage/footprint and Climate Change.

Best Practices

- all suggestions are meant as general advice when possible and appropriate to your trip planning and schedule

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Waterton Glacier International Peace Park

Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 11-Sep-21

Visiting the park between June 15th and June 17th, the season was still early. The Going-to-the-Sun Road was not cleared fully, but more importantly for my visit, I would have to adapt. Firstly, the reservation system for the Going-to-the-Sun Road was completely overwhelmed with the amount of people who wanted to reserve a place. Shuttle service does not begin until July. Millions of Americans after being vaccinated, hit the roads to escape home, but largely still being limited to domestic travel only. Though I planned months in advance and I diligently visited recreation.gov at every "booking window" it was a fruitless exercise. Everything was fully reserved within 1 minute

Read On

Great Smoky Mountains

Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 22-Aug-21

*Updated Late Fall 2022

I enjoyed a pleasant, less busy excursion to Cade's Cove on November 21st. Hiking to Abrams Falls was a highlight as I had the waterfall all to myself for a good 10 minutes before another hiker arrived. The temperatures were between 36 and 50 during my visit (2-10 C), there were icicles around much of the falls and river. During the first trip and this one, I was able to see a black bear.

With some extra time I also visited a somewhat less frequented portion of the park, just past the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. Taking the dirt road for a few miles and crossing two small one car only bridges, you arrive to the Middle Prong Trail

Read On

Profile Data

Name: Kyle Magnuson
Country: California - United States of America
Most Impressive: Natural Sites: El Pinacate (Mexico), Gulf of California (Mexico), Jeju Volcanic Island (Korea), Everglades (US), Grand Canyon (US), Hawaii Volcanoes (US), Olympic (US), Redwoods (US), Yellowstone (US), Yosemite (US)
Proposal: Native/Indigenous Sites in the United States: (1) Ancestral Lands of the Diné: Canyon de Chelly & Monument Valley (2) Coso Rock Art District (3) Heritage of the Hawaiian Kingdom (4) Rock Art of the Chumash People (5) Sinagua Cultural Landscape
Website: website

Recently Visited WHS

Update 23.09.22: Hawaii Volcanoes

Visited WHS

Rating Stats

Great Wall 5

Machu Picchu 5

Yellowstone 5

El Pinacate 4.5

Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings 4.5

Grand Canyon 4.5

Gulf of California 4.5

Hawaii Volcanoes 4.5

Imperial Palace 4.5

Istanbul 4.5

Mesa Verde 4.5

Redwood 4.5

Yosemite National Park 4.5

Chaco Culture 4

Edinburgh 4

Everglades 4

Great Smoky Mountains 4

Jeju 4

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor 4

Mexico City and Xochimilco 4

Olympic National Park 4

Paris, Banks of the Seine 4

Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries 4

Segovia 4

Sintra 4

Taos Pueblo 4

Teotihuacan 4

Toledo 4

University of Coimbra 4

Waterton Glacier International Peace Park 4

Central University City Campus of the UNAM 3.5

Changdeokgung Palace Complex 3.5

Convent of Christ in Tomar 3.5

Cuzco 3.5

El Escurial 3.5

Getbol, Korean Tidal Flat 3.5

Gyeongju 3.5

Haeinsa Temple 3.5

Hahoe and Yangdong 3.5

Macao 3.5

Mammoth Cave 3.5

Monastery of Alcobaça 3.5

Monastery of Batalha 3.5

Mount Taishan 3.5

Namhansanseong 3.5

Qhapaq Ñan 3.5

Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple 3.5

Silk Roads 3.5

South China Karst 3.5

Southern Öland 3.5

Statue of Liberty 3.5

Summer Palace 3.5

Temple of Heaven 3.5

Temple, Mansion and Cemetery of Confucius 3.5

Versailles 3.5

Works of Antoni Gaudí 3.5

Aranjuez 3

Baekje Historic Areas 3

Baroque Churches 3

Belem 3

Cahokia Mounds 3

Forth Bridge 3

Hwaseong Fortress 3

Imperial Tombs 3

Independence Hall 3

Jongmyo Shrine 3

Kronborg Castle 3

Lima 3

Monticello 3

Par force hunting landscape 3

Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro 3

Roskilde Cathedral 3

Royal Joseon Tombs 3

San Antonio Missions 3

Seowon, Neo-Confucian Academies 3

Carlsbad Caverns 2.5

Drottningholm 2.5

Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen 2.5

Mafra Palace, Convent and Royal Hunting Park 2.5

Nice 2.5

Poverty Point 2.5

Skogskyrkogarden 2.5

New Lanark 2

Reviewed WHS

Visited TWHS

Reviewed TWHS

Top 50 Missing Sites

Bagan
Chicago School of Architecture
Ciudad Perdida, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Concordia
Dilwara Temples at Mt Abu
Dzongs of Bhutan
El Nido Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area
Kaieteur National Park, Iwokrama Forest and the Kanuku Mountains
Klondike and the Gold Rush Trails
Laas Gaal
Lake Titicaca
Major Buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright
Nan Madol
Okavango Delta
Plain of Jars / Sites Mégalithiques de la province de Xieng Khouang
Silk Roads
Sistema Vial Andino/Qhapaq Ñan
Svalbard
Torres del Paine National Park
Ur

World Heritage Site

for World Heritage Travellers

Kyle Magnuson Profile

World Heritage Planning

Visited Sites Kyle Magnuson

Legend

Recent Reviews Kyle Magnuson

Hawaii Volcanoes

Gulf of California

Yellowstone

Waterton Glacier International Peace Park

Great Smoky Mountains

Profile Data

Recently Visited WHS

Visited WHS

Reviewed WHS

Visited TWHS

Reviewed TWHS

Top 50 Missing Sites

Top 200 WHS