Tour the States: national parks

Showing posts with label national parks. Show all posts

Friday, May 13, 2016

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - Big Island, Hawaii

raction on the Big Island is Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii’s sole World Heritage Site. The volatile park’s centerpiece is Kilauea Volcano, which continues to blow its top and spout molten lava, ash and steam.

The mega attCrater Rim Drive is a spectacular driving route, skirting the rim of the caldera, stopping at lookouts and taking you from rainforest to desert. The eerie and easily accessible Thurston Lava Tube is a long hollow cave-like formation, created by flowing lava.

Another driving route to follow is the winding Chain of Craters Road along the slopes of the volcano to the coast, where lava has pooled from recent eruptions.

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Saturday, May 7, 2016

Yosemite Falls - Yosemite National Park,California

The highest measured waterfall in North America, Yosemite Falls is the superstar attraction in the park, especially in late spring when the snow melts and water flow is at its peak. With a cumulative drop of 2,425 feet (739 meters), Yosemite Falls actually consists of three falls and is also the sixth highest waterfall in the world (seventh according to some sources).

Though there is some discussion about its place in the world's highest list, it's an incontrovertible fact that Yellowstone Falls is the centerpiece of the valley and the park.

The best views of the cascading torrent can be seen from various vantage points, including Yosemite Village and Yosemite Lodge. For active viewers, a one-mile loop trail leads to the base of Lower Yosemite Fall and also possible to hike to the top of Yosemite Falls as a strenuous, all-day hike. For a unique experience, on a clear night with plenty of moonlight and enough water to create mist.

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Sunday, February 7, 2016

Glacier Bay National Park - Juneau, Alaska

The thunderous splash of calving glaciers is a common sound in Glacier Bay National Park. Located on the border between Alaska and Canada, the massive park contains a huge number of glaciers, which descend from high snow capped mountains into the bay to create spectacular displays of ice and iceberg formation.

And that’s only part of experiencing the scenic, natural, and historic wonders of Glacier Bay National Park. Outdoor enthusiasts will find a number of exciting activities in the park, including backpacking, birding, camping, fishing, hiking, photography, white-water rafting, and wildlife watching.

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Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Dry Tortugas National Park - Key West, Florida

With its name coming from the Spanish word for "Turtles," it's no surprise that the main attraction that the Dry Tortugas have to offer is their beautiful tropical wildlife.

The abundant sea life and colorful coral reefs, along with legends of shipwrecks and sunken treasures, are what draw visitors to the seven small islands off the coast of Florida known as the Tortugas. The Dry Tortugas National Park preserves the islands as well as the famous Fort Jefferson.

The park's centerpiece, Fort Jefferson, is a massive but unfinished coastal fortress that is the largest masonry structure in the West hemisphere. It is composed of over 16 million bricks. Come and marvel at the enormous structure, with its stoic, plain construction. After looking at Fort Jefferson, be sure to enjoy the beautiful wildlife the islands have to offer, whether you go snorkeling, scuba diving, saltwater fishing, or bird watching.

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Sunday, November 8, 2015

Everglades National Park, Florida

The Everglades National Park, covering much of the southeastern tip of Florida, is more than a big swamp full of alligators. True, you will see alligators - lots of them - but this unique subtropical wilderness also supports such creatures as American crocodiles, bottlenose dolphins, manatees, snowy egrets, bald eagles and ospreys.

And amid the mangroves, cypress, hardwood hammocks and miles of sawgrass, there are endless opportunities for hiking, bicycling, canoeing, kayaking, or taking an airboat ride.

You can book Everglades tours departing from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers in addition to Orlando. Spot alligators on a day-trip along the Tamiami Trail or take a two-hour tram tour in Shark Valley.

When hunger pangs set in, stop in Everglades City for a plate of gator nuggets and frog’s legs. The visitor center at Big Cypress National Preserve has great exhibits for kids and an outdoor, water-filled ditch popular with alligators.

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Haleakala Crater

The lunar landscape of Haleakala Crater covers an enormous expanse – so big that Manhattan could squeeze inside. The world’s largest dormant volcano, the crater is protected by the Haleakala National Park. This is the place for stunning views of cinder cones, wild hiking trails, Hawaiian legends and rare endangered species.

Grand Canyon West Rim, Nevada

The Grand Canyon's West Rim, just outside Grand Canyon National Park, is home to the Havasupai and Hualapai tribes. The Hualapai Indian Reservation, created in 1883, covers nearly 1 million acres and includes 108 miles (173 km) of Colorado River and Grand Canyon frontage.

The West Rim area didn't really exist before 1988; that's when the 2,100 members of the Hualapai tribe decided to open their tribal lands to visitors. Since then the tribe has built some amazing features for visitors (notable the Grand Canyon Skywalk) and developed areas such as Guano Point and Eagle Point for their stunning canyon views.

The Grand Canyon West Rim is also home to Havasu Canyon. This mazelike canyon – filled with tall rock walls, cacti, cottonwood trees, and turquoise blue waterfalls – is a mecca for hikers. One of the highlights is the 8-mile (12 km) trek to the Supai Village, a must stop.

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Grand Canyon Skywalk - Las Vegas, Nevada

The Grand Canyon Skywalk is a glass, 70-foot long, open-air bridge suspended 4,000 feet above the canyon floor, providing 720-degree views.

The Skywalk is operated by the Hualapai Tribe, which owns and protects more than one million acres of land throughout the Grand Canyon’s western rim.

Even with its remote location some 120 miles from Las Vegas, you can easily experience the Grand Canyon Skywalk on a day trip or overnight excursion to the West Rim.

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Sunday, October 25, 2015

Yosemite Valley

As the hub and undisputed gem of Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Valley is a treasure trove of photographic opportunities: granite precipices and cliffs create sharp contrasts against the lush and fertile land of the valley floor. All of the big names are here: El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls…it's just a matter of deciding which waterfall to explore first or which hike to attempt next.

Kenai Fjords National Park - Seward, Alaska

Encompassing 1,047 square miles (2,711 square kilometers), the Kenai Fjords National Park is named after the many glacial-carved fjords, or glacial valleys that sit below sea level. These fjords run down the mountains and into the iconic Harding Icefield, one of the largest ice fields in the United States with 40 glaciers flowing into it.

There are many ways to experience the park’s beauty, like taking an aerial tour, kayaking on the fjords, hiking to the top of the Harding Icefield Trail or exploring the trails around Exit Glacier. You can also fish for salmon and Dolly Varden within the park’s backcountry.

For those interested in wildlife spotting, the parks icy waters and dense woodland are home to a number of creatures like mountain goats, black bears, bald eagles, Steller sea lions, puffins, Dall's porpoises, and humpback and orca whales.

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Denali National Park, Alaska

At more than 6 million acres (2.5 million hectares), Denali National Park is a breathtaking wilderness area, which includes North America’s highest mountain. A single road curves 92 miles (148 kilometers) through the heart of the park, leading to off-trail hiking opportunities, abundant wildlife, and stunning tundra panoramas.

Wildlife in Denali National Park, including mammals such as marmot and moose, is easy to spot. Caribou, wolves, and brown bears are crowd favorites. The park is also well known for its bird population, especially during late spring and summer.

Birdwatchers may find waxwings, Arctic Warblers, and the majestic tundra swan. Predatory birds include a variety of hawks, owls, and the striking golden eagle. Ten species of fish, including trout, salmon, and arctic grayling share the waters of the park.

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Saturday, October 17, 2015

Zion National Park - Las Vegas, Nevada

The true majesty of Zion National Park is unveiled in spectacular fashion as you explore the land where the Virgin River has sculpted a profound landscape masterpiece. Incredible as it may seem, the river was primarily responsible for slowly paring through layers of ageless rock to sculpt Zion Canyon.

High plateaus, striking towers, temples, mesas, and the earth's tallest-known sheer sandstone walls make up this park. Be sure to bring your camera on your day trip to Zion from Las Vegas.

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Rocky Mountain National Park

Colorado is synonymous with the Rocky Mountains, and the activities and beauty of the Rockies comes together at Rocky Mountain National Park. More than 350 miles (563 km) of hiking trails wind through the park, with wildlife-spotting opportunities including elk, bighorn sheep and moose.

Yellowstone National Park - Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Located primarily in Wyoming, though parts of it extend into Montana and Idaho, Yellowstone is considered the first National Park in the world.

Established by an act of Congress and then President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872, Yellowstone is famous for its wildlife and geothermal activity—most notably, the geyser known as 'Old Faithful.'

Note: bison hurt more people in the park than bears do, so make sure to keep a safe and respectful distance from all wildlife. With approximately 3,468.4 square miles of lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges, plus one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America (Yellowstone Lake) and the largest supervolcano on the continent (Yellowstone Caldera), exploring this national gem should be a must-do on everyone’s life list.

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Bryce Canyon National Park - Nevada & Utah

Bryce Canyon is the culmination of a series of steplike uplifted rock layers known as the Grand Staircase, stretching north from the Grand Canyon.

The park's Pink Cliffs formations are crammed full of wonderful pinnacles, steeples and spires, and weird geological creations called 'hoodoos' sculpted by wind, water and ice.

It may be called a canyon, but Bryce is actually more a series of natural amphitheaters formed by erosion over the millennia. The wind and rain have peeled back the sedimentary layers to reveal stripes of red, orange and white, at heights of around 9,000 feet (2,700 m).

Being more remote than the Grand Canyon or Zion National Park, a visit to this far-flung natural gem rewards you with a true sense of wilderness in its pristine glory.

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Friday, October 16, 2015

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

A park that was actually established twice (the original 1929 park was formed to protect the mountain peaks and the lakes near the base; much of the adjacent valley floor was included in the boundaries established in 1950), Grand Teton Park encompasses approximately 310,000 acres of land including all 40 miles of the Teton Range and sections of the Jackson Hole Valley.

Located only 10 miles south of Yellowstone National Park (it takes a little more than an hour to travel through the park from the southern boundary to Yellowstone, not including stops), Grand Teton National Park is a lesser-known but no-less spectacular neighbor to Yellowstone.

Visitors to Grand Teton National Park can enjoy a myriad of activities including fishing, hiking, camping, climbing, boating on Jenny Lake, rafting the Snake River, or viewing wildlife like moose, elk, bald eagles, gray wolves, bison and black and grizzly bears.

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Painted Desert & Petrified Forest of Arizona

If you want to see some of the coolest sites that nature has to offer, than few destinations are better than Arizona's own Petrified Forest National Park. The park is divided into two areas along a north-south corridor.

The northern half of the park is home to the famous Painted Desert, an 146 square mile (235 square meter) area of badlands.

Composed of stratified layers of easily erodible siltstone, mudstone, and shale, these desert stones gain their varied pigmentation from the iron and magnesium compounds found within the rock layers. The site makes for an absolutely breathtaking expanse of colorful desert landscape.

The southern half of the park is home to some of the world's largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood. The major concentrations have been given various forest names such as "Black Forest," "Rainbow Forest," and "Crystal Forest."

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