US National Parks America Information
In addition to the following 'snapshot' descriptions you can also read further information on highlighted areas using the links supplied on the individual tour pages. Once on tour, the Visitors' Centres, historical roadside markers, Park Rangers, museums and newspapers will be readily accessible for additional information. Combine these with the knowledge of your trek leader and you'll have plenty of background - maybe more than you'll be able to absorb.
And remember: one of the best sources of information is the 'locals'- so don't be shy or afraid about saying 'Hi'. You'll discover that your accent is a marvellous icebreaker to help you experience the real spirit of the USA.
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Here is a combination of mountain and seashore, with a paved road leading to the bald summit of smooth rock face atop Cadillac Mountain. From this vantage you look out over the Atlantic islands off the Island below, most of which is park land. The lively summer resort town of Bar Harbour also lies at your feet.Campsites along the waterfront of broad craggy rocks are close enough to the sea to be within constant earshot of the sound of the surf. Some 120 miles of trails lead hikers along quiet beaches, atop sea cliffs, and through the woods to fresh-water ponds inland. Northeast harbour is the starting point for a car tour along Sargen Drive leading to a fjord at Somes Sound.
There is excellent surf casting and for those with patience, beachcombing. Bird watchers can count on spotting ospreys, bald eagles and many species of duck and along the shoreline many harbour seals disport themselves.
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In the heart of Utah's 'redrock country' this National park has the world's largest concentration of stone arches and windows, carved by the forces of wind, water and time.Perched high above the Colorado River the grandeur of the landscape - the arches, giant balanced rocks, spires, pinnacles, and slickrock fins against the enormous sky, attracts hikers, photographers, and artists to explore this wonderland of nature's creation.
The first explorers to the area originally believed some ancient civilization was responsible for these magnificent structures, and to see Delicate Arch or Landscape Arch it's not hard to understand why. Arches National Park is part of the great Colorado Plateau and its spectacular beauty was preserved for future generations when the park was created in 1929.
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Travellers to the Dakotas in the 1800's were astounded by the massive herds of buffalo (also known as bison) in the area. Conservative estimates offered a figure of 60 million. As these majestic herds moved to better grazing, Plains Indians moved with them and prospered, taking only what they needed for food, clothing and shelter. Then came the white man, who abused the natural balance, killing off millions of bison until their extinction was in sight.Now, protected, the buffalo herds are making their comeback. Keep in mind, if you intend to take photographs, that a buffalo often weighs more than an automobile, and can run faster than a horse. Whether you're an expert or novice on fossil remains, you'll be pleased to observe some of the specimens of the Badlands. This is the largest collection area anywhere for fossils from the Oligocene Period - dating back more than thirty million years to when sabre-toothed tigers, three-toed horses and humpless camels dominated the scene.
The Badlands' name came from nomadic Indians who called it 'mako sica', meaning 'lands bad'. Later visitors, French-Canadian trappers, called the area 'les mauvaises terres a traverser' - bad lands to travel across. The Badlands are truly an alien landscape. If you happen to be a Western movie buff, keep your eyes peeled for familiar settings and 'prairie dog' communities. Indian Reservation areas shadow the Badlands, with names like Wounded Knee, Red Shirt and Cactus Flat still appearing on road maps.
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"A hell of a place to lose a cow"That's how Ebenezer Bryce, a Mormon settler who gave his name to this area, described it. And who would know better than Ebenezer? He tried for years to work out a meagre living from the awesome landscape, finally moving on to greener pastures.
The Paiute Indians, who used Bryce Canyon for religious purposes, attributed supernatural powers to it. They called it 'red rocks standing like men in a bowl-shaped canyon'. For visitors it is a delightful experience to walk among the spires and natural rock formations, creature-like in shape and design as they change colour and hue.
It has been referred to as a photographer's and poet's paradise, surrounded by pine and aspen forest. Remember, as you wonder at its endless shapes and forms, its brilliant reds, maroons, yellows and oranges, that this is all the handywork of nature and erosion.
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If your trek leader says you'll be watching thousands of bats take flight today, or that you'll descend into caverns miles below the surface - caverns large enough to accommodate 14 football fields - don't think he or she has gone loco, you're heading for Carlsbad.Carlsbad Caverns have been called 'kings of their kind', with more than three miles of charted passageways and countless unexplored areas. Visitors are free to explore at their own pace; the National Park Service provides little cassette players which tell of the caverns' history and formation. Don't worry about the mile-long hike to the bottom - there's a huge restaurant for refreshments, and you return to the surface by elevator.
About those bats! In summer, just before sunset (weather permitting; scientists are still trying to find out how the bats, more than a mile deep in the caves, know what the weather's like outside), thousands upon thousands of bats spiral out of the cavern mouths for an evening's feeding. While you wait to see this spectacle you'll get an informative and amusing lecture on the bats from the park rangers. Don't be afraid of stepping into bat droppings (guano), the animals sleep peacefully suspended from a cave ceiling almost a mile from the open area of the caverns. And no, they don't suck human blood - they live on insects. Sorry, Dracula fans!
The caverns are nestled in the Guadalupe Mountain Range of Southern New Mexico, where wildlife abounds. Mule deer, racoons and skunks are unafraid and plentiful.
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The strong yet peaceful Shoshone Indians, credited for being able to thrive in harsh land, called this inhospitable place. 'Tomesha', meaning 'ground afire'. Later, during the 1849 Gold Rush, prospectors looking for a short cut to the California goldfields stumbled into it. Those who survived called it Death Valley.No other place on earth suffers so many extremes. It is the lowest, hottest and driest place in the Americas. Within its 3,000 square miles it boasts the highest recorded temperature in history - a sweltering 134 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade. So where else would names like Devil's Golf course, Dante's View, Hell's Gate and Furnace Creek sound more at home? Yet people are attracted here.
The valley's unearthly, alien vistas make for memorable photos, and it's easy to acquire a healthy respect for the intense workings of nature on the landscape. In bygone years prospectors lured to the valley by promises of mineral wealth established small towns, which were later abandoned to become '"ghost towns' - some of them now restored.
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No pictures, no description can quite capture the magnitude and grandeur of this natural wonder - rightly acclaimed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It took more than two billion years to reach its present state. And today, though millions of people come to see it, the natural setting remains hardly changed, giving way only to the demands of nature.You can explore the Grand Canyon on foot or helicopters and small aircraft take visitors for a very special bird's eye view of the immensity of the canyon, offering great opportunities for photographs. Some prefer to raft the rapids of the Colorado, or descend to the bottom by burro. For others, just walking along the rim trail to admire the canyon's awesome beauty is sufficient.
The National Park Service operates a museum and visitor's centre, with films and exhibits explaining the history of the area and its early exploration. Indian tribes who made their homes near the rim attributed supernatural powers to the canyon, using it for religious rites and ceremonies. Today much of the area is surrounded by Reservations for the Hopi, Navajo and Havasupai nations, and outside the park boundaries authentic Indian handicrafts such as turquoise-and-silver jewellery, rugs and earthenware can be bought at reasonable prices from their makers. It's a fair bet to say that you'll need plenty of film when you visit the Grand Canyon and its environs.
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''Try and keep your eyes off them, just try! ... Bet you can't!"That's the challenge year-round residents' fling at visitors to this National Park. And it's true - the majestic, awe-inspiring Grand Teton Mountains defy you to ignore them. With peaks higher than 13,000 feet, surrounded by a necklace of crystal-clear lakes and cool green forests, the Grand Tetons have a lot of nature to offer the visitor.
They got their name from a group of French-speaking fur trappers who, seeing the magnificent curves of the three largest peaks, called them 'Les Trois Tetons', meaning 'the three breasts'. The peaks later became familiar landmarks for early pioneers going west, and the name stuck.
Today you can pull up a barstool (actually an authentic Western saddle) in the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar at Jackson Hole, and listen to stories of murder along the Snake River, claim-jumping and gold strikes. Most evenings you can see a stagecoach robbery and shoot-out on Main Street, and enjoy a town that takes great pride in maintaining its Western wear and heritage.
Jackson Hole, thought to be named after the famous Hole-in-the- Wall Gang who hid out in the mountains, is also a good place to see adventure of a more modern kind - white-water rafting, a popular and accessible pastime. Don't be afraid to get your feet wet; it's safe, and the experience of a lifetime.
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"I just can't believe it! They built a massive dam, and stopped up waters from the Colorado River. And the water that backed up behind it is like nothing I've ever seen before!"..........Past Trekker's postcard to friends..........
Lake Powell Recreation Area is considered one of the most unusual water resorts in the world. Massive canyons, and sheer cliff faces have become the shoreline to a man-made lake. Canyons can be navigated by boat, the waters are crystal-clear and water-skiing is a favourite pastime in its large bays and channels. This is a marvellous setting for testing your mettle on water-skis, or taking the helm of a rented speedboat.
Lake Powell has no shortage of night-time entertainment, either. Saloons and bars offer live entertainment, and the locals, many of whom are Navajo Indians, are quite friendly. The lake is surrounded by some of the largest Indian Reservations in America, and hand-crafted jewellery, rugs and earthenware can be purchased at reasonable cost.
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"We stood on the edge of the canyon, and it was quiet -just the wind speaking. Then someone yelled 'Look over there -it's an entire city in the side of the canyon!' It was breathtaking, and it felt as if I'd made this discovery on my own, like early explorers to this place must have felt. "The cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park have been called 'the first apartment buildings'. These cities built into canyon walls were once home to a developed Indian population who had mastered the skills of agriculture and basket weaving. And today this group of Indians still perplexes anthropologists. Why did they abandon their 'apartments' so readily?
Findings confirm that meals were left intact on plates and items just set aside - as if the whole population had just popped out to the store and never returned. Were the cliff dwellings used to conceal the tribe from enemies? Or did they want to be closer to the subterranean world of the spirits? (the Kiva is an Indian religious pit, still used by Indians today). Or was it just to protect the tribe from the harsh climate?
There are numerous roadside displays along the Mesa Verde Canyon rim which do answer some questions about these inhabitants of more than 1,000 years ago. But there are still many unexplained mysteries. Care to venture any guesses?
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Americans call Mount Rushmore National Monument, with its four carved Presidential heads, a 'shrine of Democracy'.The four figures - Presidents Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt - were carved from granite and took more than fourteen years to complete. The long and arduous task was constantly interrupted by fissures in the rock or by financial problems. The four personalities are intended to remind others of the birth and trials of the United States. Individually, they represent the ideals of a nation.
At the base of Mount Rushmore the National Parks Service offers films and displays portraying the people behind the massive project and the difficulties involved in bringing the monument to completion. Mount Rushmore is considered a fine example of Man working within the natural setting.
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Eternally snow-capped mountains, million-year-old glaciers, more than fifty miles of the wildest Pacific Coast shoreline, and a rain forest to match any of the Amazon - these are all within this magnificent National Park.Waterfalls abound in all sizes, and wildlife lives unmolested in lush natural surroundings. Over 600 miles of footpaths and hiking trails make this one of those parks that you have to get out and explore on foot. The shoreline beaches offer the best in driftwood collection, often producing awesome and twisted natural works of art. Plant and flower experts call Olympic, with its colourful meadows, a truly natural wonderland.
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.......The Falling Waters that all the world came to see......."And there he was, the great Blondini, dressed as a gorilla, walking a tightrope above the massive, surging waters of Niagara . . . "
You've heard the tales of those who tried to make a name for themselves by going over the greatest of them all, Niagara Falls, in a barrel. One look at the massive non-stop torrent of water (nearly 750,000 gallons a second cascade over its ledges) and you'll agree that those daredevils needed the services of a good headshrink!
More safety-conscious visitors to Niagara can go behind the Falls, into the Cave of the Winds, or ride the Maid of the Mist boats to the base of the Falls for an experience not easily forgotten. Both tours provide oilskins, and visitors are warned that they may get wet with the heavy mist and foam spray.
But just standing at the rail along the boardwalk is enough, and at night the million-watt floodlights will etch the image of the Falls permanently onto your memory. Look along the boardwalks for honeymooners - Niagara is a popular spot for love-birds!
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"On a clear day you can see forever..."Leave it to American ingenuity to build a roadway along the backbone of the Blue Ridge Mountains. No matter which way you look you get beautiful vistas of mountains, forest and meadowland. The National Park Service calls this high-in-the-sky roadway Skyline Drive.
These old peaks are considered the 'grandaddies' of mountains, eroded into gently rolling slopes unlike the more recent saw-toothed ranges of the Far West ranges. The nearby Smoky Mountains - a continuation of the Blue Ridge -get their name from the smoke-like fogs that hang in the early morning valleys and meadows. Visitors should keep a camera loaded and ready, as there's a good cross-section of wildlife in the Shenandoah area - including deer, grey fox and bear.
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The concept of setting aside natural lands for the use and enjoyment of the average American citizen was new when Yellowstone was declared a National Park Area.Before its formation, natural lands had been the exclusive privilege of the wealthy. Its creation was to set a precedent, followed by more than 100 nations of the world, in establishing national parks and game reserves for generations to come. Yellowstone was America's first national park, established in 1872. It is also the largest in the continental USA, with 2,221,000 acres inside its boundaries - three times the size of Rhode Island!
Local Indian tribes called it 'Rock Yellow Water', translated by fur trappers as 'Yellowstone'. Inside the park are about 10,000 thermal features, including geysers ('Old Faithful' is the best-known), waterfalls, bubbling mudholes, steam vents, hot springs and brilliantly coloured thermal pools. Wildlife and plantlife are protected; grizzly and black bear, moose, elk, bald eagle, Canada goose, bighorn sheep, coyote, buffalo and mountain lion live in Yellowstone wilderness without fear of the hunter's rifle.
Volume upon volume has been written about Yellowstone. It has inspired millions of photographs and untold numbers of paintings. Yet each visitor will have his or her own way of expressing the things they feel and experience in this awe-inspiring place. For some, remaining silent is enough.
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"The most songful streams in the world, the nobles/forests, the loftiest granite domes, the deepest ice-sculptured canyons, and snowy mountains soaring into the sky...''...........John Muir, Yosemite, 1868..........
Yosemite, pronounced 'Yo-SEM-it-ee' (practice this if you really want to impress those who say it incorrectly, particularly the foreigners), is much more than a valley in the Sierra Nevada. It's no wonder that millions of visitors have come to see and experience its wonders. The park boasts a waterfall seven times higher than Niagara, with a trail right to its base so that hikers can cool themselves in the spray. In the valleys there are more than 780 miles of wilderness trails for expert and novice hikers in Yosemite you'll also find groves of sequoias, the tallest trees on earth.
Visitors can fish for trout in crystal-clear waters, or refresh themselves in the Merced River. Others prefer to 'innertube' or float on air-mattresses on the placid current. For the more adventurous and qualified, sheer-face climbing on the famous El Captain Mountain and Halfdome is the realisation of a hiker's dream. From the ground these climbers look like ants as they head for the summit. Less effort is involved in renting a bike or riding on the free trams through the valley. Wildlife is abundant, and not in the least afraid of Man, so don't plan to keep midnight snacks in your tent, unless you're willing to share with a bear!
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"Nothing can exceed the wonderful beauty of Zion . . . In the nobility and beauty of its sculptures there is no comparison. There is an eloquence to their forms which stirs the imagination with a singular power, and kindles in the mind a glowing response... "..........Clarence E Dutton, geologist, 1882..........
It is the hands and imagination of Nature that must take credit for the twisted and oddly-shaped formations of rock in Zion National Park. Many of these human-like formations were begun in a process which started more than 200 million years ago. And the changes are still taking place.
Even the most casual of hikers will enjoy meandering among these incredible rock-shapes, creating names for each as they go. Like 'Frog Getting Ready to Jump'. Or 'Spearchucker'. Or...? The Visitors' Centre inside the park boundaries has exhibits and a film which describe the process that is still shaping the weird landscape of Zion.
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