National Parks are nothing short of stunning treasures that this planet is blessed with. It’s at places like this that you are able to witness the true beauty that this planet has to offer and offers such a diverse painting of landscapes. Every terrain and every type of weather can be experienced at these marvels of the world. No matter where you live, taking a trip to any of these marvelous National Parks should be on your list of to-do trips for sure.
You can even obtain a America the Beautiful National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass that will be your ticket to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites. Each pass covers entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges as well as standard amenity fees at national forests and grasslands all across America. If you or someone that you know loves National Parks, this is a perfect annual pass to obtain.
Yosemite
Yosemite National Park is a United States National park covering 747,956 acres of the eastern portions of Madera, Mariposa and Tuolumne counties of California and stretches across the western section of mountain chain in the Sierra Nevada. The park is most well-known for its waterfalls. However it holds many other attractions such as ancient giant sequoia groves, great meadows, amazing valleys and much more. It is also recognized internationally for its clear streams, granites cliffs, biological diversity and 95% of wilderness area.
California has about 7,000 plant species, 50% of which can be found in the Sierra Nevada, and 20% can be found in Yosemite. The unusual rock formations soils in the park make it a suitable habitat for more than 160 rare plants. A bill signed by President Lincoln in June 1864 made the park a protected area. This is the first time that the U.S. federal government designated park land to be set aside for preservation and public use. This led to Yellowstone being created in 1972 as the first National Park.
Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,468.4 square miles (8,983 km2), [1] comprising lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges. [8 Yellowstone National Park is primarily located in the state of Wyoming and extends into Idaho and Montana. Its covers an area of 3,468.4 square miles or 8,983 km of mountain ranges, lakes, canyons and rivers.
It has the largest high altitude lake in North America and the largest supervolcano on the continent. It is generally considered the first national park in the world. Well-known for its wildlife, it has many geothermal features such as hot springs, fumaroles and mud spots. Yellowstone contains half of the word’s geothermal features, estimated at 10,000. Old Faithful, a cone geyser, is one of the most popular features in Yellowstone. Lava from volcanic eruptions cover much of Yellowstone’s land area.
Many different types of ecosystems exist in Yellowstone, but the subalpine forest is the largest. The park is a part of the South Central Rockies ecoregion. There are also hundreds of built structures in the park that are protected for their historical and architectural significance. Yellowstone is the largest, most natural ecosystem in the northern hemisphere.
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon National Park, located in Coconino and Mohave counties in Arizona, is the 15th oldest park in the United States. It spans 1,2I7,262 acres and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The Grand Canyon in the Colorado River is the central feature of the park and is considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. In 2010, the Grand Canyon received the honor of having its own coin under the America the Beautiful Quarters Program.
The Grand Canyon National Park is valued for its extensive tributary canyons, the beautiful layers of colorful rocks, and its combination depth and size. The north and south rims of the park are the primary public areas. The rest of the park is accessible by backcountry roads and pack trail, but is mostly remote and rugged. The South Rim is more accessible, and lodging facilities and services are available.
Redwood
Redwood National State Parks are fours parks altogether, located in California’s Humboldt and Del Norte counties. They protect approximately 45% of the remaining coast redwood, which are some of the tallest and most enormous species of trees on earth.
These parks also preserve the most indigenous species of flora and fauna, grassland and parts of streams and rivers found along the coastline. For many decades these huge trees were cut down for commercial purposes. Prairie Creek, Del Norte Coast, and Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Parks and other parks were established in the 1920s in an effort to preserve old growth redwood.
Threatened animals species are also preserved by the ecosystem of the RNSP. These parks were designated a World Heritage Site on September 5, 1980 as well an International Biosphere Reserve on June 30, 2983 by the United Nations. Extensive lodging and amenities are available in nearby towns, Klamath, Requa, and Orick. Horseback riding and mountain biking are allowed on certain trails, and kayaking and canoeing are popular activities along the sea coast.
Arches
Located in eastern Utah, on the Colorado River, north of Moab, Arches National Park is famous for its over 2000 natural sandstone arches, especially the world-known Delicate Arch, as well as many unusual formations and resources.
The park receives about ten inches of rain per year and since 1970, 43 of these arches have collapsed due to soil erosion. Rock climbing on certain features are allowed, but regulated. Certain recreational activities such as auto touring, backpacking, camping, hiking and biking are allowed and there are guided programs and tours are available. Due to the dark skies, astronomy is also a popular activity.
In the Arches, an abundance of wildlife can be found: desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, mountain lions, peregrine falcons, kangaroo rats and Western collard lizards are just a few. There are also many interesting features such as the Courthouse Towers—a collection of small stone towers, Petrified Dunes, Landscape Arch, Fiery Furnace and many more.
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