Spectacular Photos Of America’s National Parks
As the only American national park in the southern hemisphere, there’s really nothing quite like the National Park of American Samoa, which spans three islands (Tutuila, Ofu, and Ta‘ū). It’s the only place in the country where you can immerse yourself in a 3,000-year-old Polynesian culture and enjoy pristine beaches and lush rainforests.
The best time to see this 40,000-acre (162 sq. km) Maine recreation area just outside of Bar Harbor is in October, after the summer crowds have died down but before it gets too cold. Best of all, you’ll be just in time to see the colourful fall foliage.
Of the two thousand or so natural sandstone arches that make up this stunning national park in eastern Utah, the most famous is the Delicate Arch, which stands 52 feet (16 m) tall and can be found on the state’s licence plate. Arches welcomes more than 1.5 million visitors each year.
Though technically not a national park, Adirondack is the largest protected park in the contiguous United States, made up of more than six million acres (24,280 sq. km) of land (that’s bigger than Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, the Grand Canyon, and the Great Smoky Mountains combined). Located in northeastern New York, the park is made up of more than 10,000 lakes and 30,000 miles (48,280 km) of rivers and streams.
Made up of “heavily eroded, intricate mazes of narrow ravines, v-shaped gullies, knife-sharp ridges, buttes, and colorful pinnacles,” it’s no wonder it’s called Badlands. Good thing you can enjoy a peek at this beautiful South Dakota park from a safe distance.
The largest chamber in Carlsbad Caverns, located in Eddy County, New Mexico, is the Big Room, which has a floor space of 357,469 square feet (33,210 sq. m) and was described by comedian Will Rogers as “the Grand Canyon with a roof over it.”
It’s hard to believe that something called Death Valley could be so beautiful. For the best sight line in the park, be sure to check out Dante’s View. It looks out onto the Owlshead Mountains to the south, the Funeral Mountains to the north, and the salt flats below. Be sure to have your camera ready.
There’s not a bad view to be had in all of Denali, a park in the northern boreal forest biome that boasts a heavily forested landscape flanked by distant snow-capped mountains.
At less than 200 acres (0.8 sq. km), the Gateway Arch National Park is the smallest national park in the country, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for with its spectacular views of St. Louis’s iconic landmark. Built in 1965 to represent the city’s role in westward expansion, the Gateway Arch is the tallest arch in the world, standing 630 feet (192 m) high.
There’s nothing quite like Mount Rainier in the summer, when the meadows are covered with wildflowers (everything from avalanche lilies and asters to cinquefoil and purple shooting stars). One of the most popular locations to view these colourful blooms is an area aptly named Paradise.
Comments
Post a Comment
thanks for your message.