U.S. Encourages Tourism To National Parks and Monuments

The US Parks Service is featuring ten national parks and ten national monuments this year.

The featured national parks are Acadia, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion.

The featured national monuments are Bandelier, Canyon De Chelly, Colorado, Dinosaur, Devils Tower, Gila Cliffs, Lava Beds, Pinnacles, Sunset Crater and White Sands.

National Parks: ( In Alphabetical Order)

ACADIA: Located on the rugged coast of Maine, the park encompasses over 47,000 acres of granite-domed mountains, woodlands, lakes, ponds and ocean shoreline. The park is a haven for wildlife and plants. Acadia is the first national park established east of the Mississippi. The park offers scientific, educational and recreational activities. One can hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain, enjoy spectacular sunrise over Frenchman's Bay or explore some of the quieter and secluded mountains path. You can bike over 40 miles of tree-lined carriage roads that winds over hillsides and near glassy lakes.

ARCHES: The park is known for its natural arches. There are more than 2000 ranging in size from a three foot opening up to the Landscape Arch which measures 306 feet from base to base. It lies near the heart of the desert called the Colorado Plateau, in the State of Utah. Towering spires, fins and balanced rocks complement the arches, creating a remarkable assortment of land forms in a small area. You can bike, hike or drive an 18 mile scenic road from the entrance to the north point of the Park. There are three picnic areas along the way. The two most famous arch are the Delicate and Skyline Arches.

BRYCE CANYON: The park is famous for its unique geology, consisting of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau of Southern Utah. The erosional force of frost-wedging and the dissolving power of rainwater have shaped the colorful limestone into bizarre shapes including slot canyons, windows, fins and spires called “Hoodoos”.

The park was named after the Mormon pioneer Ebenezer Bryce and it become a national park in 1924.

My wife and I visited this park just about three weeks ago. This visit was one of the best vacation we had since my retirement in 2002. Tinted with colors ranging from light brown to dark red, these whimsically arranged rocks, creates a wondrous landscape of mazes. A 45 minute walk from Inspiration to Sunset Point was the highlight of our visit. Ponderosa pines, high elevation meadows, and fir-spruce forest border the rim of the canyon and abound with wild life. Several scenic points offer a panoramic view of three states and about 200 miles of visibility. We did not stay overnight, but our guide tour and driver, informed us that the lack of large light sources nearby, creates unparalleled opportunities for for stargazing at night.

EVERGLADES: The park is the only subtropical preserve in North America. It spanned the southern tip of Florida peninsula and most of the Florida Bay. It contains both temperate and tropical plants, including saw grass prairies, mangroves and cypress swamps, and hardwood hammocks as well as marine and estuarine environments. The park is known for its rich bird life, such as wading birds, spoonbill, wood stork, great blue heron and a variety of egrets. It is also the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles exist side by side. The park has been designated a World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve and a Wetland of International Importance.

GRAND CANYON: This park is the only natural wonder of the US, that made it to the final 28 natural Wonders of the world as announced by the new 7 natural wonders of the world organization, the other day. I have also visited this park and I agree with the 7 new natural wonder judges that Grand Canyon should be one of the top 28 finalists in this worldwide contest. I am even hoping that it will be voted one of the 7 new natural wonder of the world in 2011.

The Grand Canyon is more than a great chasm carved over million of years ago through the rocks of the Colorado Plateau. It is more than an awe-inspiring view. It is more than a pleasuring ground for those who explore its roads, hike its trails or float in the currents of the turbulent Colorado River.

The Canyon is a gift of nature that transcends what we experience in life. Its beauty and size humbles us. Its timelessness provokes a comparison to our short existence in this universe. Visiting the place makes me feel calmed and relaxed , as I gazed in amazement the beauty and splendor of this National Park. The park can be enjoyed whole year round. The park can be visited either by the North or South Entrance in the state of Arizona. My family visited this park about five years ago.

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN: This park was established in 1934. It is one of the largest protected area in the Eastern United States. It is world renown for its diversity in plant and animal life. The beauty of its ancient mountains, the quality of its remnants of southern Appalachian mountain culture as well as its wildlife sanctuary, the park attracts over than nine million visitors each year. Hiking is the most common activity in the park. There are more than 850 miles of hiking trails. They range from easy to difficult. There are several waterfalls that adorns the 70 mile trail a long the Park's top ridge. An automobile tour of the park offers panoramic views, tumbling mountain streams weathered historic buildings and uninterrupted forest stretching to the horizon. Fall is a spectacular time of the year to visit. The park is in the border of Tennessee. and North Carolina.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN: This national park was established in 1915. It can be visited via the East Entrance in the town of Estes Park, Colorado and from the west entrance in the town of Grand Lake, Colorado. It is a living showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains with elevations ranging from about 8,000 ft in the wet grassy valleys to over 14,000 ft at the top of Longs Peak. The park is home to Elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, black bears, coyotes, cougars, eagles, hawks, and scores of other small animals. Wild flowers are abundant in the months of June and July. During fall, visitors are treated to the golden fall colors of the aspens. They can also enjoy watching the elk rut ( mating season).There are over 350 miles of trail for hikers, backpackers and horseback riders. At the top of the ridge at elevations of more than 12,000 ft is the highest, and continuous paved road in the United States. Visitors will enjoy the park whole year round, camping, bird watching and backpacking. It is a haven for wildlife photographers and nature lovers.

YELLOWSTONE: The park was established in 1872, the oldest national park in US. It is world famous for its 10,000 plus springs and geysers. This park geothermal wonders are created by one of the largest active volcanoes in the world. The last eruption caused a crater or caldera that spans almost half of the park area. Old Faithful is Yellowstone's famous geyser, that erupts at the same time interval every day all year round. Besides the hots springs and geysers, the park is also known for it geologic features and abundance of wildlife ( bison, elk, moose, and coyotes). Hiking, horseback riding and fishing are the three most popular activities for visitors.

YOSEMITE: I have visited this park a number of times about 20 years ago, when my family was still residing in the Stanislaus County, Modesto, California. The park embraces a spectacular tract of mountain and valley scenery of the Sierra Nevada. It was made into a national park in 1890. The park has a number of waterfalls, meadows, forests that include groves of giant sequoias, the world largest living trees.

The park highlights include the Yosemite valley, high cliffs, and waterfalls. There is the historic Wawona Hotel( famous for its Christmas Dinners and Decorations), the Mariposa Grove, which contains hundreds of giant sequoias, Glacier Point, Tuolumne Meadows and a large sub-alpine meadow surrounded by mountain peaks and Hetch-Hetchy- a reservoir in a valley considered a twin of Yosemite Valley. Ninety Five percent of the park area is designated as wilderness areas that provides opportunities for solitude and relaxation. There are over 800 miles of trails for hiking and backpacking. There is some trout fishing in the streams that my family enjoyed during one of our visits several years ago. Our first visit to the park in the early 1970's was my first experience in camping. One night, our camp site and garbage can was visited by the bears - an experience my kids will never forget. The visit of the bears was the highlight of our trip to Yosemite at that time. The classic beauty and fascinating ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range are well represented in the wilderness of Yomesite National Park. I consider this park very friendly to families with small children.

LASTLY BUT NOT LEAST IS:

ZION NATIONAL PARK: This is another park that my wife and I just visited recently. The park is home to narrow canyons, overlooks, emerald pools, a petrified forest, a desert swamp, springs and waterfalls, hanging gardens, wild flowers and wildlife .It is located in Southwest Utah near the Arizona border. Zion is part of the Southwest “ Grand Circle” of national parks, monuments, historical areas and recreation areas. It is also a wilderness preserve which includes the world largest arch-KOLOB ARCH, spanning 310 feet. The park has high plateaus, a maze of narrow, deep, sandstones canyons and striking rock towers and mesas. The North Fork of the Virgin River has carved a spectacular gorge with canyon walls that rises to 2000-3000 feet above the canyon floor in most places. My wife and I just spent just 90 minutes touring the canyon by the Park's bus. We did not have the time to hike or at least stay overnight. We wish we have more time to enjoy the wild life flora and fauna of the park. According to the park's guides, the Park is home to many mammals and critters such as the collared lizard, Gambel's quail and sometimes even a golden eagle.

As a nature lover, I have visited several other parks, national seashore, and monuments not featured in the list above since 1960. I have been to The Redwood National Park, the Muir Woods National Monument, The Point Reyes National Seashore, The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, The Hawaiian Volcano National Park, Shenandoah Mountains, and the Blue Ridge Mountain and its famous Skyline Drive in Virginia, and the Luray Caverns in West Virginia. My favorite park is the Grand Canyon in Arizona. I hope it will be voted as one of the 7 new Natural Wonders of the World.

I have not visited even one of the ten featured National Monuments. For a detailed description of the monuments, visit the National Park Service site at www.nps.gov/parks.

The US park service is also promoting this year “The Grand Circle Road Trip”. It covers about 1187 miles and will take around 10 +days depending on how many days you decide to stay in each park. The main points of interest in this tour are Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef , Arches, Canyonlands, Monument Valley Tribal Park and Grand Canyon National Parks. The suggested start and end of the tour is Las Vegas, Nevada. My family has completed only half of this trip, but it was the most satisfying vacation in our lives.

Written by David B. Katague
tagajaro@comcast.net
http://lifeinus1960present.blogspot.com