Our Country’s National Parks

Filed Under: Earth Day, July 4th, Memorial Day, Travel & Outdoors

Glacier National ParkGlacier National Park, established in 1910, hugs Montana's border with Canada. The park was created by receding ice glaciers that once covered North America. Some glaciers can still be found throughout the park. The scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road spans the park, going over the Continental Divide at Logan Pass. It takes up to 10 weeks to plow each spring. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com)
Mesa Verde National ParkCliff Dwellings are the major attraction at Mesa Verde National Park in Mesa Verde, Colorado. Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States. (Photo Credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Volcanoes National ParkVolcanoes National Park in Hawaii is home to two active volcanoes - Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The former is the most active in the world, and the latter the most massive. The park is also an International Biosphere Reserve. (Photo Credit: Marco Garcia/Getty Images)
Yosemite National ParkYosemite National Park spans part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The park is visited by an average of 3.5 million people per year. Visitors to the park are able to climb up Half Dome or El Capitan to get panoramic views of the park. (Photo by David McNew /Newsmakers)
Yellowstone National ParkYellowstone National Park - the first national park in the world - was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Grant on March 1, 1872. Primarily in the northwest corner of Wyoming, the park extends into Montana and Idaho. It's known for its wildlife and its many geothermal wonders, including the Old Faithful Geyser. (Photo credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park in Central California gets its name from the giant trees that dominate its landscape. The park is home to five of the world's largest trees, including the General Sherman Tree, the world's largest. (Photo Credit: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)File photo of a tree. (Credit: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)
Grand Canyon National ParkSome 4.5 million people visit the Grand Canyon each year, making it the most visited destination park in the United States. The six million-year-old canyon averages 10 miles wide and a mile deep and is considered my many the most spectacular national wonder in America. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Everglades National ParkEverglades National Park was established in 1947 to protect a fragile ecosystem in southern Florida. It is the third largest national park in the lower 48 states. Thirty-six federally protected animals live in the park, which is also home to the American crocodile. (Photo Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Denali National ParkDenali National Park is located in central Alaska and home to the highest mountain (Mount McKinley) in North America. With large populations of grizzly bears, black bears, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves and foxes, the park is ideal for viewing wildlife. (Photo Credit: Mike Powell/Getty Images)
Death Valley National ParkDeath Valley National Park - the largest national park in the US - comprises more than 3.3 million acres of desert wilderness. Anthropologists estimate that roaming humans first settled in Death Valley roughly 10,000 years ago. In 1849, a group of gold rush pioneers entered the Valley, thinking it was a shortcut to California. After barely surviving the trek across the area, they named the spot "Death Valley." (Photo credit GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
Bryce Canyon National ParkBryce Canyon is a small national park in southwestern Utah which was named after the Mormon Pioneer Ebenezer Bryce. It became a national park in 1924. Bryce is famous for its unique otherworldly geology, consisting of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters. (Photo credit MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
Acadia National ParkEstablished in 1916, Acadia National Park sits on the rocky Maine coast. The scenic park consists of mountains, islands and shorelines. It has over 40 different species of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, moose, porcupine and bobcats. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com)
Crater Lake National ParkCrater Lake National Park was established in 1902 and is the nation's fifth oldest park. The crater was formed from a destroyed volcano in what is now southern Oregon, creating the deepest lake in the United States. No streams flow into or out of the lake; all the water comes from snow or rain. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com)
Glacier Bay National ParkGlacier Bay National Park sits in the Alaska panhandle near Juneau. Glaciers and snow-capped mountains are its most visible assets, but the park also includes thousands of acres of protected marine ecosystems. Visitors can't drive to this national park, the only way in or out is by boat or plane. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com)
Arches National ParkArches National Park is located just outside Moab, Utah. The park, home to some of the most unique geological formations, would be a rock climber's dream. Climbers, however, are banned from climbing the arches within the park. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com)
Grand Teton National ParkCovering approximately 310,000 acres of northwestern Wyoming, the Grand Teton National Park is not too far from Yellowstone. Many of the same species of plants and mammals in the park have lived here since prehistoric times. The park allows adventurous visitors to go back-country camping year round, with a permit. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com)
Biscayne National ParkBiscayne National Park - a top scuba diving and fishing destination - is mostly water. Located at the southern tip of Florida, the park is also home to an large mangrove forest. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com)
Mount Rainier National ParkEstablished in 1899, Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state is home to a 14,410-foot tall volcano of the same name. Millions of people visit the park every year, some 10,000 of whom attempt to climb the popular peak. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com)
Big Bend National ParkBig Bend National Park lies on the border between Texas and Mexico, encompassing half of the Rio Grand River. The park's primary attractions are hiking and backpacking, though it is one of the least-visited national parks in the lower 48 states. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com)
Shenandoah National ParkNestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Shenandoah National Park is mostly Mid-Atlantic woodlands. Its Skyline Drive covers almost half of the 79,579 acre park, and is particularly popular when the leaves are changing. The highest peak in the park is Hawksbill Mountain at 4,051 feet. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com)
Wind Cave National ParkThe Wind Cave National Park is located in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota. It's the first cave in the world to be set aside as a national park. The park, much of which is above ground, helped save many animals including bison that came close to extinction by the late 1800s. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Rocky Mountain National ParkEstablished in 1915, Rocky Mountain National Park sits in central Colorado, surrounded by three national forests. Visitors can camp, hike, fish, rock climb, snow shoe and ride horseback throughout the park, all while taking in the breathtaking views. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com)
Redwood National ParkThe Redwood National Park was created to protect the sequoia tree, native to northern California and one of the largest tree species on earth. The park is also home to some of the rarest animal species, including the Northern Spotted Owl. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com)
Joshua Tree National ParkJoshua Tree National Park occupies part of California's Mojave Desert. Congress passed a law in 1994 changing its designation from a national monument to national park. The park - about the size of Rhode Island - is mostly wilderness, inhabited by lizards, ground squirrels, bighorn sheep and coyotes. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com)
Badlands National ParkBadlands National Park, situated in southwest South Dakota, is rich with geological deposits and fossil remains. The park protects animals including bison, bighorn sheep, deer, pronghorn, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets. (Photo credit FRANCIS TEMMAN/AFP/Getty Images)
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