Crater Lake National Park. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 5/2/14.
Archive for the ‘photography’ Tag
You. Must. Go. Here. 2 comments
A Scary Hike? Leave a comment
At first glance, this looks like a scary place for a hike. But look again. Photographer Darrell Staggs took this photo in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area near the Arizona/Utah Border. Here’s what he had to say about it. “This canyon housed a pool of water that was sheltered from any wind, making it a perfect mirror for the canyon walls lit by the late afternoon sun. The sun was rapidly descending towards the horizon, and lighting was changing every minute. At this time of day, you can sit in a single spot and take an ever-changing set of images of the same subject. Not all spectacular shots are obvious.” Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 5/2/14.
North Cascades National Park 2 comments
Where Is It: North and east of Seattle, on the Canadian border.
The Birth: from Wikipedia:
North Cascades National Park is managed by the National Park Service and the park headquarters is in Sedro-Woolley, WA. North Cascades National Park is bisected by Ross Lake National Recreation Area, creating a northern and southern district or unit of the park. The southeast boundary of the southern district abuts Lake Chelan National Recreation Area; the park and two recreation areas are managed as the North Cascades National Park Complex. The three entities were all established in 1968 and in 1988, much of the park complex was designated wilderness as the Stephen Mather Wilderness, preventing further non-natural alterations to 94 percent of the park.
Size: 504,781 acres
# Visitors: 21,623 visitors in 2013.
Choices: from NationalGeographic.com:
The western part of the park differs markedly from the east. Moisture blows in from Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It hits the western slopes and rises, condensing to rain and snow. Western red cedars, hemlocks, and Douglas firs luxuriate on slopes that receive 110 inches of precipitation a year. When the winds reach the east, they are mostly wrung dry: Only 35 inches of precipitation fall in Stehekin at the head of Lake Chelan. Arid-dwelling sagebrush and ponderosa pine grow in the peaks’ rain shadow.
Fees: There is no entrance fee. Camping fees range from free to $12, depending on the campground and the season.
Staying There: There are hundreds of campsites, but most of them are very primitive: bring your own water and carry out your garbage.
Contact Info:
810 State Route 20Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
(360) 854-7200
Don’t Miss This: from Gorp.com:
- North Cascades National Park is renowned for its varied and rugged climbing terrain. The numerous peaks and over 300 glaciers present classic mixed mountaineering routes, intricate glacier travel, and technical rock climbing as well as scrambling—all within a premier wilderness setting.
- A popular backpacking trail is the 40.4-mile Devil’s Dome Loop, which circumnavigates Jack Mountain. The trail is known for its wonderful wildflowers and much of it is high ridge walking above tree line.
- Another popular backpacking trail is the 33.5-mile Copper Ridge-Chilliwack River Loop. This strenuous route features a rare ridge walk with expansive mountain views and one of the finest old growth forest hikes in the park.
- Intrepid hikers, backpackers, and climbers visit all year, but April through October is peak season. The driest and most popular time to visit is during the summer—mid-June through September. Higher elevation trails often remain snow-covered well into July and sometimes August.
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com
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National Park Service: North Cascades National Park
HowStuffWorks: The Ultimate North Cascades National Park Quiz
Seattlemet.com: The Complete Guide to North Cascades National Park….
Backpacker.com: North Cascades National Park Backpacking….
Tall Trees Leave a comment
Most people know Redwood National Park in California as home to the tallest trees on Earth. But the parks also protect vast prairies, oak woodlands, wild riverways, and nearly 40 miles of pristine coastline, all supporting a rich mosaic of wildlife diversity and cultural traditions. Together, the National Park Service and California State Parks manage these lands for the inspiration, enjoyment, and education of all people. Photo: Jessica Watz. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 4/25/14.
Slot Canyon Leave a comment
Arguably some of the planet’s most unique and spectacular geologic features are the narrow slot canyons of the Colorado Plateau — and the grand-daddy of them all is Buckskin Gulch in the 112,500 acre, BLM-managed Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness/National Monument. Straddling the Utah/Arizona border, this 13 mile long canyon is 400 feet deep and sometimes as narrow as six feet — not just at the bottom, but all the way up to the canyon rims (thus the name “slot”). In places you can’t see the sky when looking up; only the sun’s indirect glow bouncing off the scalloped rock walls & creating an ever-changing colorful tapestry. Logs wedged between the narrow walls 20-30 feet above the stream-bed are a reminder to avoid the area during the summer monsoon, when flash floods combined with no escape routes make the canyon unsafe for hiking. The Wilderness lies approximately 10 miles west of Page, Arizona in Coconino County, Arizona and Kane County, Utah. Posted by the US Department of the Interior on Tumblr, 4/17/14.
Cades Cove Sunset 1 comment
Beautiful sunset over Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park this past weekend. Photo: Kristina Plaas. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior on 4/15/14.
Share The Road Leave a comment
I think we should forgive the cyclists for riding on the wrong side of the road. Taken at Yellowstone National Park, and tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 4/13/14.
Dry Tortugas National Park Leave a comment
Where Is It: 70 miles west of Key West.
The Birth: From Wikipedia:
Fort Jefferson National Monument was designated by President Franklin D Roosevelt under the Antiquities Act on January 4, 1935. The monument was expanded in 1983 and redesignated as Dry Tortugas National Park on October 26, 1992 by an act of Congress. Dry Tortugas is presently managed by the staff of Everglades National Park. The park was established to protect the island and marine ecosystems of the Dry Tortugas, to preserve Fort Jefferson and submerged cultural resources such as shipwrecks, and to allow for public access in a regulated manner.
It Happened Here: From TerraGalleria.com, the website that provides many of the beautiful pictures, below:
The name “Tortugas” was given by explorer Ponce de Leon in 1513 for the abundance of sea turtles ( the endangered green sea turtle and the threatened loggerhead turtle are still found) while “Dry” refers to the absence of available freshwater. A long-time pirate hide-out, the place was chosen by the US Navy as the “Gibraltar of the Gulf”, a strategic location to control shipping from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. Despite formidable logistical challenges, Fort Jefferson, the largest brick structure in the Western Hemisphere, was built on Garden Key using 16 million hand-made bricks. However, by the time the fort was nearly finished, advances in artillery had rendered it obsolete, so its use was mostly as a civil war prison, holding 2500 prisoners and four men convicted of complicity in the assassination of President Lincoln.
Size: 64,701 acres
# Visitors: 58,401 visitors in 2013. This sparsely visited park had peak attendance in January.
Animals: From the Park’s website:
The park’s coral and sea grass communities are among the most vibrant in the Florida Keys. Hosting myriad species of colorful corals and reef fishes, these watery wonderlands entice exploration by intrepid snorkelers. Visitors who prefer to stay dry have the opportunity to observe other wildlife, including nearly 300 species of birds, the majority of which are migratory. The sooty tern finds its only regular nesting site in the United States on Bush Key, adjacent to Fort Jefferson. Large sea turtles lumber onto the park’s protected beaches each summer to bury their clutches of eggs. These and other wonders make this park a truly one-of-a-kind destination for wildlife viewing.
Fees: $5 for adults, good for 7 days.
Staying There: There are 13 camping sites available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Contact Info:
P.O. Box 6208 Key West, FL 33041 Phone: 305-242-7700
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Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com.
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com.
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com.
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com.
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com.
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com.
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com.
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com.
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. http://www.terragalleria.com.
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National Park Service:
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/
http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/
Photo courtesy of Terra Galleria. www.terragalleria.com.
Alaskan Beauty 3 comments
Alaska’s Gates of the Arctic National Park. Oolah Valley offers hidden delights to the intrepid hiker willing to explore off the beaten path. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 4/5/14.
The Fire In The Sky 8 comments
Photo: Robb Hannawacker, NPS. Posted by the US Department of the Interior on Tumblr, 4/7/14..
