Archive for the ‘Zion’ Tag
The scenic Handies Peak Wilderness Study Area in Colorado is known for its mountains, multi-colored rock formations, diverse vegetation and vast, open vistas. The area is home to Handies Peak, which rises 14,048 feet over the area — plus 12 other peaks that are more than 13,000 feet, three major canyons, glacial cirques and three alpine lakes. This landscape makes Handies Peak WSA a perfect getaway for hiking, backpacking, camping, mountain climbing and photography. Photo by Bob Wick, BLM. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 3/24/15.
A gorgeous pic of Yosemite Valley on an early spring morning. Photo by Douglas Croft. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 3/26/15.
Great Falls Park in Virginia has many opportunities to explore history and nature, all in a beautiful 800-acre park only 15 miles from the Nation’s Capital. Explore one of the nation’s first canals, see the Great Falls of the Potomac River or enjoy a hike along Mather Gorge’s dramatic clifftops. Pictured here is an early morning view of the stunning waterfalls. Photo by Michael Leung, Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 3/16/15.
A journey through Zion National Park’s Subway is like no other. Photo: Korey Taylor. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 3/19/15.
Handies Peak Wilderness Study Area. Photo by Bob Wick, BLM. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 3/24/15.
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Grand Teton National Park. Photo by Christina Adele Warburg. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 2/4/15.
Sunset illuminates Horseshoe Bend in Arizona. Part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Horseshoe Bend is a stunning natural wonder created by the meandering Colorado River. Every time you visit, you’re guaranteed to see something new. The colors of the rocks change throughout the day as the shadows move in and out of the canyons. Photo by Sylvia Zarco. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 2/15/15.
A pink sunset at Zion National Park. Photo by Scotty Perkins. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 2/21/15.
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The sun paints the sky with pastel colors over Zion National Park. Photo by Kim Hang Dessoliers. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 1/8/15.
Trona Pinnacles is one of the most unusual geologic wonders in the California Desert. This unique landscape consists of more than 500 tufa pinnacles — some as tall as 140 feet — rising from the bed of the Searles Dry Lake basin. Michael Shainblum captured this dramatic photo of Trona Pinnacles at sunset, which is a popular time to visit the sight. When visiting this area, you will understand why more than 30 movies and commercials are filmed here every year. Ideally suited for science fiction backdrops Star Trek V, Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes and Battlestar Galactica were all shot here. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 1/4/15.
Grand Canyon: sunset on New Year’s Day 2015 near Lipan Point. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 1/5/15.
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Utah’s Lower Calf Creek Falls. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 12/8/14.
California’s Upper Yosemite Falls. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 12/15/14.
The Narrows at Zion National Park. Photo by Michael Boncore. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 12/19/14.
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The changing fall colors in Utah’s Zion National Park. This is in The Narrows, which has canyon walls 1,000′ tall. Photo by Kevin Roland. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 10/26/14.
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Middle Fork, Flathead River, Glacier National Park. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 10/16/14.
Zion National Park. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 10/16/14.
Middle Fork, Flathead River, Glacier National Park. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 10/16/14.
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Sunset at Zion National Park, with some “enhancements,” I would suggest. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 9/22/14.
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Cooking The Picture
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park contains some of the largest tracts of wilderness in the East and is a critical sanctuary for a wide variety of animals. Protected in the park are some 65 species of mammals, over 200 varieties of birds, 67 native fish species, and more than 80 types of reptiles and amphibians. The symbol of the Smokies, the American Black Bear, is perhaps the most famous resident of the park. Great Smoky Mountains National Park provides the largest protected bear habitat in the East. Though populations are variable, biologists estimate approximately 1,500 bears live in the park, a density of approximately two bears per square mile. Photo: Charlie Choc. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 8/28/14.
Moose in the mist. There was a heavy fog in the river valley on August 29 in Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming. This large bull moose was spotted eating his breakfast of Pacific willow leaves and branches near Headquarters. Photo: Tom Koerner. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 8/29/14.
Photographer Rich Keen captured a tender moment between a bison & calf at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. Located just northeast of Denver, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR is a 15,000-acre expanse of prairie, wetland and woodland habitat. The land has a unique story – it transitioned from farmland, to war-time manufacturing site, to wildlife sanctuary.
This photo, taken 9/16/14, is the first one of Zion National Park’s new California Condor chick. The condor is mostly showing mature plumage, and did a lot of wing flapping when Mom, #409, arrived with a food delivery. It should be developed enough to fly within about 2 months. From the Park’s Facebook page.
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The Wave and the Milky Way, as seen from Zion National Park. Photo by Max Siegel. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 7/19/14.
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Where Is It: 150 miles northeast of Las Vegas.
The Birth: From wikipedia:
The Powell Geographic Expedition entered the area in 1869 after their first trip through the Grand Canyon. John Wesley Powell visited Zion Canyon in 1872 and named it Mukuntuweap, under the impression that that was the Paiute name. Powell Survey photographers John K Hillers and James Fennemore first visited the Zion Canyon and Kolob Plateau region in the spring of 1872. Hillers returned in April 1873 to add more photographs to the “Virgin River Series” of photographs and stereographs. Hillers described wading the canyon for four days and nearly freezing to death to take his photographs.
Paintings of the canyon by Frederick S Dellenbaugh were exhibited at the St Louis World’s Fair in 1904, followed by a glowing article in Scribner’s Magazine the next year. That, along with previously created photographs, paintings, and reports, led to U.S. President William Howard Taft’s proclamation on July 31, 1909 that created Mukuntuweap National Monument. In 1917, the acting director of the newly created National Park Service visited the canyon and proposed changing its name to Zion from the locally unpopular Mukuntuweap. The United States Congress added more land and established Zion National Park on November 19, 1919. A separate Zion National Monument, the Kolob Canyons area, was proclaimed on January 22, 1937, and was incorporated into the park on July 11, 1956.
Painting of Zion Canyon by Frederick Dellenbaugh (1903)
It Happened Here: Zion hatched its first California condor chick in the wild this year. Read the story, here.
Size: 146,597 acres
# Visitors: 2,807,387 in 2013. Attendance peaked in June/July, and at its lowest in January/February.
Plants: From the Park’s website:
Visitors are often surprised by the relative lushness found in Zion Canyon. The riparian area of the Virgin River supports enormous cottonwood trees and a diversity of herbaceous plants and grasses. Nearby, saturated wetlands make nice habitat for cattails, willows, aquatic plants, and rushes. Water seeping out of the Navajo sandstone creates tranquil springs and the unique “hanging gardens” for which Zion is famous, full of ferns, wildflowers, and mosses.
Animals: From the Park’s website:
Zion is home to over 78 species of mammals, 291 species of birds, 44 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 8 species of fish. Masters in the art of desert heat evasion, many animals take to burrows or dens in the heat of the day, or choose to be nocturnal and use our hours of slumber to live upon the landscape in cooler temperatures.
Though all the animals in Zion are protected by its National Park designation, some animals are of special note. Zion is critical habitat for the Mexican spotted owl, a species classified as threatened on the federal level. A small population of Mojave Desert tortoises is being monitored, along with the endangered Southwestern willow flycatcher.
Fees: A 7-day pass for a private vehicle is $25.
Staying There: Three campgrounds are within the Park. One of them is free!
Contact Info:
Zion National Park
Springdale, UT 84767-1099
Visitor Information 1-435-772-3256
Current Issues: Three BASE jumpers have been killed in the Park this year. The canyon walls are very pretty … and totally dangerous, too. Read about it, here.
Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 11/15/13.
Sometimes there are no words for the beauty found in America’s great outdoors. The Narrows in Zion National Park. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 12/12/13.
Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 1/22/14.
Photo: Clint Losee. Posted by the US Department of the Interior on Instagram, 2/15/14.
The Subway. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 5/29/14.
Bighorn sheep, perhaps contemplating how the cow did it. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 4/4/14.
Photo: Kurt Stephan. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 3/7/14.
Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 6/12/14.
From the Park’s website.
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From the Park’s website.
From the Park’s website.
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National Park Service: Zion National Park
Honey Did You See That: Don’t Judge Me By My Hair Color Or Else
KimberlyJumps.com: Welcome To Zion
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