The intrepid early explorers Lewis and Clark were perhaps the first non-aboriginal explorers to discover Crater Lake and report their findings back to President Jefferson, but they were certainly not the last and today some half a million visitors enjoy the wonderful scenery of the Crater Lake National Park every year. The crystal blue lake, which is ringed by 2,000 foot mountains, is the thing that picture postcards are made of and the area offers a wealth of hiking, biking, boating and horseback riding. Indeed, Crater Lake is truly one of the Unites States’ most outstanding national parks.
One thing which makes the area certainly feel special is the fact that at 1,940 feet Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and was formed more than 7,700 years ago by the eruption of the nearby Mount Mazama. There are many spots along the 33 mile route around the lake from which you can see unparalleled views such as that of Phantom Rock seen from Kerr Notch, or Wizard Island seen from Sun Notch. And there are also numerous hikes that simply cannot be matched anywhere else. On the east side of the lake hiking trails lead up to Mount Scott, while on the south side Crater Peak can be quite easily reached from Rim Drive. One of the nicest hikes of all, especially for novice hikers, is along the north side where the Cleetwood Cove trail leads down to the lake and you generally find deer feeding as you walk along this particular trail. You can also visit the volcano on Wizard Island from Cleetwood Cove and peek inside the 90 foot wide opening to the cinder cone after climbing the 800 foot trail.
Posted on November 1st, 2008 by Marr
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Nairobi National Park is a full wildlife resort located just outside the city of Nairobi, Kenya. This makes the Kenyan capital the only city in the world where you can be in the middle of the bush with a 30-minute car ride from the city centre. Most wild African animals can be spotted there. So although Nairobi National Park is one of the smaller wildlife parks in Kenya - it’s 117 square kilometres or 45 square miles - it can’t be beat for convenience.
Nairobi National Park is made up mostly of dry open grasslands, also known as savannah. The wide open spaces are broken up with groves of scrubby acacia bushes, and the occasional steep valley. There is also a river that runs through the park, the Athi river, adding to the variety of wildlife and birds you’ll find (there are over 400 species of birds recorded in the park). The park is only fenced on the Nairobi side, so animals can migrate freely from and to the park. Other sights in the park include the historic monument where ivory has been burned in protest of the ongoing poaching of wild elephants and rhinos. There are also trails where you can walk around the hippopotamus pools. Visit the animal orphanage to see some of the younger animals up close. The Impala Observation Tower can give you a bird’s eye view of the park for a new perspective.
Posted on May 12th, 2008 by Alex Smith
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The newest of these national parks are found on extreme northern Labrador. Created in January 2005, the Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve is the baby of the Canadian National Parks system. This park is a gift of Inuit land consisting of two distinct landscapes: the gentle Georgian Plateau formed by receding glaciers, and the spectacular Torngat Mountains.
The mountains are amongst the most rugged in North America. Along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, a hiker would find an untamed coastline where cliffs seem to erupt 900 meters out of the sea, and fjords jutting up to 80 miles inland. Massive icebergs can sometimes be seen ferrying along the coast.
Posted on April 28th, 2008 by Linda Greens
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Yosemite Valley is located in the central part of the High Sierra and is the visited section of the park. Yosemite Valley starts experiencing most visitors starting early spring to early summer (Feb to May) as the waterfalls are in full intensity. Summer time is June to September is crowded especially on weekends as the school summer breaks are going around that time and lot of parents bring their children during that time. The park entrance fee is $20 per car valid for 7 days. You have the option to drive around yourself but to maintain the natural beauty of the park and to keep it pollution free zone, the park operates free shuttle buses to most of the popular spots. High traffic is common especially at the entrance but its worth seeing the beauty that lies ahead. Yosemite valley is the only place in Yosemite where you can buy food inside the park. Although all major roads are kept well-plowed throughout the snow season, the National Park Service requires that drivers of private vehicles carry tire chains. Few useful phone numbers are listed below
Posted on February 1st, 2008 by Adam Charles
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On the northwest edge of the Saint John City on Newfoundland the Pippy Park features a number of attractions including recreations facilities, picnic areas, wildlife, Memorial University and the Newfoundland Freshwater Resource Center. The center features the only public fluvarium in North America. Visitors can observe the natural and undistributed life beneath the surface of Nagle Hill Brook behind a twenty five meters glass wall.
Just south of Saint John is Petty Harbor. A very scenic harbor complete with weathered boats and docks it is surrounded by the rocky hills of Newfoundland and is often used in movie productions because of its typical beauty. Over Signal Hill is Quidi Vidi which is a tiny picturesque village and fishing port. It is home to the oldest cottage in North America. Mallard Cottage was built in the early 1700s and is now a National Heritage Site and gift shop. Quidi Vidi Lake is the site of the annual Royal Saint John Regatta which has taken place since 1826.
Cape Spear features nature trails that lead visitors past the most easterly point in North America. The scenery there is more than spectacular and it includes everything from whales to icebergs which can be as tall as five storeys and that is only the part that shows above the water. The origin of these frosty giants is Greenland where glaciers produce up to forty thousand icebergs each year.
The entire region of Cape Spear id s preserved as a National Historic Site complete with a lighthouse which now serves as an interpretive center.
Canada is famous for its National Parks locating throughout the country and its islands.
Posted on December 13th, 2007 by Kayla
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