Glacier National park

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

Location: California & Nevada

Established: October 31, 1994

Size: About 3.4 million acres

Death Valley is the hottest, driest and lowest place in the USA. It is a desert southeast of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Death Valley has unusual sand dunes, salt flats, colorful rocks, and tall mountains. Large parts of Death Valley are below sea level. One feature, named Badwater Basin, is the lowest place in North America. It is 282 ft (86 m) below sea level. The salt flats are another famous feature in Death Valley. Salt flats are very unusual. They are large, flattened areas where the surface of the ground is covered by salt instead of dirt. The salt that makes up a salt flat can be many inches or centimeters deep. The salt flats were created because thousands of years ago, Death Valley was underwater. Death Valley was covered by a lake that was named Lake Manly by geologists. Lake Manly used to be very large, but changes in the weather caused the rivers that brought water into the lake to dry up. After a long time, the water in Lake Manly began to dry up too. As the water dried, it left behind all the minerals that the rivers had brought to it along with their water. As these minerals dried, they created a crust of salt and other minerals on top of the dirt. Many lakes and seas in other parts of the world dried up in the same way.

Even with its extremes, the park still receives nearly a million visitors each year.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

Location: Colorado

Established: January 26, 1915

Size: 265,873 acres

Rocky Mountain National Park features majestic mountain views, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments—from wooded forests to mountain tundra—and easy access to back-country trails and campsites.

The park contains 359 miles (578 km) of trails, 150 lakes, and 450 miles (720 km) of streams. The park contains 72 named peaks higher than 12,000 feet (3,700 m), and over one fourth of the park resides above tree line. Rocky Mountain National Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife.

Rocky Mountain, though only about an eighth the size of Yellowstone, accommodates as many visitors—three million or so a year. Many visitors hike and backpack. The park contains a network of 349 miles (562 km) of trail and dozens of designated backcountry camp sites. Most visitors to the park drive over the famous Trail Ridge Road, but other scenic roads include Fall River Road and Bear Lake Road. Rock climbing and mountaineering have increased in recent years.

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

Location: Montana

Established: May 11, 1910

Size: 1,013,572 acres

Come to Glacier National Park and you might catch a glimpse of big horns, elk, a mountain goat or maybe even a wolf. There are also lots of exciting and fun activities to do.

Glacier National Park is located right on the border of Canada and the U.S. Glacier National Park has over 730 miles of hiking trails scattered throughout the park. It has over 1,000 species of plants, 60 species of animals, and over 200 species of birds. One of the 60 species of animals is the Grizzly Bear which is on the endangered species list. In nearby Apgar there are many things to do and many beautiful animals to observe.

There are various activities in Glacier National Park. They include hiking, backpacking, sight seeing, biking, horseback riding and tours, boat cruises, non-fee fishing, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, camping, auto, boat tours, picnicking, interpretive exhibits and programs, canoe tours, puppet shows, junior workshops, slideshows, golf, nature courses, bicycling, and swimming.

Glacier National Park has many lodging and camping facilities. There are 63 backcountry campgrounds and lodges scattered throughout the park, as well as cabins and chalets. Restaurants are also throughout the park, as well as campers' stores.

Water originating in Glacier National Park—much of it from snowmelt—can be considered the headwater of the continent. Water that runs down Triple Divide Peak flows in three directions, eventually winding up in the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and Hudson Bay.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14