National Parks of United States Flashcards
How many Nations Parks is in the US?
63 national parks including: 2 in Hawaii and 5 in
Alaska and 2 in dependent territories
What are ‘National
Monuments’
protected areas
Yellowstone National Park
- The most interesting national park in US.
- The oldest in the World (created in 1872)
- Located on the borders of three states: Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.
- The area has very interesting geologic genesis – the park is located on flat sufrace (caldera of old vulcano).
- There are hydrothermal actions (two times per day there is an eruption of 20 meters high geezers („Old faithful” – and many others).
- In Yellowstone there are located more than 1⁄2 geezers from all over the world.
- In central part of park there are hot springs with temperature almost 100C and there are vulcano smokes in the park.
- There are limestone terraces,
- In the park we can meet: bisons, bears and wolves,
- Through Yellowstone – river Yellowstone, „Upper Falls” - high 33 meters and „Lower Falls” - 92 meters
- From the beginning of 70. XX century there is policy for letting of forest to burn – natural policy
infrastructure for tourism
* in the park there are located „visitors centres”.
* There are camp sites and hotels.
* You can use car in the park.
(many parking’s, viewpoints – everything is accessible by car).
Badlands National Park
- North part of US, near Yellowstone on the most interesting areas were created Badlands NP.
- It covers 10% of all area of „bad lands”.
- The name was taken from unfamiliar landscape. * Mainly there are no plants on „badlands”
- volcanic genesis.
- volcanic ashes covered surface and did not provide conditions for trees
- Empty areas were created which were divided by marches.
- Park is accessible during the whole year.
- Park iv very attractive to persons, who like walking and climbing.
- Although very „unfamiliar” landscape and the lack of trees tourists can meet animals such as: sheeps and deers.
infrastructure for tourism
* tourist season is in summer days.
* tourist infrastructure: 2 campsites: Cedar Pass and Sage Creek Primitive Campgrounds.
* In the park it is possible to do mountain biking, climbing and walking.
Rocky Mountains National Park
- This park is located only on small surface of these of Rocky Mountains.
- National Park was created in 1915.
*The surface of national park is only 971 Ha (1/10 surface of Yellowstone NP). - However the number of tourists is very close to Yellowstone and annually it is coming here about 3 millions of tourists.
- The mountains have more than 3 000 meters high.
- More than 1/3 of mountains is above the zone of trees – in the zone of snow – it is called „Never Summer Mountain” .
- There are such animals as: elk deers, coyotes, beavers, grizzly bears.
- Enormous similarity to the Alps – in type of landscape and buildings – restaurants and motels in Bavarian and Swiss style.
- park is accessible by car (many viewpoints with parkings)
infrastructure for tourism
* U.S. Highway 34, U.S. Highway 36 and Colorado State Highway 7. Highway 34 – called also „Trail Ridge Road”.
It is the highest road in US (in some places height is 3 713 above sea level).
* in winter the road is closed (from October to May) and sometimes it is even close in summer.
Arches National Park
- park is located in eastern part of Utah State
- was created in 1971, surface 309 square kilometers.
- the mechanism of creation of rock arch is complicated
*wind erosion and airing make ravines bigger and creates arches - cold airing creates arches in sandstone.
- in the park there is arid climate, soil is not good for agriculture (or breeding)
- on area of park there are golden and red sandstone.
- there are 1 800 natural stone arches.
- „Delicate Arch” – the well-known and visited by almost all tourists in the park.
- there are deep mini-canyons in park with sharp edges. They create ”Fierce Furnace” formation, „Devil’s garden” and „Lanscape Arch” with height of 93 meters.
infrastructure for tourism
* it is possible to camp in the park in distance of only 1 mile from paths.
Yosemite National Park
- the most distant national park of California State.
- the biggest attraction are granite rocks, which create massif Yosemite.
- The whole park also includes valley with the same name and hills with surface of 3 100 square kilometres (glacial genesis).
- Extraordinary feelings for tourists makes fair colour of rocks, which gives impression of snow mountains.
- The rocks are high for 800 meters and they create very high waterfalls such as „Bride veil Falls”.
- The biggest concentration of granite rock in the world is mountain „El Capitan” (height - 1 067 meters)
- Park is accessible by car.
- There are many very long tunnels in the rocks.
- Mainly tress: oaks, cedars and spruces.
- Park is inhabited by deers, prairie wolves and bears.
Sequoia National Park
- Established in 1890.
- The second after Yellowstone in the date of establishment.
- Park is famous for sequoias trees.
- The most frequent visited part of park - „Giant Forest” with enormous gigantic trees.
- The highest tree in the world is sequoia named “General Sherman Tree” (84 meter high, age -
3 000 years).
Grand Canyon National Park
- Located in Arizona State.
- Protected area from 1893.
- Tourist visited Grand Canyon should remember about some limitations.
- You should not walk through the canyon between 11 am and 6 pm during summer months.
- It is due to high temperature (about 40- 43 C degrees in the shadow).
- However each year there are some lethal accidents because of sun (sunstrokes).
*The Grad Canyon has depth of 2 kilometres, wide 7- 20 kilometres - For less experienced tourists it is proposed the ride on mule to the down part of the canyon.
*There are such animals as: chamois, rabbits, buzzards, eagles, pumas, scorpions and snakes. - But the snakes are very rare and tourists should not afraid of them because it is very hard to meet them.
infrastructure for tourism
* glass bridge in Grand Canyon.
* Visitor Centre – on the top of Canyon.
* All bed-places in park are in management of Xanterra corporation.
* in some parts of the park there the flight are forbidden (aim: reduction of noise and pollution).
*near the park – airport Grand Canyon National Park
Mesa Verde National Park
- Located in Colorado State
*The only national park in US, which protects archaeological sites. - We can find here ruins of Indians ”Anasazi”
- It is the best way to let know history and culture of this Indian tribe – to visit the ruins.
*The city in the rocks makes enormous impression, because we can observe precision of particular rooms in „the rock city”. - The city is hidden in the rocks due to strategic reasons
- In that way the tribe Anasazi could hide themselves from attackers and make successful defence.
- Exact history of the tribe is unknown.
- The city was not attacked at all.
- The city was abounded probably because jejune soil.
- Among Anasazi the main decisions were taken by women.
- The tribe Anasazi did not have any problems with law, that is why there was no jails and prisoners among them.
- On the journey through rock city we can go only with a tour-guide.
- It is because the fact that the rock city must be protected all the time and it is still protected by archaeologist.
Infrastructure for tourism
* Many leaders and passes for tourists – it is for making possible to visit archaeological site.
Niagara Falls National Park
- Located in New York State
*Niagara Falls in its geological history new waterfall. - The river Niagara was created about 12 thousand years ago, after the end of last glacier.
*The Canadian part of the waterfall is more attractive.
infrastructure for tourism
* During the night the waterfall has its illuminations.
* Around the waterfall there are many attractions for tourists.
* There are cruises with special ship, which sails very close to the waterfall.
* There are many viewpoints for tourists. * There are catwalks for tourists.
White Sands National Monument
- Location: New Mexcio State
*White Sands – it is a narrow valley on west from Ruidoso and Sacramento Mountain. - It has surface of 25 square miles.
- The dunes are created from small grains of plaster
(it is an effect of erosion of nearby hills). - The most part of valley is a military zone.
- It is used by army as a base for rockets and polygon for pilots (it is also place of landing for space-shuttle)
- Only 1⁄2 of dunes landscape is protected in White Sands NP.
*The area is often closed during the army rocket experiments for 1-2 hours. - Very close is located city Roswell known from the history of landing UFO just after the end of second world war.
- Probably it was Russian spying aircraft (but the army which want to mislead public opinion create such an information which was later cancelled).
infrastructure for tourism
* on the park – there is none (only few trails on map).
* only beyond the park – nearby cities such as Roswell.
*you can walk through all protected area, there is no necessity to walk only paths (there is no path because of sand dunes and wind).
Petrified Forest National Park
- Located in Arizona State
*Petrified Forest is from two sides of highway I-40, nearby the city of Holbrook. - We can observe it because of erosion.
- The cell of the trees were replaced by coloured crystals of quartz.
- interesting view of trees cut by diamond saws and polished.
- Northern part of the park is famous from fabulous views – „Painted Desert” – sandy dunes with many colours.
- infrastructure for tourism
- However tourists each year take souvenirs from petrified forest from pieces of petrified trees (so that is why the number of them is decreasing).
*The guards of park estimate that each month tourists take away several tons of petrified wood.
Saguaro National Park
- Around city Tuscon
- Possibility of walking around „dense forest of cactus Saguaro”.
- very high temperatures in the park.
- there are here 25 species of cactus
(the biggest in US – cangeria - Saguaro)
infrastructure for tourism
* in any part of park – there is no bed-places or campsites.
* because of temperatures is not recommended to camp in the park.
*Park has 2 visitors centres and about 240 kilometres of well signed tourist paths with different level of difficulties.
Joshua Tree National Park
- Surface: 287 th. square km.
- located in the belt, where Colorado desert meets Mohave on north-east from Palm Springs.
- it was created to protect interesting species of trees
*The name from Mormons (years 50 of XIX century). - „strange looking” trees seems like arms of Joshua, who lead to promise earth.
- in the park the temperatures are very high.
- many old gold mines.
- tourists need to be careful because of unsafe ground.
*„Barker Dam” – main water reservoir. - the best known – mine „Lost Horse” in which was developed gold each day – value 20 thousands of dollars.
