America's Most Stunning Locations
(Part 2)
Information and Postings by;
Michael Smith. May 22, 2008
The below wonders are not listed alphabetically or in
order of importance.
Zion National park, Utah
Zion National Park's 100th Anniversary in 2009
In
2009, Zion National Park will celebrate a "Century Of Sanctuary". Zion was
established as Mukuntuweap National Monument by President William Taft on July
31, 1909. Starting soon the Park plans to have a series of events to celebrate
this historic milestone.
Zion National Park is a United States National Park located in the Southwestern
United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile
(593 km²) park is Zion Canyon, 15 miles (24 km) long and up to half a mile (800
m) deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North
Fork of the Virgin River. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great
Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, this unique geography and variety of life
zones allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. A total of 289 bird species,
75 mammals (including 19 species of bat), 32 reptiles and numerous plant species
inhabit the park's four life zones: desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous
forest. Notable megafauna include Mountain Lions, Mule Deer and Golden Eagles,
along with reintroduced California Condors and Bighorn Sheep. Common plant
species include Cottonwood, Cactus, Datura, Juniper, Pine, Boxelder, Sagebrush,
yucca , and various willows. (Below pic. one of
the Park's many waterfalls)
__________________________________________________
Things To Do
Hiking
Zion offers many trails ranging from short "leg-stretcher" walks to strenuous
adventures.
Horse
Back Riding. What a great experience to wander the mountains and trails on the
back of a horse. It is most assuredly one of the best trail rides in the world
and can be enjoyed by people of all ages above 12 years of age. All rides are
supervised with a guide.
Wildflowers & Fall Colors
A variety of life zones and habitats makes Zion an excellent location for
wildflower walks in spring and brilliant leaf color in autumn.
Photography
Zion offers the photographer many opportunities to explore color, texture, and
light.
Birdwatching
Zion is home to 271 species of birds. Bird checklists are available at the
visitor centers.
Bicycling
The Pa'rus Trail offers a paved, car-free alternative for bicyclists to connect
with the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Shuttle buses are equipped with bike racks.
Ranger-led activities
Join a Park Ranger to learn more about Zion National Park. Topics include
animals, geology, plants, human history and more. Programs include Ride with a
Ranger shuttle tours, guided hikes, daytime talks and evening programs at
Watchman Campground and Zion Lodge. All programs are free. Check the weekly
schedules posted at visitor centers and bulletin boards throughout the park for
times, places, and subjects.
Things To Know Before You Come
Special Use Permits
(One time permits for weddings, special events and filming must be obtained
prior to visiting the park)
Getting To Zion National Park
By Plane; The closest major airport is Las Vegas International, 150 miles from
the park. There is a smaller airport in St. George, UT, 46 miles (74.1 km) from
the park.
Car/Motorcycle
The Visitor Center at the Kolob Canyons entrance is accessible from I-15, exit
40. I-15 passes west of the Park and connects with UT-9 and 17 to the Park.
US-89 passes east and connects with UT-9 to the Park. The Zion Canyon Visitor
Center is a short distance from the Park's South Entrance adjacent to
Springdale.
RV/Coaches/Trailers/All Large Vehicles
Drivers of large vehicles approaching Zion National Park from the east on UT-9
need to be aware of the large vehicle size restrictions.
Vehicles sized 7'10'' in width or 11'4'' in height, or larger, are required to
have an ''escort'' (traffic control) through the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel.
Vehicles this size are too large to stay in their lane while traveling through
the tunnel. Nearly all RV's, buses, trailers, 5th wheels, and some camper shells
will require an escort.
(Note: It is possible to visit Zion with a large vehicle without going through
the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. To do this you have to enter and exit through the
south entrance of the park, near Springdale).
Visitors requiring an escort must pay a $15 fee per vehicle in addition to the
entrance fee. Pay this fee at a park entrance before proceeding to the tunnel.
The fee is good for 2-trips through the tunnel for the same vehicle during a
7-day period.
Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel: Prohibited Vehicles
Vehicles over 13'1" tall
Semi Trucks
Commercial vehicles
Vehicles carrying hazardous materials
Vehicles weighing more than 50,000 lbs.
Single vehicles over 40' long
Combined vehicles over 50' long
Bicycles and pedestrians
Bicycle/Pedestrian
The park may be accessed at all entrances. Bicycles and pedestrians are
prohibited through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. Bicycle/pedestrian traffic
entering through the east entrance, heading westbound, must arrange their own
shuttle service through the one-mile Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel.
Public Transportation
Public transportation to the park is not available. The Zion Canyon Shuttle does
provide free transportation to the park from the town of Springdale
Getting Around
From April through October, the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive (a park road off Rt. 9)
is accessible by shuttle bus only. Rt. 9, which traverses the park from east to
west, is open year-round to private vehicles.
Accessibility
Zion Canyon and Kolob Canyons Visitor Centers, and the Zion Lodge are fully
accessible to those with special needs.
The shuttle system, picnic areas, some campsites and three trails are also
accessible.
Campgrounds in Zion
Zion National Park has three campgrounds. South and Watchman Campgrounds are in
Zion Canyon. The Lava Point Campground is about a 1-hour drive from Zion Canyon
on Kolob Terrace. There are no campgrounds in Kolob Canyons. Camping is
permitted in designated campsites, but not in pullouts or parking lots. Camping
is popular; all campgrounds are often full by early afternoon on weekends and
holidays. During June, July, and August, the campgrounds are full every night.
Reservations at Watchman Campground (see below) are recommended if you would
like to guarantee a camping spot. If you are unable to make a reservation, the
earlier in the day you arrive, the better your chance of getting a campsite.
Several private campgrounds are a short drive from the park. Please click here
www.zionpark.org for more information.
Zion Canyon Campgrounds
South and Watchman Campgrounds are near the south entrance at Springdale. This
part of the park is desert. There are few trees to provide relief from the heat.
Some campsites get shade for part of the day, but many get no shade at all.
Summer temperatures exceed 95°F (35°C) and lows rarely dip below 65°F (18°C);
staying cool is a challenge. Remember these temperatures and the possibility of
a sunny campsite when planning. The Virgin River runs along the edge of each
campground; there are a few riverside campsites.
All campsites are drive-up and allow a maximum of two vehicles. One RV or
trailer is allowed. Any RV, including motor-homes, cab-over campers, and camper
vans, or any trailer, including 5th wheels, pop-up campers, and cargo or boat
trailers, are vehicles and count toward the limit. Each campground has overflow
parking for excess vehicles. Each campsite allows a maximum of six people and
two tents; plan accordingly. Check out time is 11:00 a.m.
Comfort stations provide flush toilets, cold running drinkable water, and trash
containers, but no showers or electrical outlets. Each campsite has a picnic
table and fire pit with attached grill. Quiet hours are 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Pets are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet. Hiking in the park with
pets is allowed only on the roads and Pa’rus Trail.
Springdale is adjacent to Zion Canyon; pay showers, a small market, firewood,
laundromats, a limited medical clinic, and restaurants are available. Springdale
can be reached from the campgrounds by car, foot, bicycle, or free shuttle
(April through October).
From April through October, the park-wide camping limit is 14 nights. An
additional 30 nights is permitted the rest of the year. These limits include at
all park campgrounds.
Watchman Campground
Watchman
Campground is ¼ mile from the South Entrance. Campsites (except group sites) are
available year round. There are 164 campsites (including two handicapped
accessible) and 7 group sites. Campsites may be reserved for March 20 through
October 25, 2008, up to six months in advance and are first come, first served
the rest of the year. Reservations may be made online at www.recreation.gov
(recommended) or by calling 877-444-6777 six months prior to arrival date.
When making a reservation, you cannot choose your campsite; it is assigned upon
arrival based on the type of equipment (length of RV, number of tents). The
campground rangers try to honor requests (for specific campsites, areas of the
campground, or for groups), but please understand not all requests can be
accommodated.
Generators are not permitted, but 95 campsites have electrical hookups. Reserve
an electric campsite if you need power. There are no full-hookup campsites; a
dump station is available for campers. 69 campsites are tent only. No other
types of camping equipment, including camper vans, pop-up campers, or cab-over
campers, are allowed in the tent only campsites. Electric campsites are $18.00
per night; Riverside electric campsites are $20.00 per night; and Tent Only
campsites are $16.00 per night. Owners of an Interagency Senior or Access or a
Golden Age or Access Pass receive a 50% discount on camping fees.
There are 7 group campsites. They can accommodate from 9 to 50 campers. The
group campsites are tent only. No other types of camping equipment, including
camper vans, pop-up campers, or cab-over campers, are allowed in the group
campsites. Cost is $3.00 per person, per night.
South Campground
South
Campground is ½ mile from the South Entrance. It is open March through October.
There are 127 campsites (including three handicapped accessible) available first
come, first served. There are no hook-ups; a dump station is available for
campers. Generators are allowed from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m.
to 8:00 p.m. Campsites are $16.00 per night. Owners of an Interagency Senior or
Access or a Golden Age or Access Pass pay $8.00 per night.
Lava Point Campground
Lava Point Campground is open June through October, as weather allows. It is off
the Kolob Terrace Road, 25 miles (45 minutes) north of the town of Virgin. There
are 6 primitive campsites available first-come, first-served, pit toilets, and
trash cans, but no water. Vehicles longer than 19 feet are not permitted on the
road to the campground. There is no charge for camping.
Call 435-772-3256 for additional information on camping.
Nature & Science
Located in Washington, Iron and Kane Counties in Southwestern Utah, Zion
National Park encompasses some of the most scenic canyon country in the United
States. The park is characterized by high plateaus, a maze of narrow, deep
sandstone canyons and striking rock towers and mesas.
Zion National Park is a showcase of geology. Geologic processes have played an
important role in shaping Zion. The arid climate and sparse vegetation allow the
exposure of large expanses of bare rock and reveal the park’s geologic history.
Zion National Park is located along the edge of a
region known as the Colorado Plateau. The rock layers have been uplifted,
tilted, and eroded, forming a feature called the Grand Staircase, a series of
colorful cliffs stretching between Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon. The bottom
layer of rock at Bryce Canyon is the top layer at Zion, and the bottom layer at
Zion is the top layer at the Grand Canyon. (Below
pic. Angels Landing View)
Geologic Formations
Sedimentation
Zion was a relatively flat basin near sea level 240 million years ago. As sands,
gravels, and muds eroded from surrounding mountains, streams carried these
materials into the basin and deposited them in layers. The sheer weight of these
accumulated layers caused the basin to sink, so that the top surface always
remained near sea level. As the land rose and fell and as the climate changed,
the depositional environment fluctuated from shallow seas to coastal plains to a
desert of massive windblown sand. This process of sedimentation continued until
over 10,000 feet of material accumulated.
Lithification
Mineral-laden waters slowly filtered through the compacted sediments.
Iron oxide, calcium carbonate, and silica acted as cementing agents, and with
pressure from overlying layers over long periods of time, transformed the
deposits into stone. Ancient seabed's became limestone; mud and clay became
mudstones and shale; and desert sand became sandstone. Each layer originated
from a distinct source and so differs in thickness, mineral content, color, and
eroded appearance.
Uplift
In an area from Zion to the Rocky Mountains, forces deep within the
earth started to push the surface up. This was not chaotic uplift, but very slow
vertical hoisting of huge blocks of the crust. Zion’s elevation rose from near
sea level to as high as 10,000 feet above sea level.
Uplift is still occurring. In 1992 a magnitude 5.8 earthquake caused a landslide
visible just outside the south entrance of the park in Springdale.
Erosion
This uplift gave the streams greater cutting force in their descent to
the sea. Zion’s location on the western edge of this uplift caused the streams
to tumble off the plateau, flowing rapidly down a steep gradient. A fast-moving
stream carries more sediment and larger boulders than a slow-moving river. These
streams began eroding and cutting into the rock layers, forming deep and narrow
canyons. Since the uplift began, the North Fork of the Virgin River has carried
away several thousand feet of rock that once lay above the highest layers
visible today.
The Virgin River is still excavating. Upstream from the Temple of Sinawava the
river cuts through Navajo Sandstone, creating a slot canyon. At the Temple, the
river has reached the softer Kayenta Formation below. Water erodes the shale,
undermining the overlaying sandstone and causing it to collapse, widening the
canyon.
Geology-in-Action
A landslide once dammed the Virgin River forming a lake. Sediments
settled out of the quiet waters, covering the lake bottom. When the river
breached the dam and the lake drained, it left behind a flat-bottomed valley.
This change in the character of the canyon can be seen from the scenic drive
south of the Zion Lodge near the Sentinel Slide. This slide was active again in
1995, damaging the road.
Flash floods occur when sudden thunderstorms dump water on exposed rock. With
little soil to absorb the rain, water runs downhill, gathering volume as it
goes. These floods often occur without warning and can increase water flow by
over 100 times. In 1998 a flash flood increased the volume of the Virgin River
from 200 cubic feet per second to 4,500 cubic feet per second, again damaging
the scenic drive at the Sentinel Slide.
Human habitation of the area started about 8,000 years
ago with small family groups of Native Americans; the semi-nomadic Basketmaker
Anasazi (300 CE) stem from one of these groups. In turn, the Virgin Anasazi
culture (500 CE) developed as the Basketmakers settled in permanent communities.
A different group, the Parowan Fremont, lived in the area as well. Both groups
moved away by 1300 and were replaced by the Parrusits and several other Southern
Paiute sub-tribes. The canyon was discovered by Mormons in 1858 and was settled
by that same group in the early 1860s. Mukuntuweap National Monument was
established in 1909 to protect the canyon, and by 1919 the monument was expanded
to become Zion National Park (Zion is an ancient Hebrew word meaning a place of
refuge or sanctuary). The Kolob section was proclaimed a separate Zion National
Monument in 1937, but was incorporated into the park in 1956.
The geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area includes nine formations that
together represent 150 million years of mostly Mesozoic-aged sedimentation. At
various periods in that time, warm, shallow seas, streams, ponds and lakes, vast
deserts and dry near-shore environments covered the area. Uplift associated with
the creation of the Colorado Plateaus lifted the region 10,000 feet (3000 m)
starting 13 million years ago.
Did You Know?
Kolob Arch, located deep in the backcountry of Zion National Park, is one of the
largest freestanding arches in the world.
Did
You Know?
Zion National Park will celebrate a "Century of Sanctuary" in 2009. Zion was set
aside as Mukuntuweap National Monument by President William Howard Taft on July
31, 1909.
Did
You Know?
California Condors, which were released in Vermillion Cliffs, Arizona, in the
late 1990's, are increasingly being sighted in Zion National Park.
Did
You Know?
The Olympic Torch passed through Zion National Park en-route to Salt Lake City
for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Did
You Know?
When dedicated on July 4, 1930, the 1.1 mile Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel was the
longest tunnel in the United States.
Did
You Know?
During the summer or fall, you may see a tarantula crossing a road or trail in
Zion National Park. But don’t be frightened-- tarantulas are actually amazing
arachnids--gentle, basically harmless creatures that have suffered a bum rap.
(Below pic. of The Three Patriarchs)
Carlsbad Caverns,
New Mexico
As you pass through the Chihuahuan Desert and Guadalupe
Mountains of southeastern New Mexico and west Texas; filled with prickly
pear, chollas, sotols and agaves you might never guess there are more than
300 known caves beneath the surface. The park contains 113 of these caves,
formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone, creating some
of the largest caves in North America. (Above photo;
Caves main entrance)
General Information
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in the
Guadalupe Mountains, a mountain range that runs from west Texas into
southeastern New Mexico. Elevations within the park rise from 1,095 meters
(3,595 feet) in the lowlands to 1,987 meters (6,520 feet) atop the
escarpment. Though there are scattered woodlands in the higher elevations,
the park is primarily a variety of grassland and desert shrub land habitats.
The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest and wettest of the
North American deserts. Most of this desert is in Mexico, but the park is
one of the few places where it is preserved and protected. The park averages
more than 36.6 cm (14.4 in) of annual precipitation and has a semiarid,
continental climate with mild winters, warm summers, and summer rains. The
mean annual temperature is 19ºC (63ºF).
The park supports a diverse ecosystem, including habitat
for many plants and animals that are at the geographic limits of their
ranges. For example, the ponderosa pine reaches its extreme eastern limit
here and several species of reptiles are at the edges of their
distributions.
The deserts of the Southwest contain some of the highest
diversity of mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects in the United States. The
park provides important habitat for top predators such as cougars, and is
home to what is perhaps the largest colony of cave swallows in the northern
hemisphere. The Bat Cave area in Carlsbad Cavern provides important habitat
for a large colony of Brazilian (Mexican) free-tailed bats as a place to
give birth and raise young, as well as a stopover for migrating bats.
Rattlesnake Springs, a rare desert wooded riparian area
that has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by the National
Audubon Society, draws birders from around the world to see some of the
300-plus species that have been noted there. The Carlsbad Cavern Natural
Entrance is also an Audubon IBA because of the large colony of cave swallows
that resides and breeds there in the summer. Current checklists for park
fauna identify 67 species of mammals (including 17 species of bats), 357
species of birds, 55 different reptiles and amphibians, 5 species of fish,
and an incomplete list of over 600 insects, with more identified each year.
The park’s list of vascular plants includes more than 900 species and
subspecies.
Underlying the rugged desert landscape is one of the most
important geologic resources in the United States. The Guadalupe Mountains
are the uplifted portion of an ancient reef that thrived along the edge of
an inland sea more than 250 million years ago during Permian time. Preserved
in the rocks are the bodies of sponges, algae, snails, nautilus, and many
other animals that lived in this ancient sea. Scientists from all over the
world visit the park each year to study the structure and fauna of the reef.
The most famous of all the geologic features in the park
are the caves. Carlsbad Caverns National Park contains more than 110
limestone caves, the most famous of which is Carlsbad Cavern. Carlsbad
Cavern receives more than 300,000 visitors each year and offers a rare
glimpse of the underground worlds preserved under the desert above.
Cave Tours
All visitors to the park should tour the main section of
the cave, the Big Room self-guided tour. The 8.2-acre Big Room is partially
wheelchair accessible. The Natural Entrance self-guided tour is also very
impressive, but it is also more difficult due to the steepness of the trail.
Guided tours of varying difficulties are also available
from the self-guided areas of the Big Room to crawling through narrow
passageways in the Hall of the White Giant or in Spider Cave.
Other Park Activities
While there are a variety of cave tours available from
the self-guided areas of the Big Room to crawling through narrow passageways
in the Hall of the White Giant or in Spider Cave there are also
opportunities for hiking and backcountry camping, attending programs in the
visitor center, and watching the incredible exodus of Mexican free-tail bats
out of Carlsbad Cavern at dusk in the summer.
Named Cave
Rooms
-
Balloon Ballroom - located in the ceiling above
the main entrance corridor, this small room was first accessed by tying a
rope to a bunch of balloons and floating them up into the passage.
-
Bat Cave - a large, unadorned rocky passage
connected to the main entrance corridor that was mined for bat guano in
the early 20th century. The majority of the cave's bat population lives in
this portion of the cave.
-
Bell Cord Room - named for a long, narrow
stalactite coming through a hole in the ceiling, resembling the rope
coming through a church steeple to ring the bell. This room is located at
the end of the Left Hand Tunnel.
-
Bifrost Room - discovered in 1982, it is located
in the ceiling above Lake of the Clouds. Its name refers to a Norse myth
about a world in the sky that was accessed from Earth by a rainbow. The
room was given this name because of its location above the Lake of the
Clouds and its colorful oxide-stained formations.
-
Big Room or The Hall of the Giants - the
largest chamber in Carlsbad Caverns, with a floor space of 33,210 m²
(357,469 sq ft).
-
Chocolate High - a maze of small passages
totaling nearly a mile in combined length, discovered in 1993 above a
mud-filled pit in the New Mexico Room known as Chocolate Drop.
-
Green Lake Room - the uppermost of the "Scenic
Rooms", it is named for a deep, malachite-colored pool in the corner of
the room. In the 1940s, when the military was testing the feasibility of
Carlsbad Cavern as an emergency fallout shelter, the Green Lake was used
to look for ripples caused by a nuclear bomb test many miles away. None
appeared.
-
Guadalupe Room - discovered by a park ranger in
1966, this is the second largest room in Carlsbad Caverns. It is known for
its dense collection of "soda straw" stalactites.
-
Hall of the White Giant - a large chamber
containing a large, white stalagmite. Rangers regularly lead special wild
cave tours to this location.
-
King's Palace - the first of four chambers in a
wing known as the "scenic rooms", it is named for a large castle-like
formation in the center of the room. The Bashful Elephant formation can be
found here.
-
Lake of the Clouds - the lowest known point in
the cave. It is located in a side passage off the Left Hand Tunnel. It is
named for its large lake containing globular, cloud-like rock formations
that formed under water when the lake level was much higher.
-
Left Hand Tunnel - a long, straight passage
marked by deep fissures in the floor. These fissures are not known to lead
anywhere. The Left Hand Tunnel leads to the Lake of the Clouds and the
Bell Cord Room.
-
Mystery Room - a small room located in Lower
Cave.
-
New Mexico Room - located adjacent to the
Queen's Chamber and accessed by means of a short slope.
-
New Section - a section of fissures east of the
White Giant formation and paralleling the Bat Cave. New discoveries are
still being made in this section.
-
Papoose Room - located between the King's Palace
and Queen's Chamber.
-
Queen's Chamber - widely regarded as the most
beautiful and scenic area of the cave. Jim White's lantern went out in
this chamber while exploring and was in the dark for over a half hour.
-
Spirit World - Located in the ceiling of the Big
Room, this area is filled with white stalagmites that resembled angels to
the room's discoverers.
-
Talcum Passage - a room located in Lower Cave
where the floor is coated with gypsum dust.
-
The Rookery - one of the larger rooms in Lower
Cave. A large number of cave pearls are found in this area.
-
Underground Lunchroom - Located in the Big Room
at the head of the Left Hand Tunnel. It contains a cafeteria that was
built in the 1950s, and is where the elevators from the visitor center
exit into the cave.
Bats
Sixteen species of bats live in the park, including a
large number of Mexican Free-tailed Bats. It is estimated that the
population of Mexican Free-tailed Bats once numbered in the millions but has
declined drastically in modern times. The cause of this decline is unknown
but the pesticide DDT is often listed as a primary cause. Populations appear
to be on the increase in recent years but are nowhere near the levels that
were once historically present.
Many techniques have been used to estimate the bat
population in the cave. The various techniques used point to a current
population peak of several hundred thousand when the young pups are flying
in the fall.
Climate
The weather in southern New Mexico can change quickly at
any time of the year. Winter is often cold and dry with occasional snow and
ice storms. Spring is known to be extremely windy. Summer is very hot and
violent lightning storms are not uncommon in the evenings. Fall is usually
mild and without extremes and of course, the weather in the cave is a mild
56°F (13°C) year-round. A light jacket and comfortable shoes with rubber
soles are appropriate year-round.
Did You Know?
The limestone rock that holds Carlsbad Cavern is full of ocean fossil plants
and animals from a time before the dinosaurs. when the southeastern corner
of New Mexico was a coastline similar to the Florida Keys.
Chaco
Canyon Cultural National Park,
New Mexico
Located just outside Navajo Nation in New
Mexico. It preserves extensive ruins of prehistoric American Indian
communities. Chaco is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Nearly 1,000 years ago, Chaco Canyon
was a center of Anasazi life. The Anasazi Indians farmed the lowlands and
built great masonry towns connected by a far-reaching network of roads. Chaco Culture preserves a
very special chapter in human history and is comprised of several sites; Chaco
Culture National Historical Park, Aztec Ruins National Monument and five units
administered by the Bureau of Land Management: Twin Angels, Casamero, Kin
Nizhoni, Pierre's Site, and Halfway House. Between AD 850 and 1250, Chaco Canyon was a major
center of ancestral Puebloan culture. Many diverse clans and peoples helped to
create a ceremonial, trade, and administrative center whose architecture,
social organization and community life was unlike anything before or since.
Chaco
is remarkable for its monumental public and ceremonial buildings and its
distinctive architecture.
The Chacoan people combined pre-planned architectural designs, astronomical
alignments, geometry, landscaping, and engineering to create an ancient
urban center of spectacular public architecture. Chaco was connected to over
150 communities throughout the region by engineered roads and a shared
vision of the world. After 1250, the people migrated from the area, moving
south, east, and west, to join relatives living on the Hopi Mesas, along the
Rio Grande, and around Zuni Mountain.
Chaco Park Hotels
The nearest hotels and motels are in Farmington, about 60
miles north, and in communities along Interstate highway 40 (e.g. Gallup and
Grants), a similar distance south. The park includes a single, rudimentary
campground. Fee $10/site/night ($5 with NPS Park Pass). There is no potable
water available.
Big Sur,
California
Definitely one the world's most
breathtaking coastlines...
Big Sur is by far one of the most
stunning areas not only in the USA, but in the world. It was and remains a
home for hippies, artists, nature lovers and those wishing to experience a
hustle free life.
It is a sparsely populated region of the central
California, United States, coast where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly
from the Pacific Ocean. The terrain offers stunning views, making Big Sur a
popular tourist destination. Big Sur's Cone Peak is the highest coastal
mountain in the lower 48 states, ascending nearly a mile (5,155 feet/1.6 km)
above sea level, only three miles (4.8 km) from the ocean.
Although Big Sur has no specific boundaries, many definitions
of the area include the 90 miles (145 km) of coastline between the Carmel River
and San Carpoforo Creek, and extend about 20 miles (32 km) inland to the eastern
foothills of the Santa Lucias. Other sources limit the eastern border to the
coastal flanks of these mountains, only three to 12 miles (4.8-19 km) inland.
The northern end of Big Sur is about 120 miles (193 km) south
of San Francisco, and the southern end is approximately 245 miles (394 km) north
of Los Angeles.
Big Sur; Arts & Popular Culture
In the early to mid-twentieth century, Big Sur's relative
isolation and natural beauty began to attract a different kind of pioneer;
writers and artists, including Robinson Jeffers, Henry Miller, Edward Weston,
Richard Brautigan, Hunter S. Thompson, and Jack Kerouac. Jeffers was among the
first of these. Beginning in the 1920s, his poetry introduced the romantic idea
of Big Sur's wild, untamed spaces to a national audience, which encouraged many
of the later visitors. Henry Miller lived in Big Sur from 1944 to 1962. His 1957
novel Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch described the joys and
hardships that came from escaping the "air conditioned nightmare" of modern
life. The Henry Miller Memorial Library, a cultural center devoted to Miller's
life and work, is a popular attraction for many tourists. Hunter S. Thompson
worked as a security guard and caretaker at Big Sur Hot Springs for eight months
in 1961, just before it became the Esalen Institute. While there, he published
his first magazine feature in the nationally distributed Rogue magazine, about
Big Sur's artisan and bohemian culture. Jack Kerouac spent a summer in Big Sur
in the early 1960's, and wrote a novel titled Big Sur based on his
experience there.
The area's increasing popularity and cinematic beauty soon
brought the attention of Hollywood. Orson Welles
and his wife at the time, Rita Hayworth, bought a
Big Sur cabin on impulse during a trip down the coast in 1944. They never spent
a single night there, and the property is now the location of a popular
restaurant. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton starred in the 1965 film The Sandpiper, featuring many location shots
of Big Sur, and a dance party scene on a soundstage built to resemble the same
restaurant. The Sandpiper was one of the very few major studio motion
pictures ever filmed in Big Sur, and perhaps the only one to use real Big Sur
locales as part of the plot. The DVD, released in 2006, includes a
Burton-narrated short film about Big Sur, quoting Robinson Jeffers poetry.
Another film based in Big Sur was the 1974 Zandy's
Bride, starring Gene Hackman and Liv Ullman. An adaptation of
The Stranger in Big Sur by Lillian Bos Ross, the film portrayed
the 1870s life of the Ross family and their Big Sur neighbors.
Big Sur also became home to centers of study and
contemplation - a Catholic monastery, the New Camaldoli Hermitage in 1958, the
Esalen Institute, a workshop and retreat center in 1962, and the Tassajara Zen
Mountain Center, a Buddhist monastery, in 1966. Esalen hosted many figures of
the nascent "New Age," and in the 1960s, played an important role in
popularizing Eastern philosophies, the "human potential movement," and Gestalt
therapy in the United States. Big Sur acquired a bohemian reputation with these
newcomers. Henry Miller recounted that a traveler knocked on his door, looking
for the "cult of sex and anarchy." Apparently finding neither, the disappointed
visitor returned home.
Flora
The many climates of Big Sur result in an astonishing
biodiversity, including many rare
and endangered species such as the wild orchid Piperia yadonii. Arid,
dusty chaparral-covered hills exist within easy walking distance of lush
riparian woodland. The mountains trap most of the moisture out of the clouds;
fog in summer, rain and snow in winter. This creates a favorable environment for
coniferous forests, including the southernmost habitat of the coast redwood (Sequoia
sempervirens), which grows only on lower coastal slopes that are routinely
fogged in at night. The redwoods are aggressive regenerators, and have grown
back extensively since logging ceased in the early twentieth century. The rare
Santa Lucia fir (Abies bracteata), as its name suggests, is found only in
the Santa Lucia mountains. A common "foreign" species is the Monterey pine (Pinus
radiata), which was uncommon in Big Sur until the late 19th century, when
many homeowners began to plant it as a windbreak. There are many broad leaved
trees as well, such as the tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus), coast live
oak (Quercus agrifolia), and California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia
californica). In the rain shadow, the forests disappear and the vegetation
becomes open oak woodland, then transitions into the more familiar fire-tolerant
California chaparral scrub.
Tourism
Although some Big Sur residents catered to adventurous
travelers in the early twentieth century, the modern tourist economy began when
Highway 1 opened the region to automobiles, and only took off after World War
II-era gasoline rationing ended in the mid-1940s. Most of the 3 million tourists
who visit Big Sur each year never leave Highway 1, because the adjacent Santa
Lucia mountain range is one of the largest road-less areas near a coast in the
lower 48 states. The highway winds along the western flank of the mountains
mostly within sight of the Pacific Ocean, varying from near sea level up to a
thousand-foot sheer drop to the water. Because gazing at the views while driving
is inadvisable, the highway features many strategically placed vista points
allowing motorists to stop and admire the landscape. The section of Highway 1
running through Big Sur is widely considered as one of the most scenic driving
routes in the United States, if not the world.
The land use restrictions that preserve Big Sur's natural
beauty also mean that tourist accommodations are limited, often expensive, and
fill up quickly during the busy summer season. There are fewer than 300 hotel
rooms on the entire 90 mile (140 km)
stretch of Highway 1 between San Simeon and Carmel, only three gas stations, and
no chain hotels, supermarkets, or fast-food outlets. The lodging options are
rustic cabins, motels, and campgrounds, or costly, exclusive five-star resorts,
with little in between. Most lodging and restaurants are clustered in the Big
Sur River valley, where Highway 1 leaves the coast for a few miles and winds
into a redwood forest, protected from the chill ocean breezes and summer fog.
Besides sightseeing from the highway, Big Sur offers hiking,
mountain climbing, and other outdoor activities. There are a few small, scenic
beaches that are popular for walking, but usually unsuitable for swimming
because of unpredictable currents and frigid temperatures. Big Sur's nine state
parks have many points of interest, including one of the few waterfalls on the
Pacific Coast that plunges directly into the ocean, the ruins of a grand stone
cliff-side house that was the region's first electrified dwelling, and the only
complete nineteenth century lighthouse complex open to the public in California,
set on a lonely, windswept hill that looks like an island in the fog.
Glacier National Park,
Montana
Glacier National Park is located in the U.S. state of Montana, bordering
the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. Glacier National Park
contains two mountain ranges, sometimes referred to as the southern extension
of the Canadian Rockies mountain ranges, with over 130 named lakes, more than
1,000 different species of plants and hundreds of species of animals. This
vast pristine ecosystem, spread across 1,584 mi² (4,101 km²), is the
centerpiece of what has been referred to as the "Crown of the Continent
Ecosystem", a region of protected land encompassing 16,000 mi² (44,000 km²).
The famed Going-to-the-Sun Road, a National Historic Civil Engineering
Landmark, traverses through the heart of the park and crosses the Continental
Divide, allowing visitors breathtaking views of the rugged Lewis and
Livingston mountain ranges, as well as dense forests, alpine tundra,
waterfalls and two large lakes. Along with the Going-to-the-Sun Road, five
historic hotels and chalets are listed as National Historic Landmarks, and a
total of 350 locations are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Glacier National Park borders Waterton Lakes National Park in
Canada; the two parks are known as the Waterton-Glacier International Peace
Park, and were designated as the world's first International Peace Park in 1932.
Both parks were designated by the United Nations as Biosphere Reserves in 1976,
and in 1995 as World Heritage sites.
Recreation
Glacier is distant from major cities, and
the closest airport is at Kalispell, Montana, southwest of the park. Amtrak
trains stop at East and West Glacier. A fleet of restored 1930s White Motor
Company coaches, called Reds, offer tours on all the main roads in the
park. The drivers of the buses are called "Jammers," due to the gear-jamming
that formerly occurred during the vehicles' operation. The tour buses were
rebuilt in 2001 to run on propane, to lessen their environmental impact.
A number of historic wooden tour boats, some dating back to
the 1920s, operate on several of the larger lakes.Hiking
is a popular activity in the park. Over half of the visitors to the park report
taking a hike on the park's nearly 700 miles (1,127 km) of trails. 110 miles
(177 km) of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail spans most of the
distance of the park north to south, with a few alternate routes at lower
elevations if high altitude passes are closed due to snow. Due to the presence
of bears and other large mammals, dogs are not permitted on any trails in the
park, though they are permitted at front country campsites that can accessed by
a vehicle, and along paved roads.
Numerous day hiking options are available
throughout the park. Backcountry camping is allowed at campsites along the
trails. A permit is required, which can be obtained from certain visitor
centers or arranged for in advance. Much of Glacier's backcountry is usually
inaccessible to hikers until early June due to accumulated snow-pack
and potential avalanche risk, and many trails at higher altitudes remain snow
packed until July. The major campgrounds that allow vehicle access arefound
throughout the park, most of which are near one of the larger lakes. The
campground at St. Mary and at Apgar are open year round, but conditions are
considered primitive in the off-season, as the restroom facilities are closed
and there is no running water. All campgrounds with vehicle access are usually
open from mid June until mid September. Guide and shuttle services are also
available.
Fishing is a popular activity in the park and some of the
finest fly fishing in North America can be found in the streams that flow
through the park. Though the park requires that those fishing understand the
regulations, no permit is required to fish the waters within the park
boundary. The endangered bull trout must be released immediately back to the
water if caught, otherwise, the regulations on limits of catch per day are
liberal.
Winter recreation activities in Glacier are limited.
Snowmobiling is illegal in the park, but cross-country skiing is permitted in
the lower altitude valleys on the east and western sides of the park.
Flora
Glacier is part of a large preserved ecosystem collectively
known as the "Crown of the Continent Ecosystem", all of which is primarily
untouched wilderness of a pristine quality. Virtually all the plants and
animals which existed at the time white explorers first entered the region are
present in the park today.
A total of over 1,132 plant species have been identified
park-wide. The predominantly coniferous forest is home to various species of
trees such as the Engelmann spruce, Douglas fir, sub alpine fir, limber pine and
western larch, which is a deciduous conifer, producing cones but losing its
needles each fall. Cottonwood and aspen are the more common deciduous trees and
are found at lower elevations, usually along lakes and streams. The timberline
on the eastern side of the park is almost 800 feet (244 m) lower than on the
western side of the Continental Divide, due to exposure to the colder winds and
weather of the Great Plains. West of the Continental Divide, the forest receives
more moisture and is more protected from the winter, resulting in a more densely
populated forest with taller trees. Above the forested valleys and mountain
slopes, alpine tundra conditions prevail, with grasses and small plants eking
out an existence in a region that enjoys as little as three months without snow
cover. Thirty species of plants are found only in the park and surrounding
National Forests. Bear-grass, a tall flowering plant, is commonly found near
moisture sources, and is relatively widespread during July and August.
Wildflowers such as monkey-flower, glacier lily, fireweed, balsamroot and Indian
paintbrush are also common.
Fauna & Wildlife
Virtually
all the historically known plant and animal species, with the exception of the
bison and woodland caribou, are present, providing biologists an intact
ecosystem for plant and animal research. Two threatened species of mammals,
the grizzly bear and the Canadian lynx, are found
in the park. Although their numbers remain at historical levels, both are
listed as threatened because in virtually every other region of the U.S.
outside of Alaska, they are either extremely rare or absent from their
historical range. On average, one or two bear attacks on humans occur each
year; since the creation of the park in 1910, there have been a total of 10
bear related deaths. The number of grizzlies and lynx in
the park is not known for certain, but park biologists believe that there are
slightly less than 350 grizzlies park-wide, and a study commenced in 2001
hoped to determine the number of lynx in the park. Another study has indicated
that the wolverine, another very very rare mammal in the lower 48 states,
continues to reside in the park. An estimated 800 black bears are believed to
exist park-wide. The black bear is less aggressive than the grizzly and a
recent study using DNA to identify hair samples indicated that there are about
six times as many black bears as there are grizzlies. Other large mammals such
as the mountain goat (the official park symbol), moose, elk, mule deer,
white-tailed deer, coyote, and the rarely seen mountain lion, are either
plentiful or common. Unlike in Yellowstone National Park, which commenced a
wolf reintroduction program in the 1990s, wolves have existed almost
continuously in Glacier. 62 species of mammals in all have been documented
including badger, river otter, porcupine, mink, marten, fisher, six species of
bats and numerous other smaller mammals.
A total 260 species of birds have been recorded, with
raptors such as the bald eagle, golden eagle, peregrine falcon, osprey and
several species of hawks residing year round. The harlequin duck is a colorful
species of waterfowl found in the lakes and waterways. The great blue heron,
tundra swan, Canada goose and American wigeon are species of waterfowl more
commonly encountered in the park. Great horned owl, Clark's nutcracker,
Steller's jay, pileated woodpecker and cedar waxwing reside in the dense
forests along the mountainsides, and in the higher altitudes, the ptarmigan,
timberline sparrow and rosy finch are the most likely to be seen. The Clark's
nutcracker is less plentiful than in past years due to the reduction in the
number of whitebark pines.
Because of the colder climate, ectothermic reptiles are all
but absent, with two species of garter snakes and the western painted turtle
being the only three reptile species proven to exist. Similarly, only six
species of amphibians are documented, although those species exist in large
numbers. After a forest fire in 2001, a few park roads were temporarily closed
the following year to allow thousands of Western toads to migrate to other
areas.
Glacier is also home to the endangered bull trout which is
illegal to possess and must be returned to the water if caught inadvertently. A
total of 23 species of fish reside in park waters and native game fish species
found in the lakes and streams include the cutthroat trout, northern pike,
mountain whitefish, Kokanee salmon and grayling. Introduction in previous
decades of Lake trout and other non-native fish species have greatly impacted
some native fish populations, especially the bull trout and west slope cutthroat
trout.
Glacier Climate
Rapid
temperature changes have been noted in the region, and in Browning, Montana,
which is just east of the park in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, a world
record temperature drop of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (56 °C) in only 24 hours
occurred on the night of January 23–24, 1916, when thermometers plunged from
44 °F to -56 °F (7 to -49 °C).
Glacier National Park has a highly regarded global climate
change research program. Based in West Glacier, with its main headquarters in
Bozeman, Montana, the U.S. Geological Survey has performed scientific research
on specific climate change studies since 1992. In addition to the study of the
retreating glaciers, research performed includes forest modeling studies in
which fire ecology and habitat alterations are analyzed. Additionally, changes
in alpine vegetation patterns are documented, watershed studies in which stream
flow rates and temperatures are recorded frequently at fixed gauging stations,
and atmospheric research in which UV-B radiation, ozone and other atmospheric
gases are analyzed over time. The research compiled all contribute to a broader
understanding of climate changes in the park. The data collected, when compared
to other facilities scattered around the world, help to correlate these climatic
changes on a global scale.
Glacier is considered to have excellent air and water
quality. No major areas of dense human population exist anywhere near the region
and industrial effects are minimized due to a scarcity of factories and other
potential contributors of pollutants. However, the sterile and cold lakes found
throughout the park are easily contaminated by airborne pollutants that fall
whenever it rains or snows, and some evidence of these pollutants have been
found in park waters. The pollution level is currently viewed as negligible, and
the park lakes and waterways have a water quality rating of A-1, the highest
rating given by the state of Montana.
Arctic National Wildlife Preserve,
Alaska
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home
to some of the most diverse and spectacular wildlife in the arctic. The Refuge's
rich pageant of wildlife includes 36 fish species, 36 land mammals, nine marine
mammals, and more than 160 migratory and resident bird species.
The Land
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a National Wildlife
Refuge in northeastern Alaska. It consists of 19,049,236 acres (79,318 km²) in
the Alaska North Slope region. The Arctic Refuge contains remote, complete, and
undisturbed lands across five different ecological regions: lagoons, beaches and
salt-marshes of coastal marine areas; coastal plain tundra; alpine tundra
of the Brooks Range; the forest-tundra transition south of the mountains; and
tall spruce, birch, and aspen of the boreal forest.
The Refuge shares a common border with Ivvavik and Vuntut
National Parks in Canada, which in combination constitutes one of the largest
conservation areas in the world. North to south, the Refuge extends 200
miles—from the Arctic coast, across the tundra plain, over glacier-capped peaks
of the Brooks Range, and into the spruce and birch forests of the Yukon basin.
The Refuge preserves a continuum of Arctic and sub-Arctic ecozones.
The
move to protect this corner of Alaska began in the early 1950s. National Park
Service planner George Collins and biologist Lowell Sumner recruited Wilderness
Society President Olaus Murie and his wife Margaret Murie into an effort to
permanently protect the area. They were joined by thousands of the era's
prominent conservationists.
The region first became a federal protected area in 1960 by
order of Fred Andrew Seaton, Secretary of the Interior under U.S. President
Dwight D. Eisenhower. In 1980, Congress passed the Alaska National Interest
Lands Conservation Act.
The refuge supports a greater variety of plant and animal
life than any other protected area in the Arctic Circle. A continuum of six
different ecozones spans some 200 miles (300 km) north to south.
The majestic Brooks Range rises from the
coastal plain here only ten to forty miles from the Beaufort Sea. The Refuge
includes the four highest peaks and most of the glaciers in the Brooks Range.
More than twenty rivers flow through the Refuge, and three are designated as
wild: the Sheenjek, Ivishak, and Wind. It contains North America’s two largest
and most northerly alpine lakes - Peters and Schrader.
Things to see and do
The Arctic Refuge offers a variety of wilderness
opportunities. Whether you plan to hike, hunt, camp, float, or climb, the Refuge
is a place where the sense of the unknown, of horizons unexplored, of nameless
valleys remains alive. Here, where the wild has not been taken out of the
wilderness, there are risks. Preparation, experience, and self-reliance are
necessary. We provide no packaged trip plans or trail maps pointing the way.
Rather, an experience in the Arctic Refuge is one you must search out for
yourself. The following information will help you plan such a journey.
- Visitor information
- Backcountry camping
- Authorized Air taxi flights
- Authorized guides who lead recreational or educational trips in the Refuge
- Authorized guides who lead hunting trips in the Refuge
- Fishing
- Commercial airlines to nearby communities
- Polar and other bear species viewing
- Bird observations
- River Travel
- Camping adventures
- Kids camping wilderness camping
Volcanoes National Park,
Hawaii
Island
The park was established in 1916, and is a United States
National Park located in the U.S. State of Hawai'i on the island of Hawai'i. It
displays the results of 70 million years of volcanism, migration, and evolution;
processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with unique
ecosystems, and a distinct human culture. The park highlights two of the world's
most active volcanoes, and offers insights on the birth of the Hawaiian Islands
and views of dramatic volcanic landscapes. An International Biosphere Reserve
(1980) and Hawaii's only World Heritage Site (1987)
The park encompasses diverse environments that range from sea
level to the summit of the earth's most massive volcano, Mauna Loa at 13,677
feet. Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, offers scientists
insights on the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and visitors' views of dramatic
volcanic landscapes. The park includes 505 mi² (1348 km²) of land.
Over half of the park is designated wilderness and provides unusual hiking and
camping opportunities. In recognition of its outstanding natural values, Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park has been designated as an International Biosphere
Reserve in 1980 and a World Heritage Site in 1987.
The volcanic activity generated in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park helped create
Kalapana (now covered by lava from recent eruptions) and other black sand
beaches.
Within the park boundaries are the Thurston Lava Tube, a lava tube approximately
350 years old with a short hiking trail running through it, and the Kīlauea
Caldera, skirted by the Volcano House Hotel, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory,
and the Jaggar Museum.
There is an undeveloped stretch of the Thurston Lava Tube which extends an
additional 330 meters beyond the developed area and dead-ends into the hillside.
Though it is blocked by a chain link fence to keep unwary visitors from
entering, the easily traversed stretch is in fact open to the public and
accessible through a gate in the fence. Visitors to the undeveloped stretch
should exercise caution on the brief climb down to the tube floor due to the
rough terrain. Once past the entrance, the rest of the walk is on even ground.
Brief History
Kīlauea and its Halemaumau caldera were traditionally considered the sacred home
of Pele, and Hawaiians visited the crater to offer gifts to the goddess. The
first western visitors to the site, English missionary William Ellis and
American Asa Thurston, encountered Kīlauea in 1823. Ellis wrote of his reaction
to the first sight of the erupting volcano:
"A spectacle, sublime and even appalling, presented itself before us. 'We
stopped and trembled.' Astonishment and awe for some moments rendered us mute,
and, like statues, we stood fixed to the spot, with our eyes riveted on the
abyss below."
Lorrin A. Thurston, the American reverend's grandson, was one of the driving
forces behind the establishment of the park in 1916.
Legends
It
is said in legend that if any volcanic rock or black sand is taken from Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park (or anywhere in Hawaii) that the person that took it
will be cursed by the Hawaiian volcano goddess
Pele until it is returned. While purportedly an ancient Hawaiian belief,
historians can trace this legend only to the mid-twentieth century, and it is
widely believed to have been invented by park rangers to keep visitors from
taking rocks. Nevertheless, the lobby of Kilauea Military Camp (now a vacation
area for military personnel) has a cabinet displaying rocks returned by people
attempting to atone for the bad luck that has befallen them, and letters
describing their predicaments. (Painting of
Pele, Volcano Goddess)
Russ Apple may have been the originator of this myth; as
National Park Service Pacific historian and 30 year veteran of the NPS, Apple
was instrumental in restoring Hawaiian cultural resources in Kilauea and
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park in Kailua Kona, Hawaii.
Nature and Science Overview
Well-known for its volcanic significance, Hawai'i Volcanoes
National Park is also one of the most fascinating biologic landscapes in the
world. Located over 2,000 miles from the nearest continental land mass, the
Hawaiian Archipelago is the most geographically isolated group of islands on
Earth. The Park sits on the southeastern edge of the youngest and largest island
at a latitude of 19°N. Stretching from the summit of Mauna Loa at 13,677 feet to
sea level, the Park protects a wide diversity of ecosystems and habitat for
numerous native Hawaiian species such as carnivorous caterpillars, happy face
spiders and colorful Hawaiian honeycreepers.
Hawaiian plants and animals began to evolve over 70 million years ago in nearly
complete isolation and over 90% of the native terrestrial flora and fauna in
Hawai'i are found only in the Hawaiian islands. This level of endemism surpasses
all other places on Earth, even the Galapagos Islands. Consequently, the Park is
a fantastic laboratory for the study of biogeography and evolution within the
Pacific Islands.
Did You Know?
Only two butterflies found in Hawai'i are native. The Kamehameha Butterfly is
the larger and more colorful of the two.
Animals
Welcome to a world that shelters an array of Hawaiian native
species including a host of fascinating birds, carnivorous caterpillars, the
largest dragonfly in the United States, crickets partial to new lava flows,
endangered sea turtles and just one native terrestrial mammal — a bat. Many
organism groups common on continents never succeeded in making the journey to
the Hawaiian Islands. Yet for those with the right survival strategy, these
remote volcanic islands became a kind of evolutionary frontier for species who
exploited new opportunities to find food and homes beginning about 70 million
years ago. Most native animal species in the Hawaiian Archipelago are
descendents of those that were able to fly here, such as birds, bats and
insects; those light enough to be carried by birds, such as snails, some insects
and spiders; and those blown here or washed ashore. Their descendents survived
and reproduced to eventually inhabit every possible nook and cranny.
The Hawaiian Islands are renowned in the scientific world for
evolving the most spectacular land bird assemblage on a remote oceanic
archipelago. Of the 23 surviving endemic Hawaiian songbird species, those living
within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park include six Hawaiian honeycreepers;
‘apapane, ‘amakihi, ‘i`iwi, and three federally listed as endangered; ‘akepa,
‘akiapola‘au, and the Hawai'i creeper. There are also a native thrush (‘oma`o)
and a native monarch (‘elepaio). Another three species of endemic Hawaiian birds
found within the Park are also endangered; the Nene, or Hawaiian goose, Hawaiian
petrel, and ‘io or Hawaiian hawk.
Flora
Along the wind-scoured coastal plain, lone tendrils of an a’e fern peer from
cracks in endless flows of hardened lava. At the Park’s mid-elevation, blazing
blooms of ‘ohi’a trees and towering fronds of giant hapu’u, a tree fern, rise
amid a tangle of misty rain forest. Miles above, the distinctive rosette of the
endangered Mauna Loa silversword clings to an alpine ledge. Evolving over 70
million years ago in nearly complete isolation, more than 90% of the State’s
native flora are found only in the Hawaiian Islands. Today, the Park harbors the
descendents of those first colonizers—numerous evolutionary marvels such as
mintless mints and nettleless nettles—plants adapted to life without
plant-eating mammals. These are just a few of the amazing diversity of plants
living within the Park
The intriguing story of plants within the Park includes a
host of chapters such as the extreme isolation of the Hawaiian Archipelago, the
processes by which flora and fauna arrived and developed and the influences of
lava flows of varying age, texture and chemical composition. Moisture brought by
prevailing trade winds delivers extreme differences in annual rainfall— varying
from 20 inches on the coast to more than 144 inches at mid-elevation windward
areas. Acid rain from the eruptions of Kilauea Volcano paints chemical deserts
across miles of lava flows within the Park as ongoing lava flows form new
landscapes. Together, all these influences create a remarkable mix of habitats
in seven ecological life zones, stretching from sea level to the summit of Mauna
Loa at 13,677’ in elevation. (Below photo of Lava
Field)
Things To Do
Contact the Park for Specific Information; Including: Places To Go - Outdoor
Activities - Schedule Of Events - Drive the Park - Ranger Programs - Volcano
Eruption Information
Accessibility Events Maps
Bike Hike - Pets - Camp Lava Viewing - Ranger Programs - Drive Lodging Visitor
Centers.
Get Outdoors!
With over 333,000 acres, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park offers
endless opportunities for great adventures in the Park. Over half of the park is
designated wilderness and provides unusual hiking and camping opportunities.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is easily visited by car in just a few hours
or may be explored in more depth over several days. Here are some
recommendations when planning your visit to the Park:
Explore the Park on Foot
Hikers will find an abundance of trails to satisfy their curiosity. Day
hikes and wilderness hikes offer great adventures for visitors who wish to
explore beyond the roadways.
Depending on changing volcanic activity, there may be opportunities for viewing
active lava flows from the end of the road. No food, water, or fuel is available
along the Chain of Craters Road.
Kilauea Visitor Center
Kilauea Visitor Center should be your first stop when entering the park.
Remodeled in 2005, the center features informative and interactive displays,
movies highlighting the special aspects of the park, and a bookstore.
Jaggar Museum is a museum on volcanology with seismographs and other equipment
used by scientists to monitor volcanoes. The overlook offers spectacular views
into the summit caldera.
Camping
Tent camp site at Namakanipaio campground. There are two drive-in campgrounds in
the park; Namakanipaio and Kulanaokuaiki. Camping is FREE; the only fee that
applies is your entrance fee to the Park. Drive-In camping is available on a
first-come basis. No reservations, No permits, and No check-in are necessary.
Namakanipaio and Kulanaokuaiki are two
drive-in campgrounds located within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. These
campgrounds are FREE - the only fee that applies is your entrance fee to the
park. Camping is available on a first-come basis. No reservations, No permits,
and No check-in are necessary. Stays are limited to 7 days in a month and cannot
exceed 30 days per year.
Picnic table and tent pad at Kulanaokuaiki Campground Namakanipaio Campground,
is located off Highway 11, 31 1/2 miles out of Hilo at 4,000' elevation. It is a
large, open grassy area with tall eucalyptus and ohi'a trees. This campground
has restrooms, water, picnic tables, and barbecue pits. These are shared
facilities with just a few individual sites. The is a large pavilion at
Namakanipaio with picnic tables and 2 fireplaces. You must purchase your own
firewood.
Weather may be cool and damp year-round. Daytime temperature range: 60s to 80s
F. Nighttime temperature range: high 30s to low 50s F. We suggest that you use a
tent with a good rainfly and bring warm clothing for cool days and evenings.
Picnic table and tent pad at Kulanaokuaiki Campground Kulanaokuaiki Campground
is located about 5 miles down the Hilina Pali Road at 2,700' elevation. There is
NO WATER at this location. This new campground has 8 campsites. 2 of the sites
are wheelchair accessible. There is a vault-type toilet (no running water), and
picnic tables. No Fires! No Dogs!
Located at a lower elevation than Namakanipaio, this campground may have drier
and warmer weather. Nighttime temperature range: high 40s to high 60s degrees
F. Daytime temperature range: high 60s to 90s degrees F. We suggest that you use
a tent with a good rainfly and bring warm clothing for cool days and evenings.
Namakani Paio Camper Cabins -
Volcano House hotel, operates rustic camper cabins at the Namakanipaio
campground. The cabins sleep 4 (1 double bed and 2 bunk-style twin beds). Each
cabin has a picnic table and an outdoor barbecue grill. Reservations are
required.
Big
Island,
Hawaii
There
were five massive volcanoes that built Hawaii’s Big Island creating two massive
peaks of around 14,000 feet; Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and the still active volcano
of Kilauea. The tallest mountain when measured from the
ocean floor is Mauna Kea at 33,476 feet. Hawaii's South Point is the
southernmost point in the 50 states and Hilo is the nation's most rainiest city, averaging 140 inches per year. Diverse is the term that is
commonly used to describe the Big Island of Hawaii. Not only
does the Big Island have such tremendous surf and sun appeal, it also boasts one
of the world’s only active volcano, world famous astronomical facilities,
awesome ocean resources, impressive scenic beauty, sacred cultural and historic
sites and exciting recreational activities.
King Kamehameha the Great was
born in North Kohala of the Big Island and when he unified all the islands, he
named his kingdom Hawaii; after his island home. The republic of Hawaii became
a state in 1959. You can view the original Kamehameha statue on Hwy. 270 in
Kapaa. The king spent his last days in Kailua-Kona where some of his compound
is recreated at Ahuena Heiau fronting the grounds of the King Kamehameha Kona
Beach Hotel. As this is considered a sacred place, please treat it with
respect. (Left; photo of Mtn waterfall)
Kilauea Caldera's present eruptive phase
dates back to 1983, while Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984. Both Kohala as well as
Mauna Kea are extinct and Hualalai is dormant, since it last erupted in 1801.
Hawaii's scenery covers the total spectrum complete with Hawaii lava flows, high
sea cliffs, rain forest, lush coastal valleys, deserts and rolling pastures.
With its wide range of terrain, climate,
scenery and natural wonders, the Big Island is as diverse as the planet itself.
It is the only island with its own desert and annual snowfall atop
Hawaiian Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa summits. Neil Armstrong the first U.S.
Astronaut to walk on the moon describes the Big Island as the only place in the
world that reminds him of the terrain that he stepped on in space. And yes,
Hollywood made the Big Island famous in movies like Planet of the Apes,
Water-world, and The Black Widow. The Big Island’s claim to fame also includes
staging the world famous Ironman Triathlon World Championship and is home to one
of the world’s largest ranch in the U.S. called Parker Ranch located in the
upcountry area of Waimea.
The Island's Major Attractions;
Hawaii Volcano National Park, Kilauea Volcano (active),
Kaloko-honokohau National Historic Park, Mo’okini Heiau, Mauna Kea observatory,
Pacific Tsunami Museum, Laupahoehoe Train Museum, Parker Ranch Visitor Center,
Lapakahi State Historic Park, Petroglyph fields within the Kohala Coast Resorts,
Ahu’ena Heiau, Moku’aikaua Church, Kuamo’o Battleground, Waipio Valley, Mark
Twain Center, Chain of Craters Road, Hamakua Coast, Hilo Town, Volcano Art
Center, Black Sand Beaches, Akaka Falls, Kamehameha Statue, Orchids & Anthuriums,
Nani Maui Gardens, Painted Churches, Rainbow Falls, Hapuna, Magic Sands Pololu
Valley Lookout, Puukohala Heiau Puuhonua O Honaunau place of refuge and Kauna’oa
Beaches.
The Big Island of Hawaii is the youngest in the chain
of the Hawaiian Islands. Although nearly twice the size of all the other
Hawaiian Islands combined, Hawaii is still growing.
Places Of Interest: (Below photo of spectacular
lava spouts)
Major Activities
Golfing, Tennis, Museums, Hiking through
the Volcanoes National Park, Snorkeling, Scuba Diving,
Sailing Cruises, Surfing, Camping, Helicopter rides, Sightseeing, Horseback
Riding, Kayaking, Cultural Events, Whale watching, Mountain bike riding, Tour
Biking, Dining, touring Kona Coffee farms and Macadamia nut farms, Visiting
Botanical Gardens, Big Game Fishing, Stay at a working ranch and just plain old
relaxation.
Major Resort Areas
Kailua-Kona, Hilo, Keahou, Kohala Coast including Mauna
Kea, Hapuna, Mauna Lani and Waikoloa Resorts.
Hawaii (Big Island) Highlights
Akaka Falls - These spectacular falls plunge over over 420 feet in a sheer drop
over a volcanic cliff, north of Hilo.
Black Sand Beaches- Located on the south-eastern cliff, these beaches are made
up of pulverized lava. There is also a pink sand beach nearby.
Captain Cook Monument - At Kealakekua Bay a tribute to the British navigator and
discoverer of the Hawaiian islands who was killed on the shoreline in 1779.
First Christian Church - At Kailua-Kona, founded by American missionaries in
1820.
Golf - Choose a game a golf at any of the Golf Digest’s Top 100 Golf Courses;
Mauna Kea, Mauna Lani, Hapuna or the new Four Seasons Golf Course all located on
the Kona side of Hawaii.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - Visit the still erupting Kilauea Volcano and
enjoy a hike through the volcano park. The only active volcano in the Aloha
State, has an array of unique volcanic formations, forests of giant tree ferns,
steaming craters and a volcanology museum which shows free color movies
daily. Spend a night at the quaint Volcano Cottages. Definitely have lunch or
dinner at the Volcano House Restaurant overlooking a volcano caldera.
Hapuna Beach - Spend a day at the only white sand beach on the Kona side of
Hawaii. Over 62 acres of Beach Heaven.
Hilo - Visit the Hilo side of Hawaii and experience a small town setting. Hilo
is moister in climate than Kona. Also visit the wonderful anthodium farms and
waterfalls too.
Kona - While driving in Kona, take the time too pull your car off the side of
the road and put your name in the white stone rocks for all to see.
Hilo-Hamakua Heritage Coast Drive Tour guides visitors along a spectacular
45-mile coastline drive and is self -guiding by following the brochure available
from the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board.
Mauna Kea Summit - Is the world's largest mountain that houses astronomical
observatories from around the world. Visitors can enjoy stargazing or take a
tour to the summit.
Lava Flows - Are marked by Warrior signs which designate flows which have surged
down the mountains of Mauna Loa and Kilauea since prehistoric times.
Orchids & anthodium - These beautiful flowers grow throughout Hilo and
surrounding areas and are exported all over the world.
Painted Churches - At Honaunau, St. Benedicts is the oldest Catholic Church on
the island.
Parker Ranch - In the Wailea-Kamuela area by Mauna Kea, this is the 2nd largest
cattle ranch in America. Here you will meet and watch the original Paniolo's
(Hawaiian Cowboys) in action.
Pololu Valley - Take a drive to Kohola to visit this valley which once housed a
number of heiau's (Hawaiian temples).
Rainbow Falls - Beautiful waterfalls in Hilo.
Waikoloa - Take a daytime walk through the lava fields and view the Hawaiian
Petroglyphs. Take a nighttime walk and experience the eerie settings of Hawaiian
ghosts.
White Sand Beaches - Visit the beautiful Hapuna State Beach Park, Anaehoomalu
Beach, Magic Sands Beach and Kailua-Kona all on the western side of the island.
Drive around the Big Island of Hawaii in a convertible. The trip will take
around 5 hours including photo stops for lunch & sightseeing.
Visit the Elison S. Onizuka Space Center that pays tribute to one of the Big
Island's own former resident who perished in the 1986 Challenger Space Shuttle
disaster.
Take a gander at the volcanic wasteland on the Kona side of the island and see
what Astronaut Neil Armstrong called the one place in the world that resembles
the moon.
Waipio Valley - Take a tour down to Waipio Valley. A beautiful ocean side valley
with waterfalls. You may recognize this valley from the movie starring Kevin
Costner, called “Water World." This valley north of the town of Honokaa, was
once the home of kings of old Hawaii.
Activity Summary;
* Hawaii Volcanoes - National Park, Big
Island.
* Kilauea - May be the most active volcano on earth.
* Mauna Kea - The pinnacle of all Hawaii.
* Parker Ranch - Large U.S. privately owned ranch.
* Kona Coast - Catch Blue Marlin on The Big Island.
* Hamakua Coast - See the cliffs of Waipio Valley.
Big Island Additional Highlights:
* Helicopter Flights - leave from Kona and from Hilo.
* Explore Lava Tubes - on The Big Island of Hawaii.
* Humpback Whales - see whales off the Kona side.
* Night Diving - with Manta Rays at Kailua Bay.
* Touring Ancient Temples - places of early refuge.
* Stargazing - at the Mauna Kea (VIS), Onizuka Center.
Hawaii's Weather
The Big Island of Hawaii is about twice the
combined size of all the other Hawaiian Islands, hence the name "The Big Island"
of Hawaii. Size is not her only unique quality as the island of Hawaii
encompasses a vast range of climates unique to Hawaii only. Climates range from
tropical to sub artic and Hawaii is the only island in the entire chain of
islands in Hawaii where you will find snow with an erupting volcano. Two of five
volcanoes that created the Big Island Hawaii are active. The Big Island is
cooled by gentle trade winds and is blessed with a year round temperature
climate. The Average daily high temperature during the
winter months is around 80 degrees and during summer months around 87 degrees.
The higher the altitude the cooler it gets. Mauna Kea
for example will get snow on its peaks during the winter months.
Lava Flows Outside
the Park
Steam
and fumes rise where lava enters the ocean. Lava is currently flowing from a
vent that is outside of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The site is east of the
eastern boundary of the park and about 12 miles from the summit caldera of
Kilauea.
Hawaii County has opened a viewing area at the end of Highway 130 (the Kea`au -
Pahoa bypass road). Visitors may enter the viewing area between 2 p.m. and 8
p.m. daily (vehicles must exit the area by 10 p.m. when the gates will be
locked). Changes in the eruption of Kilauea in June and July, 2007
led to new vents opening to the east of Pu‘u ‘O‘o (12 miles east of the summit)
and outside the Park. Lava from this area continues to flow down the hillside
and into the ocean in two places.
Lava viewing conditions are unpredictable and constantly changing. The viewing
area may be closed without prior notice. Visitors should be prepared for a long
walk. Wear shoes, long light-weight hiking pants, bring a backpack with 3 quarts
of bottled water per person and snacks, flashlights are essential for after 6pm
- headlamps are helpful.
The eruptive vent is in a remote and inaccessible area east of the park in the
Kahauale'a natural area reserve. (Below Photo of
Ocean Lava Flow, Hawaii)
