Things to see and do Parcs nationaux américains

A loop through a juniper forest that runs along a small seasonal pond, very popular with deer and sheep.

The trail hosts replicas of fossils and exhibits on the missing creatures that formerly inhabited the region.

A short trail leading to a natural window with a unique view of the eroded canyon.

The trail joins the Castle Trail and crosses a meadow overlooking the Badlands Valley.

A little climb through a log ladder and along a corniche to the "Notch" that offers spectacular views over the White River Valley.

An unforgettable walk above and on the acclaimed rock formations, we think on another planet.

A pleasant and easy walk to a "door" in the rock formations.

This short trail climbs along the Badlands and offers a beautiful view of the White River Valley. It is connected to the end at Medicine Root and Castle Trail.

The visitors cross the part of the cave where the concretions are abundant. We start off at the entrance and get out by the lift. One hour visit, moderately tiring, with 300 steps (mostly downwards).

A very well appointed cave! We'll get there and get out of the elevator. 1 hour visit, with 150 steps; It's the least tiring of all.

This circuit includes some of the largest cave halls, including Wind Cave Boxwork. There is a lift from the elevator. This moderately tiring circuit has 450 steps and lasts 1 hour 30.

The Wind Cave National Park protects two very different worlds, an underground with five proposed circuits, the other sunny and multiple resources. Many wildlife live in the park, in an astonishing meadow or in the forest. Walking along the road or walking on hiking trails provides an opportunity to see bison, prairie dogs, pronghorn elites and several different bird species. The park has 11 circuits for 48 ½ km of hiking. Elk Mountain, Prairie Vista and Rankin Ridge trails are loops and 1.6 km long. 

History

The park owes its name to the Amerindian tribe of the Congaree who hunted and fished in the marsh until the settlers arrived. Fernando de Soto would have described the region in his diary. After the park's farm operations (drainage of land for culture and logging), it eventually became the 57 th National Park of the United States in 2003. But before that, UNESCO designated it in 1983, a biosphere reserve called the coastal plain of the South Atlantic.

Today

Congaree National Park is the largest submerged forest in the Americas. Of over 22,000 acres (8,900 ha), old trees like the world swim in marshy areas. Here you will find the largest loblolly pine loblolly pine in the United States, as high as a 16-story building! There are also otters, tattooes, raccoons and many bird species.

Visit

The two main ways to explore the park are on foot or canoeing.

Many trails allow you to discover an incredible flora and fauna. Canoe guided tours from 3:30 a. m. to 4:00 a. m. with a ranger are possible, but require a reservation well upstream. They are free.

The park also offers the possibility to extend the experience by providing camping sites on site (reservation at www.recreation.gov).

Congaree River Blue Trail

It is a canoe trail that leaves Columbia, the capital of the state and joins the national park of Congaree, alternating between urban decor, coastal plains and dense marshes. More information about www.bluetrailsguide.org.

Mammoth Cave National Park was created on July 1st, 1941. This site of 21,400 hectares, approximately 600 km from listed galleries, is the wide-area underground network of the world. Rich in rocky formations and spectacular domes, the site is of a huge geological and ecological value and was naturally a UNESCO World Heritage site and was since October 27th, 1981 listed international biosphere reserve since September 26th, 1990. In the basement, you will be amazed, for example, in front of Frozen Niagara, in Snowball Room or along Audubon Avenue. The ideal time to visit the park stretches from April to October. Among the most popular sightseeing, you can mention: Frozen Niagara Tour - 1 hour 15, easy; Mammoth Passage Tour, 1 hour 15, average; Grand Avenue Tour - 4 hour, 30 difficult.

A short walk with beautiful panoramas on green meadows and Colorado River which leads to the historic ranch of Holzwarth. The site includes several cottages built from 1917 by the Holzwarth family. With the creation of the Rocky Mountain National Park, more and more visitors are exploring the park and the family is beginning to transform the property into guest rooms. Finally, the Holzwarth Trout Lodge is created and hosts many tourists until 1974, when the site is bought by Conservatory Nature Conservancy, before being integrated into the national park a year later.

It is during the expedition of 1869 on the Colorado river, that Major John Wesley Powell gave the region that crossed the name of Glen Canyon (a glen is a glacial valley). Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA) was created in 1972 by the US Congress. Its 5 076 sq mi stretch on the two States of Utah (more than three town) and from Arizona, at an average altitude of 1 127 metres away. It is surrounded by Capitol Reef National Park and Canyonlands National Park in the north, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in the west, Grand Canyon National Park and Vermillion Cliffs National Monument Southwest; and by the Navajo Indian Reservation Southwest (including Antelope Canyon). Rainbow Bridge National Monument is on the east coast lake Powell and can only be reached by boat or on foot. The centrepiece of Glen Canyon NRA, lake Powell only represents 13% of them. It is however the second - largest artificial lake in North America in 1963 Created thanks to the construction of Glen Canyon Dam (dam), it was totally satisfied only in 1980. It is 299 km long, with 3161 mi of beach, more than 90 side canyons, and a capacity of 32 million cubic meters. Its maximum depth is reached with the Glen Canyon dam at 171 m. to know that the drought known by the region since the end of 2000 cause a drop in the water of more than 30 metres away.

There are six marinas on Lake Powell, several camping grounds and airfields. Navigation is one of the main activities.

This imposing solitary rock and square are setup in Wahweap Bay, west of Wahweap Marina. You can however see it from there. To admire it from the mainland, to Wahweap Lookout, on Highway 89 to 12.4 km northwest of Page, or go to Lone Rock Beach (4x4 necessary).

This visitor center offers many services such as video projections, exhibits, and relief maps of the entire Glen Canyon area. There are also restrooms and a bookstore and gift store. In the center of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, you can also stop at the Bullfrog Visitor Center. It has restrooms, a gift store and a medical clinic. This second visitor center is only open on Fridays and Saturdays (summer).

If there are several hiking trails, this little course of just over 2 kilometers is the most popular. The Tower Trail is around the monolith in about 30 minutes and offers magnificent views of the imposing devil's tower. The walk alternates trees and discovered parts. Easy and indispensable to measure the non-standard of training.

Joyner Ridge's parking lot offers the best place to watch the stars. Check out the Visitor Center for the dates of Night Sky Programs, the observation programs organized by the park.