The most beautiful natural sites to discover Parcs nationaux américains

Paradise is the center of the park. It includes a visitor center, the Paradise Jackson Visitor Center, and a hotel, Paradise Inn. This is the most frequented place in the park in summer and winter. Paradise is known for its superb panoramic views of Mount Rainier and its meadows of wild flowers, the flowering period of which is from mid-July to August. There are several hikes to discover Paradise, including Bench and Snow Lake Trail (3.7 km), Pinnacle Peak (4.2 km), Nisqually Vista Trail (1.9 km) and Alta Vista Trail (2.7 km). Not to be missed too: Reflection Lake, certainly the most photographed place in the park! He has his name because Mount Rainier is reflected in his crystal clear waters.

These three longiformes formations are called "the three sisters", but above all the most left-wing training shows the veil and hands in prayer of a religious.

This canyon of 3 m to 4 m wide and reaching 30 m of depth is located a few miles east of Page, in the Navajo reserve. 8 km length, it is not very visible from the surface of the plate (altitude 1300 m) and only two access points are opened to the tourists, only in guided tour. The guides practise all, in theory, of the similar prices. Some of them are directly on the parking of the site. Namely that the circuits in boat on the lake Powell make it possible to approach the canyon by inland waterway. But it is about a vision completely different from the site.

The most popular visit relates to Upper Antelope Canyon (Hasdestwazi or "rocky arch in spiral"). Once in the bowel, the circuit makes it possible to follow the gorge on one kilometer. Its very high walls, swept since millenia by the vents and water, form hollows and waves, where appear sculptures soft or pointed through which filter sun. The bottom is papered of a very soft sand. The best moment for the visit is at midday, when the sun is with the vertical.
With a few hundred meters, Lower Antelope Canyon (Tse' bighanilini, "the place where water runs through the rocks") is the second breach of access to the canyon. Longer and narrower, this area is also more steep and has being equipped by metal places of scales. The course is also very beautiful.

The Grand Prismatic Spring is 122 meters wide and 75 meters wide, and its flat bottom reflects all the colors of the rainbow in vapors that rise in swirls.

It is the largest hot source in Yellowstone and probably also the most beautiful basin in the park. To better observe the color differences and to measure this performance out of standard, we need to take height. Unfortunately, no facility allowed, for years visitors parked at the Fairy Falls parking lot and borrowed the small trail to finally sink into the forest. From there, they were languishing between dead trunk traps to the ground to find the right point of view on the basin. In addition to the most secure side of the climbing, it has had a heavy impact on local vegetation. The park thus rehabilitated the damaged hill and worked on the construction of a pathway to enjoy the view safely.

Prismatic Spring Overlook Trail. To reach it, park at Fairy Falls Parking and take the Fairy Falls Trailhead to Prismatic Spring Overlook Trail.

Canyonlands National Park was proclaimed a national park on September 12, 1964. With an area of 1 366 km 2 and three districts separated from each other by Colorado and the Green River, it is a huge territory whose different parts are visited fairly unevenly. The three districts are Island in the Sky, the Needles and The Maze. Each of them presents its own particularities and requires a particular organization. Exploration of the park on the waters of Colorado and Green River by boat is possible but requires at least two days of navigation.

The most famous geysers in Yellowstone are more frequent than other large geysers. The average interval between two rashes varies from 65 to 92 minutes. It lasts 1.5 to 5 ¾ minutes, expels 14 ¥ 000 to 32 ± 000 ¥ liters of boiling water and reaches heights of 30 to 55 ¾ meters. Although the average interval has elongated over the years due to earthquakes, Old Poli is always as spectacular and predictable as it was a century ago. The attraction is very popular, so wait not to be alone.

In Biscuits Basin, the mineral deposits formed, until the 1959 earthquake, as a stack of biscuits. The Sapphire Pool has been a geyser since 1955.

This is the Yellowstone area where geothermal demonstrations are hottest and most variable. Throughout the 4 ½ km of trails, we can discover the largest active geyser in the world (Steamboat Geyser, 90 to 120 meters) and the most acidic (Echinus Geyser, pH 3.5), hot springs of all colors and microscopic manifestations in one of the most important environments extremes of the earth. The Norris Museum describes the geological origins of the sources. From there there are two trails to safely observe the areas of Porcelain Basin and Back Basin. Arches, whistle vapors and stinging odors combine to create a unique environment. In Porcelain Basin, in an open setting, we walk amidst a high density of geothermal phenomena (hundreds) while in Back Basin, through wood, these phenomena are more dispersed. Exploration of the One Hundred Springs Plain area is discouraged without guide, because very acidic, rugged and without trails. Artist Paint Pots is a small, but pretty geothermal zone just south of Norris Junction. A walk of a mile in the surrounding area leads to very colorful hot springs, two large volcanoes and part of the forest burned in 1988. Other nearby areas, Sylvan Springs, Gibbon Hill Geyser Basin and Geyser Creek Thermal, are not advised without guidance.

Like Rainbow Vista, this area offers beautiful views of the park and surrounding silica domes, including one in particular. It is reached by a 1 km envrion track that is part of Rainbow Vista.

They are the Mormon pioneers who named the region Capitol Reef, the rocky domes found recalling there as that of Capitol.

The Capitol Reef national park covers an area of 979 mi ², east of Dixie National Forest and Large Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and north of Glen Canyon national recreation Area. It was created to preserve Waterpocket Fold, a huge fold winds over 160 km from north to south. There are massive cliffs, rocky multi-coloured domes, winding canyons and impressive natural arches, as well as the raging waters of Fremont River.

The Scenic Drive which forks of Hwy 24 in Fruita, where farm built by the Mormons at the beginning of the 20th century, ends in a deep grand canyon and a grandiose landscape.

Guides of Scenic Drive as well as Cathedral Valley and Strike Valley are available to Visitor Center. Other unpaved road are accessible for 4x4 vehicles or peaks on wheel. Visitors will find at the visitor center from the menu or the guides and can get informed about the conditions of the slopes. It is possible to go on some tracks. A location and two primitive locations are in the park. Note that the magnificent orchard in Fruita is made available to visitors who can crunch its fruit there.

Yellowstone Lake (elevation 2,357 meters), one of the world's largest mountain lakes is traversed from the south to the north by the Yellowstone River. It measures 32 km in its longest length, 22.5 kilometers in its widest width. With 176 kilometers of banks, it covers a total area of 360 km ². Its maximum depth is 91 meters in West Thumb Bay. This fish lake, surrounded by high mountains, is the refuge of countless waterfowl.

It is frozen almost half of the year (from late December or early January to late May or early July), with ice thicknesses ranging from a few centimeters to more than 60 centimeters. Situated at an altitude of 2 ¾ 300 meters, the lake remains cold all year long; its average temperature is 5 ° C, the upper layer rarely exceeding 19 ° C. This lake has the largest population of North American 'ferocious trout'. Lake trout, an exotic species that is illegally introduced, threatens its existence. In the larger part there are three small islands: Frank Island, Dot Island and Stevenson Island. From West Thumb, following the north shore, the road leads to Lake (38 km). Lake Yellowstone Hotel dominates the lake and offers magnificent views of the Absaroka Range.

On the left, a 2.4 km road rises to Natural Bridge, a rock arch created by erosion.

Before going to explore the park, stop at the Visitor Center to take practical information on walks and different access.

Side of the dunes. You can walk freely on the dunes. If the climb is tough, the descent is obviously the most fun part. If you have a surfboard or bodyboard, or any other smooth surface, test the descent by sliding. Otherwise, you can always run and enjoy rolling in the sand. You will find that you will take a few minutes to steal what you have taken so long and effort to climb. Sunrise and sunrise are particularly magical moments at the top of the sand mountains overlooking the desert valley. The best places to consider are the High Dune and Star Dune.

The High Dune measures 200 meters and offers a beautiful panorama, however it is difficult to reach, about 4 kilometers round and 2:30 a. m., a large part of which is difficult. Star Dune is the highest dune in the park (230 meters) accessible within 4 hours and 10 kilometers of effort.

Mountain side. The mountain part of the park is ideal for viewing wildlife, you can make beautiful walks, including walks to the beautiful Lake of Sand Creek: Lower Sand Creek Lake (4.85 km), Upper Sand Creek Lake (5.6 km) or Little Sand Creek Lakes (12.8 kilometers).

Swimming in Medano Creek. When it is not dry (often the case in July and August), you can swim at the foot of the dunes in Medano Creek watercourse. Notable fact: sand formations create currents similar to waves in a sea.