The park itself is split into 2 districts. The west side has a denser population of Saguaros while the east side has a vast backcountry to explore. In the park, you'll also find a few mountain peaks such as: Panther, Safford and Wasson. When you summit to the top of Wasson peak, you have a great view of Panther and Safford - pictured below.
The Saguaros play a huge role in the ecosystem and provide refuge to not only birds but also nectar, food and moisture for the wildlife that live around them. They also share the land with other cacti species such as the Fish Hook Barrel cactus, the Bloomed Barrel Cactus (pictured below), the Prickly Pear and the Fuzzy Teddy Bear Cholla (also found in Joshua Tree NP).
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The presence of these fossils have made the park very popular with paleontologists since the early 1900's. The Petrified wood can appear blue, orange, red, purple, yellow, black, brown and white. These colors are created from the minerals: quartz, manganese and iron oxides. The petrified wood formed when woody stems of plants were buried in wet sediments saturated with dissolved minerals. Over the next few thousands of years they were then buried under other layers of earth. The lack of oxygen slowed the decay of the wood and allowed the minerals to replace the cell walls and fill the void spaces in the wood. As erosion took place during the next period on earth, the layers of earth began to disappear and the petrified wood was revealed.
Unfortunately, now much of the park is made up of shortgrass prairie land. This is due to many tourists visiting the park and taking some petrified wood with them. This was finally stopped in 1906 by the National Park Service when the region became protected as a National Monument.
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When visiting the Grand Canyon, sudden changes in elevation have an enormous impact on temperature and precipitation. So the weather you experience when visiting can vary drastically depending on where you are! The coldest and wettest weather station in the park is at the Bright Angel Ranger Station on the north rim. And the hottest weather station is just 8 miles away at Phantom Ranch.
Many fossils have been found that suggest creatures frequented the location up to 1.2 billions years ago. They range from ancient marine fossils to fairly recent land mammals that left their remains in canyon caves about 10,000 years ago.
Prior to modern flood control measures, the Colorado River provided a uniquely difficult habitat for fish. With heavy silt, frequent floods and temperatures ranging from extreme heat in summer to sub freezing winter temps. As a result, only 8 fish species are native to the Grand Canyon, six of which are found nowhere outside of the Colorado River. These species include: humpback chub, razorback sucker, bluehead sucker, flannelmouth sucker, speckled dace and the three extirpated species, colorado pikeminnow, roundtail chub and bonytail.
The park offers one of the most visible examples of a worldwide geological phenomenon known as the Great Unconformity. This refers to the end result of 250 million year old rock strata lying back to back with 1.2 billion year old rocks. However, the process of how that happened or what happened to the rock between those eras is a complete mystery.
The Grand Canyon is a sight to see and the park itself is also home to elk, fauna and over 75 species of mammals, 50 species of reptiles and over 300 species of birds.
]]>There are over 2,000 documented arches in the park boundary! The arches range from thin cracks to spanning greater than 300 feet, like the landscape arch. The intriguing thing about this park and it's geological features are how they formed. First, the are held a specific kind of sandstone named "entrada," from the Jurassic period.
The entrada sandstone was in the area from a previously existing dessert that was full of shifting dunes and fine grained sand. The entrada sandstone hardened into a large sheet BUT was very porous and had many tiny little holes. After the hardening, came the parallel cracks. These cracks, in combination with just the right amount of rain created erosion! This erosion formed long, dome like hallways called "fins."
Since the creation of fins, erosion continued with as little as 8-10 inches of rainfall a year. This rain slowly dissolved the calcite bonding in the sand at just the right pace. This "rotted" the rock from the inside out. If this erosion had occurred any faster, we wouldn't have the arches that we do today. The same erosion caused many varieties in the shapes that began to appear as arches. To be an official stone arch, a hole must have an opening of at least three feet in any one direction.
In addition to arches, the park has many other geological formations such as: balanced rocks, petrified dunes, a rock garden called "fiery furnace," a standing rock called "dark angel," (pictured above) and many more.
]]>Island in the Sky get it's name from the towering rocks in the middle of the canyon. The Needs is home to fine pointed spire rocks and The Maze is the carved canyon that is by far the most rugged and remote district.
The Needle District
These three districts are divided by two rivers: the Green River and the Colorado River. In the Permian period the white rim sandstone was exposed by erosion due to these flowing rivers, about 250 million years ago. The white rim sandstone is so prominent in the park, there is a road named after it.
White Rim Sandstone
Canyonland's landscape is one of erosion and it continues to be as the erosion continues which will eventually rid the area of some of the current geological displays.
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The Hickman Bridge Arch
The Grand Staircase Escalante consists of hundreds of different layers of rocks that have been forming over millions of years and lay out between Bryce and the Grand Canyon. The layers in Capitol Reef have been formed over millions of years by tectonic plate activity, weather and erosion.
Fremont River
About 1,000 years ago, the area that is now Capitol Reef was occupied by the native Fremont people. Their petroglyphs are left behind in the park. After the Fremont people, the Mormons settled in the area next. They carved their names into the rock, similarly to the native petroglyphs. Shortly after the mormon pioneers, the US government mined the land for Uranium. However, it was unsuccessful and was stopped shortly after. Now the park is a home for wildlife and nature.
In the park you'll find: deer, lizards, birds, the 200 year old Fremont cottonwood trees, flowing rivers and fascinating rock formations.
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Canyons are defined as being formed from erosion that is initiated from a central steam. In Bryce's case the canyon was created by headward erosion that excavated the large amphitheater shaped features. This headward erosion exposed delicate and colorful pinnacles called "hoodoos." Rain and frost wedging carved these stones into curious shapes. There is even a rock shaped like a Queen Victoria statue in London.
The park is filled with Hoodoos which can be quite tall, up to 200 feet. Similar to Zion NP, you can hike through the narrow walls of these hoodoos. At the top of these massive hoodoos, you may find limber pines (pictured below). This tree species is resilient and can survive harsh habitats where less hardy trees would be unable to survive. You can also find the ancient bristlecone pines in the park that can live up to 5,000 years old.
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Zion Canyon
The falling rock and the virgin river that flows through the park contribute to the constant down cutting of and deepening of the canyon. This river flows through one of the most popular hikes in America: The Narrows. This hike is a 14.4 mile stretch in between the narrowest section of the canyon. The narrows includes walking in the virgin river and between rock walls. You'll also stumble across a waterfall or two.
Another famous (or infamous) hike in the park is ANGEL'S LANDING (hence the title of this blog). Some call it infamous as it's in the top 5 dangerous hikes in America as 13 people have died due to falling off the edge. The hike consists of steep switchbacks and narrow paths with constant cliff edges and metal cables to hold on to.
Angel's Landing Peak
Zion is also home to North America's largest bird: The California Condor. Also pretty interesting is the parks interesting geological patterns on the strata rock, such as "checkerboard mesa," that looks like a literal checkerboard.
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This park is also home to the ancient Bristlecone pine Tree and a massive grove of them. This tree species is the oldest in the world as well as the oldest known non-clonal organism. They are over 3,000 years old and are known to live up to 5,000!
A Bristlecone Pine Tree
After you visit the state's only glacier and the oldest trees in the world, you'll get a great view of the Great Basin Mountains and the dry and mountainous region between the Sierra Nevada and Wasatch Mountains. It's a must visit in the fall as the foliage is vibrant and colorful.
Lastly, as if this park couldn't get any cooler, it is a Dark Sky Park, meaning that all the lights in and surrounding the park are pointed down and dimmed a red color to have THE BEST STARGAZING EXPERIENCE! A must visit!
]]>In addition to the notably blue waters, the park is also characterized by it's massive lakes, water falls and jagged peaks covered in glaciers. In fact, North Cascades has over 300 glaciers, more than any other US National Park outside of Alaska. The park is also unique in that it encompasses Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas as well. Visit the park and visit 3 in one federally managed nature areas!
Lake Chelan
Diablo Lake
Ladder Creek Falls
The park, over 800 square miles and 500,000 acres large, is a must visit if you're in Washington State. Fall is a beautiful time as the. leaves display stark bright colors against the natural colors of the park.
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The coastal beaches are filled with towering volcanic rock formations known as sea stacks. Amongst the beaches and stacks you're able to observe life-filled tide pools with Anemones and more! Surrounding these coastal beaches is the moss-covered temperate rainforest. The forest is filled with old and new growth and hundreds of types of mosses and lichens plus so many different fungi!
In the forest, you'll find countless waterfalls, all flowing into the HOH river. The HOH river carries salmon all the way to the pacific ocean. In addition to the HOH river, the parks boasts beautiful lakes such as Lake Crescent, pictured below.
Last but definitely not least, is the beautiful Mt Olympus Peak (featured blog image). The peak was formed about 34 million years ago when the tectonic plates collides. This unique park is a true gem and full of adventure. One of the parks coolest features includes a coastal beach trail that intertwines with the forest and includes rope climbing and bridge crossing.
]]>Nestled in southwest Washington State, Mt Rainier Park is the nation's 5th National Park. It was established in 1899 after John Muir wrote about it's beauty and advocated for it's conservation. The main attraction of the park, Mt Rainier, is a Strato volcano that last erupted about 1,000 years ago. It stands at 14,140 feet tall and has 25 major glaciers.
These glaciers, which partially melt and re-freeze every year, feed numerous glacial waterfalls and glacial lakes around the park and mountain itself. You'll find that running water in the park has a milky and cloudy like color that is due to the melting glaciers. It can appear as flowing mud at times.
One of our favorite parts of the park was the wildlife viewing. The main trail of the park is a long walk around the mountain, meadows and waterfalls. On this hike, we saw a countless amount of Marmots running all around the meadows and peaks. The Marmots loved taking a second to lay tummy down on the cold ground to cool down! We also spotted a mountain goat (from a far distance). One of our favorite parks and a must-visit if in Washington!
]]>This combo national and state park is filled with 132 acres of nature. Here you'll find the world's TALLEST trees! In fact, the three tallest individual trees in the world live in this park! However, their location is kept a secret to avoid any vandalism or damage being incurred by visitors. The secretly hidden tallest redwood tree is about 380 feet tall! Fun fact, While named after the dominating Redwood trees, the park also has a substantial amount of Douglas Fir trees!
Aside from standing higher than any other tree species in the world, the Redwoods continue to amaze us even after they fall and die! That's right, even when a redwood falls, it still lives and contributes to the environment around it. This includes growing moss and providing shelter to tiny organism, bugs and the famous: banana slug!
In addition to seeing the towering trees, in the park, you'll find beautifully vast meadows and the famous Fern Canyon! This canyon may look familiar to Jurassic Park fans as it was featured in the movie! Such a fun and beautiful park!
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The park is named after Lassen Peak, a plug dome volcano, that was the most recent to erupt in 1914. Other notable peaks in the park are Prospect Peak, a shield volcano, Broke Off Mountain, a composite volcano and Cinder cone Peak, a cinder cone volcano. The park is most abundant in plug dome volcanoes!
Big Boiler
Even though these volcanoes have been dormant for over a hundred years, boiling springs and bubbling mud pits are evidence that the volcanic center still smolders. Big Boiler, a fumarole in the park, has been measured at 322 F degrees, making it one of the hottest hydrothermal fumaroles in the world.
Aside from the sleeping volcanos and steaming fumaroles, the park houses beautiful meadows, volcanic lakes and water falls. Wildlife also thrives here! We were lucky enough to spot an "albino" black bear.
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"Pinnacles" in the park
Over the last 23 million years, erosion and weather patterns have sculpted the rocks to the uniquely shaped "pinnacles" that the park now protects. In addition to the pinnacles, the park also has caves. These aren't ordinary caves, however, these are Talus Caves that were formed at the end of the last ice age. Now, out 25 total species of bats that live in California, 14 reside in this cave!
Cave Entrance
Lastly, the park is home to many bird species, deer and even wild turkeys! We recommend visiting the park during the winter or spring. The park often reached temperatures above 110 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer. During this time, you're only able to hike and be outside before noon and after 6PM.
Wild Turkeys
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John Muir is credited for the creation, protection and awareness of Yosemite as he would spend months at a time staying in his cabin, in what is now the park, and write about the surrounding nature that was filled with beauty. These writings led to Lincoln signing the land grant, the establishment of the park and many visitors coming to see the beauty that John Muir described (even to this day)!
El Capitan Wall
Yosemite is home to one of the largest waterfalls in the world, Yosemite Falls, at 2,425 ft. Watching the massive waterfall against the towering granite is such a sight! Because of John Muir's influence, there is a "John Muir" Trail in the park that leads to other waterfalls such as: Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls (the featured image of this blog). While these waterfalls are not as tall as Yosemite Falls, the John Muir trail is famous for leading to the parks biggest attractions: Half Dome.
Half Dome is a massive granite formation that inspired the North Face's logo and company name (the "north face"-ing features of the rock). Every year, many enter a lottery for a permit to climb the dome. It's a very dangerous and strenuous summit because if there is so much as a light drizzle, the dome becomes extremely slippery due to the granite nature of the rock. More than 20 people have died by slipping off the dome itself and upwards of 60 people have died on the trail there.
Aside from the incomparable beautiful granite rock formations, the park is filled with meadows, rock climbing walls, such as El Capitan (pictured above) where Alex Honnold free solo climbed to the top, and lots of wild life! We spotted a Sierra Mountain black bear, marmots and lots of birds! This park holds such a special place in our hearts as it is where OTAK Founders: Casey an Julian got married in 2019.
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General Grant Sequoia Tree
President Franklin Roosevelt changed the name to incorporate the beautiful and vast Canyon that the park also protected. This canyon, now referred to as King's Canyon, sits right in the middle of the High Sierra Mountain Range. Just a few miles down the road, you'll drive right into the neighboring Sequoia National Park. So not only does Kings Canyon NP share sequoia's in common with Sequoia National Park, but they are literally Sierra Mountain Neighbors.
When visiting Kings Canyon you'll find landscapes similar to that of Sequoia and Yosemite with towering granite formations, the vast King's Canyon, sequoia groves and tons of wildlife. We spotted a beautiful black bear when we visited. It was summer and the bear seemed to be preparing for Winter!
King's Canyon is a great park to visit in the summer and fall. You'll find Winter and Spring to be quite cold with a lot of road closures. If you have the time, make your way to Sequoia as well! It's right down the road.
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In fact, this park is home to the LARGEST TREE IN THE WORLD, by volume. There are taller trees and there are wider trees but no other tree has more wood in it's trunk than the tree named: General Sherman.
In the park you're able to walk amongst General Sherman and thousands of other Sequoia trees that are just as impressive. In addition to the forests riddled with massive tree trunks, the park has so much beautiful scenery, hiking and wildlife to see. One popular hike is to the top of Moro rock, a beautifully massive granite rock that offers great views of the park.
Moro Rock
Our favorite hike was the strenuous Lake Trail. On this trail we made it up 3,000 ft of elevation and totaled 16 miles (out and back). Along the way we encountered a black bear, a marmot, 2 beautifully hidden lakes and last but NOT least - a mountain lion!!! Unfortunately, our camera had died by that point, as it was on our way down, and we did not get a good picture of it. At least we'll have our memories!
Sequoia will always be one of our favorites as it was a weekend filled with magical nature, bear sightings, a mountain lion sighting and so much hiking.
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In 1949, a group of pioneers got lost in a desert valley. Only one of the pioneers died, however, they all assumed the valley would be their grave. After being rescued, one of the men turned around and said, “Goodby Death Valley,” and that’s how the valley came to be known!
Devil's Golf Course
Death Valley is the LARGEST national park in the continental US at 3.3 million acres. In the park you'll find the lowest point in North America: Badwater Basin at 282 ft below sea level. This is also where the hottest temperature on earth ever was recorded at 134 degrees Fahrenheit, in 1913. The featured image of this post is of Badwater Basin.
Aside from being known as the hottest desert, the park is filled with beautiful wonders such as The Devil's Golf course, a massive field with salt formations, The "Artists' Palette," and The Ubehebe Crater.
The Artists' palette (pictured above) are a group of mountains made up of blue, purple, red, orange, pink, yellow & green rocks from volcanic deposits rich in iron oxides and chlorite compounds. The Ubehebe crater (pictured below) is a 600FT deep crater created after underground hot magma rose to a body of water at the surface and caused an explosion.
Lastly, we can't forget the desert wildlife! Despite the hot temperatures and scarcity of water animals like coyotes and zebra tailed lizards! Spotting these beautiful creatures is truly a treat with the vast desert landscape behind them.
]]>Off the west coast you’ll find the Channel Island National Park, made up of 5 islands. In 2021, only 3 were accessible: Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa & Anapaca. San Miguel is only accessible during the fall and Santa Barbara had a docking issue. Overall, the islands are only accessible by ferry or private sea planes. You can either make a day trip or camp overnight.
On the islands you’ll find: over 150 species of wildlife unique to the islands, beautiful breathtaking views, amazing snorkeling coves & endless hikes.
The first island we visited was Santa Cruz. This is the largest of the Channel Islands and has great snorkeling & hiking options.
There is also one of the world's largest Sea Caves here called Painted Cave and is about a mile deep. The island is also home to very cute foxes.
Anapaca Island was the second island we visited and is the smallest and closest island to the mainland. We were able to hike the whole island and snorkel in one day. This island is also home to the beautiful sea arch.
Sea Arch
Last but, definitely not least is Santa Rosa Island. This island is huge and filled with what grass fields and the Torrey Pine trees. This island is one of two places in the world where these trees can be found - the other being San Diego, CA.
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2.8 million people flock to Joshua Tree National park every year! Visitors come to the 794k acre park to experience both the Mojave and Sonoran desert, hike, bike, rock climb and of course see the iconic flora: The Joshua Tree. The way these unique shaped trees got their name is a mystery. However, legend has it that when mormon immigrants were migrating, they believed these trees to be the biblical figure, Joshua, guiding them west with their open branches.
Aside from the beautiful desert views of the Joshua Trees and cousin plant, the Cholla cactus, the park has been come to know an American Mecca for rock climbing. There are plenty of rock walls and formations where visitors are able and allowed to climb year-round. On that note, this is the desert and weather can be harsh year-round. So make sure to bring water when visiting! There are no water fountains or water sold in the park itself.
Joshua Tree is a beautiful place to visit and you can access it three ways: from the west Yucca Valley, from the north 29 Palms and from the south Cottonwood Springs.
Stay hydrated, enjoy the nature and leave it as you found it!
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