When it comes to US national parks, one cannot fail to recall the words of former President Franklin Roosevelt about the important role of such places in shaping the idea of the essence of America. This is confirmed by the fact that of all the national parks in the United States, 14 belong to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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For the first time, George Ketlin spoke about the creation of special plots of land that were not involved in economic activity in the 19th century. As a self-taught artist, he traveled extensively in North America and indignantly watched the white man's pernicious influence on the established traditions of the indigenous population and his unceremonious intrusion into nature. Ketlin suggested the need to protect the environment and the importance of a targeted state policy aimed at creating conditions for preserving the natural beauty of the American continent.

Despite the fact that the federal government did not immediately respond to the idea of creating protected areas, in 1864, under the leadership of President Lincoln and the US Congress, the first steps were taken to create national parks.

yellowstone

The first real national park not only in the United States, but also in the world was Yellowstone in 1872. From that moment on, the example of the Americans was followed by the governments of other countries. It became the starting point for the creation of 58 national parks and many other protected areas in 27 US states. The national park is located on the territory of three states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming at once, covering an area of about 9 thousand square meters. km. The main attractions of the park are geysers and hot springs. Under the influence of various mineral salts dissolved in water, bizarre surface forms have formed over many millions of years: pyramids, terraces and even stalactites.

Salt deposits on the surface of the earth sparkle in the sun, and various metals that are part of the salts color them bright red and yellow. The slopes of the mountains are covered with coniferous forests, in which many rare animals feel great. Many clean picturesque rivers, flowing down from mountain ranges, form numerous cascades of waterfalls. This place is considered a paradise for speleologists, and a large number of canyons attract extreme lovers here. Here, in the center of the dormant Caldera volcano, there is a high-mountainous Yellowstone Lake, the shores of which are solidified lava.

Great Smoky Mountains

The most visited park, which receives more than 9 million tourists annually, is the Great Smoky Mountains. It is worth noting that the huge influx of people wishing to taste this corner of nature is strictly regulated by the authorities so that an excessive number of visitors does not harm the fragile ecosystem of the park. It is noteworthy that the park was officially opened by US President Roosevelt in 1940. The park is located on the territory of the eastern states of Tennessee and North Carolina and covers an area of more than 2 thousand square meters. km. More than 4 thousand species of plants are collected here – typical representatives of the flora of the eastern part of North America.

Many of them are endemic and found only in the Great Smoky Mountains. Rich vegetation is a favorable habitat for many representatives of the fauna of this region. There are about 65 species of mammals alone here. The states of California and Alaska boast the largest number of national parks.

sequoia park

In California, there is the second largest park founded in 1890. In addition to many natural objects, a special place in Sequoia Park is occupied by the famous tall trees growing in the Giant Forest. It is noteworthy that five of the ten tallest trees in the world grow in this forest. Of great interest to tourists is the sequoia called General Sherman, reaching a height of more than 80 m, the base circumference of which is more than 30 m. It is not for nothing that the tree was “honored" with the title of general. Because of the sheer volume of timber, the General Sherman is the largest tree on the planet.

Denali park

Denali National Park, located in Alaska, occupies a vast territory, exceeding in size the area of Massachusetts and even many states. The word "Denali" is translated from the Athabaskan language as "great". This is how the natives once called the highest peak of North America located on this territory.

The definition of "great" characterizes Denali Park in the best possible way. The highest point of the mainland, Mount McKinley, the huge size of the park and the endless expanses of the tundra with its inhabitants – all this confirms the great importance of the park in maintaining the delicate balance of this natural zone of North America.

Numerous representatives of the local fauna, among which it is worth noting caribou, elk, brown bears, mountain sheep and wolves, live here, as many centuries ago, freely and in complete safety.

Grand Canyon

This huge gorge, located in northern Arizona, is the largest natural attraction in the United States. A significant part of the grandiose gorge is included in the Grand Canyon National Park, occupying 4950 square meters. km (length – 433 km, width – from 180 m to 28.8 km). The depth of the unique canyon is on average 1.6 km. The park area of the Grand Canyon is divided by the Colorado River into 2 parts: the South Rim (the most accessible to tourists) and the North Rim (more remote and less visited). On the high (over 2 km) walls of the gorge, consisting of different layers of rock, one can "read" the history of earthly transformations over millions of years of the planet's existence.

This is successfully done by geologists who determine the quality of each layer: marine sediments of the once warm sea, petrified sand of deserts, layers of limestone, granite, clay, shale. There are hiking trails in the park, along which group hiking trips to the sights of an amazing natural reserve are made. Both parts of it are connected by a suspension bridge across the river. Colorado. Tourists walk 34 km, including a vertical descent along the walls of the canyon and the same ascent to a height of 1.6 km.

Given the complexity of such extreme hikes, they are carried out with the participation of experienced guides, with the organization of overnight stays. It is possible to travel by car through the territory of the canyon from South Rim to North Rim, overcoming 354 km of the way and crossing the canyon through the Navajo Bridge (length 122 m). Both zones of the Grand Canyon are visited by millions of tourists, for whom all the necessary infrastructure has been created: hotels, campsites, restaurants, cafes are open. There are many observation platforms in the local village of Grand Canyon Village, and there is free public transport. The tourist boom is always here, with the exception of winter and late autumn.

Zion Park

Zion National Park is located in the natural beauty of Utah. The local landscapes captivate with wild, pristine beauty inherent in the area of the Kolob canyon, the most uninhabited part of the park. It is this area that is poorly equipped, and it preserves the nature untouched by the rampant civilization to a greater extent. Here there are difficult paths that can only be walked with a guide, a few ranches with traces of abandonment. Kolob Canyon is a favorite place for climbers who bravely climb steep cliffs (you need to have a special pass), there is no mass influx of tourists.

Nature creates here such pictures that you will not see anywhere else: reddish-orange mountain ranges rise above the gorges, green spots of light forest cover their slopes, in some places the whole earth is covered with a thick cover of yellow heather. Among unfamiliar trees there are familiar birches, looking strange against the background of red spurs.

Kolob Canyon is connected with the rest of Zion by the same picturesque red road. Tourists make walks along the bottom of the gorge along a river with a rapid current, which in several places is so shallow that you can wade it. The river bed has many rapids that form picturesque waterfalls. There are many high waterfalls here, one of them is called the “weeping rock”: rare spray falls from a high rock on those passing under it. The mesmerizing beauty of Zion Park attracts tourists from all over the world.

Monument Valley

Monument Valley National Park, a territory that has long belonged to the Navajo Indians, is a real miracle of nature, created under the influence of wind erosion. Over the centuries, the winds of Arizona, like almighty sculptors, “carved” towers of bizarre shapes from the rocks. Painted in red-brown colors, they appear to be alien aliens who have descended to Earth. The Martian landscapes of the unique valley are included in the list of 100 wonders of the world, despite the external lifelessness due to the meager presence of any vegetation here in the vast expanses.

This natural phenomenon is always open for visits: you can walk up and down the rocky ground, you can observe outlandish creatures from the road while sitting in a car. From an airplane or helicopter, Monument Valley seems like a surreal landscape by a brilliant artist. A particularly impressive sight is the launch of balloons during the festival of the same name, when enchanting colors fly over stone statues, competing with them in bright beauty.

Among the stone monuments there are true masterpieces – the result of the creation of natural forces: in the south of the valley there is a forest of petrified trees that grew back in the Mesozoic era. On the crevices of gigantic (up to 2 m) trunks from rotten wood, crystals of white quartz, pink amethyst, and black shades of morion formed. In the west of the valley there is another stone masterpiece – the Rainbow Bridge, thrown over a small shallow river Bridge Creek. The Indians called it the petrified rainbow. Monument Valley became a public place at the end of the 19th century, when the wars with the Indians stopped, and its demand immediately arose among Hollywood filmmakers and tourists.

Arches National Park

At 309 sq. km of Utah is an amazing piece of land formed at the bottom of the former sea with a sandy bottom, which was here millions of years ago. Wind and water worked hard on the thickness of sand and salt deposits after the disappeared sea, creating from them wonderful arches (more than 2 thousand). In addition, the forces of nature and the time factor, having transformed sand into quartz, gold and other valuable minerals, have arranged a real storehouse of minerals and stones here. Not without reason, in the 18th century, conflicts between Europeans and Indians unfolded over the possession of this territory.

The decree on the creation of the national park was signed by Nixon in 1971 and was intended to protect the natural wonder from looting. Now thousands of tourists have a happy opportunity to admire the unsurpassed creations of petrified sand and salt – arches of various sizes and configurations (the longest is 85 m, the shortest is 1 m).

Among them, the Graceful Arch or Cowboy Pants (a comic name) is considered a recognized masterpiece, resembling legs of different thicknesses, “dressed” in orange-red pants in its configuration. The bright arch looks stunning against the purple background of the Salt Mountains. The true miracle is the "Balance Stone", which is held by an unknown force on a narrow elevation. Of interest is the object called the Three Gossips – 3 figures, reminiscent of women, standing close to each other, as if whispering to each other. The labyrinth of rock towers, the Fiery Furnace, invariably attracts everyone's attention, creating the impression (especially at sunset) of a flaming furnace. Many of the arches have become the backdrop for Hollywood movies, and those who haven't been to this land of wonder will appreciate their uniqueness while watching the movie.

Acadia

Acadia National Park is almost the entire territory of Mount Desert Island, separated from the mainland by a narrow strait of the Atlantic Ocean. A free highway leading to Acadia was laid through it along a bulk dam. To ensure the convenience and comfort of tourists, a large-scale three-dimensional map of the park is placed next to the car park, according to which you can outline your individual route to the sights of the park.

The highest point of the reserve (height – 466 m), to the top of which an asphalt road is laid. The path to it lies through the most picturesque surroundings with stunning views in the center of the island, the magnificent Eagle Lake, comfortably nestled in a lowland squeezed by mountains. "Cadillac" is otherwise called Bald Mountain because almost nothing grows on it, except for rare shrubs. But people tend to get here because of the inexpressibly beautiful panorama of the Atlantic Ocean and the islands of the coast of Maine, which opens from its top.

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death valley

The rather gloomy name of this National Park is fully justified by the lifelessness of the territory on which it is located. In fact, it is 13, 518 sq. km of desert withered by the heat, cracked by the heat. Despite the barren soil, the scenery here is very picturesque, adorned with snow-capped mountain peaks, sand dunes of bizarre shapes, rocky canyons, a whole range of different colors and shades. These places are the lowest relative to the ocean level and the driest in North America. The unkind place, which brought many trials to the Europeans who mastered this space, they dubbed the Valley of Death.

But it is not so lifeless: there are varieties of cacti and succulents growing at an altitude of 120 m to 900 m above sea level. Juniper forests with gray-green islands enliven individual areas, occasionally yucca tree grows, there are oases of palm trees. The valley looks very picturesque after rare spring rains, when, as if by magic, the gray soil is covered for a short time with a carpet of lilac, red, pink, white and golden yellow flowers. There are also representatives of the fauna leading a nocturnal lifestyle: small rodents, bighorn sheep.

For amateur photographers, this is a real paradise – a peculiar landscape provides breathtaking views! In the west of the park, an amazing picture of Dante View is visible from above – a mosaic of scattered hills on snow-white salt marshes. The Badlands, an area cut with a network of ravines and gullies, is also impressive and delightful. Racetrack Valley (north of the park) is famous for the mysterious traces that remain from the movement of stones on the surface. The mystery is that no one saw them move. Death Valley is actually full of life and interesting with many attractions.

Joshua Tree

The windy, arid climate has turned the Joshua Tree area into a testing ground for alternative energy facilities such as gigantic wind turbines and solar-powered power plants. The national park got its name from the species of joshua trees growing in the Mojave Desert and translates as "joshua tree". There are a lot of them here, as well as hills. In winter and spring, the average temperature here is 25-30 degrees above zero, and in summer it reaches +45-+48, with a withering hot wind.

The area of the park occupies 2 deserts: Mojave and Colorado, separated from each other by a natural border of a changing landscape: if joshua trees were replaced by choya cacti, yucca and octoiyo bushes, then Colorado began. The northern zone of the park is a cluster of huge giant boulders, rocky formations that literally go under the clouds, and deep crevices. To the south, the boulders become lower, rocks are less common, and gradually the space becomes flat. In early spring, desert joshua trees are covered with huge, fleshy, yellowish buds that produce outlandish fruits a month later.

Not far from the main road is the highest point of the park – Keys View (1581 m), from where even high mountains seem small, and before your eyes the valley extending to the southwest in all its glory spreads below. In its lowlands are the cities of Palm Desert and Palm Springs. Journey through the park – new interesting discoveries and a lot of impressions.

Rocky Mountain

These places in Colorado state, personifying the history of the Wild West, are covered by the Rocky Mountains and are the most popular ski resort in America: the snow here does not melt until June. The name of the park comes from the word "mountainer" – the so-called Europeans, alone looking for gold and hunting for fur-bearing animals. According to their way of life, they turned into Indians who had lived here for a long time. The beauty of the local landscapes overshadows everything seen before, they are especially good in autumn, when against the backdrop of silver-gray mountains, the crowns of deciduous trees flare up in crimson, purple, lemon color. There are many picturesque lakes in the park.

Kub is a small lake surrounded by centuries-old pines and firs, a favorite place for bears who come here to drink and swim. There is a warning sign with the inscription: “Danger! The Bears!" Lakes Odessa, Bear and others are very picturesque. Rocky Mountain Park is home to many wild animals: deer, bears, chipmunks, moose, foxes, marmots. They are strictly protected by law and rangers. The Colorado River originates in the park, which is not at all like a mighty stream that cut through the rocks in the deepest canyon. The wonderful views of the park are remembered for a lifetime by the bright colors of the forests, the "blue eyes" of the lakes and the gray peaks of the Rocky Mountains.

Olympic Park

The park is located on the Olympic Peninsula in northwestern Washington state. It received the status of National in 1938 as a unique territory of unusually diverse species of flora and fauna, well preserved here. The natural uniqueness of the park lies in a wide variety of landscape areas: glaciers, lakes, alpine meadows, ocean coasts and mountains – all types of relief are presented here. Moreover, there are 3 Indian reservations on the ocean coast. Almost the entire space of the park can only be walked on foot, there are few passing places. But the fabulous beauty of the local nature inspires tourists so that they are ready to go far and wide.
The amazing multicolored alpine meadows, the stunning blue of the lakes, the bright green of the forests, the radiant whiteness of the snowy peaks conquer even the most indifferent contemplators. In 1976, the park was awarded the title of International Biosphere Reserve and became a World Heritage Site. The pristine nature attracts tens of thousands of tourists who make multi-day trips to protected areas. Many come here for 1 day, walking along Maple Alley with century-old trees, admiring the waterfalls of Sol Duc or huge trees (some over 2 m in girth) of the Hoh rainforest.

Hot Springs – Hot Springs Park

Arkansas is home to the smallest and very first US National Park – Hot Springs, whose administrative center is a small town of the same name. This is a well-known balneological resort, famous for its healing hot springs, the healing power of which has long been known to the Indians. The territory of the city and its environs received the status of a reserve in 1921, when hydropathic clinics, motels were already built in the zone of geothermal waters, and a railway was laid. A beautiful, cozy, clean city is literally immersed in greenery inside and outside, the hilly terrain of the park is all covered with dense forest.

The center of the city is the Bath Row, which consists of the restored buildings of the baths of the 19th century. In the 1st of them there are actually baths, in the 2nd – a spa. The establishments provide all the necessary medical procedures: hot mineral baths, body wraps, vintage showers, massage, steam room. The resort city is provided with excellent infrastructure that allows tourists to spend their time comfortably: a luxury hotel, an amusement park, observation platforms on the hills from which a picturesque panorama of the surroundings is visible, good restaurants and cafes. Here you can improve your health and have a good rest.

Grand Teton

Grand Teton National Park is another reserve in the Rocky Mountains, spread over an area of approximately 130 thousand hectares, including the main part of the mountains of the Teton Range (hence its name) and the northern expanses of the Jackson Hole valley. The park is replete with alpine lakes, the largest of which Jackson stretches for 24 km in length. Glaciers of the Teton Ridge, high peaks, waterfalls, picturesque gorges, rich forests – this is the landscape of the park. The world of fauna here is infinitely diverse: birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects are found here in a wide variety.

The plant world is not inferior to it, represented by a huge number of coniferous and deciduous trees, shrubs, herbs and flowers. The landscapes of the park are unusually beautiful and sometimes fabulously majestic. Tourists come here in droves: here everyone can find something to their liking: rock climbing, mountaineering, skiing, photography, hiking and other types of entertainment. Everything is provided for them, the park has a large network of campsites, hotels, information centers. One of the guest centers is located on the territory of the former ranch of the famous Rockefellers.

Everglades National Park

The unique value of this area (1.5 million acres) in the state of Florida lies in the wild primordial nature of the subtropics, which has managed to survive here almost untouched. Evidence of this is the rarest specimens of flora and fauna that were considered irretrievably gone: blue herons, an ancient species of alligators, a red mangrove tree, etc. There are 2,000 representatives of trees and shrubs, the number of crocodiles exceeds 2 million, listed in the Red Book; river otters.

There are many hiking trails and roads in the park, which are very convenient for observing animals and birds. Tourists actively visit the most beautiful places, capturing the enchanting landscapes with photo and video cameras. Hiking, fishing, canoeing and kayaking (Florida Bay), many entertainment programs are organized in the reserve. A stay in the Everglades is to enjoy the beauty of the unique nature combined with active recreation.