National Parks’ 100th Anniversary
A
fter years of visiting national park service sites around the country,
I recently I set a goal of visiting and photographing all 59 of the
National Parks in the United States. I am currently 75% of my way to
achieving my goal, which I should be able to complete in 2017.
In honor of the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, I’ve compiled
many of my favorite shots from US National Parks.
Photo Notes
Denali National Park is home to Mount Denali, the highest peak in North
America. Only 30% of the people who visit the park actually see the mountain, as it is often covered in clouds. The road into the park stretches 92 miles,
but it is not open to private vehicles. You have to travel there by bus.
Death Valley National Park is the largest park in the continental US. It
lowest, driest, and hottest place in America. In fact, it holds the record for the
highest recorded temperature on Earth.
Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah isn’t one of the larger parks, but the
amphitheater with its spiring hoodoo rock formations makes it one of the
most special parks. Sunrise
Yellowstone National Park is not only the first national park in the US, it
was the first national park in the world. With vistas, wildlife, and geologic features found nowhere else, it has earned its place as one of the greatest national
parks in the world.
I visited Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota after a period
of heavy rains. The water in the lakes which make up the park were extremely
high, causing minor flooding. There was about a foot of water on the ground
which made for some spectacular reflections.
Isle Royale National Park is an island in Lake Superior and is the least
visited National Park in the continental United States. The only way to visit
the park is by float plane or ferry. If you take the ferry from Grand Portage,
Minnesota you will pass the Rock of Ages lighthouse, which is an old navigational beacon inside the park boundaries.
Gates of the Arctic National Park gets fewer than 1,000 visitors per year.
Located above the Arctic Circle, it is one of the most remote and inaccessible
parks in America. There are no roads, trails, signs, or facilities in the park. The
only way in is by float plane.
Grand Teton National Park lies just south of Yellowstone and has some of
the most beautiful mountains in North America. The mountain range extends
north-south, so it is easy to experience the park in a drive from Yellowstone to
Jackson Hole.
FALL 2016
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