 Mount Ranier Mount Rainier established on 02 March 1899,contains vast expanses of pristine old-growth forests,subalpine flower meadows,spectacular alpine scenery,and great opportunity for stimulating outdoor activities. Mount Rainier National Park is the fifth oldest national park in the United States. The park has the greatest single-peak glacial system in the United States. Glaciers radiate from the summit and slopes of the 14,411 foot volcano. Mount Rainier,the highest (4392 m) volcano in the Cascade Range,towers over a population of more than 2.5 million in the Seattle Tacoma metropolitan area,and its drainage system via the Columbia River potentially impacts another 500,000 residents of southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon. Mount Rainier is the most hazardous volcano in the Cascades in terms of its potential for magma water interaction and sector collapse,and major eruptions or debris flows even without eruption. It poses significant dangers and economic threats to the region but despite such hazards and risk,Mount Rainier has received little study. There are two inns in the park that are open all year around. They are Paradise Inn at Paradise and National Park Inn at the Longmire Historic District. Additionally there are three auto camping sites: Cougar Rock,Ohanapecosh and White River. These campsites are open for the summer season and can accomodate large groups of people. There are many campsites located in the nearby National Forests. No tags for this post.  Lake Crescent Located in the State of Washington's lush green Olympic Peninsula,Olympic National Park embracess over 900,000 acres of wilderness. Well known for rain,in this part of Washington average rainfall exceeds 200" per year which falls as snow in the higher elevations. With this amount of rain you get rain forests. There are 4 types of forest:temperate,lowland,montane,and subalpine as you reach the higher elevations. Olympic National Park has 16 NPS-operated campgrounds with a total of 910 sites. Many are open year round but with full facilities in the April/May through early fall season. Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance and are recomended. There are two lodges and two resorts in the park. They are: Kalaloch Lodge,Lake Crescent Lodge,Log Cabin Resort,and Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. Glacial ice is one the foremost scenic and scientific features of Olympic National Park. There are about 266 glaciers crowning the Olympic peaks. Most are quite small when compared to the ones in Alaska. True glaciers are structurally three layered bodies of frozen water. The top layer is snow;the middle layer is mixed snow and ice;and the bottom layer is pure ice. The most studied glacier is the Blue Glacier on Mount Olympus. The glaciers can be reached by hiking trails of about 16-18 miles. No tags for this post. Crater Lake is widely known for its intense blue color and spectacular views. During summer,visitors may navigate the Rim Drive around the lake,enjoy boat tours on the lake surface,stay in the historic Crater Lake Lodge,camp at Mazama Village,or hike some of the park's various trails including Mt. Scott at 8,929 ft. Diverse interpretive programs enhance visitors' knowledge and appreciation of this national park,90% of which is managed as wilderness.  Crater Lake The winter brings some of the heaviest snowfall in the country,averaging 533 inches per year. So far,year-to-date snowfall is at 344 inches versus an average of 380 inches. Snow depth on the ground at Park Headquarters is 97 inches. Although park facilities mostly close for this snowy season,visitors may view the lake during fair weather,enjoy cross-country skiing,and participate in weekend snowshoe hikes. The Pacific Crest Trail stretches from the Mexican to Canadian borders along the mountainous crest of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada. Thirty-three miles pass through Crater Lake National Park,offering through-hikers magnificent views of the lake. Pacific Crest Trail hikers have always been able to explore vast areas of volcanic landscape in Crater Lake National Park. However,until recently they could get a view of the lake only by leaving the main trail and entering the developed Rim Village area. In June 1995,an alternate trail opened which brings hikers right up to the rim of Crater Lake. Coming from the south,the trail ascends the Dutton Creek trail to the rim,then follows the edge of the caldera for six miles,with spectacular views. It then parallels the road from North Junction to Grouse Hill and rejoins the Pacific Crest Trail. No tags for this post. The marine wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve includes tidewater glaciers,snow-capped mountain ranges,ocean coastlines,deep fjords,and freshwater rivers and lakes. This diverse land and seascape hosts a mosaic of plant communities and a variety of marine and terrestrial wildlife and presents many opportunities for adventuring and learning about this unique and powerful place.  Margerie Glacier Glacier Bay's story is one of dynamic change in the wake of dramtic glacial movements. As recently at 1750,a single glacier thousands of feet thick filled what is now a 65-mile long fjord. There are some 12 tidewater glaciers that calve into the bay. As water undermines some ice fronts great blocks of ice up to 200 feet high break loose and crash into the water. Johns Hopkins Glacier calves such volumes of ice that it is seldom possible to approach its ice cliffs closer than about two miles. The glaciers seen here today are remnants of a gnerals ice advance that began about 4,000 years ago. Huge icebergs may last a week or more,and they provide perches for bald eagles,cormorants,and gulls. Close by,kayakers have heard the stress and strain of melting:water drips,air bubbles pop,and cracks develop. Colors betray a berg's nature or origin. White bergs hold many trapped air bubbles. Blue bergs are dense. Greenish-blackish bergs may have calved off glacier bottoms. Dark-striped brown bergs carry morainal rubble from the joining of tributary glaciers or other sources. How high a berg floats depends upon its size,the ice's density,and the water's density. Bergs may be weighed down,submerged even,by rock and rubble. A modest looking berg may suddenly loom enormous,and endanger small craft,when it rolls over. Keep in mind that what you see is "just the tip of the iceberg." No tags for this post. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area stretches 70 miles north and south of the Golden Gate Bridge,creating a 80,400 acre greenbelt along the Pacific Ocean. From Tomales Bay in the north to the San Mateo watershed in the south,the parks include ancient redwoods,historic landmarks,miles of trails,rocky shorelines,rare and endangered species,lush coastal wilderness,and breathtaking vistas. Each year,millions of people visit the Golden Gate National Parks to experience the nature,history,and scenic beauty that truly define the character of the San Francisco Bay Area.  Golden Gate Bridge There are smaller 'parks' within the area of the Golden Gate National Parks. One of the most unique parks in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area,the Marin Headlands covers various types of histories from the Miwok Indians to the Military,including historic Fort Barry and Fort Cronkhite,the NIKE Missile site and the 150 year-old Point Bonita lighthouse. Other attractions include vast hiking trails,dog friendly Rodeo Beach,and astonishing views of the coast and the city. The explosion of wildflowers in the spring and raptor migration in the fall fill the headlands with year round excitement. Alcatraz,the former federal island prison that once held behind bars the likes of gangster Al Capone,offers national park visitors a close-up look at a maximum-security,minimum-privilege life. The island,once an 1850s military fort,is the site of the West Coast’s first lighthouse (since replaced by the current lighthouse) and the birthplace of the Native American “Red Power” movement. Gardens,tidepools,nesting birds,and bay views beyond compare are also among its attractions. In addition to scenic and historic walks and the cellhouse audio tour,Alcatraz provides staff-led programs,an orientation video,and an award-winning video exhibit,We Hold the Rock, which examines the island’s occupation by “Indians of All Tribes.” No tags for this post. | | |
