Mount Rainier National Park Mount Rainier National Park is located in the Cascade Range of Washington approximately 60 miles southeast of Seattle, where a glacier-covered stratovolcano rises prominently above surrounding forested landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. At 14,410 feet, Mount Rainier is the highest peak in the Cascade Range and the most glaciated mountain in […]
North Cascades National Park North Cascades National Park is located in northern Washington near the Canadian border, where rugged mountain terrain forms part of the Cascade Range extending from northern California to British Columbia. The North Cascades are among the most geologically complex mountain landscapes in North America, composed of ancient metamorphic and crystalline rocks […]
Olympic National Park Olympic National Park occupies much of the Olympic Peninsula in northwestern Washington, where mountains, temperate rainforest, and Pacific coastline form one of the most ecologically diverse landscapes in the United States. The Olympic Mountains originated from marine sediments and basalt formed on the ocean floor that were uplifted and folded through tectonic […]
Charleston Charleston is located along the Atlantic coastal plain of South Carolina at the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, where access to a protected natural harbor supported early colonial settlement and maritime trade. Founded in 1670, the city became an important port connecting agricultural production from the southeastern interior with Atlantic trade networks. […]
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park preserves a portion of the Appalachian Mountain range along the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, where forested ridges, deep valleys, and high elevation peaks form one of the most biologically diverse regions in North America. The mountains developed through long geological processes associated with […]
Biltmore House Biltmore House is located near Asheville in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, where forested ridges and river valleys form part of the southern Appalachian landscape. Constructed between 1889 and 1895 for George Washington Vanderbilt II, the estate reflects the influence of European architectural traditions adapted to an American mountain setting. […]
Congaree National Park Congaree National Park preserves one of the largest intact old-growth bottomland hardwood forests remaining in the southeastern United States, located within the floodplain of the Congaree and Wateree Rivers in central South Carolina. The landscape is shaped by periodic flooding that deposits nutrient-rich sediment, supporting the growth of exceptionally tall trees and […]
Muir Woods National Monument Muir Woods National Monument protects an old-growth forest of coast redwood trees located in the coastal mountains of Marin County north of San Francisco. The monument preserves a remnant of the extensive redwood forests that once covered large portions of the Pacific coast, where fog-influenced climate conditions support the growth of […]
Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes National Seashore is located on a peninsula along the northern California coast northwest of San Francisco, where tectonic activity along the San Andreas Fault has shaped a landscape of coastal cliffs, beaches, and forested ridges. The peninsula lies on the Pacific Plate and has gradually moved northwest over millions […]
Everglades was one of the first National Parks Randy and I visited together in 2008. After hiking in waist-high water through Cyprus Domes, we realized that we had been hiking with alligators! Good god, I don’t think I want to do that again!