Glacier National Park is located in the U.S. state of Montana, bordering the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. Soon after the establishment of the park on May 11, 1910, a number of hotels and chalets were constructed by the Great Northern Railway. These historic hotels and chalets are listed as National Historic Landmarks, and a total of 350 locations are […]
Imagine watching a black bear teach its cub to climb a tree. Or a long horned sheep scaling what appears to be a rock wall. Glacier National Park and Waterton National Park have so much to offer. I was amazed at how beautiful they are. 🦌 Wildlife Encountered Wildlife viewing was a major highlight of […]
Kenai Fjords National Park Kenai Fjords National Park protects landscapes shaped by glaciers extending from the Harding Icefield toward the coast. Glacial erosion carved deep valleys that later became fjords as sea levels rose. These steep-sided inlets illustrate the long-term influence of ice movement on coastal geography. The Harding Icefield remains one of the largest […]
Denali National Park Denali National Park protects a large expanse of subarctic wilderness shaped by tectonic uplift and glacial erosion. Denali, the tallest peak in North America, rises dramatically above surrounding tundra and forest environments. The park illustrates the geological forces that created the Alaska Range and continue to influence the landscape today. Glacial valleys, […]
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park Wrangell–St. Elias National Park preserves one of the largest protected mountain landscapes in the world, encompassing vast ice fields, active volcanoes, alpine tundra, and extensive river systems shaped by tectonic uplift along the boundary of the Pacific and North American plates. The park lies at the convergence of several major mountain […]
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge preserves one of the largest intact freshwater wetland ecosystems in North America, located along the Georgia–Florida border within a broad, shallow basin formed over thousands of years. The swamp contains peat deposits, cypress forests, open prairies, and slow-moving waterways that create a distinctive landscape shaped by water […]
Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park is located in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, where glacial processes shaped granite cliffs, waterfalls, and high alpine landscapes. The park’s distinctive geological formations, including sheer rock faces and deep valleys, were formed through uplift and erosion over millions of years. Glacial activity during the last Ice Age carved Yosemite […]
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!