Yellowstone Canyon, Yellowstone National Park
There are few better respites from the hustle and bustle of work and life — and even fewer more affordable vacation spots — than America's national parks.
The opportunities for solitude and discovery are amazing, whether walking on a boardwalk above the geysers at Yellowstone or under the arches at Arches.
I have had the good fortune to do both.
As well as hike to "the Window" at Big Bend and crawl through the cave dwellings at Mesa Verde. And view, with jaw-dropping amazement, the canyons at Canyonlands, Black Canyon and biggest hole of them all, the Grand Canyon.
Every American should be required to visit at least one national park in their lifetime.
And as a nation, we must all do more to protect our national parks. Recently, we have failed in our role as stewards of these amazing natural gifts.
A downside to visiting the national parks is the encroaching civilization and the hardships it causes for the parks.
There's now a cell phone tower within eyeshot of Old Faithful at Yellowstone. And on most days, smog messes up the view at Big Bend and Great Smoky Mountains, and new subdivisions suck the water out of the Everglades.
Similar problems, as the Associated Press reports, can be found through the national park system, which in addition to the big "flagship parks" includes dozens of monuments, memorials, historic sites, seashores, nature preserves and other sites.
Here's the crux of the AP story:
An Associated Press review finds the national parks are facing unprecedented pressures inside and outside their borders from population growth, homeland security concerns and Americans' insatiable desires for conveniences such as hotels, restaurants, stores, cell phones and vacation homes.
Read the whole story here.
Here are my Top 10 Favorite National Parks, in alphabetical order (It's really unfair to rank them 1-10, as they are all spectacular in their own ways. The commentaries are my own.)
Arches National Park, Utah
Why go? The red-rock formations, including one of the largest concentrations of natural arches in the world.
Pressure from the outside world? Tourism and other development have made nearby Moab, Utah, a former mining town, a boom town again. Also, oil and gas firms have been given the OK to explore just outside the park's boundaries.
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Why go? In one wide-open space as big as Texas, you can explore three environments — desert, mountains and river.
Pressure from the outside world? Smog from industries in Mexico and U.S. often obscures the spectacular views. And in dry times, the Rio Grande slows to barely a trickle because of upstream development.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
Why go?The narrow canyons, which at spots are more than 1,500 feet deep.
Pressure from the outside world? Developers would love to build luxury homes on approaches to the park. Outsiders also have their eyes on the water flowing through the canyon.
Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Why go? The convergence of the Colorado and the Green rivers produces some of the most spectacular canyons not named "Grand Canyon."
Pressure from the outside world? See Arches National Park.
Everglades National Park, Florida
Why go? There may be no better place than a swamp to witness the rich diversity of the natural world.
Pressure from the outside world? Millions of acres have been lost because of development. There are plenty who would love to take what's left. (For a primer, read "Skinny Dip," by Carl Hiaasen.)
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Why go? To feel really, really small.
Pressure from the outside world? Traffic, on the roads and in the air above, and encroaching tourist-related development.
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Why go? The most spectacular mountain vistas in the Lower 48.
Pressure from the outside world? Developers who want to sell the view, along with expensive new homes.
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Why go? To attempt to answer these questions: Why did the Indians build on the cliff walls? Why did they leave? And where did they go?
Pressure from the outside world? I do not recall any that hindered the experience of visiting the park.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Why go? To touch the sky.
Pressure from the outside world? Traffic and residential and commerical development creeping up right to the park's entrances.
Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming
Why go? The geysers. The elk. The bears. The buffalos. The waterfalls. The mystery of it all.
Pressure from the outside world? The traffic. The tourists. The snowmobilers. The cell phone towers. The insanity of it all.
If I could only visit one park for the rest of my life, it would be Yellowstone, one of the most beautiful, most unique places on earth.
Where would you go?
Find the complete list of National Park Service sites here.
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