National Parks

Dry Tortugas National Park

By BasicPlanet June 7, 2013

Dry Tortugas National Park

Coral Reefs and a Magic Sea Life

The Dry Tortugas National Park can be found just inside the United States of America – only 68 miles of Florida such as Key West in the Gulf of Mexico. The seven Dry Tortugas Islands and Fort Jefferson is preserved in the park as well as the west and the most isolated parts of the Florida Keys also.

The sea life is certainly one of the most amazing features of the Dry Tortugas National Park. What is more, the park is one of the best places to find amazing colourful coral reefs and tropical bird breeding grounds. However, there are many stories and legends of sunken treasures found from many ship wrecks in the oceans.

However, Fort Jefferson is going to be one of the best places to visit – in fact it is the centrepiece of the entire park. This is going to be a massive coastal fortress though the fortress is not finished areas also. Fort Jefferson is considered to be the biggest masonry structure in the entire western hemisphere; and the fortress has over sixteen million bricks also.

There is a lovely and very unique combination of historical artefacts, exotic and large undisturbed tropical ecosystem also. The Dry Tortugas National Park does attract more than eighty thousand visitors each and every year. However, to get to the park, visitors are going to need to use a boat or a seaplane as this is the only accessible way to get to the park.

Some of the activities that can be done inside the park are scuba diving, bird watching, snorkelling, camping, salt water fishing and picnicking also.

Dry Tortugas National Park facts — Dry Tortugas National Park, Aerial view

The Geography of the Dry Tortugas National Park

The seven major islands found in the park are:

Hospital Key

Logger Head Key

Garden Key

The Long Key

The Bush Key

The East Key

The Middle Key

The park is home to a tropical maritime climate; this means that there are rainy seasons which occur with the hurricane season. This starts from the month of May through to October and there is a drier season. This starts from the month of November through to the month of April; and most of this region is going to be effected by hurricanes which are frequent also. There are many tropical storms which occur in the area also.

Though, there might be tropical systems but it is going to be one of the driest regions throughout Florida also. There are more than 49 inches of rain that fall every year and the high temperatures are going to reach 32 degree Celsius. The low temperatures won’t be any less than 19 degrees Celsius also.

Throughout the year, the Dry Tortugas National Park is going to be a fantastic place to visit and the temperatures are going to be fairly good. At times it will be quite warm but it still will be a great place to visit no matter the weather. Of course during the hurricane season, the park is not going to be the best place to visit. The park does offer amazing scenery and opportunities to learn about the history.

The west and north parts of the par, which include the central island groups; are going to be almost 46 square miles of land designated area. This is a natural research area which was formed on the 19th of January in 2007. In this area, it means that there are no boats or vessels allowed to anchor and no fish or marine life can be taken from this area also.

For any fishing vessels which want to moor in the natural area, they must use the mooring docks or buoys which are designated in the area also. Only 54 % of the park is going to be opened for fishing purposes; however many disagree with this.

Many people have hoped to close the entire park region down for those who wish to fish. Many believed that the fish and marine life are being depleted here and are very concerned. Fishing however is a very popular past time for many locals and international visitors coming from abroad also.

Dry Tortugas National Park Information — Lighthouse – a part of Dry Tortugas National Park.

There is a huge 70 mile stretch of Key West in which the park sits in; and to get to the park, visitors are encouraged to use boats. However, using private boats to get to the park can be a little tricky at times because of the distance to the park. Instead, there are many catamaran, seaplanes and ferry crossings which are available to use to get from Key West to the Dry Tortugas National Park.

There are official ferry services to use as well as other transportation services to reach Dry Tortugas National Park. This includes the popular Yankee Freedom III Catamaran which many love to use to reach the park.

There are a lot of features to view in the park and the scenery is amazing also. This has become a famed area and certainly one in which many love to visit. More and more people are going to head to the Dry Tortugas National Park; and the park is certainly an amazing park.

Important Things To Remember

Dry Tortugas is a beautiful national park which is going to be opened all year round. However, there is a fee to get into the park. This is going to cost around $5 this is for adults; and it is going to be wise for visitors to plan for the trip to the park. To get to the park, it might mean a boat or a plane so wearing appropriate clothing is going to be very important.

Visitors will also need to note that they will need to bring everything they might need along with them for the visit to the park. There are actually no services available in the park so visitors need to prepare. However, visitors are going to be able to stay overnight in the park as camping is allowed.

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National Parks

Death Valley National Park

By BasicPlanet June 7, 2013

Death Valley National Park

An Interesting National Park

The Death Valley National Park is a beautiful national park found in two American States – Nevada and California. This is actually found just east of the Sierra Nevada and is near the Great Basin and Mojave deserts also. The park does have a lot of diverse desert environments of badlands, salt flats, valleys, sand dunes, mountains and canyons.

The Death Valley National Park is considered to be an international Biosphere Reserve and almost 95% of the entire park is a wilderness area. Throughout the entire country of America, this park is actually the driest and the hottest also. Though the park does play home to many different types of species of animals and plants; and most of these species have been able to adapt to the very harsh desert like environment found in the park. Some animals and plants that have adapted are the coyote, the creosote bush, bighorn Sheep and even the Death Valley Pupfish.

History of the Valley

Though, for many years thousands of years ago, there were many Native Americans that lived in groups in the park. It is said that the groups migrated from camp to camp during the winters and created camps that were especially for the winters. During the summer months, the settlers lived in the mountains on higher grounds.

However, the Death Valley received its name because of a group of people who were trying to find a short cut through to California’s gold fields. One of the party died in the Valley and since it was known as the Death Valley. Then not long after, there were many different boom towns that appeared during the 19th and 20th centuries; though these were to be short lived towns. They were set up there so that people to mine silver and gold, however there was no profit from these mining projects.

Death Valley National Park Facts — Great American road in Death Valley

Instead, borax was found and that was the only real profitable and long term ore to be found and successfully mined. However, the Valley wasn’t the most popular area of its time. Very few heard of it but it wasn’t until years later when the Valley really became popular. It was subject of many television series, radio programs, movies and even books; and that helped to create a tourism boom in the 1920s. This is when resorts were first built near the Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells.

The tourism boom did help to make the park more famous and maybe even contributed to it becoming a national monument. It was in 1933 when the Death Valley National Monument was announced. However, over the years the park expanded quite a bit and eventually it became a national park – though this wasn’t until 1994. So it is a very recent park, even though it has been known for so long.

Geology has played a huge part today when it comes to how the natural environment has shaped. The oldest of all rocks found in the Valley are metamorphosed and they are thought to be more than a billion years old which is truly amazing. It’s said that the valley is a graben; and that there is still so much unknown about every part of the Valley.

The Highlights of the Death Valley National Park

There are two major valleys; these are the Panamint Valley and the Death Valley. They are both amazing to visit and they are thought to have been formed only within a few million years or so. They are both bounded by the north south trending mountain ranges. The second lowest pint of the western hemisphere is in the park – the Badwater Basin on the Death Valley floor.

There is a lack of surface water in the park and it does contribute to the park being one of the driest locations in America. The temperatures of the Valley can reach up to 134 F. The daily temperatures can actually vary from a good 88 to 120 however it can vary and it has been known to vary throughout the years also. During the winter time, it can reach around 15 F.

Activities in the Death Valley National Park

Sightseeing is going to be one of the most popular activities in the park today. For those who wish to go sightseeing, they should use their vehicles; but they can also use bicycles, mountain bikes or go by foot. Hiking is certainly going to be a very popular activity in the park also. Though, visitors are able to use motorcycles to go through various parts of the park which can be a great option for anyone to see the various sights.

There are many good hiking trails to use and they range in length and difficulty also. Most of the back country roads and areas are going to be difficult to reach unless those going cross country hiking.

Death Valley California - Facts and information — Beautiful Sand Dune Formations in Death Valley California

There are 9 great designated campgrounds in the park; for anyone who wishes to camp out all night, they will need to obtain a camping permit which can be given at the Visitor Center. Though there are many different lodgings to choose from and one of the 3 star ranch style properties are going to be very special to visit and stay at also. There are also motels to choose from also for visitors.

Though, it is a very popular spot for star gazing also. The Death Valley National Park is going to have some of the very darkest skies during the night time. Even though, the park is a fairly remote location, the visibility at night is being threatened because of civilization.

Light pollution is a troublesome problem and it doesn’t help that Las Vegas is very close by. The north west of the park is going to have the darkest of skies. This is one of the reasons why the park is going to be one of the most popular areas to visit in America today also.

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National Parks

Olympic National Park

By BasicPlanet May 28, 2013

Olympic National Park

A Beautiful Paradise

The Olympic National Park is located in the American State of Washington and is an American National Park also. The Olympic park has four regions including the Alpine areas, the Pacific Coastline, the forests of the drier east side and the west side temperate rainforest also. President Franklin Roosevelt made the Olympic a national park in 1938, on the 29th of June.

The Park became an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976; and five years later in 1981, the Olympic National Park became a World Heritage Site. The park has a large coastal area; and it is a beautiful sight however as it’s very rugged with an amazing sandy beach. It is a massive sixty meters in length but only a small width. There are two rivers, the Hoh River and the Quileute River.

The Olympic Mountains are a very special part of the park however. The glaciers are many years old and they are just a beautiful range to visit; and Mount Olympus is the peak of the mountain range also. The Olympic park does also have rain forest – two be exact – those are the Quinault Rain forest and the Hoh Rain forest.

Native Americans did live on the peninsula. There was a good offer of hunting and fishing for the people living there and there are many artefacts that can be found to support this theory. However, there have been many expeditions of the National park and the explorers – Joseph O’Neil and James Wickersham back in 1890’s, found out more about the wild life and wilderness also. Throughout the years, there have been more and more information being known about the national park.

Olympic National Park Facts and information — Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park.

There are a lot of different roads; however, many of them do not go too far into the park. There is a huge network of hiking trails; though, the sheer size of the park and because of the park is very remote, it can take days, sometimes 5-7 days to actually reach higher parts of the park. The rain forest can be difficult to manoeuvre through however because it is a lush of greenery and plants as far as the eye could see. During the summer and early the park goes through dry spells.

During the colder months of the year, many look to the Hurricane Ridge which is a visitor centre; however this is a great spot to visit when it comes to Nordic skiing. There are options to go snowboarding also for any professional or amateur. This isn’t a profit skiing facility however even though they offer ski rentals, lessons and even lift tickets which are very cheap also. This is a very popular spot for tourists to stop in at.

There is also a small alpine area; however this is going to have a lift and rope tows. Many professional skiers love to ski down the Hurricane Ridge Road; and many love the hike to the top of the Ridge as the sights from the top can be very breathtaking. On occasion, rafting opportunities can be given also for rafting on the Hoh or Elwha Rivers.

From the viewpoint of Hurricane Ridge, it can be amazing and it is one of the reasons why many visitors visit each year. Though, there are picnic areas and trails for many visitors to spot in at west of Hurricane Ridge’s visitor centre. The paved hill trail is very popular and often receives many visitors and it is a great trek for those who wish to go for a long walk – it stands at 1.6 meters in length.

Sometimes, in July snow can be found lying on the road but it is because the ridge is almost 700 feet in elevation so it is a great distance. Also, there are dirt trails to use for the visitors and the difficulty levels are going to vary as well as the lengths of the trails. Picnic areas are however, open in the summer only but they do have wear access, paved access and there are restrooms should anyone need to use them.

There are going to be many uses for the Hurricane Ridge including being an information desk and restrooms. However, there is also a gift shop to stop in at and buy one or two little gifts and there is a snack bar also. The visitors centre is opened all year round and even during the winter months, the visitor centre receives many visitors.

Olympic National park Landscape — The Beautiful Hurricane Ridge at Olympic National park

The Elwha Ecosystem Restoration Project

The restoration project has been set up in order to protect and restore the animal wildlife and forest life. It is considered to be the second biggest ecosystem restoration project in America. The Everglades is the first for the National Park service; however, the Elwha project is going to require the removal of almost sixty four meters of the Glines Canyon Dam as well as to drain the reservoir. There is almost thirty three meters of Lake Mills to be removed as well as Lake Aldwell reservoir and the Elwha Dam; these will need to be removed from the Elwha River.

Once all of the dams have been removed, it will mean that the river bottoms and slopes will be re-vegetated. This is very important to do and it does mean that the slopes will need to be erosion free and by removing some of the dams, it will prevent erosion. It will also help to correct the problems with the ecosystem and speed up the recovery of the plants and green life returning to the land.

The purpose of the Elwha ecosystem restoration project is restore fleeting stocks of Steel head and Pacific Salmon to the Elwha River. These species have become less available in the rivers. However, the restoration project is a very important part of the Park because it is a protection and restoration program for the animals that are being depleted. This restoration project is hoped to be a big success and if it is, it could be hugely impacting for the entire park also.

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National Parks

The Rocky Mountain National Park

By BasicPlanet May 27, 2013

The Rocky Mountain National Park

A great place for camping

The Rocky Mountain National Park is found in Colorado. There are many beautiful views of the mountains as well as a huge variety of plant life and wild life to view also. The wooded forests are beautiful as well as the mountain Tundra also; there are endless back country trails and campsites to visit. The National Park is located in the Rockies near Boulder in the State of Colorado.

There are five different visitor centres in the Park including the Beaver Meadows Visitor Centre. This is a nation historical landmark; and the landmark was designed by the Frank Lloyd Wright School of architecture. There are three main roads in which visitors can get to the park; these including Highway 7, this provides access to the Lily Lake Visitor centre – however this is closed. There is also the highways 34, 36 and highway 7 which offer access to the park also.

History of Rocky Mountain National Park

There have been some evidence to show that Native Americans actually been seen in and around the park in the last ten thousand years or so. However, it is not well known whether or not their influence over the region was limited. There were an expedition of the National Park which was led by Stephen Long, in 1820 but the party never got to the mountains. However Longs Peak was named after the party leader, Stephen Long.

During a hunting expedition of the park in 1859, the meadows were discovered by Joel Estes and his son, this lead to the naming of Estes Park. The Estes family moved to that area of the park during 1860 and raised cattle on the meadows also. However, the family was forced out of the area in 1866 because of the winters which were very long and very harsh for them.

Ouzel Lake and Mahana Peak — Ouzel Lake / Photo taken by Sally Pearce

Though over time, there were more settlers coming to the area and staked claims to the region of Estes Park. Many who loved climbing showed up and climbed the mountains. In the 1880’s, there was a mining rush, small albeit but a mining rush. This started in the Never Summer Mountains and Lulu City which is a mining town, became a fast established city which brought in a lot of people to the area. This was helped with the media presence in the area.

However, in the mining town, there was ore found but the ore wasn’t of the best quality. It was low grade quality which didn’t bring in any money and in 1883 the entire mining town went bust. This led most of the residents in the area to move from the sight and one town, Dutchtown was abandoned in 84.

During the 1920’s however, there was a huge boom in lodgings being build and new roads being constructed across the park. This led to the Trail Ridge Road being created.

In 2010, on the 24th of June, a huge wild fire burned almost 1500 acres of land throughout the park. The fire burned a lot of the area in Larimer County found near the Estes Park; it was thought that lightning caused the fire.

What Visitors Can Do Whilst In the Park?

There are many things to do whilst visiting the park; and for many visitors, they like to take a park drive to the ever famous Trail Ridge Road. This is a popular spot but there are many other drives to take including the Cub Lake Road and the Fall River Road. However, many visitors can also back pack or hike. This is a very popular past time for many and love to hike and back pack through the many networks of trails and back country.

There is a vast network of almost 360 miles of trails to navigate through; and some of the trails can be very tough and some can be easy. Whatever the capabilities are of the hiker, they will find it in the Park. Most of the routes that hikers take are actually off trail and can be taken at almost any time.

However horseback riding is almost a popular past time for visitors. Anyone who wishes to go horseback riding will be able to take most of the trails, however there are one or two trails which are closed for horse riders; this is due to the llamas found on these trails and the trails are less exposed to erosion. Though, mountaineering and rock climbing has become a very popular pastime over the last few years.

Rocky Mountain National Park Information — Rocky Mountain National Park Landscape

There are many famous rock climbing areas to visit including the Longs Peak and the Hallett Peak; though there are a few others which are popular to visit. Some of the higher peaks will have ice and rock routes; these can range for different climbers. During the winter time, the trails throughout the park are going to be in fact covered with snow. This posses a great opportunity for those who love to go snow shoeing or cross country skiing as these are some of the most popular activities in the park.

Fishing and camping are also very popular activities as there are many streams and lakes which visitors can fish in; and there are many good camping grounds to stop in at also. Downhill skiing is also a very popular activity as many do use the slopes for skiing.

Places of Interest for Visitors

There are of course many beautiful areas in the Rocky Mountain National Park to visit, however, here are just of the most popular spots to visit.

Wild Basin

Mount meeker

Bear lake

Alpine visitors centre

Longs peak

Milner pass

Grand lake

Chasm lake

Dream Lake

Trail ridge road

Sprague lake

These are just a few popular areas but there are many more amazing sights to visit in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The Park is certainly a magical place and it offers so much variety and amazing sights to view also.

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National Parks

Zion National Park

By BasicPlanet May 27, 2013

Zion National Park

With beautiful colored stones

The Zion National Park can be found in Utah near the city of Springdale, it is located in the South West of America. The park has a land acre of almost two hundred and twenty nine square miles. The Zion Canyon takes up almost fifteen miles; this is almost 800 meters deep also. It is said that almost 8000 years ago was when the first Native American families moved to the area.

Since then, there have been many groups moving to and near the Zion national park; and it has been well known for almost a hundred years or more. President William Howard Taft, in 1909, the park was named a National Monument. He did this, so that the entire park, especially the canyon would be protected. It was named the Mukuntuweap National Monument. It wasn’t until 1918 when the National Park Service took charge of the park; during which time, the name of the Park was changed to Zion.

Many believed that the name change was due to the fact that the original name was difficult to pronounce. The National Park Service didn’t want to put off visitors just because they couldn’t say the name hence the name change.

Exploring the Park

The Horse Ranch Mountain is beautiful and it has an elevation of almost 2660 meters. The Horse Ranch Mountain can be found at the junction of the Great Basin, the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Plateau regions. Though, there are many amazing areas to visit in the park and no matter who visits they will enjoy the scenery.

There is a variety of plant species that can be found in the Zion National Park. There are almost 289 different species of birds as well as 75 different mammals with 19 of them being different species of bats. There are also 30 different types of reptiles which can be found in the park; these animals are going to be stretched across the four different life zones – the coniferous forest, the riparian, the desert and woodland areas. There are a variety of mountains and ranges as well as natural arches, monoliths, rivers, slot canyons, canyons, buttes, mesas and rivers.

All of the Zion national park is amazing and it will be very much remembered for years to come.

Zion National Park Facts — Zion National Park Landscape

The Activities of the Park

Hiking is a very popular activity when it comes to visiting Zion National Park in the summer time. Hikers can hike to Big Springs but to hike beyond that area, it will require a permit to do so. It can take almost 12 very strenuous hours to hike from Chamberlain’s Ranch so many experienced hikers love this trek. Though, there is a shorter alterative to choose from for those who are not experienced hikers.

To be honest, rock climbing is going to be one of the more popular activities in the Zion National Park. However, there are plenty of short walks to take including the Space shot, the Prodigal Son, Moonlight Buttress and Touchstone; each are all very popular short walks to take however.

The Zion Lodge does offer lodgings for all visitors. This is going to be found within the Zion Canyon; and the lodge is open all year round. There are plenty of cabins to take shelter at or motel units to use also. There is also a cafe, a restaurant and a gift store to stop in at but for any visitor should remember is that the lodgings are going to fill up very fast so if any visitor is looking for a vacancy they better book quickly and in advance also.

There are three different campgrounds to use also including the site at Lava Point, the South campground and the Watchman also. Watchman however takes reservations so for anyone looking to stay here; they will need to book in advance. Lava Point will only be open up from June to October and overnight camping will require permits.

There are many activities to choose from including;

Nature Walks

Evening Programs

Horseback Riding Trips

Rock Climbing

There are quite a lot of different activities to choose from but the evening programs will be available from the late part of March through to the early part of November. Though, there are junior programs available for younger admirers of the park including the Junior Ranger program which is for children aged 6-12 years. This group is going to be active from Memorial Day through to Labor Day. All of the activities are going to take place at the Zion Nature Centre.

Zion National Park Information — View of the Virgin River Narrows in Zion National Park

For visitors who wish to stay a few days at the Zion National park, there are Rangers who can help. Rangers love to help plan the stay for many visitors and there are many opportunities to learn about the history of the park. There is the Zion Natural History Association which offers books, souvenirs and maps for those visiting the areas. All of the proceeds which are made will be put back into the park to benefit it. This could help to improve restore some wild life and other areas of the park also.

Only a few meters from the park, there is the amazing little town of Springdale, Utah. This is south of the park and visitors are going to be able to get lodgings, entertainment and food. Though there are many opportunities for learning about the history of the Zion Canyon and history in the south west of America. Visitors can also find there are shelter, food and entertainment to the east of the park. This can be found on the Mount Carmel Junction and the Zion Mount Carmel Highway.

Some of the animals found in the park include:

The Whiptail

Collared Lizards

Rock Squirrels

Merriam Kangaroo Rats

Cougars

Coyotes

Ring Tail Cats

Golden Eagles

Red Tailed Hawks

Bighorn Sheep

California Condors

Plant Life

Manzanita Shrubs

Cliff Rose

Pinyon Pine

Gambel Oak

Aspen

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National Parks

Yellowstone National Park

By BasicPlanet May 23, 2013

Yellowstone National Park

A national emblem

The Yellowstone National Park has fast become a worldwide known name. In 1872, the American President, Ulysses S. Grant passed a law that stated Yellowstone was to become the first national park in America and in fact the world. It can be found mostly in the State of Wyoming; however, the park actually extends through into Idaho and even Montana so you may be able to understand how large this national park really is.

Yellowstone National Park is known for its vast wildlife as well as the many amazing features it has including the Old Faithful Geyser; this has fast become a popular feature for many. Though, strangely, Yellowstone also has a vast ecosystem; it has several to be exact and there is a subalpine forest which is the dominant of all ecosystems.

The Early Life of Yellowstone

Many do not know that for almost over 10,000 years, Yellowstone was actually the home to many Native Americans and that the region of Yellowstone was very much unknown for many years. It was a vast region that was very much unexplored or discovered even during the Expedition mission of Lewis and Clark which was in the 19th century, the early part of the century. However, the region was visited occasionally by the mountain men during the early and mid part of the 19th century.

It wasn’t until the late 1860’s when there was actually an organized exploration date set of Yellowstone. It was the American Army who was brought in to oversee things in the park. However, in 1917, the administration of the park was handed over; control was passed over to the National Park Service created in 1916. Since the early 1900’s, there have been many structures erected to help protect the historical features and architectural history of the Yellowstone National Park. What is more, over one thousand different archaeological sites have also been discovered and examined by researches since 1917.

Yellowstone National Park Facts — Grand Prismatic Spring

The Vastness of Yellowstone

Yellowstone is actually extremely large as it can span over a huge area of 8, 980 KM2; this is three thousand, four hundred and sixty eight point four square miles. This is a vast area to explore and there are many canyons, mountain ranges, rivers and of course lakes that make up Yellowstone. It is a beautiful area to explore and it holds so many secrets because even though it was discovered in the 1800’s, still so much is unknown.

The Yellowstone Lake is considered to be one of the few largest lakes that are high altitude lakes throughout North America. The largest super volcano can also be found on the North American continent – the Yellowstone Caldera. This is a fantastic feature of Yellowstone but it is still an active volcano. It has erupted thousand years ago and the force of the eruptions has all been very wild and very dangerous.

The Yellowstone Caldera actually covers most of the land area of Yellowstone; this is from the rocks from the volcano as well as the lava flow which also comes during the eruptions. What is more, almost 50% of the world’s geothermal factors come from Yellowstone and are found in Yellowstone. This is because of the volcano which creates a lot of friction and volcanism also.

However, the centrepiece of the National Park has to be the world’s bigger ecosystem – the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. It is the biggest in the North Temperate Zone on Earth. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is almost intact and is considered to be the largest of all ecosystems.

Though, in Yellowstone, there are dozens of different species of fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. There are hundreds in fact and many of them have been studied and documented by the authorities. There are several species which are considered to be endangered; and there might still be species out there that is undiscovered.

Though, the grasslands and forests are tremendous as they are very large and there are endless species of plants which are considered to be unique also. There are many different types of animals found in the park including herds of elk and bison – which are free and unkempt; and there are also wolves and grizzly bears that can be found in Yellowstone. This is their home and they are undisturbed by many who visit; and the bison herd in the park is actually the oldest herd found in America today.

Mostly each year, there will be a forest fire that breaks out. This can occur and one of the biggest fires was in 1988 in which almost a third of the entire park was damaged and burnt. Though, the park is considered to be safe as there are many recreational activities to complete.

– Boating

– Fishing

– Sightseeing

– Hiking

– Camping

Yellowstone National Park information — Bison in Yellowstone National Park

These are only a few examples of recreational activities. However the park does have millions of visitors each year including tourists and local parties also. There are many good paved roads which allow visitors to easily access the various areas of the park. They can take visitors to the beautiful sights of the waterfalls the park has and of course some of the most amazing lakes also. During the winter time however, most of the visitors are going to use snow mobiles or snow coaches to visit the park and delve deeper into the park also.

However, in the very early life of the park, there were many who wanted to reduce the overall size of the park. Many wanted to be able to use some of the land that Yellowstone covered for things such as hunting, logging, mining and many other activities could go ahead. However, that was when the American government got involved; though it was difficult to prevent anything happening to the park as there was very little money available.

Today, the Yellowstone National Park is a national icon and something which is very popular. It is a natural beauty and something that is very spectacular indeed with many amazing features to view as well as history found here.

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