Wildlife

Top 10 National Parks in United States

America has some of the best national parks in the world which draws millions of visitors every year to explore the natural wonders. There are over 62 national parks in the country and it would be difficult to cover them all in a single visit. This is the reason why we are sharing the list of top 10 national parks in United States to help you narrow down your choices.

1. Yosemite National Park

This park is home to some of the most iconic sites in the country. The stunning viewpoints, hiking trails, plunging waterfalls, and giant trees make this one of the best national parks in United States. It’s also a major hub for cultural activities such as the Sierra Art Trails and the Yosemite Music Festival.

The Yosemite National Park spreads over 1,200 square miles and has over 4 million visitors annually. If you want to see the largest granite slab in the world, then you should head to El Capitan which you will be able to find in this national park. The Tunnel View provides you the view of all the highlights of this national park simultaneously. You can swim in the Merced River, rent a raft, hike, stargaze and also visit the Tunnel View here.

2. Grand Canyon National Park

This national park is home to the top natural wonders in the world and is also the most visited park in America. The magnitude of this 277-mile long deeply eroded river gorge has millions of visitors every year. El Tovar is the favorite place in this park to watch the sunset.

You can explore the marvels of nature at a luxury camp hosted by Under Canvas, which is built at the base of Bill Williams Mountain. Don’t forget to try the zip line and hiking the canyon from one end to another to get a better view of the national park. You can also raft on the Colorado River or just enjoy the view from the Skywalk Observation deck while you are here.

3. Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is popular for its unique geological features. It has everything from bubbling mud pots to steaming vents, and colorful pools to geysers. In fact, this national park has the largest collection of geysers in the world. The park is imminently beautiful in all weather and across all seasons.

The iconic attractions of this park can be experienced on a scenic drive. Spanning two million acres, Yellowstone is home to several shaggy animals and herds of bison. You can also hear wolves howling if you are camping at night.

4. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

These two national parks in United States lying adjacent to each other, are home to some of the largest and the oldest trees on the planet. General Sherman, the biggest tree in the world measuring 60 feet wide and 275 feet tall has made this national park its home. The massive 3,200-year-old giant sequoia tree is absolutely breathtaking. The parks are also popular for underground stalagmites and stalactites.

Both parks offer hiking trails that take you into remote areas. They do have consolidated management structure and have been jointly administered since 1943.

5. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Want to witness bubbling lava, sulfurous steam, and black landscapes? Then the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is where you need to be. It has some of the most unique cultural, geographical, and biological landscapes in the world. It encompasses the summits of the two most active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. The park has also earned the status of World Heritage Site in 1987 and also an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980.

6. Olympic National Park

Majestic mountains, rugged coastlines, and dense forests define the Olympic National Park. Whether you want to explore tide pools, engage in adventurous activities, or just walk on the beach, you can do it all at here. This park is a haven for nature lovers, stargazers, hikers, and photographers.

Spanning across 1 million acres, this national park is home to temperate rainforests and over 70 miles of wide coastline. It is both an International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site today.

7. Death Valley National Park

This park occupies an interface zone between the Mojave Desert and the Great Basin. It has a diverse environment of sand dunes, salt flats, canyons, badlands, mountains, and valleys. It is the lowest, driest, and hottest of all national parks in the United States. About 91 % region of this park has been designated as a wilderness area.

If you are lucky, you can spot coyotes, bighorn sheep, creosote bush, and the Death Valley pupfish while exploring this national park. The Titus Canyon is a prominent attraction for its colorful rocks and a ghost town. The Zabriskie Point is another must-visit place as it offers some of the most stunning colorful rock formations in entire California.

8. Rocky Mountain National Park

If you want to explore alpine lakes, abundant wildlife, tundra wildflowers, and majestic mountains, then Rocky Mountain National Park is where you need to head. Within the boundaries of this spectacular park, over 100 mountain peaks rise above 11,000 feet in altitude. The Trail Ridge Road is the most scenic vehicle route you can take. It is the highest continuously paved highway in North America.

You can spot mule deer and chipmunks here every day. The western region of this park is more lush and green while the eastern side is mountainous, scrubby, and arid. The park is home to over 150 lakes and there are 359 hiking trails for you to explore its majestic beauty.

9. Arches National Park

Another of the most popular national parks in United States, the Aches National Park is known for its otherworldly and visually arresting natural scenic beauty. The red sandstone formations shaped by the wind and water over time are the most captivating regions. The impressive natural archways and rock ways steal the show at this national park. You will come across over 2,000 arches exploring this region. It is easier to explore this national park as most of the prime sights can be found right along the main road.

10. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The sprawling landscape of lush forests and the wildly charm of this national park attracts over 11 million visitors throughout the year. The waterfalls, rivers, streams, and hiking routes are the prime attraction of this park. There is an Observation tower on the highest peak which offers panoramic views of the surrounding mist-covered mountains. This park is also home to black bears which you can spot while hiking.

June 12, 2021 0 comment

Adventure Latin America Wildlife

Experience These 5 Wildlife Adventures in Galapagos Which Are Just Amazing

written by Umang Trivedi

The Galapagos islands are an archipelago of nineteen volcanic islands situated in Equator. These volcanic islands seem to have dropped out of a World Disney movie that you can live and breathe. The islands should be on the bucket list of every tourist. The gigantic sea tortoises, racer snakes, sea lions and hammerheads give the illusion of a prehistoric time with fascinating creatures walking the earth. Here are five activities that you must do when touring the Galapagos islands.

Spy On The Tortoises In El Chato Tortoise Reserve

The giant tortoises are one of the most famous celebrity creatures of the Galapagos islands. These calm creatures usually walk from the highlands towards the coast and back. The El Chato tortoise reserve and the Rancho Primicias in the Santa Cruz islands are two of the best places to spot these giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands. The giant tortoises at the reserve are actually gigantic in size and remind you of the alien animals from the movie Avatar. If you go looking for the giant tortoises in Rancho Primicias, then might even get to see the short-ear owl and a Darwin finch. You can also find tortoise shells and walk through tunnels made from cooled lava in the Rancho Primicias.

Snorkeling With The Galapagos Penguins

Every island on the Galapagos has something unique to offer and Isla Bartolome is no exception. This is the place where large colonies of Galapagos penguins like to spend most of their time. Snorkeling with the penguins is an experience of a lifetime and should be a must on your trip to Galapagos. You can experience their speed and agility when you snorkel with them. Alternatively, you can climb to the top of the island and capture great pictures .The island looks even more beautiful from the top but you might feel a bit worn as you climb to the top.

Floating Above The Hammerheads

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to float among a group of sharks ? Well, you can get a taste of this frightening fantasy at Kicker Rock. The snorkeling mecca of Kicker Rock is also the hub of most aquatic lifeforms where they congregate in search of underwater food. You can spot a wide variety of tropical fishes and play with the baby sea lions as you swim in the clear water. Another noteworthy fact is the presence of the hammerhead sharks that assemble and circle just below you. The presence of hammerhead sharks at a sniffing distance is obviously the highlight of the trip to Kicker Rock for most tourists.

Hike On The Sierra Negra Volcano

If you ever wanted to see a volcano from up close, then this is your golden chance. Climb the eastern side of the Sierra Negra volcano to reach the world’s second largest crater located at a height of 4550 feet. You will need proper boots and a lot of water for the hike. Although the hike to the top is a difficult one and cannot be completed without the assistance of a guide, but the view from the top is worth the hardship. Alternatively, you can also reach the volcano on a horse back from Santo Tomas.

Spot The Marine Iguanas In The Fernandina Island

If you are visiting the Fernandina island, then make sure you don’t mistake the marine Iguanas for rocks and sit on them. The marine iguanas are known to be found along the rocky shores. They occupy most of the Galapagos islands and have seven subspecies adding up to 250,000 spread over the islands. The species that is found in abundance in Fernandina island is Cristatus. The marine iguanas have a flattened nose and flattened tail. The flattened nose helps them eat algae while the flattened tail is another adaptation that assists them in swimming.

June 17, 2020 0 comment

Wildlife

8 Places to See A Variety of Monkeys You Haven’t Seen Yet

written by Umang Trivedi

Tracking down monkeys around the world is no child’s play. These little animals are smart and clever and know how to make the best of the ir surroundings. Given below are 8 destinations around the world where these exotic animals can be found :

Simien mountains national park, Ethiopia :

The Gelada baboon are also known as the ‘bleeding heart monkey’ for its red-streaked chest. These primates are the most terrestrial monkeys and are a rare species. Due to their red chest they are easy to spot and can be found on the Giant Lobelia in the Simiens located in the north of Ethiopia. If you wish to spy on these rare Geladas , then you must take a guide and a gunmen on your hike. The journey usually takes between two to fourteen days. The best time to take up the hike is between October and March.

PC: http://animalstime.com

Madagascar :

The forests and grasslands of Madagascar are home to many exotic animals and among them the lemurs are quite popular. They include the aye aye , golden crown sifara and ring tailed lemur. You can find many of them in the tamarind forests of the Berenty reserve. You can also spot Verreaux Sifakas in the spiny forests and at night you can find the grey mouse lemur. The endangered golden Crown sifacas dwell among the loky manambato towards the north. Although you may also get to see the aye-aye here , a better place to spot aye-aye is the Aye-Aye island located close to Mananara. The best time to visit these places are between April and December.

PC: madamagazine.com

Mahale mountains national park & Gombe stream national park, Tanzania :

The Mahale mountains national park is a great place to spot chimps. Its white sand coves, kayaking facilities and beautiful rocks housing about 1000 chimps make for a great adventure. However, it is not the only place in Tanzania where you can spot the chimpanzees from close quarters. The Gombe stream national park covering 56 square kilometers around Lake Tanganyika is also the dwelling place of about 100 chimpanzees. It can be reached through a boat journey from Kigoma followed by trekking into the interiors to get a glimpse of the chimps. You can also spot olive baboons and red colobus and crocodiles in the national park. The best time for the trip is between June to October when the trails aren’t muddy.

PC: sciencenews.org

Borneo-Sabah, Malaysia & Kalimanthan, Indonesia :

The Borneo forests of Malaysia is one of the best places in the world to spot orangutans. Travel on boats via the Kinabatangan river into the Sabah to check out the Orangutans, macaques and gibbons. If you prefer to travel through another route, then approach the dense Danum valley in Sabah to spot 500 orangutans. Another great place to spot orangutans are the Kalimanthan and Tanjung Puting national parks of Indonesia. These dense forests boast of around 5000 orangutans. You can reach Camp Leakey via a two and half hour boat trip on Sekonyer river from Kumai.

PC: smithsonianmag.com

Jigokudani monkey park, Japan :

The Japanese macaquey , popularly known as the snow monkey, are a sight to behold when they bathe in the man made pool in the Jigokudani monkey park. The friendly red-faced monkeys are pretty used to human audiences and don’t fret the attention. Although they use the lake to sooth themselves throughout the year, the best time to capture the pictures is during December to March when it snows. Apart from the snow monkeys , you can also spot flying squirrel , Asiatic black bear, wild boar and Japanese serow in the park.

PC: neprimateconservancy.org

Community Baboon Sanctuary, Belize :

The black howler monkeys are the most vociferous of the primates and stretch from Belize & Mexico to Guatemala , but they aren’t that easy to spot. However, the Community Baboon Sanctuary and the forests lying beside the Belize river is the best place to find them. If you take canoe trips or walk along the forest, you can find them hanging by the trees lining the riverbanks. You can also stay at the lodge to wake up with the loud calls of thousands of baboons in the morning. The sanctuary also houses 200 species of birds, hickatree river turtle and Eyra cats.

PC: travelbelize.org

Van Long Nature Reserve, Vietnam :

Situated in the Ninh Binh province , the Van Long Nature reserve hosts some of the rarest Delacour’s langur. Their black bodies & thick long black tails distinguish these primates. Being a tough place to reach, this area is free from poachers and makes for a good setting for these monkeys along with many birds that can be spotted here. Apart from the langurs , you can also find white-browed crake and black-faced spoonbill in this reserve.

PC: cvdvn.net

Khao Yai National Park, Thailand :

Khao Yai National Park is one of the largest monsoon forests in Asia and boasts of white-handed gibbons whose calls during the morning are intriguing and frightening at the same time. With its waterfalls, limestone karsts and rainforests the park is a paradise for nature lovers. You can trek to the interiors via the Liana Vines to be greeted by the white-handed gibbons and macaques. You will also find 300 bird species , elephants, Gaur, and clouded leopards in this national park.

PC: wikimedia.org

February 2, 2018 0 comment