Last Saturday I flew into Anchorage from Orange County after a quick lay-over in Seattle. Two days later I caught an eight-seater dual prop plane from Anchorage to Glenallen (186 miles / 300 km) and then squeezed into a Cessna mail plane to get from there to McCarthy (100 miles / 160 km).
Category: National Park
Overnight backpacking trip to Joshua Tree National Park
About a month ago I went to Joshua Tree National Park with my brother and my cousins who live in Ridgecrest. We hiked the California Riding and Hiking Trail (weird name, I know) to Quail Mountain from the Juniper Flats staging area.
National Park Cliff Notes: Rocky Mountain NP – Colorado
Positioned high atop the Front Range Rockies of central Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park protects a vast area of mountains, tundra, and forest. The continental divide separating the Pacific and Atlantic watersheds jogs directly through the park following a string of peaks in excess of 13,000 feet.
National Park Cliff Notes: Great Sand Dunes NP – Colorado
Great Sand Dunes National Park is geologic curiosity of the American West. At over 700 feet (213 m), these dunes are the tallest in North America, but it’s their location, not their size, that makes them so interesting. Without a desert environment to belong to, the dunes occupy a six mile wide pocket Read More …
Destination Alaska
In a month and a half I am flying up to Alaska to work for a bush plane company operating out of Wrangel St. Elias National Park and Preserve (map / wiki). When I visited Wrangel St. Elias National Park last year it made a lasting impression on me.
National Park Cliff Notes: Shenandoah NP – Virginia
Shenandoah National Park protects a long range of the of the greater Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Virginia. In fact, where the famous Blue Ridge Parkway ends, Shenandoah NP picks up and continues north. It’s interesting to note that much of the land that would become Shenandoah was methodically acquired by the Virginia Commonwealth Read More …
National Park Cliff Notes: Great Smokey Mountains NP – North Carolina & Tennessee
Straddling the border between Tennessee and North Carolina, Great Smokey Mountains National Park protects a serene section of the greater Appalachian Mountain Range. The Smokies get their name from the low lying clouds which frequently flow through their valleys an pulse over their peaks. The interior of the park is accessed by driving the winding Read More …
National Park Cliff Notes: Congaree NP – South Carolina
Located in South Carolina’s central wetlands, Congaree National Park protects the largest group of old growth bottomland hardwood forest in the southeastern US. The area is relatively flat and continually inundated in shallow water. The local variety of trees are well adapted to these conditions, Their roots don’t rot and they are able to grasp Read More …
National Park Cliff Notes: Dry Tortugas NP – Florida
Isolated in open water 70 miles (113 km) west of Key West, Dry Tortugas National Park encompasses 100 square miles of shallow reefs and sandy sea floor punctuated with seven small islands. On the largest of the seven stands the imposing Fort Jefferson. The park is accessible by ferry ($175), seaplane ($555), and private Read More …
National Park Cliff Notes: Everglades NP – Florida
Everglades National Park is an expansive wetland area covering the continually inundated southern tip of Florida. The uniqueness of the area is widely recognized. It is one of only three sites in the world to be declared an International Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International Importance. Everglades National Park Read More …