Fascinating facts about the US National Parks
The US National Park Service is in charge of 59 National Parks, but there are plenty more protected areas and reserves. Such areas include national monuments, historic locations, lakeshores, seashores, scenic rivers, recreation areas, and battlefields. There are many interesting things that you can learn through the nation’s parks and thus expand your knowledge of the country’s character. If you are a curious person, then you may know some of the following facts. But if not, now’s the right time to learn them.
Sequoia National Park, California
The park is home to the world’s largest single-stem living tree. The tree is called General Sherman, it’s 84 meters tall, and it weighs approximately 2000 metric tonnes.
Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
North America’s highest point is located in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. It’s called Mount McKinley or Denali, and its height is 20,320ft.
Badwater Basin in Death Valley, California
The lowest point of the United States and also in the Western hemisphere is found in the Badwater Basin in California. The spot itself is a pool fed by a spring that collects salt from the surrounding area. The water is not drinkable, of course, but the site got its name because of the salty water. It lies 282 ft below sea level.
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
Mammoth Cave is the largest cave system in the world known so far. There are 3454 miles of cave, with a 2-acre cavern being the biggest in the system.
Arctic Circle, Alaska
There are two American national parks located north of the Arctic Circle. They are The Gates of the Arctic and the Kobuk Valley National Parks.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
This is the largest national park in the states with 13.2 million acres of total area. Its surface area is bigger than the whole of Switzerland.
Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial
The house of Thaddeus Kosciuszko in Philadelphia is the smallest property owned by the US National Park Service. It was the temporary home of the Polish freedom fighter, and it’s only 0.02 acres.
White Sands National Monument
White Sands National Monument is located in the state of New Mexico and contains the largest gypsum dunes in the world.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is the oldest national park in the US, founded in 1872. Also, it’s considered to be one of the oldest parks in the world. It is spread over three states, including Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. The park is known worldwide for its abundant wildlife and numerous geothermal features that attract visitors from all over the country.
Pinnacles National Park
Pinnacle National Park is the youngest national park on the territory of the US. It’s located near the Salinas Valley in California. It was established as a national park in 2013.
Everglades National Park
This Florida natural reserve is the only tropical region in the northern hemisphere. Therefore, there are plant and animal species in the area that you can’t find anywhere else in the States. Various animals like the Florida Panther are endemic to the Everglades. Also, there are about twenty species of orchid that grow here, a flower that grows mostly in the tropical countries of South America.
Carter Lake National Park
Crater Lake National park in Oregon is the home of the deepest lake in the United States, Crater Lake. It’s 1938 ft deep, which means it can cover the Statue of Liberty five times.
The United States is a country with plenty of incredible natural wonders that are waiting to be experienced and explored. Some are more popular than others, but all of them are without doubt worth visiting. Choose your favorite park and plan a weekend full of excitement and thrills together with your friends and family. Good luck!
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