Author's posts
Jan 27 2024
Manu National Park
Manu National Park is one of the most biologically extraordinary protected areas on Earth. Stretching from the high Andes into the lowland Amazon of southeastern Peru, the park encompasses cloud forests, mountain grasslands, river valleys, wetlands, and vast expanses of tropical rainforest. Few protected areas contain such a dramatic range of elevations and habitats within …
Jan 04 2024
Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park protects the highest mountains in Australia, sweeping alpine grasslands, glacial lakes, snow gum forests, limestone caves, rivers, historic mountain huts, and some of the country’s rarest wildlife. Covering about 690,000 hectares in southeastern New South Wales, it is the largest national park in the state and the centerpiece of Australia’s Snowy Mountains. …
Jan 02 2024
General Sherman Tree: The World’s Largest Tree by Volume
The General Sherman Tree is not the tallest tree on Earth, nor is it the widest. Its claim to fame is even more remarkable: General Sherman is the largest known living single-stem tree in the world when measured by trunk volume. Standing in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park, General Sherman rises nearly 275 …
Oct 18 2023
Old Faithful Geyser: Eruption Times, Facts & Visitor Guide
Old Faithful is the most famous geyser in Yellowstone National Park and one of the best-known natural landmarks in the United States. For more than a century, visitors have gathered around its steaming cone to watch superheated water surge into the air above Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin. Its fame comes partly from spectacle and partly …
Jul 04 2023
National Park Packing List: Essential Gear & Checklist for Every Trip
Packing for a national park trip is different from packing for an ordinary vacation. You may spend the morning driving between overlooks, the afternoon hiking several miles from the nearest road, and the evening dealing with a sudden thunderstorm, falling temperatures, strong wind, or an unexpectedly long drive back to your lodging. The right packing …
Jun 05 2023
Paws and Trails: Exploring National Parks with Your Furry Friend
A national park road trip can be even more memorable when your dog comes along for the adventure. Morning walks beneath towering mountains, evenings at a campground, scenic drives through forests, and quiet stops beside lakes can all be wonderful experiences to share with a four-legged traveling companion. Traveling through national parks with a pet, …
May 20 2023
National Parks vs. Biosphere Reserves: What’s the Difference?
National parks and biosphere reserves are both associated with conservation, spectacular landscapes, wildlife, and protected ecosystems, so it is easy to assume the terms describe roughly the same thing. They do not. A national park is generally a protected area established under the laws of the country in which it is located. Its boundaries, management …
May 06 2023
How Deep Is Carlsbad Caverns? Depth, Size & Cave Measurements
Carlsbad Caverns is enormous, but describing exactly how enormous is more complicated than giving a single number. Carlsbad Caverns National Park protects around 120 known caves beneath the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico. The cave most visitors explore—Carlsbad Cavern—contains more than 30 miles of surveyed passages and reaches approximately 1,034 feet below its highest …
