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Canyonlands National Park, in southeastern Utah, encompasses deeply
eroded canyons peppered with sheer-sided mesas and a variety of
spires, arches and unusual rock formations. The Green and Colorado
rivers meet and continue in a series of powerful rapids through the
multicolored recesses of Cataract Canyon. The park has numerous
opportunities for back country hiking and travel by four-wheel-drive
vehicle, mountain bike, horse, canoe, kayak, or white-water raft.
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Named for reef-like cliffs capped by white sandstone formations resembling
the U.S. Capitol, the park contains a sensational section of the
Waterpocket Fold. The fold stretches approximately 100 miles southeastward
from Thousand Lake Mountain to Lake Powell and graphically
illustrates the way the Earth’s surface was built, folded and eroded.
Numerous eroded basins or “pockets” that can hold thousands of
gallons of rainwater are held in this uprising. Near the visitor center,
brightly tinted tiered cliffs-called sleeping rainbows by the Navajosrise
1,000 feet above the Fremont River. Pre-Columbian Indian petroglyphs
can be seen on the encompassing canyon walls. In the midst of
Capitol Reef’s red rock are orchards where fruit may be harvested in
season.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns National Park lies at the rugged base of the
Guadalupe Mountains. Located its 73 square miles is Carlsbad Cavern, a
series of enormous rooms that form one of the world’s largest caves.
The cavern was created in a limestone reef by percolating ground
water, thought to have begun some 3 to 5 million years ago.
Attractive effects range from small, delicate growths resembling plants
to massive stalagmites, stalactites and columns. Many are dyed by iron
and other minerals in the limestone. A marvel occurs each evening at
dusk from approximately May through October, when bats emerge from
the uppermost chamber of the cavern. Winding through the entrance,
they pour southward over the rim, later to disperse in search of food.
The flight outward may last up to an hour, the mass of bats return
near dawn. The number of bats changes with the availability of nightflying
insects upon which they feed. When insects are abundant nearly
a million bats may be present. During the day they hang head down
from the walls and ceilings in a portion of the cavern closed to visitors.
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
On the crest of the Cascade Range, Crater Lake National Park is known
for its natural beauty. The most extraordinary feature is Crater Lake,
outstanding for its deep, brilliant blue color. The lake is 6 miles long,
4 ½ miles wide and 1,932 feet deep. Its 20 mile shoreline is encircled
by lava cliffs that rise 500 to 2,000 feet over the lake. Many years
ago, Mount Mazama, a 12,000-foot volcano, occupied the site of Crater
Lake. Vicious eruptions emptied the magma chamber beneath the
mountain and caused the mountain top to collapse, creating the
caldera which now contains the lake. Including three zones of vegetation,
the park has more than 570 species of plants and a variety of
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