Travel Tip 2015: Tip 9 Underrated/Unkown National Parks in the US - Ondergewaarde/Onbekende Nationale Parken in Amerika
Een rijtje van minder bekende parken voor als je eens iets anders zoekt dan altijd maar weer Yellowstone NP, Yosemite NP en de Grand Canyon.
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A list of lesser-known parks, if you are looking for something different than always Yellowstone NP, Yosemite NP and the Grand Canyon.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado dit is het op twee na kleinste nationale park in Amerika. De steilste, donkerste en meest ruige canyons in Amerika die gevormd worden door de Gunnison rivier. Het park ligt in het middenwesten van de Staat Colorado gelegen aan de US-50. Afslag naar het park ligt gelegen tussen Gunnison (96km ten westen) en Montrose(17.6km ten oosten). De CO-347 voert je door een gebied met veel struikgewas en brengt naar een hoogte van 2500m. Dit is de zuidingang van het park. De noordingang is wel bereikbaar maar alleen via een onverharde weg en is ‘s winters gesloten.
Je vindt hier zo wel aan de zuid als aan de noord rim mooie wandelingen, verder kun je hier ook veel dieren zien, klimmen, fietsen (alleen noord rim), paardrijden en kajakken.
Er zijn geen accommodaties in het park wel 2 campings (noord en zuid) waarvan de grootste in het zuidelijk gedeelte ligt – reserveren niet mogelijk en ’s zomers kan de noordelijke camping vol zijn. Water is er verkrijgbaar vanaf half mei tot half oktober.
Dit park is een goede combinatie met 2 van mijn reizen in Colorado – zie mijn website
Petrified Forest National Park, in het noordoosten van Arizona. Hier bevindt de grootste verzameling versteende bomen ter wereld. De bomen groeide zo’n 225 miljoen geleden in een gebied wat doorkruist werd door veel rivieren. Door hoogwater vielen de bomen om en werden naar de huidige plek gespoeld. Hier werden ze bedenkt met zand en slib, waar vulkanisch as in zat. Hierdoor werd de verrotting vertraagd, het hout verhardde en versteende.
Binnen het park kun je op veel plekken deze bomen zien liggen en door erosie komen er steeds weer nieuwe stukken aan het oppervlak.
Een 45km lange weg die door het park loopt biedt veel uitkijkpunten en beginpunten van korte wandelingen. In dit gedeelte van Arizona waait het stevig en daardoor kunnen er zomers zandstormen voorkomen en ’s winters ijzige wind.
Dit park kan goed worden gecombineerd met een bezoek aan Sedona, Grand Canyon en Sunset Crater Vulcano National Monument
Voor meer informatie kun je naar mijn website gaan waar een meerdere reizen in dit gebied staan.
Je kunt in het park veel wandelingen maken . Ook kun je hier de Cathedral Vally Loop rijden, dit is een onverharde weg in het noorden van het park. In het begin van de loop moet je met de auto door een rivierbedding, deze is meestal laag genoeg om zonder problemen te kruisen.
Diverse campings liggen in het park maar verder geen accommodatie aanwezig. De gemiddelde temperatuur is rond de 25C maar kan ook oplopen tot zo’n 40C/.
Dit park is goed te combineren met al het moois wat de staat Utah te bieden heeft zoals Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Bryce NP, Zion NP en Grand Staircase Escalente National Monument maar ook met Monument Valley wat net op de grens ligt met Arizona.
Voor een idee kun je uiteraard weer op de site terecht. Bv Denver & Parks.
Ook kun je even kijken op mijn blog
Je vindt hier korte maar zeker ook lange wandelingen een pracht onverharde weg die Medano Pass Primitive Road heet. Deze 30.4 km onverharde weg brengt u naar de Medano pas op een hoogte van 3.043 m.
Geen accommodatie aanwezig en slecht 1 camping en deze accepteert geen reserveringen.
Dit park is een goede combinatie met Mesa Verde National Park en Rocky Mountain National Park – kijk voor een route op mijn site. Bv de reis Denver Connection
#Blackcanyon
#greatsanddunes
#capitalreef
#petrifiedforest
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Description in English:
1. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado This is second smallest national park in America. The steepest, darkest and most rugged canyons in America are formed by the Gunnison River. The park is located in the midwest of Colorado located on the US-50. Exit to the park is located between Gunnison (60 miles West) and Montrose (11 miles East). The CO-347 winds through an area with a lot of scrub and brings you to an altitude of 833ft. This is the south entrance of the park. The northern entrance is reachable but only via a dirt road and is closed in winter.
Description in English:
Scenic walks can be found on both rims, you can also see many animals, do rock climbing, cycling (only north rim), horseback riding and kayaking.
There are no accommodations in the park but has 2 campsites (North and South) the largest of which is located in the southern part – reservations not accepted and during summer the Northern campground are often full. Water is available from mid-May to mid-October.
This park is a good combination with 2 of my travels in Colorado – see my website
2. Petrified Forest National Park , in northeastern Arizona. Here is the largest collection of petrified trees in the world. The trees grew about 225 million ago in an area that was crossed by many rivers. Due to high water the trees fell and were taken to the current spot. Here they were covered with sand and silt, which both contained volcanic ashes. This delayed the wood rot and got hardened and fossilized.
Within the park you can see these trees and in many places, due to erosion, new pieces reach to the surface.
A 45 km long road that runs through the park offers many viewpoints and starting points of short trails. In this part of Arizona wind is blowing firmly and therefore sandstorms occure in the summer and in the winter there is an icy wind.
This park can well be combined with a visit to Sedona, Grand Canyon National Monument and Sunset Crater Vulcano
For more information, visit my website where you can find multiple trips in this area.
Eg. the Grand Parks Tour
3. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah in southern Utah and is an elongated park which consists of 2 parts. Northerly Cathedral Valley, a dessert landscape with high sandstone cliffs which by their form the look like cathedrals. In the South is the Waterpackter Fold, a 100 mile long crack in the Earth's crust.
You can make many walks in the park. You can also add the Cathedral Vally Loop drive, this is a dirt road in the North of the park. In the beginning, you need to drive the car through a river bed, this is usually low enough to cross without problems.
Several campsites are located in the park but no further accommodation provided. The average temperature is around 77F but may also amount to about 104F
This park is easily combined with the beautiful things the State of Utah has to offer such as Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Bryce NP, Zion NP and Grand Stairxase Escalente National Monument but also with Monument Valley which is just on the border with Arizona.
For an idea of course you could turn on the site. E.g. Denver & Parks.
You can also have a look on my blog
4. Great Sand Dunes National Park, is located in Southern Colorado in the San Luis Valley and offers the highest sand dunes in the US. The dunes cover an area of 44 square miles and here and there they reach a height of about 656ft. The sand dunes with the backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains which are part of the Rocky Mountains. Adjacent is Great Sand Dunes National preserve with alpine nature and 6 mountains with an altitude of over 13.123ft.
You will find here short but also long trails, a beautiful dirt road called Medano Pass Primitive Road. This 19 miles dirt road takes you to the Medano pass at an altitude of 9.984ft
No accommodation provided and only 1 campground and which does not accept reservations.
This park is a good combination with Mesa Verde National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park Look for an itinerary on my site. E.g. Denver Connection
There are no accommodations in the park but has 2 campsites (North and South) the largest of which is located in the southern part – reservations not accepted and during summer the Northern campground are often full. Water is available from mid-May to mid-October.
This park is a good combination with 2 of my travels in Colorado – see my website
2. Petrified Forest National Park , in northeastern Arizona. Here is the largest collection of petrified trees in the world. The trees grew about 225 million ago in an area that was crossed by many rivers. Due to high water the trees fell and were taken to the current spot. Here they were covered with sand and silt, which both contained volcanic ashes. This delayed the wood rot and got hardened and fossilized.
Within the park you can see these trees and in many places, due to erosion, new pieces reach to the surface.
A 45 km long road that runs through the park offers many viewpoints and starting points of short trails. In this part of Arizona wind is blowing firmly and therefore sandstorms occure in the summer and in the winter there is an icy wind.
This park can well be combined with a visit to Sedona, Grand Canyon National Monument and Sunset Crater Vulcano
For more information, visit my website where you can find multiple trips in this area.
Eg. the Grand Parks Tour
3. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah in southern Utah and is an elongated park which consists of 2 parts. Northerly Cathedral Valley, a dessert landscape with high sandstone cliffs which by their form the look like cathedrals. In the South is the Waterpackter Fold, a 100 mile long crack in the Earth's crust.
You can make many walks in the park. You can also add the Cathedral Vally Loop drive, this is a dirt road in the North of the park. In the beginning, you need to drive the car through a river bed, this is usually low enough to cross without problems.
Several campsites are located in the park but no further accommodation provided. The average temperature is around 77F but may also amount to about 104F
This park is easily combined with the beautiful things the State of Utah has to offer such as Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Bryce NP, Zion NP and Grand Stairxase Escalente National Monument but also with Monument Valley which is just on the border with Arizona.
For an idea of course you could turn on the site. E.g. Denver & Parks.
You can also have a look on my blog
4. Great Sand Dunes National Park, is located in Southern Colorado in the San Luis Valley and offers the highest sand dunes in the US. The dunes cover an area of 44 square miles and here and there they reach a height of about 656ft. The sand dunes with the backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains which are part of the Rocky Mountains. Adjacent is Great Sand Dunes National preserve with alpine nature and 6 mountains with an altitude of over 13.123ft.
You will find here short but also long trails, a beautiful dirt road called Medano Pass Primitive Road. This 19 miles dirt road takes you to the Medano pass at an altitude of 9.984ft
No accommodation provided and only 1 campground and which does not accept reservations.
This park is a good combination with Mesa Verde National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park Look for an itinerary on my site. E.g. Denver Connection
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