Album: GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK 2010
GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK - 1 FEBRUARY, 2010 - The 77,000-acre Great Basin National Park located 6 miles west of Baker, NV near the Utah border is one of the newest National Parks created by Congress in 1986 and includes most of the South Snake Range mountains with Wheeler Peat at 13,063' its highest peak. The Park represents only a small portion of the Great Basin area that stretches within a 4-state area from the eastern edge of California, includes all of Nevada, the southeast portion of Oregon, the lower portion of Idaho and the entire western portion of Utah. The Great Basin is geophysically defined by runoff from this area does not reach any ocean and roughly delineated by the furthest boundaries of the former Lake Bonneville. The area designated Great Basin National Park offers representative examples of typical sagebrush, desert, sub-alpine and alpine plant-life, forest types, wildlife, rock formations of the former Great Basin and includes its own rock glacier, limestone caverns named after its discoverer, Lehman Caves and ancient groves of Bristlecone Pines, all of which can be reached by trails. In winter, most of the roads, trails and campgrounds are closed due to heavy snowfall, but ranger-guided tours of Lehman Caves starting from the Visitor Center are conducted daily for a small fee - 288 Photos

Album: CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK 2009
CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK - 17-19 MAY, 2007 and 20-22 SEPTEMBER, 2009 - The 527-sq mile Canyonlands National Park contains winding river canyons and majestic sandstone formations carved by erosion and winds along the convergence of the Green River and Colorado River, which divide the park into 3 major regions: (1) Island In the Sky, (2) the Needles District and (3) the Maze. None are connected by paved roads, but are accessible by 4-wheel drive vehicles, numerous hiking trails and primitive campsites located along the trails with overnite reservations and a camping permit required in advance. River rafting is permitted thru the river canyons with a no-fee river access permit required while within the national park boundaries. Island In the Sky highlights include the 0.5-mile Mesa Arch Loop Trail, panoramic views from Buck Canyon Overlook, White Rim Overlook, Grand View and the Green River Overlook, the 0.5-mile Upheval Dome Overlook Trail, the 100-mile White Rim Loop Trail and nearby Newspaper Rock Recreation Site - 548 Photos

Album: YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK 2009
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK - 1,008 Photos

Album: BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT 2008
BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT - 19-21 AUGUST 2008 - Bandelier National Monument is located 48 miles NW of of Sante Fe, NM and 4 miles W. of White Rock along SH 4. The Frijoles Canyon Area is the largest section containing the visitor's center, museum and most of the restored cliff dwellings. There are only 3 miles of public roads within the 33,750-acre site, but 70 miles of developed trails. Most dwellings can be viewed along a 1.2-mile Main Loop Trail including Tyuonyi Village, Big Kiva, Talus Houses, Long House and the Alcove House (formerly called Ceremonial Cave). The mostly undeveloped Tsankawi Section is located 11 miles N. of the main entrance along SH 4 and has a gated fence with no facilities. Here you can view a large unexcavated village, cave dwellings and many petroglyphs located along a 1.5-mile loop trail. Guide books are available at the visitor's center for the main trails. Other popular trails include the 5-mile Falls Trail to the upper and lower falls located in Frijoles Canyon ending at the Rio Grande River and the 2-mile Frey Trail ending in Juniper Campground near the entrance - 6 Albums with 1,142 Photos

Album: MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK 2008
MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK - 1-3 JULY 2008 - Mesa Verde National Park is located 9 miles east of Cortez, Colorado and contains the remnants of 7th thru 12th Century Puebloan Cliff dwellings. There are two separate areas to the park accessible by car that includes the Chapin Mesa area and the Wetherill Mesa, which is accessible only in the summer months. There are 1-hour park ranger-guided tours to three of the cliff dwelling areas (Long House, Cliff Palace and Balcony House) and tickets may be purchased at the Far View Visitor's Center. The Long House tour includes a tram ride to different view areas. The rest of the dwellings and hiking trails are self-guided, but hikers must register at the trailheads before beginning. The museum at the Park Headquarters has displays of early Puebloan lifestyles and culture - 5 Albums with 934 Photos

Album: DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK - SPRINGTIME FLOWERS, Death Valley, California - 25-26 March, 2005 - 456 Photos

Album: GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK - Grand Canyon Village, Arizona - 1-3 October, 2005 - 3 Albums with 528 Photos

Album: CARLSBAD CAVERN NATIONAL PARK, Carlsbad, New Mexico - 4-5 October, 2005 - 300 Photos

Album: ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, Moab, Utah - Backpacking Adventure - 18-19 May, 2004 - 276 Photos

Album: OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, Forks, Washington - Sol Duc Falls & Hoh Rain Forest - 24 May and 9 June, 2004 - 294 Photos

Album: TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHERIES CENTER, Athens, Texas - 11 February, 2005 - 354 Photos

Album: ENCHANTED ROCK STATE NATURAL AREA, Fredericksburg, Texas - 17-20 November, 2005 - 72 Photos

Album: ENCHANTED ROCK STATE NATURAL AREA, Fredericksburg, Texas - 18-21 November, 2004 - 72 Photos

Album: PALO DURO CANYON STATE PARK, Amarillo, Texas and PANHANDLE-PLAINS HISTORICAL MUSEUM, Canyon, Texas - 10-13 March, 2004 - 424 Photos