Top 10 Park Landmarks #Part1

1. Cape Royal and Angels Window in Grand Canyon

Photograph by Michael Nichols, National Geographic

Angels don’t need windows, but if they ever wanted to frame a great view, they might choose the North Rim’s Cape Royal (above) and its noble companion parapet in Arizona. Thrust far above the immense luminous space of the canyon, this natural arch overlooks the big bend where the canyon turns west, carving ever deeper into the heart of the Kaibab Plateau. No viewpoint offers a better perspective on the contrast
between the dizzying verticality of the gorge and the horizontal rock layers through which it was carved. Red-and-yellow cliffs march across bays and escarpments for mile after astounding mile. The southern horizon is the South Rim, nine miles away and almost a thousand feet lower. Adding to its appeal, the North Rim is forested, wildflower strewn, and pleasantly cooler in summer than the South Rim. Cape Royal is a prime spot to watch cloud formations sail across the void, but beware of thunderstorms. Angels may be a matter for faith, but lightning strikes are a high-voltage reality at this most exposed geologic extremity.

2. Half Dome in Yosemite

Photograph by Jeffrey Murray, Aurora

Like all good landmarks, Half Dome is an eye magnet. It towers over the other grand monoliths of Yosemite Valley and demands attention. The others in the pantheon, including El Capitan, Sentinel Rock, and Cathedral Spires, are no less illustrious; however, there’s something special about Half Dome. It has undeniable stage presence. View it from the valley floor, beside the winding Merced River. Or drive up to Glacier Point to watch it glow in the sunset as night falls. Best of all, see it from its own bald top. The trail, which takes in the glories of Vernal and Nevada Falls along the way, ends on a cable-protected pathway nailed to smooth granite slabs. Eight miles and 4,800 vertical feet each way, it’s a long day—but entirely worth the effort.

3. Mount McKinley in Denali

Photograph by Johnathan Ampersand Esper, Aurora

The mountain sprawls across the Alaska tundra like half a planet, gleaming white and broad shouldered. How big is it really? It’s hard to tell by looking. And one can read the facts, and accept them, and still not know the measure of the place. Alaska natives expressed their awe with a single word, Denali, which means “the high one.” With all due respect to the 25th American President, the mountain remains the ineffable Denali in the eyes of many. The summit towers 20,320 feet above sea level, more than 18,000 feet above the base. This gives the mountain an all-in-one-view vertical rise more than a mile greater than Mount Everest, which begins its grand ascent at an already lofty elevation of about 17,000 feet. But comparisons are good only for discussion. A true understanding of the mountain and its relationship to those gazing at it in wonderment lies somewhere in the experience of being near it. Climbers, hikers, and travelers of all types have tried to understand it. It’s safe to say, as with Everest, that no one has fully succeeded.

4. Grand Teton and the Central Peaks

Photograph by Ben Graham, Aurora

Grand Teton, the central crag of the Teton Range, scrapes the clouds nearly 7,000 feet above the Wyoming valley floor. Then consider the other mighty crags surrounding the 13,770-foot peak. Together they compose a formidable alpine stronghold of snow, rock, and ice, a seemingly untouchable and remote world. But looks can be deceiving. Knowing the stories—from mysterious Native American vision quest sites found high on The Grand to modern feats of endurance and skill, such as hiking the nine central peaks in a Grand Traverse—coupled with spending some time on even the lower trails, makes it clear. That far summit, so easy to look at but difficult to comprehend, is a human place after all.

5. Mount Rainier

Photograph by Craig Tuttle, Corbis

Now you see it, now you don’t. Mount Rainier, true to its name, disappears behind cloud banks, stays hidden for days and weeks at a time, and reappears in most dramatic fashion. Sometimes, it floats above the clouds, visible only to mountaineers on its glacier-decked slopes and to thrilled passengers of flights climbing south from Seattle. When weather permits, 14,410-foot-high Rainier is visible from most of western Washington and far out to sea. It looms above the skyline of downtown Seattle as if its glaciers were invading suburban neighborhoods. Of course the best encounters are from park roads and trails, notably on the south side in the area called Paradise, known for its wildflower meadows, views of the mountain, prodigious snowfall, and the occasional rainstorm. See #Part2
Source Article