U.S. National Parks

Contrasting Ridges in Virginia
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Contrasting Ridges in Virginia

Despite being quite close to each other, two mountain ridges in western Virginia have very different origins.

Published Mar 15, 2017

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The ‘Place of Blue Smoke’
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The ‘Place of Blue Smoke’

The Cherokee Indians called these dark, fog-streaked hills “Shaconage”— the “Place of Blue Smoke.”

Published Jan 22, 2017

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Looking Down on Potomac Water Gap
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Looking Down on Potomac Water Gap

The scenic double water gap near Harpers Ferry has impressed onlookers for centuries.

Published Jan 17, 2017

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Pretty as a Picture: The Delaware Water Gap
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Pretty as a Picture: The Delaware Water Gap

The Delaware River looks equally at home in an oil painting.

Published Dec 31, 2016

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The River that Trapped Itself
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The River that Trapped Itself

The Gunnison is forced to stay on this beaten path, unable to leave the valley.

Published Dec 17, 2016

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Where the Organ Pipes Grow
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Where the Organ Pipes Grow

Tall, branch-like cacti provide shelter for animals at the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Published Dec 4, 2016

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Look Again: It’s Not Snow
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Look Again: It’s Not Snow

These white mounds are the world’s largest gypsum dune field, centerpiece of the White Sands National Monument.

Published Nov 27, 2016

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Cape Cod National Seashore
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Cape Cod National Seashore

“A man may stand there and put all America behind him.”

Published Nov 25, 2016

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Kilauea’s Lava Pours Into the Pacific
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Kilauea’s Lava Pours Into the Pacific

Molten rock meets the sea in the latest episode in a long-lived eruption.

Published Nov 20, 2016

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Way Down Yonder on the Chattahoochee
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Way Down Yonder on the Chattahoochee

The river supplies Atlanta with its drinking water and a bit of recreational fun.

Published Nov 13, 2016

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Everglades National Park
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Everglades National Park

Management and restoration features are visible in Florida’s unique subtropical wilderness.

Published Nov 12, 2016

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A Curious Ensemble of Wonderful Features
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A Curious Ensemble of Wonderful Features

Parts of the Glen Canyon that John Wesley Powell explored in 1869 have been submerged by Lake Powell.

Published Oct 16, 2016

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Paw Paw Bends
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Paw Paw Bends

A particularly curvy part of the Potomac River was a formidable challenge for C&O Canal engineers.

Published Oct 8, 2016

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The ‘Land of Giants’
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The ‘Land of Giants’

Roughly one-third of the world’s naturally occurring sequoias grow in 75 groves in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Published Sep 27, 2016

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Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
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Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve

Where Glacier Bay National Park reaches the Gulf of Alaska, the climate is mild and prone to significant rainfall. Glacier Bay itself, however, tends to be snowy and cold.

Published Sep 11, 2016

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Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
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Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Lighthouses and sandstone formations draw visitors to the shores of Lake Superior.

Published Aug 28, 2016

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Badlands National Park
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Badlands National Park

Over epochs, deposition and erosion have carved sharp spires and deep canyons out of this South Dakota landscape.

Published Aug 27, 2016

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Mesa Verde National Park
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Mesa Verde National Park

Falling blocks of rock in cliff alcoves became building materials for Ancestral Puebloans—and a popular draw for tourists visiting the park.

Published Aug 26, 2016

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Cape Hatteras National Seashore
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Cape Hatteras National Seashore

On most summer days, a trip to North Carolina’s Outer Banks means a peaceful day at the beach, but there is evidence all around that this beach is not always so serene.

Published Aug 25, 2016

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Capulin Volcano National Monument
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Capulin Volcano National Monument

Nestled in the northeast corner of New Mexico, Capulin protrudes from the flat expanse, an anthill of giant proportions.

Published Aug 24, 2016

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Volcanoes National Park
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Volcanoes National Park

The park includes Earth’s largest volcano, Mauna Loa.

Published Aug 3, 2016

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Acadia National Park
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Acadia National Park

Mountains and hills roll right up to the Atlantic Ocean in this rocky landscape that became the first national park east of the Mississippi River.

Published Jul 31, 2016

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Rocky Mountain National Park
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Rocky Mountain National Park

Summertime exposes the diversity of landscapes in Rocky Mountain National Park, from the high-elevation alpine tundra to the forested subalpine zone.

Published Jul 19, 2016

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Minute Man National Historical Park
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Minute Man National Historical Park

Sites relevant to the start of the American Revolutionary War are interspersed throughout the modern-day Boston metropolitan region.

Published Jul 4, 2016

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Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
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Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

The dunes at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan are a geological wonder.

Published Jun 26, 2016

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Zion National Park
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Zion National Park

Slot canyons and the world's longest natural arch are among the geologic features found at this park in southwestern Utah.

Published Jun 19, 2016

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Glacial Change in Montana’s Blackfoot-Jackson Basin
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Glacial Change in Montana’s Blackfoot-Jackson Basin

Shrinking since the early 1900s, the glaciers of Montana’s Glacier National Park are expected to continue declining over the next few decades until only insignificant lumps of ice remain.

Published Jun 15, 2016

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Canopies of Change
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Canopies of Change

As climate change alters the habitat of eastern U.S. forests, some species are expected to do better than others.

Published Jun 14, 2016

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Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande
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Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande

The eastern section of the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River runs deep through the desert wilderness.

Published Jun 11, 2016

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Memorial Day at Saratoga
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Memorial Day at Saratoga

More than a million Americans have given their life in the name of their country. Some of the first gave it at the site of what is now Saratoga National Historical Park.

Published May 30, 2016

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