Spots Wide Open in Channel Islands

The Channel Islands National Park itself while comprising the five out of eight isolated chains of island in the Southern California is one of the most delightful sights to see. Having the courage to face the trail challenges and bumpy short sea travels, visitors may always enjoy watching the wild getting near the edges of the boats are such breathtaking because these kinds also are those restored creatures that mainly lived in the other areas of the Southern California Coast. Having been blessed with these wonders coming by, the following will be about variety of each of the island features plus the camps, picnics, hikes, tide pool explorations and to the rugged canyons. Park naturalists and rangers however are those responsible of monetizing the tours and interpretative hikes on the islands for the whole year round.

What Does It Brings for a Visit

Having a museum, a three-dimensional model of the islands, an interactive exhibit, and tower equipped with telescopes for overlooking the remote islands as well as the Ventura Harbour, visitation to the Park’s bookstore and an outdoor garden essential for developing greens and habitats all located at the Mainland Visitor Center. Also, visitors may enjoy viewing the informational 25-minute park movie entitled “A Treasure in the Sea” for the whole day long during their auditorium visits. Actually, every weekend there are free interpretative programs another spearheaded program by the Park rangers, lasts the whole week plus programs open for school tours or field trips that are accessed with facilities, all scheduled to the Visitor Center.

Entering the Main Gateway

First of the sights is the main entryway which is the Anacapa Island perfect for hiking trails having lighthouse exhibits, a visitor center and hiking trails and scuba diving opportunities because of the well-managed roofs and ocean beds in the isolated area while observing the marine mammals and other species. Located 14 miles off the coast from Ventura, the Anacapa Island has basically maintained marine life. Derived from the Chumash word “Eneepah”, the island means an island of deception of mirage. Due to natural calamities, the steep cliffs are exposed through strong ocean waves that eroded certain perimeters plus the opening of air pockets, sea caves and lava tubes. Another natural creation has led to its trademark as the Anacapa’s Arch Rock stands 40 feet in the east end of the island while overlooking the northern channel. Specifically, birds are seen to have the most numbers in the island’s wild wonders especially in West Anacapa as the largest pelican breeding location that has preserved these endangered flocks and other animals such as the western sea gulls and other cormorants. On the East Anacapa however, diving is best explored by having a glimpse of the underworld most especially by the use of waterproof cameras and watching video monitors and sights to the tide pools.

San Miguels’ Offers to Point Bennet, Cabrillo Monument and Caliche Forest

Ranging to 9,325 acres, the San Miguel Island is the next destination for worldwide pinniped shows seen at Point Bennett, while witnessing how pups are bred and where they are born. This island also offers wildlife spots including the restoration of the island fox only found at the Channel Islands National Park. In summer and spring seasons, the island’s skies are filled with land and sea birds including the archeological sites perfect for studies of fossils including the Pleistocene pygmy mammoth and human habitation for the last 10,000 years combined with wildflowers because of abundant moisture and fog in the environment. Must-see areas also include are the Cabrillo Monument and the Caliche Forest, both products of historical ideals.

Santa Barbara Island’s Superb Wildlife

In Santa Barbara Island ranging a distance of 639 miles, has numbers of sea lions and elephant seals population plus the superb breeds of birds, Western gulls and brown pelicans that live in the cliffs and plateaus of the area that is why they are easily approached by the visitors. Though managed enough, these creatures are protected by the Park’s ranger programs and informational details shared to all the visitors to prevent ruining the habitats of these endangered species and chances of scaring them. Another blessing in disguise, these isolated areas are abundant with the wild life forms, offering great views in the southern edges of the Park. Snorkeling is also a good idea to view the underwater and feeling of the warm waters in the Landing Cove wherein bright sea stars, brilliant orange garibaldi, spiny sea urchins and flowering plants surviving the endemic world of Santa Barbara leading to numerous exhibits in revealing the natural and cultural resources of its museum.

Exploring the Most Visited Santa Cruz Island

Having the biggest area in most of the chain of islands, the Santa Cruz Island is protected through the ownership of the Nature Conservancy while the National Park owns a 10% part in its eastern portions where good places for hiking, wildlife viewing and camping is experienced as a newest exploration addition to the Channel Islands National Park. Ranging 19 miles from Ventura, this island offers a great scenic view of diverse forms of land covering areas to two mountain ranges, wide central valley, deep canyons, streams and springs that flows to the giant caves spanning a distance of 77 miles from the cliffs at the coastline edges as well as the expansive beaches and the tide pools. With over 650 plant and tree species, these living things survive into the bounty marshes, pine forests, chaparral and grasslands where island foxes are also found plus the marine animals and the deepest and largest known sea cave, the Painted Cave is renowned for providing habitat during the colonial years.

Santa Rosa’s Intertidal Homes

Finally giving way to the Santa Rosa Island, it covers 52, 794 acres of land including the flat marine terraces and the rolling hills surrounded by vast grasslands for about 85% of the island’s area, extensive fossil beds and visible hill slopes providing superb habitat for the intertidal organisms. Breeding on the island’s sandy beaches, the harbor and elephant seals can live in the surroundings only found in the Channel Islands. Feeding larger animals too, the waters provide efficient sea life while feeding large marine animals and other sea mammals as well as the sea birds present in the area. Having the rare plants, this island is part of the “nowhere” places in the world but covering the restored life forms abundant in the island. Continuing to discover more wonders, the Channel Islands National Park continues to share remains and delightful spots of the wild. Giving more about the information on the Channel Island’s wonders, see: http://www.nps.gov/chis/

Along with the islands belonging to the national park system, the Channel Islands National Park is one of the four parks to cover areas in the Southern California Coast and the northern part of the Santa Barbara Channel. Having been blessed with splendid sites as well as various animal habitats, its natural wonders of the wild brings more must-see creatures that live around the place. Proclaimed a national park on March 5, 1980, its best features include land area of 248,515 acres plus the coastlines ranging to 1,252 square nautical miles of ocean, surrounding the chain of islands.

Distinctive Islands Lookout

Being the nation’s 40th national park, its five chains of island uniquely appear in different sizes. Basically, the most appealing is the Santa Cruz Island as it makes up the largest distance, covering 60,000 acres or 96 square miles, having the widest areas of camping grounds and wildlife population. Next to its size is the Santa Rosa Island which spans to 53,000 acres or 84 square miles extending its lands for up to 15×10 miles. Then to the westernmost island, San Miguel is covering 9,325 acres and 14 square miles which make it 8×4 miles wide from the mainland. For the small areas however, the Anacapa Island has its three small parts, having about 1.1 square miles in total. Then heading south, the Santa Barbara Island has the smallest area of 640 acres and a single square mile.

In addition to the land sections, these chains of island are also surrounded by the Channel Island National Marine Sanctuary, managed with secured protection and environment programs to preserve the wildlife. As a national park as well, many of the islands’ portions are very rich that is why life in land and water can have high chances of bringing more and more life forms, typically making variety of ways to exist in places as far as 1000 miles in the north and south portion of the National Park. More about these wildlife restorations, it is also compared to other essential ecosystems just like the Galapagos, Carribean and the Great Barrier Reef.

To the Isolated Thoughts

Although the Channel Islands National Park has one of the biggest numbers of must-see surroundings, it is still one of those least visited national parks due to its distant location. But for some touring reasons also, transportation today has been improved to find chances on reaching the wondrous islands and experiencing its nature-friendly offers to visitors. They may easily arrange schedules of travel, varying from day trips to multiple nights depending on their convenience and surely while on trip, views of the islands would always invite them to dive in. Particularly rewarding for the eyes, historic building can also be seen around the vicinity plus a collection of other buildings located in East Anacapa Island and a lighthouse surrounded by wide variety of birds and abundant habitats. All in all, there are more than 700 terrestrial animals and plants that reside in the Channel Islands National Park.

Yet, with these wide numbers of wildlife, there are only three mammals which are endemic to the islands such as the spotted skunk, deer mouse and the Channel Islands Fox. As for the marine life, its rich environment carries species ranging from microscopic plankton to the endangered blue whale, which is also known as the largest marine animal to survive on earth. Luckily, wonders to both cultural and archeological resources create a period of more than 10,000 years since it was discovered. Among other instances, summing all these up still makes the Channel Islands National Park a place like paradise.

Located in the easternmost of Alamosa and Saguache Country in Colorado United States, one of the most strangely discovered deserts is finally considered a National Park which is formerly designated as the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. Spanning a distance of 85,000 acres or 340 square kilometers, the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve was finally announced by an act from the United States Congress on the 13th of September in 2004.

Stepping Into the Majestic Sand Dunes

Do you know what makes the dunes interesting? It’s when they continually change forms as several streams carry the sands into the downstream where sands are also deposited the moment the waters disappear into the ground. As you may also observe, several streams do surround the edges of the dunes so if the streams are getting dry, the dunes can possibly disappear too but sands are therefore carried back by the wind due to the most windy areas, and when sands and stones that are swept and brought away by the hikers, dunes can easily be covered by sands again below the wet sands as dig few inches below the ground containing deposits of crystalline black oxide of iron and magnetite.

Undoubtedly, having the tallest sand dunes in North America, the Great Sand Dunes have overtaken the others by rising up to 750 feet above the valley bed. Actually, the dunes are products of wind and rain that also eroded Sangre de Cristo Mountains and San Juan that is circled by the Valley of San Luis. The sands are collected through the rushing winds coming across the valley and to opposite directions. As the winds blow day after day, different sand dunes area created and thus, making the sand moves, growing both less and more deposits, forming like different styles of sculptures but also maintaining stable forms because of its moist structure within because of the snow and rain that paved the desert throughout.

Definitely A Home For Wildlife

Getting to its greater features, the Park also contains six peaks with over 13,000 feet, including tundra and alpine lakes, pine forests, ancient spruce and large stands of cottonwood and aspen surrounded by grasslands and wetlands perfect for providing habitat for different animals belonging to wildlife and other strange plant species. Also, one of the most unusual parts is that the Medano Creek, which is by the east side of the dunes, it is also the place where the Visitor Center is seen as well as the Bookstore, making it an unstable place for providing a steam bed. Though small underwater sand dunes also act like dams it may form but may break down so waders in the stream eventually create small waves for only a short time especially during low-water seasons.

More than the joy of creating sand castles during the whole days of sightseeing, the Visitor Center at the Great Sand Dunes National Park is definitely open for interested customers and guests from 9 in the morning until 6 in the evening where hours vary for the whole year. And for greater amusement, visitors are offered with video presentations, an excellent bookstore and exhibits, surely providing absolute assistance to all ages. Plus, it will be incomplete without the other locations needed such as accessible restrooms, parking lots, wheelchairs, and campsites with amphitheater, RV dump station, dumpster, air compressor and water hose which are all available at the Pinon Flats Campground and Sawmill Backcountry Site.

Definitely, short talks, nature walks and other evening ceremonies will be enjoyed all the days of summer and other memorable seasons like the spring and fall at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. So you really have to set a reservation before getting into the hike plan to save a chance of wildlife and unique adventure at the same time all worth the price.

Great Basin was often mistaken for a bleak wilderness but its terrain offers a vast diversity of flora and fauna. This is a great place to experience true solitude with the scenic view of the mountain and nature. And for the millions of people who visited Nevada just to experience the neon casinos of Las Vegas will be surprised that in just 250 miles north rest an enduring snowfields and a small glacier on Wheeler peak, the central attraction of the Great Basin National Park .

Enormous Views and Sceneries

The peak varied wildlife zones and enormous views over the distant mountain and desert scenery which make a pleasurable change from the dull grey-green, sagebrush-covered plains that was extended over much of the state. The park has another unique attraction in the Lehman Caves. The visitors of the Lehman Caves will have the chance to see stalactites and stalagmites and draperies as well as some extraordinary cave formations called helictites or the formation of calcite that arch and seem to resist gravity.

The tour on the cave was guide by a park ranger to explain the history and geology of the cave. Lehman Cave is a cavern system which provides a bountiful beauty of limestone’s formations. And at the Lehman Caves Gift and Café, visitors can enjoy good food and drinks and homemade ice cream, sandwiches served by their friendly employees. And their gift shop offers a variety of Great Basin and Lehman Cave souvenirs from adult and children’s t-shirts to books, toys, CD, Native American themed jewelry and gifts, pottery, and travel supplies.

The Great Basin National park provides opportunities for various activities depending on what interest you most. You can see the best sights of the place by hiking. You can follow the scenic drive to the base of the Wheeler Peak; park guests can enjoy the magnificent view that the Great basin has to offer such as the Snake Creek that flows through aspen groves beneath the limestone outcroppings and the Strawberry Creek that runs through stands of aspen trees and open meadows.

Great Exploration Ideas

You can also enjoy extensive backpacking trips even though there are a number of certain routes on the park, you can still explore the fragile alpine areas without trails. But backpackers should be prepared to hike cross-country on a difficult to follow routes or drainages, ridges and other natural features so it is really recommended that you have the skill in map reading to any off-trail travel in the park.

The park has an evening campfire programs that were held nightly during summer season at the Lehman Creek Campground and on Friday and Saturday evenings in Wheeler Peak Campground.

Park visitors can also enjoy horseback riding permitted only on some trails and mountain biking is allowed on a selected motor vehicle roadways. And if you want to go on fishing in the lakes of the park, it is required to get a Nevada fishing license. Though the Great Basin National Park is probably least known National park in southwest, there are so many great places and things that you can truly enjoy once you visit this place.