ความคิดเห็นที่ 11
 FYI: Top 20 national Parks (USA) 11-15 (ต่อจาก #10)
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11.Redwood National and State Parks
http://redwood.areaparks.com/
Redwood National and State Parks are home to some of the world's tallest trees: old-growth coast redwoods. They can live to be 2000 years old and grow to over 300 feet tall. Spruce, hemlock, Douglas-fir, berry bushes, and sword ferns create a multiple canopied understory that towers over all visitors.
The parks' mosaic of habitats include prairie/oak woodlands, mighty rivers and streams, and 37 miles of pristine Pacific coastline. Cultural landscapes reflect American Indian history. The more recent logging history has led to much restoration of these parks.
Three California state parks and the National Park Service unit represent a cooperative management effort of the National Park Service and California Department of Parks and Recreation.
They are Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, and Redwood National Park, comprising 45 percent of all the old-growth redwood forest remaining in California.
Together these parks are a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve, protecting
Operating Hours & Seasons
Redwood is accessible year round. In the summer, redwoods along coastal roads and trails stand amidst life-giving fog. Travel a few miles inland to find sunshine. The winter brings much needed rain and occasional sunshine. The rain varies from torrential downpours to a light mist.
Heavy rains can lead to road closures; check at a visitor center to find out the estimated open date
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12.Great Smoky Mountains NP http://greatsmokymountains.areaparks.com/
Ridge upon ridge of endless forest straddling the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the largest protected areas in the Eastern United States. World renowned for the diversity of its plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, and the depth and integrity of its wilderness sanctuary, the park attracts over nine million visitors each year. Once a part of the Cherokee homeland, the Smokies today are a hiker's paradise with over 800 miles of trails.
Operating Hours & Seasons
The park is open year-round.
Visitor centers at Sugarlands, Oconaluftee, and Cades Cove are open all year, except Christmas Day.
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13. Mount Rushmore http://mountrushmore.areaparks.com/
The four figures carved in stone on Mount Rushmore represent the first 150 years of American history.
The birth of our nation was guided by the vision and courage of George Washington. Thomas Jefferson always had dreams of something bigger, first in the words of the Declaration of Independence and later in the expansion of our nation through the Louisiana Purchase.
Preservation of the union was paramount to Abraham Lincoln but a nation where all men were free and equal was destined to be.
At the turn of the Twentieth Century Theodore Roosevelt saw that in our nation was the possibility for greatness.
Our nation was changing from a rural republic to a world power. The ideals of these presidents laid a foundation for our nation as solid as the rock from which their figures are carved.
Each man possessed great skills and leadership of the brand our nation needed for the times. Today millions of visitors come to see Mount Rushmore and gain inspiration from these four great men.
Operating Hours & Seasons
Memorial and visitor services are open all year.
Visitor services are closed December 25
14 Rocky Mountain http://rockymountain.areaparks.com/
Established on January 26, 1915, Rocky Mountain National Park is a living showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. With elevations ranging from 8,000 feet in the wet, grassy valleys to 14,259 feet at the weather-ravaged top of Long's Peak, a visitor to the park has opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and adventures.
Elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, black bears, coyotes, cougars, eagles, hawks and scores of smaller animals delight wildlife-watchers of all ages.
Wildflower-lovers are never disappointed in June and July when the meadows and hillsides are splashed with botanical color. Autumn visitors can relax among the golden aspens or enjoy the rowdier antics of the elk rut (mating season).
359 miles of trail offer endless opportunities to hikers, backpackers and horseback riders. Fly fishers, bird-watchers and photographers discover the splendor that they traveled so far to find. During the winter, snowshoers and cross-country skiers revel in the white-blanketed tranquility of meadows and forests.
60 peaks rising above 12,000 feet challenge intrepid hikers and climbers. Anyone visiting between Memorial Day and late autumn can see many of these peaks eye-to-eye by driving over Trail Ridge Road.
Topping out at 12,183 feet, this is the highest, continuous, paved road in the United States.
Front-country and backcountry campers have hundreds of campsites to choose from. Civilization and its amenities are available in the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake which flank the park on the east and west sides respectively. Ranger-led activities are an entertaining way to learn more about your surroundings. Plan some time to acclimate to the high altitude and come find your adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Operating Hours & Seasons
Open 24 hours a day, 12 months of the year. Pets are allowed in campgrounds, picnic areas and along road sides, but not on ANY park trails. Pets cannot be left in cars unattended.
15. North Cascades http://northcascades.areaparks.com/
Few fully know the intense and rugged beauty of the North Cascades jagged peaks, deep valleys, cascading waterfalls and over 700 glaciers. North Cascades National Park Service Complex contains the heart of this mountainous region in three park units which are all managed as one and include North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas.
Each area offers different experiences and contains wilderness.
A vast majority of the park complex, over 93%, is managed as the Stephen T. Mather Wilderness, which was established by Congress in 1988. The wilderness area was named in honor of the first director of the National Park Service.
Long before North Cascades National Park Service Complex was established in 1968, this area was a home. It was the home to many Native American tribes and a trade gateway between the Plateau tribes to the east and the Coast Salish tribes to the west. Native Americans have been in these mountains for over 8,000 years. More recent settlers came in the nineteenth century to establish homesteads in places like the Stehekin Valley, or to mine elusive minerals like gold, or to trap furbearing animals such as the beaver, otter, and marten. Now it is preserved as a national park for future generations to enjoy.
Operating Hours & Seasons
The park and recreation areas are always open, but access is limited by snow in winter. Note that State Route 20 (North Cascades Scenic Highway), the major access to Ross Lake NRA, is partially closed from approximately mid-November to mid-April. Exact opening and closing dates depend on weather, snow depths, and avalanche hazards
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To be continued.... 
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13 ม.ค. 51 22:53:32
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Recommended this one, very enjoyable in Summer Visit.
Note... แหล่งท่องเที่ยวที่มีธรรมชาติงดงาม มีอยู่ทุกภูมิภาค