2012 National Park Photo Contest

A call to all amateur photographers (you can’t earn 20% or more of your income from photography to participate) out there that love to visit national parks — the 2012 national park photo contest is live. This is a great excuse to get out into national parks to take photos while enjoying the beautiful scenery. If this sounds like something that would interest you, here are the details:

The photo contest has a goal of highlighting the best of America’s national parks (the photos must be taken on land owned by the National Park Service, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the U.S. Forest Service). The winning photo will be featured on the America the Beautiful National Park Pass for 2014.

Photographs which are eligible need to be taken between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012. Photo entry submissions will be accepted from June 28, 2012 to December 31, 2012. Photo winners will be announced by March 15, 2013 in the following five categories:

  • Adventure and Outdoor Recreation
  • Historical and Cultural
  • Scenic, Seasons and Landscapes
  • Friends, Family and Fun(ny) on Federal Lands
  • Wildlife

All contest photo entries will be judged by the following five criteria:

  • Originality
  • Artistic Composition
  • Technical Quality
  • Photographic Technique
  • Showcasing the best of America’s recreational opportunities

The contest sponsors ask that you follow these rules when taking your photos and submitting them:

  • No photo manipulation except for cropping, red-eye removal and/or adjustment of contrast and brightness
  • No breaking of any laws or rules on federal lands
  • Stay safe — don’t put yourself in danger to get the photo
  • Refrain from taking photos of anything that is inappropriate, indecent or obscene

The contest’s grand prize is $15,000 with the winner’s photo being places on the 2014 America the Beautiful National Park Pass. Second prize is $10,000 and an America the Beautiful National Park Pass. Third prize is $2,500 and an America the Beautiful National Park Pass. There are also a number of honorable mention prizes that consist of 2-night hotel stays at historic hotels across the U.S.

To participate, get more information and submit photos for the 2012 National Park Photo Contest, go to sharetheexperience.org. You should only submit photos that you have taken between the dates listed and all photos should be in JPEG format. All contest photos should be high-resolution 3 mb or larger as the winning photos must work in print. You can find the official rules here (PDF).

Speed Kills in National Parks

One of the things I have learned from visiting numerous national parks is that it’s the journey and not the destination that matters. While you may have a specific destination in mind when you start off the day, sometimes the greatest adventures and most fun come from the unexpected side paths that reveal themselves and you choose to take. It’s the journey of getting to where I am heading rather than the destination which usually proves to be what gives me the most out of my trips.

With this in mind, it amazes me that so many people that visit national parks seem to be in such a hurry to get somewhere. They are so focused on the destination that they forget to take in all the wonderful and unexpected surprises along the way. This seems to be especially true when it comes to getting somewhere by car in national parks.

speeding kills bears sign

When you visit national parks this summer, remember to slow down. Take your time to admire the beauty and wonder all around you, even when in the car. Not only for yourself, but for all the animals that call the national park their home. Speeding cars kill far too many of the animals living in national parks than it should…

Sequoia National Park wildflowers

I sometimes get asked why I go back to the same national parks again and again. Some of my friends seem to think that national parks are static and never changing. Their assumption is that once you have seen one place, then there is no real reason to see it again because you’ll simply be seeing the same thing that you saw the last time you visited. I think that most of them don’t realize how much national parks change depending on the time of year that you visit them, or even the time of day.

The truth is that national parks are dynamic and ever changing. I don’t remember a time when I have visited an national park and thought “nothing has changed.” Whether I am viewing iconic landscapes in a different season where plant and flowers are completely different, or simply in a different light due to where the sun happens to be, I constantly find new and interesting things with each visit.

While much of Sequoia national park was covered in snow during my last visit, coming to the park in June allowed me to discover this:

sequoia national park wildflowers

pink wildflowers Sequoia

One of the greatest parts of national parks is their ability to get you to slow down a bit and relax. if you can manage to do this, you will notice that while the general landscapes may appear to stay relatively the same over time, the truth is that you will never see them the same way twice no matter how many times you visit. Please visit them often to try and prove me wrong 🙂

Stephen Tyng Mather Memorial Plaque Sequoia National Park

One of the things I like most about wandering in national parks is that by simply taking a path a bit different than most people, you often stumble upon little things that many people may not know about. Walking along the road from Tunnel Log to Crescent Meadow (the road was closed to traffic except shuttle buses, so it seemed to be a great way to get some solitude on a busy weekend at Sequoia National Park when there were a lot of people at most places), I spied a something off on the left hand side of the road. While I wouldn’t say that the area was overgrown, it was definitely not a place that had been kept pristine.

The rock was off the road a ways and shrouded by trees so that most people driving by in the shuttle bus or in their own car would never even notice it was there. Even if they did happen to see it, there is no turn-out or place for a car to stop. Only those who happen to be walking in that area are likely to have ever seen it.

As I came closer to it, I saw that it was a memorial plaque dedicated to Stephen Tyng Mather:

Stephen Tyng Mather Memorial Sequoia national park

This is what the inscription read:

Stephen Tyng Mather July 4, 1867 – January 22, 1930

He laid the foundation of the national park service, defining and establishing the policies under which its areas shall be developed and conserved unimpaired for future generations. There will never come an end to the good he has done.

Stephen Tyng Mather Memorial Plaque at Sequoia national park

While I know that most people won’t think this is something that is worth going out of their way to see when they visit Sequoia national park due to limited time and so many places to see in the park, it’s a secret bit of knowledge that you can try to spy if you ever happen to be in the area…

Tijuca National Park Brazil

Unusually for a city, Rio de Janeiro has its very own National Park within the city. In fact the Tijuca Forest National Park is itself one of the main attractions of Rio, and is famous for being home to Corcovado Mountain, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, and numerous other well-known landmarks and attractions. It’s easy to spend a full day there, whether you’re exploring on foot, bicycle, or in the back of a Jeep being driven by a local guide.

One of the last remaining areas of Atlantic Rainforest in the state, the Tijuca Forest actually isn’t primary rainforest. Until the mid-19th century, what is now Tijuca Forest National Park was covered in sprawling sugar and coffee plantations. As the plantations took their toll on the soil and environment in general, The Portuguese King Dom Pedro II ordered that the forest be replanted to restore the natural splendour of the area. After thirteen years of slave labour, the project was a spectacular success, the results of which can be seen and enjoyed today.

 Rio Corcovado Waterfall Brazil

Like national parks around the world, Tijuca offers a multitude of outdoor activities to its visitors. Mountain climbing is a popular choice, and the park boasts access to a few stone mountains, including Pedra Bonita, Pedra da Gávea, Bico do Papagaio, and Rio’s highest peak, Pico da Tijuca. Any of these spots offer amazing views of the city, and tandem paragliding and hang gliding tours take off from Pedra Bonita for those who really want to engage nature and see Rio from a truly special perspective.

As a protected forest, it probably comes as no surprise that it’s a good place to see animals, and birds in particular. For those interested in bird watching it’s a great spot, as over 500 species of bird call Tijuca home. Even if you’re just casually walking through the forest on your own or as part of a Jeep tour, there’s every chance you’ll see monkeys as well — or at least hear them. There are numerous beautiful waterfalls and streams to be seen as well, and even more options for explorations underground if you’re not the claustrophobic type. Gruta Luiz Fernandez is a limestone cave where visitors to the park can go spelunking, rappelling, or wandering just for fun.

Christ Statue Brazil

Last but not least, and probably a fairly obvious omission thus far, is the statue of Christ the Redeemer, symbol of Rio and even Brazil in general. As one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, it is a sight not to be missed, and though it’s visible from all over the city, it really is different seeing it up close. Apart from the view of the statue itself, looking down on the city of Rio from the vantage point of Corcovado Mountain it absolutely worth the trip up.

Dan Clarke is a regular visitor to Brazil as part of his work for Real Brazil Holidays, a UK tour operator specialising in tailor-made travel to Brazil, including the Tijuca Forest and Iguazu Falls national parks.

Tunnel Log Sequoia National Park

While recently visiting Sequoia National Park, I decided I wanted to see Moro Rock, but the road was closed except to shuttle buses. The shuttle bus stop after Moro Rock is for Tunnel Log. Although the bus I was on was full (all the seats were taken with plenty of people standing), I was surprised when we reached Tunnel Log to see nobody outside and not a soul on the bus move to step outside. I saw this as my chance to escape the weekend crowds for at least a little bit and stepped off the shuttle. The bus took off and, to my delight, I was left there by myself.

The first thing I did (well, besides a little happy dance to be on my own) was to take a look at the impressive statistics of the hollowed out log:

tunnel log sign Sequoia National Park

Any tree that is big enough that a car can drive through it is pretty damn impressive:

Tunnel Log at Sequoia national park

While the tunnel is what I assume most people would focus upon, I also found the weather root system of Tunnel Tree to be both beautiful and on par in impressiveness as the tunnel itself:

root system of Tunnel Log

And just because I know most people wouldn’t even bother to take a photo of what the inside roof of the Tunnel Log looked like, I had to do it (charred with graffiti on top)

top inside of Tunnel Log

I am still a little baffled why nobody wanted to explore this area, but I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to do so without anyone else around…

Nine Great Olympic National Park Hikes

One of the largest parks in the continental United States, the Olympic National Park consists of over 900,000 acres of pristine wilderness, and has more than 2,000,000 visitors every year from around the world visiting its wilderness beaches, temperate rainforests, old growth forests and alpine peaks. The park is also an International Biosphere reserve and World Heritage Site due to its unique composition. The Olympic National Park can be thought of as consisting of four different sections – the Pacific coastal areas, the western Olympics that contain the Hoh Rain Forest and Quinault Rain Forest (the only rain forests in the continental U.S.), the northern Olympics that lie along the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Lake Crescent, and the eastern, drier section of the park that contains typical western U.S. old growth forest.

Mount Olympus

Coastal Hikes

coastal hikes at Olympic National Park

Cape Alava Loop: Wilderness beach hiking is one of the rare treats you can do in the Olympic National Park, and the Cape Alava Loop gives you this in spades. The 8.8 mile loop starts in the coastal forest but quickly emerges on the sandy and rocky beaches of the Washington coast, affording hikers with tidepools, sea caves, rocky monoliths, and the wonderful sounds and smells of the ocean. The Cape Alava Loop can be completed in a day, but camp for the night for an unmatched sunset and morning.

Shi Shi Beach and the Point of the Arches: Considered one of the most beautiful beach trails in the region, this area was one of the last to be added to the Olympic National Park in 1976. The trail begins in the coastal rain forest, winding through Sitka spruce and rain-soaked bogs before winding down a steep bluff to Shi Shi Beach. The amazing beauty of this wilderness beach is evident as the trail heads toward Point of the Arches, a long stretch of beach crowded with sea stacks and rock arches. The round-trip takes you 8 miles, with a total elevation change of only 200 feet.

Western Olympics and the Hoh River Area

Olympic rainforest

Hoh River: Possibly the busiest location in the Olympic National Park, the Hoh attracts busloads of tourists from Seattle and around the world each summer, and with good reason. Hike the easy trail to Five Mile Island to witness some of the most amazing scenery in the world – the path winds through old growth rainforest on this 10.6 mile round-trip, and the sheer volume of birds and flora is mind-boggling. Though crowded, the Hoh River is one area you can’t miss.

Pete’s Creek: This steep and rough hike thankfully ends with a wonderful payoff – the top of Colonel Bob Peak, at 4500 ft towering above the rainforest-filled valleys below, and offering stunning views of Mount Olympus, Mount Rainier, and Lake Quinault. The 8 mile round-trip hike gains almost 3300 ft in elevation, stepping over rocky creeks, crossing avalanche slopes, and straddling basalt cliffs. But it’s worth it.

Northern Olympics and the Sol Duc Area

Olympic Sol Duc

Elwha River: The Elwha River is the most important river in one of the largest tracts of old growth forest left in America, and the Elwha River hike takes you through the heart of the area. The Elwha River trail thankfully bypasses the Grand Canyon of the Elwha (which is as steep as it sounds) and continues on for nearly 5 miles through the Olympic interior, affording the wonderful sights of wildflower clogged slopes and fern and moss speckled rocks throughout the hike.

Grand Ridge: One of the highest and most scenic hikes in the Olympics, Grand Ridge is either a short and awesome 5-mile round-trip hike, or a brutal 15 mile out and back haul that few can make. Thankfully the 2.5-mile jaunt to Elk Mountain reaches the highest point on Grand Ridge, and gives hikers a seemingly never-ending view of the glacier-covered Olympic Mountains – at a height of 6600 feet above sea level, you can see from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Mount Olympus.

Spruce Railroad Trail: An easy 8-mile round-trip along the shores of Lake Crescent, the Spruce Railroad Trail is also one of the few trails in the Olympic National Park to allow mountain bikes. The breathtaking views of Lake Crescent are incredible – the lake is 9 miles long and over 600 feet deep, and the waters are amazingly clear. On a nice day you can see nearly 50 feet into the depths of the lake.

Eastern Olympics and the Hood Canal Area

Olympic Quilcene trail

Big Quilcene Trail: One of the great trails on the dry side of the Olympic Peninsula, the Big Quilcene Trail is a somewhat steep 10.6 mile round-trip that climbs about 3500 through the steep valleys and peaks of the Buckhorn Wilderness. The trail ends at Marmot Pass, affording survivors with amazing views from the 6,000 foot elevation. The Big Quilcene Trail is one of the best hikes in the Olympics, with wonderful old growth forest, a crystal-clear river, alpine meadows, and the amazing views from Marmot Pass at the end.

Upper Dungeness River: One of the most beautiful (and easiest) wilderness trails in the Olympics, the Upper Dungeness River Trail never gets too far from the river, always allowing peeks at its crystal-clear water. The trail ends at Camp Handy, situated in a lovely meadow surrounded by old growth Douglas Firs. This is a perfect trail for the young and the new to hiking.

Randall Pinkston is the founder and editor of Neotravel.com Travel, a travel deals aggregator based in Seattle, USA – you can also find them on Facebook and on twitter @neotravel. When not traveling, Randall is most likely thinking about where to travel next.

Creative commons images courtesy of: Jason Pratt, anselm, Brett Holt, smithfischer, lorenzolambertino

Navajo Arch Devils Garden Arches National Park

When you take the side trail off the main Devils Garden trail to hike to Partition Arch at Arches National Park, this side trail splits. A left takes you to Partition Arch while continuing straight will take you to Navajo Arch.

It’s really not much of an effort to visit both and it’s certainly worth doing. Although not very far apart, they give two completely different views of Arches that are each beautiful in their own way.

Much like the trail to Partition Arch, as you hike toward Navajo Arch you will reach a wall which you walk along. The main difference is that this one happens to be filled with hundreds of interesting, weather-worn holes.

Navajo Arch trail

As you reach Navajo Arch, the first thing you notice is a small pine growing directly under the arch:

Navajo Arch pine

Due to the arch’s thickness and surrounding trees, Navajo Arch has a lot more shade than other arches in Arches giving it a completely different feel:

Navajo Arch

Navajo Arch Arches National Park

It’s possible to walk completely through the Navajo Arch into a shady, sandy cove area that gives a completely different perspective of the arch:

Navajo Arch backside

This happens to be one of my favorite arches at Arches National Park simply because the feel of it is so different from many of the others arches there. It’s almost like a little oasis under the hot desert sun. Again, Navajo Arch is not one to skip if you decide to hike the entire Devils Garden trail.

Best National Parks To See Solar Eclipse 2012

The sun and moon (rather than the stars) will align to give a great opportunity for those living in the West to view a solar eclipse on May 20, 2012 at a large number of National Parks. Even better, the 20th falls on Sunday which should allow even more people to get out and witness this exciting event.

Approximately 30 national parks are located in areas where a “ring of fire” solar eclipse can be seen with six of these National Parks offering a near perfect centering of the moon during thesolar eclipse. There are another 125 National Parks where the eclipse can be seen, but where it will only be “merely wonderful” according to the National Park Service.

full solar eclipse

For those who want to get the absolute best view of the solar eclipse, there are six National Parks where the moon will be centered and cover 96% of the sun. These include:

  • Canyon de Chelly National Monument
  • Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
  • Lassen Volcanic National Park
  • Petroglyph National Monument
  • Redwoods National Park (the best views will be on the beach away from the tree cover)
  • Zion National Park

For example, those who plan to watch the solar eclipse from Petroglyph National Monument will have the opportunity to see the moon centered while covering 96.5% of the sun. The solar eclipse “annularity” will last for four minutes and 26 seconds beginning at 7:33 PM MDT, and the eclipse will end when the sun sets behind the horizon at approximately 8:30 PM. Even when the moon is centered, there won’t be total darkness as this will not be a full eclipse of the sun, and bright ring of light will still shine outward surrounding the moon.

National Parks Where Solar Eclipse with Moon Centered Can Be Seen

Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Petroglyph National Monument
Redwoods National Park
Zion National Park

National Parks Where Solar Eclipse Can Be Seen

Visitors to these National Parks will see a solar eclipse, but the moon will be slightly off-center during the period that its shadow falls across the sun.

Aztec Ruins National Monument
Bandelier National Monument
Bryce Canyon National Park
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Capitol Reef National Park
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
El Malpais National Monument
El Morrow National Monument
Fort Union National Monument
Grand Canyon National Park
Great Basin National Park
Hovenweep National Monument
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
Lava Beds National Monument
Mesa Verde National Park
Natural Bridges National Monument
Navajo National Monument
Oregon Caves National Monument
Pecos National Historical Park
Petrified Forest National Park
Rainbow Bridge National Monument
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area
Wupatki National Monument
Yucca House National Monument

National Parks Where Partial Solar Eclipse Can Be Seen

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site
Chamizal National Monument
Effigy Mounds National Monument
Fort Larned National Historic Site
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Harry S. Truman National Historic Site
Isle Royale National Park
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area
Mississippi River National Recreation Area
Nicodemus National Historic Site
Pipestone National Monument
St. Croix River National Scenic River
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Voyageurs National Park
Washita Battlefield National Historic Site

May 20th should be a wonderful opportunity to witness this rare event in some of the most beautiful places in the US.

(Photo courtesy of Badruddeen)

Partition Arch Devils Garden Arches National Park

After reaching Landscape Arch along the Devils Garden trail at Arches National Park, the trail becomes a lot more difficult. It isn’t anything that a fit hiker can’t do, but those with mobility issues will have trouble as there is some scrambling necessary to get up parts of the trail. Despite the difficulty of the trail from this point, it’s well worth continuing to see some other magnificent arches along the trail. The first side trail you will reach after Landscape Arch will take you to Partition Arch and Navajo Arch.

The side trail to Partition Arch has a small pine tree that has inexplicably decided to grow in the middle of the trail. Those not wanting to see it trampled have placed rocks around it to help protect it:

partition arch trail pine

Not much further on you reach a rock wall to your left that you will follow until you reach Partition Arch:

partition arch trail

At the end of the rock wall you will reach Partition Arch which will make you stop in your tracks and gawk for a bit (it’s actually fun to sit on some rocks and watch the reaction people have when they reach the arch). Partition Arch gives a beautiful window view of the landscape below with a smaller window arch to the right:

partition arch

partition arch arches national park

Partition Arch Devils Garden trail

It’s a perfect place to stop for a short rest and simply bask in the beauty all around. It’s definitely one of the arches to make sure to visit if you decide to hike the entire Devils Garden trail.