NATIONAL PARKS
STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS
PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER
OUR SUMMER always winds down with visits to Yellowstone National Park, which we are lucky enough to have within easy driving distance. Glacier and Teton parks are a bit further from home, but we try to visit them both at least once a year.
But the fall Yellowstone trek is a favorite tradition. We love this trip, which we plan after Labor Day weekend, to avoid crowds and take advantage of cooler temperatures, wildlife on the move and changing scenery as fall colors cloak the hillsides and valleys.
Aspen cloak the valleys of Grand Teton National Park, which many people visit in tandem with a trip through Yellowstone National Park. |
There are bison and bears in Yellowstone, mountain goats in Glacier, mule deer and elk in Bryce Canyon and Zion, big horn sheep in Yosemite, and a variety of these animals in many of our parks, along with lush bird life, squirrels, bobcats, foxes and raccoons.
Yosemite and other parks have bike boardwalks, Mesa Verde has cliff dwellings, and Yellowstone of course is famous for its geysers and thermal pools.
The Lower Falls at Yellowstone National Park are an annual attraction for millions of visitors. Nature in our national parks is particularly pretty as crowds thin and autumn approaches. |
We have 63 national parks in the United States. We're proud that Yellowstone was the first national park in the world. More than 100 other countries also have national parks, places dedicated to preserving wildlife and nature. There are many on the continent of Africa where you can find mountain gorillas in Uganda's national parks. Gabon, Kenya and Tanzania offer spectacular landscape and large animal viewing.
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Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers in Zion, taking a break during a fun hike. |
Our neighbor to the north, Canada, has 37 national parks including Banff, Waterton and Jasper. It also has11 national park reserves. From Asia to South America, national parks offer an insight into how countries preserve diverse ecosystems, magical landscapes, and spectacular wildlife.
START PLANNING your U.S. park trip by contacting our National Park Service. It offers a wealth of information on preparing for a visit: park maps, calendars, directions, operating hours, where to stay and instructions on obtaining park passes.
Prepare by learning how to make a park visit both safe and enjoyable. Get updated information on wildlife activity, road closures and detours and insights into the effects of human actions on the environment. It's a great way to start a family dialogue -- painless learning and opening doors to a lifetime of appreciating these national treasures. If this year isn't in the cards, start planning a visit for 2026.
Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers at the north entrance, with its cornerstone laid by President Theodore Roosevelt. |
MORE INFORMATION:
National parks in the United States: nps.gov
National parks in Canada: parks.canada.ca
Throughout the world: globalnationalparks.com
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A delightful period set awaits viewers just before the house lights dim, for "The Importance of Being Earnest" at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, season 90. |
UP NEXT: Oregon Shakespeare Festival offers three magnificent and diverse theaters, a roster of unforgettable performances and production values equal to Broadway's best or London's finest West End shows. We take readers to this gem of a festival in southern Oregon's charming town of Ashland, and look at the plays which make this 90th season one of the festival's best. Remember to explore, learn and live, and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on the arts, nature, travel, cruising, train trips, city tours, family and more. Please share the link with like minded people: www.whereiscookie.com
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