4 db Lonely Planet angol nyelvű útikönyv amerikai nemzeti parkokról: Grand Canyon National Park + Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks + Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks + Pacific Coast Highways Road Trips

Grand Canyon National Park Welcome to the Grand Canyon Sublime Vistas The Grand Canyon embodies the scale and splendor of the iconic American West, captured in its dramatic vistas, dusty inner canyon trails, and stories of exploration, preservation and exploitation. We've all seen images of the canyon in print and on-screen, but there is nothing like the riving at the edge and taking it all in immensity, the depth, the light. Descend into the canyon depths, amble along the rim or simply relax at an outcrop you'll find your own favorite Grand Canyon vista. Though views from both rims are equally stunning, the South boasts many more official and dramatic overlooks. One of the most beautiful in its simplicity, however, is the view that whispers from the Grand Canyon Lodge's patio on the canyon's quieter north side. Hiking an Inverted Mountain You don't have to be a hardcore hiking enthusiast to taste the park's inner canyon splendor. Even a short dip below the rim gives a stunning appreciation for its magnificent scale and awesome silence; descend deeper and get a closer look at a mind- boggling record of geologic time. The park's raw desert climate and challenging terrain demand a slower, quieter, more reasoned pace, and that's just perfect. Because it's exactly that pace that is best for experiencing the Grand Canyon in all its multi-sensory glory. Geology One look at the reds, rusts and oranges of the canyon walls and the park's spires and buttes, and you can't help but wonder about the hows of whys of the canyon's formation. Luckily for laypeople with rock-related questions, the South Rim has answers, primarily at the Yavapai Geology Museum and the Trail of Time installation, and both rims offer geology talks and walks given by the park's knowledgeable rangers. For a more DIY experience, hike into the canyon with a careful eye for fossilized marine creatures, animal tracks and ferns. Native American & Pioneer History We all know about the canyon's distinct and unparalleled beauty, its awesome geologic canvas and its draw for outdoor types. Less recognized, perhaps, is the Grand Canyon's compelling human history, the drama that lies in its stories. Native Americans lived in and near the canyon for centuries, farming on its rim and in its depths. The region's national park history is also one of intrepid pioneer scientists and artists, prospectors, railroads and tourist entrepreneurs. Ranger talks are a great way to learn the park's stories, as are historic buildings and South Rim museums. Why I Love the Grand Canyon By Jennifer Rasin Denniston, Writer I came to the Grand Canyon for the first time with my toddler and newborn in tow. Frazzled and exhausted, and always the skeptical traveler, I was prepared to be underwhelmed. But seconds after walking onto the veranda of the North Rim lodge, I understood. My canyon isn't about the view alone, which I knew from postcards and books, photographs and oil paintings. Its power lies in the grounding silence and dusty quiet, the smells of ponderosa and desert, the clarity that comes from feeling so very small. We return year after year. Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks Welcome to Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks If you think you've seen every possible hue of sandstone, the rising or setting sun over Utah's national parks will show you otherwise. Canyons & Red Rocks Perhaps nowhere else in the Southwest can compete with southern Utah when it comes to the sheer number of geological works of art. Soaring pinnacles and arches, dizzyingly deep canyons and rainbow-colored rocks are all par for the course. This is where the bones of the earth- and the powerful natural processes that shape them are laid bare. Take the time to observe the different- colored layers stacked one upon the other: Kayenta, Navajo, Temple Cap, Carmel. These are snapshots of the planet's distant past, and an amazing opportunity to take in the work of 240 million years in a single glance. Outdoor Adventures There's no better way to get a feel for this red rock wonderland than by having some fun. Serious fun. Whatever your sport, there's a good chance that Utah sets a pretty high standard. Hikes lead to majestic free- standing arches, secret oases, desert labyrinths and exposed traverses across narrow fins. Canyoneers rappel into the earth's wrinkles to explore dark, mystical passageways filled with adventure. Moab's slickrock trails set the standard for mountain biking decades ago, while desert spires and mighty big walls are the envy of rock climbers around the world. Scenic Drives & Lookouts Though southern Utah's majestic parklands are hardly drive-by attractions, scenic roads abound. In fact, they're an essential part of your journey here in canyon country, whether you're driving, cycling, riding the park shuttles in Zion and Bryce, or negotiating a teeth-rattling, nerve-wracking 4WD road in the rugged backcountry. And if there are moments when you feel as if you've seen that view in a Hollywood film, it's because you probably have. Beyond the National Parks You could spend weeks immersed in the national parks and monuments. But then you'd be missing out on some of the most memorable places, from arty, alternative- minded towns like Moab to Native American tribal lands and sites where prehistoric denizens made their mark. Detours are always worthwhile here, whether for an earthy plate of organic, farmfresh food or to capture another top-of-the-world vista. Local state parks (Snow Canyon, Goblin Valley) and wilderness areas (Paria Canyon Vermilion Cliffs) deserve consideration, as does off-the-grid Cedar Mesa. Take our suggestions as starting points for your own sojourn. Why I Love Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks By Christopher Pitts, Writer I love the prickly pear's hot pink blooms, the tenacity of crimson paintbrush draped across a rock face. I love exploring canyons: listening to echoes of water sometimes light and joyous, sometimes rumbling and ominous or just tracing its ancient passage along the smooth, rippling walls. I love how a place that seems so barren is in fact so full of wonder. It's much like life itself: from afar it might appear tough and unforgiving, but take the time for a closer look and you'll find that each moment has its own special beauty. Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks Welcome to Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon With wild rock formations, astonishing waterfalls, unimaginably vast swaths of granite, humbling peaks and a four season dance card, the Sierra Nevada is no less than perfect. Backcountry Bonanza Spanning 400 miles across Central California, the Sierra Nevada encompasses dazzling mountain canyons and some of the highest peaks in the country. Trails lure you to verdant valleys of wildflowers and desolate lightningprone pinnacles. Bears tear open logs, marmots whistle in warning, and crickets and frogs harmonize to a nightly fever pitch. Something about spending time in the wilderness resets your brain. You step back, assess the situation with fresh eyes and put things into perspective. Maybe it has something to do with the timelessness of the landscape the ancient glaciers or the glow of the lakes at dusk and dawn. Peak Season Punctuated with fairytale spires, knobby domes and talusencrusted mountaintops, admiring all the Sierra Nevada scenery might just put a crick in your neck. A jaunt through Yosemite Valley is a ticker tape parade of granite skyscrapers, with Half Dome taking a deep bow. Tempestuous Mt Whitney lords over the south, and the formations visible from Tuolumne Meadows the jagged apex of Cathedral Peak, the pale wedge of Lembert Dome and the spiky crest of Unicorn Peak, to name but a few are certain to fuel your dreams. Time Warps This region has a past both wide and deep. Glaciers, although receding, gnaw at granite shoulders as they have for millennia. Prehistoric forests loom and the volcanic forces that moved these mountains to life still rumble underfoot and in simmering hot springs. Trails show the routes taken by indigenous Californians the Sierra Miwok, the Paiute and the Shoshone who traded between the western foothills and the Eastern Sierra; grinding stones and ancient petroglyphs have endured. Pioneers discarded mining camps to the elements, creating desolate ghost towns and the remains of forgotten railway lines. Winter Wonderland For solitude and serenity, winter rules. Summer may be high season, but you might well question why. The peaks are some of the highest in the US, regularly rising above 11,000ft, occasionally reaching 14,000ft, and blanketed by snow for much of the year. Snow paints the trees and splatters the mountains. There's fullmoon snowshoeing and crosscountry adventures, plus the chance to camp under a giant sequoia. Go swooshing across the hushed backcountry, barreling down some powdery slopes, or just stay inside and warm your toes by a roaring wood fire. Why I Love Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon By Beth Kohn, Writer Anytime I have a few spare days, I pull out my road atlas and hiking maps and start scheming up a new Sierra Nevada adventure. Snow camping under the giant sequoias? Hiking a creek canyon blazing with fall aspens? Searching for (and swimming in) the bluest lake in the High Sierra? I could spend a lifetime exploring this area and I'd never tire of its hidden waterfalls. starry nights, bear cubs, natural hot springs, coyote cries, ski slopes and 10,000ft mountain passes, and the amazing people I always meet along the way. Pacific Coast Highways Road Trips WELCOME TO PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAYS Starry-eyed newbies head to the Golden State to find fame and fortune, but you can do better. Come for the landscapes, stay for the farm-fresh and global fusion food, and glimpse the future in the making on America's creative coast. The trips in this book will take you along the breezy, wildlife-rich Pacific coast highways, from the towering redwoods of Northern California, the open roads of Big Sur, through to the famed Southern Californian beaches of Orange and San Diego Counties. Take time out to explore the vineyards of Santa Barbara County, the chilled out beach cities of Monterey and Santa Cruz, and the big city lights of San Francisco and Los Angeles. From backcountry lanes to beachside highways, we've got something for you.