Kobuk Valley - Alaska

Kobuk Valley National Park is one of the most unique places in Alaska. It is located in Northwestern Arctic Alaska which is above the Arctic Circle. Running along side the park is the Kobuk River. It is one of the major rivers of Northwestern Alaska and is about 350 miles long. There are no roads or trails in the park or even remotely close, so the preferred way of travel is by paddling the Kobuk River.

The park is very isolated and is the least visited park in the United States. The only humans that visitors see when they are there are the Inupiaq Eskimos. They hunt for their food, which is caribou, along the Kobuk River. Around 400,000 caribou migrate to Kobuk Valley National Park every year. Watching the caribou swim across the river is one of the most amazing sights to witness. There is an increasing population of moose in the park. 25 species of fish and 83 species of birds are found within the Kobuk Park. Grizzly and black bears are also found within the region, along with wolves, coyotes, and foxes.

Kings Canyon - California

Kings Canyon is located in the California Sierra Nevada mountains. It is divided into two sections. The first is the General Grant Grove, home to the second largest Giant Sequoia. 267 feet tall, the General Grant is only dwarfed by the 274 foot General Sherman that lives in Sequoia National Park. The majority of the park is the site of three river forks, two that belong to the King’s River and Canyon that gives the park its name, the other to the San Joaquin river.

The rivers can be treacherous. Most deaths come from accidental drowning when unintended swimmers slip on rocks and fall into fast moving rapids. If one desires to swim or use river craft, be careful, especially during the early summer months when the winter run off is coldest and swiftest. There are no beginning kayak runs, but an experienced kayaker can find some challenging opportunities. No motor boats are allowed on any river in the park.

Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Kenai Fjords is a U.S. National Park. Established in 1980, it is located near Seward, Alaska, and it covers more than 1,700 square miles. Kenai is best-known for its unique landscape and remote location. In fact, it is one of only three Alaskan parks that are accessible via roadway.

Nature and Terrain
The park is very diverse. It is home to both active glaciers and a beautiful coastline. The glaciers have reshaped the landscape, and much of the terrain is described as rocky. Exit Glacier is the only section of Kenai that is accessible via roadway. Animals in the area include various marine creatures, bears, and whales. Ocean storms and ice storms are common in the area.

Katmai - Alaska

In 1980 a portion of Katmai, Alaska was designated as a national park and preservation area. The Katmai National Park is filled with spectacular views and abundant with wildlife that has made this area their home for hundreds of years. Visitors to the park will have the opportunities to experience the true feel of Alaska and see all of the beauty that this state has to offer while staying in the park. They will also get to view wildlife such as brown bear, caribou, wolves and red fox in their natural habitat. Whether planning a family get away or a hunting expedition, there are activities for everyone who visits this pristine park.

Getting Around:
The terrain that makes up the Katmai National Park and Preserve can be very rough in areas. You will find that there are areas of very dense forests and valleys, pristine streams that can flow at various rates with some being swift and others lazily trickling, mountainous areas and volcanic ash and rock areas. There are no roadways that can be used to travel to the park area, so you must charter a boat or hire the services of an air taxi when planning your visit to the Katmai National Park.

Joshua Tree - California

Joshua Tree National Park, located in the arid highlands of southeast California known as the Inland Empire, is one of the world’s great rock climbing venues and a place of eerie beauty, particularly in the springtime when over 900 species of desert flowers burst into bloom. The park covers 794,000 acres between Highways 62 and I-10, close to the Arizona border, and is divided into two ecologically distinct desert regions – the Mojave Desert to the east and the Colorado Desert to the west. The area became a national monument in 1936, and is now overseen by the U.S. National Park Service. Today over a million visitors descend upon Joshua Tree National Park every year, many of them are climbers. Park officials strongly recommend that each visitor to the park bring at least a gallon of water per day per person, since dehydration, even in winter time, is always a real threat.

The Joshua trees that give the park its name grow mostly in the Mojave Desert portion of the park. The trees were given their fanciful name because their bare trunks and branches crowned with spiny leaves reminded the Latter Day Saints settlers, who first crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-nineteenth century, of the prophet Joshua raising his hands to the heavens in prayer. In the spring, the long stalks at their branch tips sprout clusters of white, candle-like flowers.