11 National Parks in the Western United States
Thanks to @greddyforce for posting about this Scenery contest by the Outdoors and More community.
I am excited to look back through my travels and share some incredible scenery. This world is so beautiful I would love to share it all. Alas, for this contest I have narrowed it to 6 western states- Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, California and Oregon- and their national parks.
Arizona
I have lived in Arizona for 16 years and so I will start with the great landscapes that make up this interesting and diverse state. There are 3 National Parks in Arizona, Saguaro, Petrified Forest and the most famous, The Grand Canyon. I have been to two of the parks, as shown below.
In addition to these protected landscapes there are other places that are just as stunning, Sedona, Mogollon Rim and White Pocket.
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| Saguaro National Park | Grand Canyon |
Bonus Arizona:
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Utah
Let's go to Utah next. My father is from Utah and I went to university here. It has incredible beauty. I have only recently discovered the beauty of southern Utah.
Utah has the Mighty Five which are the five national parks in southern Utah.
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| Zion | Bryce |
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| Arches | Capital Reef | Canyonlands |
Bonus Southern Utah:
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Bonus Northern Utah:
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Wyoming
When people ask me my favorite place I often say the Tetons. Wyoming may be flat and desolate in many places. It also has stunning mountains that I adore.
Tetons National Park
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Bonus: Wind River Range
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Montana
Speaking of mountains I adore Glacier National Park and it might just be the most beautiful place I have been. Just looks a this!
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California
In December I went to the Redwood National Forest. Wow! Here is a look at this amazing place with trees that grow up to 400 feet tall and a forest floor of ferns.
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Oregon
I will end this contest with Oregon. This is where my family lives and I visit often.
Crater Lake National Park is the only National Park in Oregon and a treasure, for sure.
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Bonus Oregon:
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@galenkp Thanks for hosting this contest. I am excited to see beautiful places all over the world and hope that people will enjoy this look at some of the most scenic places (National Parks) in the western United States.
Wow! Those are some spectacular places, to be sure! Our national parks have so much to offer; still trying to fill the National Parks Passport as part of the bucket list, but am sadly lacking in visiting the Eastern half of the country.
That is a fun goal. I don't have many in the east either. :)
Im worried about altitude sickness tho, that has potential to ruin the days 😬
Oh I guess that could be. I don't worry about that and I travel a lot from Phoenix (1,086 feet) to the high mountains of Utah and Wyoming with no problem. Everyone is different so hopefully you will be ok.
Damn, I somehow replied to a wrong comment haha 😂.
But yeah. I come from sea level and 13-14k feet sounds a whole lot. Especially if I dont have a lot of time to acclimatize.
Hope im one of these who dont feel anything 😀
Spent part of one summer living in the tiny hamlet of Marble, Colorado (elevation +/- 8,000 feet) and felt no ill effects... aside from getting a little out of breath when hiking up an incline.
Good to hear. Did you also visit the very high altitudes?
You probably had time to let your body get used to the thinner air as well.
Not during that same summer, but made it up to the observation station near the top of Pike's Peak (about 14,000 feet) on a different visit to some friends in Colorado Springs. You can definitely tell the air is thin up there for about 30 minutes; it was super cold and had just snowed... in August.
Great post! I have always wanted to go to montana and Glacier national park. Will be going to Colorado soon and maybe crossing over Utah border for a sec but dont have time to really go anywhere in there. Maybe just photograph the welcome to Utah/Colorado sign 😂
Colorado is AMAZING! I have awesome memories of the few times I have been there.
Im worried about altitude sickness tho, this has potential to ruin the days 😬
What beautiful scenes from Arizona, I'm really stunned by the beauty of this place and your sense of capturing photos. Both these things got mixed and we have such a beautiful images.
Thanks there are a lot of great places in all these states.
OMG! so many incredible pictures in just one post. I can't take my eyes off these photos. Best of luck for the contest.
Thanks so much @rocksg
Whoa that's an impressive collection! That first one from Montana.. mindblowing. I love the colors, reflections in the water and the balanced composition. Also really liking the one with the foggy hill in Oregon. I think those two would be my personal top picks, even though I could probably pick many more. Thanks for sharing!
Wow thanks so much for letting know which ones you like. As an artist it is really neat to hear that feedback. I love those too. Here is another great one with my sister in Oregon on the same foggy morning.
Love it :)
I read @greddyforce's post a few minutes ago and I was indeed pleased with the beautiful scenery and landscape that he shared especially how he explained right before he set the pictures.
I'm glad you were inspired to share yours too. Your shots are breathtakingly beautiful and I must thank greddyforce for inspiring this post.... hehehehe
Aww that is fun that you read them so close together. You got to see some great parts of the world. Thanks so much.
Bloody hell, you're making it tough for Boomy to do the judging. Lol.
Great post.
Ha ha Thank you!
Wow, that's quite a tour!! Glacier National Park Looks awesome as well as the redwoods!
Thanks so much @meesterboom. The best thing is that they are so different!
Loved this place, having wonderful beauty of nature. I'm must say that you have enjoyed a lot there. Beautiful photos❤️😍
Thanks @sanach
https://twitter.com/LovingGirlHive/status/1661300370591866880
Wow! I've never seen so many amazing locations (and photos), all in one post.
Great photography! I love the wide range of nature landscapes: beach, mountains, lake, ocean, forest, canions, national parks etc.
Thanks so much @missdeli your comment is so kind!
No problem, I really meant it. I was like "Woowww". I stayed here on your post until I saw every picture, opened in big screen. 😄
No hay nada más hermoso que la naturaleza
So true!
WOOOOW SARA! this is really really really impresiive pff
all those photos are worthy of being framed as art
i loved them all 😍😍
but what is more impressive is knowing that you were behind each photo admiring those landscapes and that these places really exist in real life.
Thank you @malos10 it is a bit surreal to me that I have been to all these beautiful places too. Most great memories around the pictures too.
i just can imagine....
These photos are awesome. I hope I have the time to join the contest. This is so cool.
I hope you do too.
I just joined :D
Ok you won! Thats absolutely mind blowing. Now I know again why I still need to visit the states, never been there. The shots from Utah are so good hope I can see it one day myself
Oh that is very nice of you to say. These places are awesome. I hope you can make it to southern Utah. The terrain is amazing.
You deserve to be the winner of the contest because these landscapes are beautiful, the images are well taken. I have never been to a place like this, since I am Venezuelan, although last year I visited a mountain at 1600 meters above sea level. Greetings and many congratulations @sjarvie5
Thanks so much @wendyth16 that is very kind of you. I saw some great entries in this contest for Venezuela.
Wow,.... you're such a lover of nature, it so beautiful and it makes nature look so differently from the way I have perceived it all along,
I really appreciate @galenkp for bringing this up, altho just got to see this did be sure to hop in ..
Great content and visuals you've got here
Thank so much @eminentsam48
Oh wow, these places and your photos are stunning. You definitely deserved to win.
Now I want to go visit all of these amazing places. Xxxx
Thanks so much. I hope you get to some of them. They are wonderful!