9 AMAZING USA LANDMARKS
9 LANDMARKS IN AMERICA
NATURAL LANDMARKS
1- SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS, CALIFORNIA
The Sierra Nevada Mountains form the eastern periphery of the state of California.
A picture book of incredible scenery, the mountain range includes deep Redwood and Sequoia forests, the tallest waterfall in the USA, and of course, snow-capped mountains.
Sierra Nevada means ‘snow-covered mountain range’, and was given its name by Spanish soldier Pedro Font during the Spanish colonial period in California in 1776.
The highest point within the range is Mount Whitney, standing at 4421 m/ 14,505 feet, making it the highest peak in the USA.
The range is home to another spectacular sight; the giant Redwoods and Sequoias.
Visit General Sherman, the largest living tree and largest living organism on the planet.
2- RED CANYON, UTAH
With its unmistakable red rocks and towering monoliths, Red Canyon is the perfect place to hike, camp and picnic when in Utah.
The canyon runs along the scenic Highway 12 and is just outside of Bryce Canyon National Park.
The Canyon’s visitor centre offers information on several hiking trails through the canyon, including to a ponderosa pine, which smells like butterscotch.
Throughout the canyon are towering hoodoos, pillars of rock that have slowly gained unusual shapes through years of erosion.
Keep your eyes peeled for several ‘windows’ in the rocks that have naturally eroded to give the appearance of windows or holes in otherwise solid rock.
3- DEVILS TOWER, WYOMING
Devils Tower was named America’s first national monument in 1906 by President Roosevelt. The tower is made up of igneous rocks and rises to 867 feet above the surrounding landscape.
Also known as Bears Lodge, the tower is sacred to Northern Plains Indian tribes.
Tribes still hold ceremonies at the tower, including sun dances and sweat lodges.
At the foot of the tower, many colourful prayer cloths are tied to trees.
The tower was made famous for its role in Stephen Spielberg’s movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
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4- NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK/ONTARIO
Niagara Falls is made of three waterfalls; American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Canadian Falls.
The falls sit on the border between Ontario, Canada and New York State in the USA.
One of the best ways to experience the Falls is by taking a trip on one of the Maid of the Mist boat tours.
Each trip lasts around 30 minutes and gives visitors incredible closeup views of the falls from the spray at their base.
Visit at night to see a spectacular light show light up the falls. During national holidays, the lights used coordinate with the holiday.
5- ANTELOPE CANYON, ARIZONA
Antelope Canyon is a vast network of winding sandstone in Arizona, with wave-like walls and structures that are the product of millions of years of water erosion.
Water erosion chiselled the canyon and the Navajo appropriately named the canyon is “Tse’ bighanilini”, meaning “the place where water runs through rocks”.
Antelope Canyon has great spiritual significance and was named a Navajo Tribal Park in 1997.
Due to its spiritual importance, visitors can only explore the canyon as part of a guided tour.
Many photographers flock to Antelope Canyon to capture its famous light beams that fall through gaps in the sandstone, creating a beautiful and spiritual experience.
6- CRATER LAKE, OREGON
Crater Lake in Oregon was formed over 7700 years ago when an ancient volcano collapsed during a violent eruption.
The Klamath Tribes witnessed the eruption of Mount Mazama, and stories of the eruption fill their histories.
The resulting crated filled with water from rainfall and snowfall and became the deepest lake in the USA.
No rivers run into the lake, and so its water levels are dependent on rainfall and precipitation.
As the water is very pure, and due to the depth of approximately 2000 feet, Crater Lake has a unique deep blue hue to its water.
7- EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, FLORIDA
Consisting of 600,000 hectares/1.5 million acres of wetland, the Everglades National Park is a must-see natural landmark in Florida.
Within the park is a 65 feet tall observation tower giving visitors a breathtaking view over the Everglades.
Tours run throughout the Florida Bay offering visitors the chance to see the wildlife of the Everglades, including crocodiles, manatees and even dolphins.
Due to its vast size, the park encompasses many smaller parks and preserves, including the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve, where lucky visitors may catch a glimpse of the Florida panther, a black bear or a ghost orchid.
8- RUSSELL CAVE NATIONAL MONUMENT, ALABAMA
A limestone cavern in Alabama, Russell Cave National Monument is an extensive cave system with artefacts from human settlements stretching back to 10,000BC.
Artefacts found in the cave come primarily from three cultures: Archaic, Woodland and Mississippian.
During the Archaic period, Native Americans occupied the cave.
Within the cave, archeologists have discovered arrowheads, stone projectiles presumed used in hunting and even charcoal remnants from ancient fire pits.
The onsite museum now houses many of the artefacts found in the caves and shows how ancient cave inhabitants would have lived.
9- WICHITA MOUNTAINS, OKLAHOMA
Taking its name from an American Indian tribe that lived in the area centuries ago, the Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma extends for 30 miles.
These ancient mountains date back to 525 million years ago, with the mountains changing over time due to erosion.
The highest peak in the Wichita range is Mount Scott, which stands at 2464 feet above sea level.