In the Bleak Midwinter

Valley Forge National Historical Park

December

What national park is synonymous with the bleak
midwinter?

The name of this national park is virtually synonymous with winter -- and a harsh winter at that. Originally established as Pennsylvania's first state park in 1893, it became a national park in our bicentennial year of 1976.

Though no battle (against the Brits) was fought here, the Continental Army, led by George Washington, spent the third winter of the Revolutionary War here in a different sort of battle -- against the elements.

Did you know:

• Approximately 12,000 troops encamped here during that fateful winter of 1777-1778.
• The park covers 3,500 acres and is visited by more than 1.2 million people each year.

Sam's Somewhat Alliterative Nickname

Yosemite National Park

November

What's the name of this "killer" national park?

This park, which gets its name from a Miwok word meaning "killer," is visited by more than three and a half million folks each year. About 95 percent of the park is designated as wilderness, including the many giant sequoias growing there.

Did you know:

-- The seed for the giant sequoia, the biggest living thing on Earth, is the size of a piece of oatmeal.

-- Abraham Lincoln signed a bill protecting the valley portion of the park; later, John Muir lobbied to protect the surrounding mountains and forests as well.

Wet 'n Wild

Everglades National Park

October

What is the name of this wetland wilderness?

Located in Florida, this park is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States. It is also the largest wilderness of any kind east of the Mississippi. It is the third largest national park in the lower 48, and the first created to protect a fragile ecosystem.

Did you know:

• It is the only place in the world where the American alligator and the American crocodile live together in the wild.
• The majority of South Florida's water is recharged in this park.

Cue Up Beethoven's "Ode to Joy"!

Olympic National Park

September

What is the name of this park that houses rocks as large as
houses?  

Designated a national park by FDR in 1938, this park was declared a World Heritage Site in 1981. It is currently undergoing the largest dam removal project in U.S. history, to preserve 70 miles of salmon spawning and rearing habitat.

Did you know:

-- This park is known for its melanges (large rocks), which can be as large as houses.

-- The coastal portion of the park is 60 miles long.

-- The western side of the park consists of temperate rainforests, which receive an annual precipitation of about 150 inches.

Death!

Death Valley National Park

August

What is the name of this famous stark and arid valley?

In spite of (or perhaps because of) its harsh, arid environment, this national park has been used as the backdrop for many television and movie productions, including Star Wars. Located in California and Nevada, it is the hottest and driest of all the U.S. national parks, with 95% of it being a designated wilderness area. It is also the largest national park in the lower 48, featuring the second-lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, Badwater Basin, which sits 282 feet below sea level.

It was declared a national monument in 1933 but did not become a national park until 1994, when it was substantially expanded. It got its rather grim name from a group of European-Americans who were stranded there in 1849 while looking for a shortcut to the California gold fields.

Liberty!

Statue of Liberty National Monument

July

Is there a more recognizable dame in the Western Hemisphere?

OK, so this one is an ABSOLUTE no-brainer, but did you know:

-- It is made of copper 3/32 in. thick, equivalent to two U.S. pennies placed together.

-- Its internal structure is made of stainless steel and cast iron.

-- Its official name is "Liberty Enlightening the World."

Holy Smokes!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

June

What's the name of this crowded and smoggy national park?

Chartered in 1934 and officially dedicated by FDR six years later, this park straddles the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Elevations in the park range from a low of 876 feet to a height of 6,643 feet. In fact, 16 mountains within the park exceed 6,000 feet.

Did you know:

-- This is America's most visited national park, averaging more than 9 million visitors a year.

-- It is also considered the most polluted national park, recording approximately 150 unhealthy air days between 1999 and 2003.

Glaciers Galore!

Glacier National Park

May

What is the name of this lake-studded, mountainous
national wonder?

Located in Montana on the U.S.-Canadian border, this park covers more than a million acres and includes parts of two sub-ranges of the Rocky Mountains. It also contains more than 130 named lakes, 1,000 different species of plants, and hundreds of species of animals.

When I took the train out to Portland, Oregon, a few years ago, my seatmate (whose name I don't recall) detrained here, to spend a few days enjoying the pristine beauty of what is known as the "Crown of the Continent Ecosystem."

Did you know:

-- Water flows from this park into the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans.

-- The only road in the park, called the Going-to-the-Sun Road, was completed in 1932 and is a National Historic Landmark and a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. It stretches 53 miles across the width of the park.

Grand, Indeed

Grand Teton National Park

April

What is the name of this peak-studded national park?

Located in northwestern Wyoming, this park was established twice: in 1929, to protect its mountain peaks and the lakes surrounding the bases of the mountains; and again in 1950, to protect the valley floors and the Jackson Hole National Monument. It covers approximately 310,000 acres, including more than 200 miles of hiking trails.

Did you know:

-- It is located just 10 miles south of Yellowstone.

-- Sixty-one species of mammals and more than 300 species of birds have been recorded in the park.

-- It is the only national park to allow hunting, but only of elk.

Old Faithful's Home

Yellowstone National Park

March

Name this geyser-filled land of wonders.

This area was designated a national park by Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, making it the first to receive such distinction in the U.S. and the world.

Did you know:

-- Indians have lived in this region for 11,000 years.

-- The park covers an area of 3,468 square miles, mostly in Wyoming.

Not THAT Kind of Mall

The National Mall

February

What is the name of the park that contains these familiar
landmarks?

OK, so this month's selection is pretty simple, too. But what a lovely twilight photo of three of our nation's landmarks -- with a big pizza pie of a moon to boot!

Did you know:

• These landmarks were established as a national park in 1965.
• This park contains some of the oldest protected park lands in the National Park Service.

Of Course

Grand Canyon National Park

January

Name this national park with its huge contrasts.

January kicks off with an easily recognizable landscape. (I promise they'll get tougher as the year moves on.) This is one of the national parks I have visited. (I was there in 2004.)

Did you know:

Temperatures here can range from below zero to above 100 degrees.

Some of the driest desert areas in this park get very little rain while other areas average around 12 feet of snow per year.

National Parks

Yellowstone

This year's calendar features a national park for each month. Of the 12 pictured, I have been to just two.

The National Park Service, whose job it is to protect and preserve these national treasures, will celebrate its centennial in 2016.

Yellowstone (pictured at left) was our first national park and is widely considered to have been the first in the world. President Grant established it as a national park in 1872.

Zion National Park

 Zion National Park (pictured at right), located in Utah, was established as a national park in 1919.

I will be posting January's entry in a day or so.