Words by Emil Martin & Photographs by Angela Terrell 0n the 100th anniversary of National Parks in the USA, it seemed fitting to visit some jewels in their crown.
Yosemite, four hours from the West Coast, is a landscape shaped by glaciers. Towering granite monoliths ring the valley, their splendour captivating millions of visitors and the solitude (if you visit at the right time) encompassing.
Montana’s Yellowstone, the oldest National Park, lies above a magma hotspot and claims the world’s largest collection of geysers. The most famous, Old Faithful, erupts every 45 minutes but is by no means the most powerful and spectacular. Patiently waiting by a number of geysers we saw steaming water rise hundreds of meters in a multitude of directions. Waterfalls and lakes together with bison, elk and the lurking danger of grizzly bears add to the excitement. Beware though, the last volcanic eruption 600,000 years ago dwarfed anything in human history ... and the next eruption is well overdue!
Utah is home to Arches National Park (guess what it is famous for?), Bryce, which is renowned for its beguilingly shaped sandstone Hoodoos and Zion where you can scale vertigo inducing peaks and frolic in ankle deep mountain rivers.
There are dark star-filled skies, geology to astound, wildlife to enchant and beauty to make your heart skip a beat.
