Search results
Jan 1, 1981 · Reading Scenic Wonders Of America is like having at hand your own personal staff of experts - a naturalist, a geologist, a historian, even a travel agent - to provide you with a panoramic view of America and help you make the most of your precious vacation time.
- (29)
- Hardcover
- Reader's Digest Association
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Yosemite National Park
- Redwood National & State Parks
- Denali National Park
- Niagara Falls
- Yellowstone National Park
- Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave
- Maine’s Acadia National Park
- Monument Valley
- Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano
Measuring a mile deep, up to 18 miles wide and more than 275 miles long, no other sight in the USA beats this giant hole in the ground for instilling stupefying awe. Peering over the edge of the Grand Canyonis enough of a thrill for some, but to really appreciate the canyon’s grandeur, hike all the way down inside it to the rushing Colorado River. ...
Famous conservationist and wilderness writer John Muir called Yosemitenature’s temple. Gazing up at towering granite monoliths such as El Capitan and at Yosemite Falls, North America’s highest waterfall, you’ll know exactly what he meant. Declared a Unesco World Heritage Site for its unique geological features carved by glaciers, Yosemite also sust...
The world’s tallest trees grow on the fog-kissed Northern California coast. Redwoods can reach a height of 379ft, taller than the Statue of Liberty in NYC, and live for up to two millennia. Almost half of all the old-growth redwood trees remaining that have never been logged are protected by the chain of Redwood National and State parks. Top tip: A...
In the indigenous Koyukon Athabaskan language, it means ‘the high one,’ which is fitting because Denaliis North America’s highest peak (20,310ft). Prominently poised above the surrounding wilderness, it’s in fact taller than Everest when measured from its base. Climbers first reached the south summit in 1913, a feat now attempted by more than a tho...
Niagara Fallsis not just one, but three waterfalls that gush along the US-Canada boundary between New York and Ontario: Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. They aren’t the USA’s tallest waterfalls, but together these powerful cascades have a bigger water flow than any others on the planet. Get up close and feel the cool spray on ...
Yellowstoneis the USA’s oldest national park and is a wonderland of unique geology and wildlife. At this Unesco World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, you’ll be amazed by the world’s largest collection of geysers and hydrothermal features, including hot springs, boiling mud pots and steaming fumaroles. Look for herds of bison roaming free along...
In America’s heartland, aptly named Mammoth Caveis the world’s longest cave system. Almost 400 miles of underground passageways have been explored (so far, that is) inside this limestone karst cave labyrinth sculpted by subterranean rivers. See oddly shaped stalactites, stalagmites and other impressive speleothems (cave formations) on a lantern-lit...
On the wind-blown, tide-splashed Atlantic coast, Acadiais a maritime treasure. Don’t miss hiking Cadillac Mountain (1530ft), the tallest peak on the Atlantic seaboard. On New Year’s Day, you can be the first person in the USA to see the sunrise from its summit. For equally stunning panoramas, show up for golden leaf peeping in autumn. Top tip: Rent...
Chances are that those epic landscapes you’ve seen in classic Hollywood Westerns were shot in Monument Valley, where startling sandstone buttes rise up to 1000ft above the sandy desert floor. Today the valley is a Navajo tribal park. For a grand sense of perspective, sign up for a guided horseback tour. Top tip: The Navajo Nation is on Mountain Sta...
On Hawaiʻi, the Big Island, Kilauea Volcano has been oozing red-hot lava since 1983, making this one of the world’s longest continuous volcano eruptions. Nowhere else in the country can you see geological forces birthing new land like here at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, a Unesco World Heritage site. According to Hawaiian tradition, the fiery l...
- Lydia Schrandt
- America the Beautiful. Katharine Lee Bates penned the poem “America the Beautiful” on a trip to the top of Pike’s Peak in Colorado Springs in 1893. But the poem that would later become an American anthem could have been written from so many other spectacular settings in the United States.
- Alabama - Dismals Canyon. This sandstone gorge tucked away in North Alabama earned National Natural Landmark status in 1975, and it remains largely under the radar despite its immense beauty.
- Alaska - Denali. The vast expanses of wilderness in the largest state mean visitors have plenty of natural wonders to choose from, none quite so iconic as Denali.
- Arizona - Antelope Canyon. Winding, wave-like walls, and light beaming down from above, make this sandstone slot canyon near Page, Arizona a favorite among photographers and artists.
These include many of the country’s most spectacular and scenic locations as well as many of its most historic and storied places. Here are seven of the best national parks the United States has to offer.
- Death Valley. Nestled in the glistening golden sands of the desert that blankets the Arizona-Nevada border, Death Valley is one of the most extreme but beautiful places in the whole of the US.
- Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is one of the most remarkable natural treasures on the planet. Attracting more than 5 million visitors every year, this enormous national park, which is characterised by its jaw-dropping, plunging canyon, covers an expanse of rugged terrain stretching almost 5,000 square kilometres.
- Florida Everglades. A watery wilderness that covers thousands of square kilometres, the Florida Everglades are a breathtaking beauty spot, offering an array of activities.
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Comprising a cluster of stunning tropical islands, Hawaii is an awe-inspiring holiday destination. Offering everything from glimmering white sand beaches and crystal clear waters to cosmopolitan cities and one of the most intriguing national parks in the US, Hawaii has something for everyone.
Jan 1, 1981 · The editors of Reader's Digest have chosen the 50 most outstanding natural scenic places in America. Each of these 50 wonders is described in lively, readable style, in essays packed with useful, authoritative information.
- Reader's Digest
Oct 23, 2009 · Reader's digest scenic wonders of America. Finding your way to the wonders -- Introduction : our country, our heritage -- Acadia National Park, Maine -- Mount Washington, New Hampshire -- Niagara Falls,...
