R@jS@y's: Hidden place of America

Hidden place of America

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

For anyone who wishes to see something truly spectacular Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming should be on the list. The hot spring is the third largest in the world, and the largest in the United States. For visitors to reach Grand Prismatic Spring one must drive to Midway Geyser Basin. This basin is located on the same loop at Old Faithful.

Visitors who have seen images of Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone may wonder what provides such brilliant colors. The water is a vibrant blue, with red color like lava surrounding it. However, what looks like lava is actually pigmented bacteria. They form microbial mats around the edge of the water. The bacteria are not all red though. It can range from green to red depending on the chlorophyll and carotenoids provided. The temperature can also determine what color the bacteria favors.

Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Garden of the Gods is a public park located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971
The Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center is located at 1805 N. 30th Street and offers a view of the park. The center's information center and 30 educational exhibits are staffed by Parks, Recreation and Culture employees of the City of Colorado Springs. A short movie,How Did Those Red Rocks Get There? runs every 20 minutes. A portion of the proceeds from the center's privately owned store and cafe support the non-profit Garden of the Gods Foundation; the money is used for maintenance and improvements to the park.

Natural history exhibits include minerals, geology, plants and local wildlife, as well as Native Americans who visited the park. Programs include nature hikes and talks, a Junior Ranger program, narrated bus tours, movies, educational programs and special programs.

Palouse Falls in Franklin/Whitman Counties, Washington

The Palouse Falls lies on the Palouse River, about 4 mi (6 km) upstream of the confluence with the Snake River in southeast Washington, United States. The falls are 198 ft (60 m) in height.The falls consists of an upper falls with a drop of ~20 feet (6.1 m) which lies 1,000 feet (305 m) north northwest of the main drop, and a lower falls, with a drop of ~180 feet (55 m).

In 1984 the Franklin County Public Utilitity District proposed a 30 m (98 ft) high dam be constructed upstream of the falls, allowing for a significant hydraulic head for hydroelectric power generation. This would have provided over one third of the county's power and would have reduced ratepayer charges substantially. However, the majority of the ratepayers declined to approve the investment, preserving this geologically significant feature.

Painted Hills in Wheeler County, Oregon

The Painted Hills lie deep in the canyons of Wheeler County, one of Oregon's most remote and least-settled areas. The climate here is arid, a unique blend of the harsh High Desert climate with the warmer, lowland climate found within the Eastern Columbia Gorge.

White Sands National Monument in Alamogordo, New Mexico

Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Monument preserves a major portion of this unique dunefield, along with the plants and animals that live here.
http://www.nps.gov/whsa/historyculture/index.htm

Horseshoe Bend near Page, Arizona

Horseshoe Bend is the name for a horseshoe-shaped meander of the Colorado River located near the town of Page, Arizona, in the United States. It is located 5 miles (8.0 km) downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, about 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Page. Accessible via a 0.5 miles (0.80 km) hike from U.S. Route 89, it can be viewed from the steep cliff above.

According to Google terrain maps, the overlook is 4,200 feet (1,300 m) above sea level and the Colorado River is at 3,200 feet (980 m) above sea level making it a 1,000 feet (300 m) drop.
The Horseshoe Bend contains various minerals. Some of the minerals are: hematite, platinum, and garnet.

Windsor Ruins in Claiborne County, Mississippi

The Windsor Ruins are in Claiborne County in the U.S. state of Mississippi, about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Port Gibson nearAlcorn State University. The ruins are those of the largest antebellum Greek Revival mansion built in the state, and have been used in various motion pictures.

Gila Cliff Dwellings in Catron, New Mexico

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is located in the Gila Wilderness within the Gila National Forest. Within a few miles of the Cliff Dwellings, elevations range from around 5,700 to 7,300 feet above sea level. In the immediate vicinity of the Cliff Dwellings, elevations range from 5,700 to about 6,000 feet. The terrain is rugged, with steep-sided canyons cut by shallow rivers and forested with ponderosa pine, Gamble's oak, Douglas fir, New Mexico juniper, pinon pine, and alligator juniper (among others).
A museum and visitor center is located at the monument. The visitor center is jointly operated by the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service, which maintains a small museum of Apache and Mogollon artifacts, uncovered both in the surrounding wilderness, and at the main ruins themselves. Artifacts on display include a glycemerus clam shell bracelet, traded from the Gulf of California, etched and drilled at a Hohokam village near present Phoenix, Snake town, then traded up the Gila River, to its headwaters near the Gila Cliff Dwellings.

The park has a mild climate, with a rainy season that goes from July to August. During the spring and fall the days are moderate and the nights are cool. During the winter months the afternoons are nice with cold morning and nights.Other nearby attractions include hot springs, more ancient sites, national forest trails and fishing along the Gila River.

Salt Lake Temple and Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah

The Salt Lake Tabernacle, also known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah along with the Salt Lake Assembly Hall and Salt Lake Temple.

Kilauea Volcano and Thurston Lava Tube at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, is a United States National Park located in the U.S. State of Hawaiʻi on the island of Hawaiʻi. It encompasses two active volcanoes: Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world's most massive subaerial volcano. The park gives scientists insight into the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and ongoing studies into the processes of vulcanism. For visitors, the park offers dramatic volcanic landscapes as well as glimpses of rare flora and fauna.

Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

Dominated by the Ahklun Mountains in the north and the cold waters of Bristol Bay to the south, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge confronts the traveler with a kaleidoscope of landscapes. The natural forces that have shaped this land range from the violent and powerful to the geologically patient. Earthquakes and volcanoes filled the former role, and their marks can still be found, but it was the gradual advance and retreat of glacial ice that carved many of the physical features of this refuge.
The refuge has a surface area of 4,102,537 acres (16,602.4 km2). It is the fourth-largest National Wildlife Refuge in the United States as well as the state of Alaska, which has all eleven of the largest NWRs.

Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Cape Elizabeth is the home of Portland Head Light. Situated along the spectacular shores of Fort Williams Park, at 1000 Shore Road, the popular landmark is owned and managed by the Town of Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
The Museum at Portland Head Light is contained within the former Keepers' Quarters. The award winning Museum contains a number of lighthouse lenses and interpretative displays.
Also on the site is a seasonal shop featuring fine lighthouse and Maine related gifts.
The adjacent ninety acre Fort Williams Park offers picnic facilities, hiking opportunities, sports and recreation areas, historic fort structures, and unlimited ocean views.

Castle Rock in Gove County, Kansas

Castle Rock was a landmark on the Butterfield Overland Despatch route (Overland Trail). The chalk was deposited in the area by an ancient inland sea. The formation was formed by the weathering of the chalk by wind and water. It received its name because it is said to look like a castle rising above the prairie.
On January 29, 2008, Castle Rock and Monument Rocks 31 miles to the west were jointly named as one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas.

Weathering of the rock formation is increasing due to visitors climbing on the rocks. In 2001, following a thunderstorm, the tallest spire fell.

Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon

The Mount Hood National Forest is one of the most-visited National Forests in the United States, with over four million visitors annually. Less than five percent of the visitors camp in the forest. The forest contains 170 developed recreation sites, including