NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park is a U.S. National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. The park occupies 81.4 square miles (211 square kilometers). and features numerous ruins of homes and villages built by the ancient Pueblo people. It is best known for several spectacular cliff dwellings — structures built within caves and under outcroppings in cliffs — including Cliff Palace, which is thought to be the largest cliff dwelling in North America. The Spanish Mesa Verde translates into English as "green table". The parks of the United States National Park system are one type of protected area in the United States and are operated by the National Park Service. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Montezuma County is a county located in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area Ranked 8th - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (451 km) - Length 380 miles (612 km) - % water 0. ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... A kilometer (Commonwealth spelling: kilometre), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1,000 metres (from the Greek words Ï‡Î¯Î»Î¹Î± (khilia) = thousand and Î¼ÎÏ„ÏÎ¿ (metro) = count/measure). ... Ancient Pueblo People, or Ancestral Puebloans is the preferred term for the group of peoples often known as Anasazi who are the ancestors of the modern Pueblo peoples. ... Cliff Palace in 1891 Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. ... Cliff dwelling is the general archaeological term for the habitations of primitive peoples, formed by utilizing niches or caves in high cliffs, with more or less excavation or with additions in the way of masonry. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

Geography

Mesa Verde National Park is located at 37°11′02″N, 108°29′19″W (37.183784,-108.488687).

Elevations in the park range from about 6,100 feet (1,860 meters) to about 8,400 feet (2,560 meters). The terrain in much of the park is dominated by ridges and valleys running roughly north and south; many of these ridges peak at an east–west crest near the park's northern border, which turns more northerly–southerly towards the park entrance. The northernmost point is 13.2 miles (21.2 kilometers) farther north than the southernmost; the westernmost point is 11.9 miles (19.2 kilometers) farther west than the easternmost. A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, â€² â€“ a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The metre, or meter (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ...

Early history

Spanish explorers seeking a route from Santa Fe to California in the 1760s and 1770s were the first Europeans to reach the Mesa Verde (green table) region, which they named after its high, tree-covered plateaus. However, they never got close enough to see the ancient stone villages, which would remain a secret for another century. Occasional trappers and prospectors visited, with one prospector, John Moss, making his observations known in 1873. The following year he led eminent photographer William Henry Jackson through Mancos Canyon, at the base of Mesa Verde. There Jackson both photographed and publicized a typical stone cliff dwelling. In 1875 geologist William H. Holmes retraced Jackson's route. Reports by both Jackson and Holmes were included in the 1876 report of the Hayden Survey, one of the four federally financed efforts to explore the American West. These and other publications led to proposals to systematically study Southwestern archaeological sites. They did not lead to action for some years. Nickname: The City Different Location in the State of New Mexico Coordinates: Country United States State New Mexico County Santa Fe Founded 1607 - Mayor David Coss Area - City 37. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... For alternate uses of the term, see Plateau (disambiguation). ... William Henry Jackson, 1862 William Henry Jackson (April 4, 1843 - June 30, 1942) was an American painter, photographer and explorer famous for his images of the American West. ...

Meanwhile, ranchers were beginning to settle the Mancos Valley. Some climbed up into Mesa Verde and observed more and larger stone structures. Looting of artifacts began, both for home display and for sale cheaply to visitors to the region. In a dismal two decades of despoliation, the most responsible ranchers were members of the Wetherill family, who also had the best relations with the local Ute tribe on whose territory Mesa Verde was located. The Wetherills collected artifacts for sale to the Historical Society of Colorado as well as private collectors, and began assembling a small library of relevant publications. They also saw the tourist potential of the cliff dwellings they now sought out systematically. Over several years they reoriented their ranch toward guiding tourists through the cliff dwellings, and became the first experts on them. Although they continued to dig in the ruins, knocking down some walls and roofs and gathering artifacts without extensive documentation, the Wetherill's actions were more responsible and considered than those of the looters that preceded them. Modern archaeological opinion generally agrees that the Wetherill family were reasonable caretakers in an era before archaeological standards and federal oversight and protection.^[1] Richard Wetherill, was a member of a prominent Colorado ranching family, who became involved as an amateur explorer in the discovery, research and excavation of sites associated with the Anasazi or Ancient Pueblo peoples. ...

One noteworthy early visitor was a New York newspaper reporter named Virginia McClurg, whose efforts over a period of years helped lead eventually to park status for Mesa Verde. Another, in 1889 and 1890, was photographer and travel writer Frederick H. Chapin. He described the landscape and structures in an 1890 article and 1892 book, The Land of the Cliff-Dwellers, whose many excellent photographs were the first extensive view of Mesa Verde available to the public. Like other visitors in the early years, he was guided by the Wetherills. Frederick H. Chapin (5 September 1852 - 25 January 1900) was an American business man, mountaineer, photographer, amateur archaeologist and author. ...

Perhaps the most important early visitor was Gustaf Nordenskiöld, son of Finnish-Swedish polar explorer Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, in 1891. Nordenskiöld, a trained mineralogist, introduced scientific methods to artifact collection, recorded locations, photographed extensively, diagrammed sites, and correlated what he observed with existing archaeological literature as well as the home-grown expertise of the Wetherills. Local opposition surfaced, however, and after it was learned that his artifacts would be shipped to a Scandinavian museum, he was arrested and falsely charged with "devastating the ruins." Rumors of lynching circulated. Only intervention by several Washington cabinet secretaries freed Nordenskiöld. On return to Sweden he published, in 1893, the first scholarly study of the ruins, The Cliff Dwellers of the Mesa Verde, which put Mesa Verde on the map in the international community. Nordenskiöld activities remained controversial for many decades but are generally recognized as highly valuable today. Nordenskiöld's collection of Mesa Verde artifacts, in a Helsinki, Finland museum, is the largest outside the U.S. Former Mesa Verde National Park superintendent Robert Heyder summed up Nordenskiöld's contributions: Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2126x1543, 976 KB) Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde in southwestern Colorado. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2126x1543, 976 KB) Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde in southwestern Colorado. ... Image File history File links LinkFA-star. ... Cliff Palace in 1891 Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. ... Gustaf NordenskiÃ¶ld (29 June 1868 - June 6, 1895), Swedish scholar of Finnish descent and eldest son of polar explorer Adolf Erik NordenskiÃ¶ld. ... Gustaf NordenskiÃ¶ld (29 June 1868 - June 6, 1895), Swedish scholar of Finnish descent and eldest son of polar explorer Adolf Erik NordenskiÃ¶ld. ... Nils Adolf Erik NordenskiÃ¶ld by Georg von Rosen Baron (Nils) Adolf Erik NordenskiÃ¶ld, also known as A. E. Nordenskioeld (November 18, 1832, Helsinki, Finland (then the Grand Duchy of Finland) â€” August 12, 1901, Dalby, SkÃ¥ne, Sweden) was a geologist, mineralogist and arctic explorer of Finland-Swedish extraction. ... Helsinki (pronounced with the stress on the first syllable in Finnish — think Helsin Ki), or Helsingfors in Swedish, is the capital of Finland. ...

Yet vandalism continued. By the end of the 19th century, it was clear that Mesa Verde needed protection from unthinking or greedy people. An early Mesa Verde National Park superintendent, Hans Randolph, described the situation at the best known cliff dwelling, Cliff Palace:

National park

As concern grew over the archaeological well being of Mesa Verde's ruins, and those in other nearby sites, the area was established as a national park on June 29, 1906. As with all historical areas administered by the National Park Service, the park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. It was designated a World Heritage Site on September 6, 1978. The park was named with the Spanish for green table because of its forests of juniper and piñon trees. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2864x2344, 890 KB) Spruce Tree House cliff dwellings. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2864x2344, 890 KB) Spruce Tree House cliff dwellings. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1750 Ã— 1312 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1750 Ã— 1312 pixel, file size: 1. ... June 29 is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 185 days remaining. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... A typical plaque showing entry on the National Register of Historic Places. ... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Species Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. ... Species Section Cembroides Pinus cembroides Pinus orizabensis Pinus johannis Pinus culminicola Pinus remota Pinus edulis Pinus monophylla Pinus quadrifolia Section Rzedowskiae Pinus rzedowskii Pinus pinceana Pinus maximartinezii Section Nelsoniae Pinus nelsonii The pinyon pines (or piñon pines), are a group of pines, which grow in the southwestern United States...

The Mesa Verde Administrative District was designated a National Historic Landmark on May 29, 1987. It consists of the first buildings constructed by the National Park Service (1921), which are based on cultural traditions represented in the park area. The principal designer believed that structures could be used for interpretive purposes to explain the construction of prehistoric dwellings in the Park, and be compatible with their natural and cultural setting. USS Constitution A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, site, structure, or object, almost always within the United States, officially recognized for its historical significance. ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the summer of 2002, the park, which is covered with pine and cedar forests, suffered from a large number of forest fires; parts of it were closed. All areas of the park have since re-opened, but some areas show significant damage from the fire. This article is about a community of trees. ... Fire in San Bernardino, California Mountains (image taken from the International Space Station) A wildfire, also known as a forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, or bushfire (in Australasia), is an uncontrolled fire in wildland often caused by lightning; other common causes are human carelessness and arson. ...

Park services

Mesa Verde's park entrance is about 9 miles (15 kilometers) east of the community of Cortez. The visitor center is 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the entrance, and Chapin Mesa (the most popular area) is another 6 miles (10 kilometers) beyond the visitor center. Cortez is a city located in Montezuma County, Colorado. ... A visitor center is a place where visitors to a location can get information on the areas attractions, lodging, maps, and other items relevant to tourism. ...

The park's Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum provides information about the Ancient Puebloan civilization and displays findings and artwork.

Three of the cliff dwellings on Chapin Mesa are open to the public. Spruce Tree House is open all year, weather permitting. Balcony House and Cliff Palace are open except in the winter; visitors may tour them only on ranger-guided tours. The cliff dwellings on Wetherill Mesa, including Long House and Step House, can be reached via a 12 mile (19.2 kilometer) long mountain road leading southwest from the park visitor center. Many other dwellings are visible from the road but not open to tourists. Species About 35; see text. ... Cliff Palace in 1891 Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. ...

In addition to the cliff dwellings, Mesa Verde boasts a number of mesa-top ruins. Examples open to public access include the Far View Complex, Cedar Tree Tower, and the Sun Temple, all on Chapin Mesa, and Badger House Community, on Wetherill Mesa.

Also in the park are hiking trails, a campground, and facilities for food, fuel, and lodging; these are unavailable in the winter.

Notable sites

Mesa Verde is best known for a large number of well preserved cliff dwellings, houses built in shallow caves along the canyon walls. For most of the 12th and 13th centuries, the Classic Period, the Ancient Puebloan Indians lived in these dwellings. The reason for their sudden departure about 1275 remains unexplained; theories range from crop failures due to droughts to an intrusion of foreign tribes from the North. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 1866 KB) Square Tower House taken by Ben FrantzDale File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Mesa Verde National Park Metadata This file contains additional information, probably... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 1866 KB) Square Tower House taken by Ben FrantzDale File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Mesa Verde National Park Metadata This file contains additional information, probably... Alternate meanings: Cave (disambiguation) The outside world viewed from a cave A cave is a natural underground void. ... Grand Canyon, Arizona Noravank Monastery Complex and Canyon in Armenia. ... Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park White House Ruins, Canyon de Chelly National Monument Ancient Pueblo People or Ancestral Puebloans are terms preferred by some modern archaeologists for the cultural group of people often known as Anasazi, the ancestors of the modern Pueblo peoples. ...

Cliff Palace in 1891 Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. ... Reconstructed kiva at Bandelier National Monument. ... Chacoan corner doorway in Pueblo Bonito. ... The following is a partial list of historic civil engineering landmarks as designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers since it began the program in 1964. ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

External links

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References

World Heritage Sites in the United States of America

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Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Badlands National Park, in southwest South Dakota, preserves 242,756 acres (982 kmÂ²) of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Big Bend National Park is a national park located in Texas, USA. For more than 1,000 miles (1600 km) the Rio Grande / RÃo Bravo forms the international boundary between Mexico and the United States; Big Bend National Park administers approximately one-quarter of that boundary. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Biscayne National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southern Florida, due east of Homestead, FL. The park preserves Biscayne Bay, one of the top scuba diving areas in the United States. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a United States National Park located in western Colorado. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Bryce Canyon National Park Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park located in southwestern Utah in the United States. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Canyonlands National Park, located near Moab, Utah and the Arches National Park, was designated as a National Park on September 12, 1964. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Capitol Reef National Park is a United States National Park, in south-central Utah. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a United States National Park located in the Guadalupe Mountains of the southeastern corner of New Mexico (Eddy County). ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... The Channel Islands National Park is a national park that consists of five of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of the U.S. state of California, in the Pacific Ocean. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Located in South Carolina, the 34 mi² (89 km²) Congaree National Park is the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States but one of the smallest national parks. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Crater Lake National Park is the U.S.s fifth oldest[1] National Park whose most famous feature is Crater Lake. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Cuyahoga River Cuyahoga Valley National Park preserves the rural landscape along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland in northeast Ohio. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Death Valley National Park is a mostly-arid United States National Park located east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Inyo County, California with a small extension and exclave (Devils Hole) in Nye County, Nevada. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Denali National Park and Preserve is located in Interior Alaska and contains Mt. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Dry Tortugas National Park preserves Fort Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas section of the Florida Keys. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Everglades National Park preserves the southern portion of the Everglades (all south of Tamiami Trail), but represents only 20 % of the original wetland area. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is one of several large U.S. National Parks in Alaska. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... There is also a non-adjoining national park in Canada by the same name. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... The area around Glacier Bay in southeastern Alaska was first proclaimed a U.S. National Monument on February 25, 1925. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Grand Canyon National Park is one of the United States oldest national parks and is located in Arizona. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in western Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Great Basin National Park is a United States National Park, located in east-central Nevada near its border with Utah. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve became a United States National Park by an act of Congress on September 13, 2004. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Cades Cove panorama The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas and contains Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet (2,667 m) in elevation. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... HaleakalÄ National Park is a United States national park located on the island of Maui in the state of Hawaii. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Hawaiâ€˜i Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, displays the results of 30 million years of volcanism, migration, and evolutionâ€”processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex and unique ecosystems and a distinct human culture. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Established from Hot Springs Reservation, Hot Springs National Park is a United States National Park in central Arkansas adjacent to the city of Hot Springs. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Isle Royale National Park is a U.S. National Park in the state of Michigan. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Katmai National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in Alaska, notable for the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and for its brown bears. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Kenai Fjords National Park is a United States National Park on the Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska near the town of Seward. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... This article is about Kings Canyon National Park, USA. For Kings Canyon, Australia, see Kings Canyon (Northern Territory). ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Kobuk Valley National Park is a United States National Park in northwestern Alaska north of the Arctic Circle. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in southwestern Alaska. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Map of Lassen area showing hydrothermal features (red dots) and volcanic feature or remnant (yellow cones). ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the most extensive cave system known in the world. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County, Washington. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Looking toward Magic Mountain from the Cascade Pass trail North Cascades National Park is a U.S. National Park located in Washington state. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the far northwestern part of the state known as the Olympic Peninsula. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Petrified Forest National Park is located in northeastern Arizona, along Interstate 40 between Holbrook and Navajo. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Established in 1968 from unprotected land as well as small portions of existing state parks, Redwood National Park is a United States National Park on the northern coast of California between Eureka and Crescent City. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Rocky Mountain National Park is located in the north central region of the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Entrance to the Visitors Center, Saguaro National Park, West. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Crescent Meadow in the Giant Forest, called by John Muir the Gem of the Sierras Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Visalia, California in the United States of America. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Piedmont region of Virginia. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Established in 1978, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a United States National Park comprising three geographically separated areas of badlands in western North Dakota. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Established in 1975, Voyageurs National Park is a United States National Park in northern Minnesota near the town of International Falls. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Wind Cave National Park is a United States national park 10 miles (18 km) north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Wrangell-St. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Yellowstone National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the western states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Yosemite National Park (pronounced Yo-SEM-it-ee, IPA ) is a national park largely in Mariposa County, and Tuolumne County, California, United States. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Zion Canyon as seen from the top of Angels Landing at sunset Zion National Park is a United States National Park located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. ... Image File history File links US_Locator_Blank. ... This is a list of U.S. national parks by date of establishment. ... This is a list of United States National Parks by state. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ... Cahokia is the site of an ancient Native American city near Collinsville, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from St. ... Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a United States National Park located in the Guadalupe Mountains of the southeastern corner of New Mexico (Eddy County). ... Kiva at Pueblo Del Arroyo Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park and World Heritage Site which contains the densest and most exceptional concentration of large pueblos in the American Southwest. ... Everglades National Park preserves the southern portion of the Everglades (all south of Tamiami Trail), but represents only 20 % of the original wetland area. ... Grand Canyon National Park is one of the United States oldest national parks and is located in Arizona. ... Cades Cove panorama The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. ... HawaiÊ»i Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, displays the results of hundreds of thousands of years of volcanism, migration, and evolutionâ€”processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex and unique ecosystems and a distinct human culture. ... Independence Hall is a U.S. national landmark located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets. ... Kluane National Park and Reserve is located in the extreme southwestern corner of the Yukon territory in Canada. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Wrangell-St. ... The area around Glacier Bay in southeastern Alaska was first proclaimed a U.S. National Monument on February 25, 1925. ... Tatshenshini-Alsek Park Tatshenshini-Alsek Park or Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Wilderness Park in British Columbia, Canada (9,580 km2) was established in 1993 after an intensive campaign by Canadian and American conservation organizations to halt mining exploration and development in the area and protect the area for its strong natural... La Fortaleza (or The Fortress in English) is the current residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. ... San Juan National Historic Site in San Juan, Puerto Rico includes colonial-era forts, bastions, powder houses, and three fourths of the old city wall. ... Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the most extensive cave system known in the world. ... Monticello, located near Charlottesville, Virginia, was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, the third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia. ... The University of Virginia (also called U.Va. ... Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the far northwestern part of the state known as the Olympic Peninsula. ... Taos Pueblo, circa 1920 Taos Pueblo (or Pueblo de Taos), continuously inhabited for over 1000 years, is the ancient town of the Northern Tiwa speaking tribe of Pueblo people, Native Americans. ... The Coastal redwood is the tallest tree species on Earth. ... For other freedom monuments, see Monument of Liberty. ... The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is the name of the union of the Glacier National Park in the United States and the Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. ... Yellowstone National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the western states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. ... Yosemite National Park (pronounced Yo-SEM-it-ee, IPA ) is a national park largely in Mariposa County, and Tuolumne County, California, United States. ...

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