North Americas National Parks This is the Roosevelt Arch. President Teddy Roosevelt placed the cornerstone here. Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming, was the world's first national park. Orangespring Mound Castle Geyser Old Faithful erupts, faithfully, every 91 minutes. -Yellowstone National Park is home to the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest super-volcano in North America. -The caldera is considered an active volcano; it has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last two million years. -Half of the world's geothermal features are in Yellowstone, fueled by this ongoing volcanism. Lava flows and rocks from volcanic eruptions cover most of the land area of Yellowstone. Grand Prismatic Spring Although it's one of America's most beautiful parks, Yellowstone is still prone to one particular type of natural disaster: wildfire. Yosemite Yosemite Facts Located in the central Sierra Nevada of California. It takes approximately 3.5 hours to drive to the park from San Francisco, and approximately 6 hours from Los Angeles. The 1,189 sq mi park is roughly the size of Rhode Island and contains thousands of lakes and ponds, 1,600 miles of streams, 800 miles of hiking trails, and 350 miles of roads. Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness. Merced River Half Dome El Capitan Bridal Vail Falls Mule Deer Buck Black Bear Yosemite Marmot President Theodore Roosevelt and naturalist John Muir overlooking Yosemite's Bridal Vail Falls. Grand Canyon Grand Canyon National Park is one of the United States' oldest national parks and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the major natural wonders of the world. The park covers 1,902 mi. Grand Canyon from space The Skywalk Grand Canyon Post Office, located on the floor of the canyon. Banff National Park Banff National Park is located In Canada, on Alberta's western border with British Columbia. Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park encompasses 2,564 sq mi of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. Banff National Park, Canada Badlands National Park is located in South Dakota, just miles from Mount Rushmore National Monument. Arches National Park Arches National Park is a U.S. national park in eastern Utah. It is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch. The park is located near Moab, Utah It is 119 square miles in size Its highest elevation is 5,653 feet at Elephant Butte, and its lowest elevation is 4,085 feet at the visitor center. Since 1970, forty-three arches have toppled because of erosion. Arches National Park Bryce Canyon National Park Located in southwestern Utah in the United States. Contained within the park is Bryce Canyon. Despite its name, this is not actually a canyon, but rather a giant natural amphitheater created by erosion along the eastern side of a large Plateau.