National Parks of the USA - Part Two Quiz

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is located in southern West Virginia and it was redesignated from a national river to a national park in 2020. The area is common with adventurers for its whitewater rafting, rock climbing and hiking. On the wildlife side, the New River Gorge is home to numerous species of bats and salamanders as well as breeding grounds for dozens of bird species.

Mount Rainier National Park is located in western Washington about 60 miles (95 km) from the city of Seattle. The park's most famous site is the eponymous Mount Rainier which is the tallest mountain in the state and Cascade Range at 14,411 ft (4,392 m). Mount Rainier is also the most topographically prominent mountain of the contiguous United States which helps provide fantastic views from its summit.

A popular hike that circumnavigates Mount Rainier is the Wonderland Trail which is 93 miles (150 km) long and usually takes about two weeks for hikers to complete.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is located in northeast Ohio south of Lake Erie between the cities of Akron and Cleveland. There are nearly 100 waterfalls including the popular Brandywine Falls in Cuyahoga Valley. Another popular site of the national park is the Hale Farm and Village which displays farming and rural life from the 19th and early 20th century.

Redwood National Park was established in 1968 and it is administered with the state parks Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith, and Prairie Creek as the Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP). The area is known for having the tallest and some of the most massive and oldest trees on Earth with some reaching heights of over 370 feet (113 m). Hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking are popular activities in the parks.

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is located in southeast Alaska near the capital city, Juneau. It was established as a national park in 1980 and its area includes more than 1,000 glaciers. In 2022 an estimated 80% of visitors to Glacier Bay National Park entered via cruise ships. Fishing, bird-watching, hiking and kayaking are popular activities in the park.

Mammoth Cave National Park is located in central Kentucky near the city of Brownsville. With a length of 426 miles (686 km), Mammoth Cave is by far the longest cave system on Earth. It was established as a national park in 1941 and not surprisingly spelunking and exploring the cave system are popular activities. Several species of bats as well as cave salamanders, cave fish and cave shrimp inhabit Mammoth Cave.

Badlands National Park is located in southwestern South Dakota and it was established as a national park in 1978 after being recognized as a national monument from 1939-1978. Prior to the U.S. government confiscating the Badlands, the area was occupied by the Sioux people.

The Badlands are a unique ecosystem of buttes, pinnacles and mixed grass prairie replete with both fossils and living animals.

Joshua Tree National Park is located in southeastern California about 49 miles (79 km) from the city of Palm Springs. It was redesignated from a national monument to a national park in 1994. The park's area includes parts of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts and it is named after the millions of Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) located in the park. Joshua Tree National Park is a popular spot for stargazing due to the lack of light pollution and dark skies at night.

Hot Springs National Park is located in central Arkansas and it borders the city of Hot Springs. It was designated as a national park in 1921 and for centuries the hot spring water has been used for healing and relaxation. The federal government took action to preserve the Hot Springs Reservation all the way back in 1832 making it the oldest park maintained by the National Park Service.

In honor of this, Hot Springs National Park was the first quarter in the America the Beautiful series of quarters which ran from 2010 to 2021.

Dry Tortugas National Park contains Fort Jefferson and the seven Dry Tortugas which are the westernmost islands of the Florida Keys. In addition to exploring Fort Jefferson, scuba diving and snorkeling are popular activities in the area. The islands were named after Ponce de León explored them in 1513 and noted the amount of sea turtles (tortugas) and lack of freshwater on the islands. Dry Tortugas National Park was established in 1935 and it is a rather remote park being accessible only by seaplane or boat.