National Parks of the U.S. Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906. Modern Pueblo tribes in the Southwest consider themselves the descendants of the ancestral Puebloans who built their homes in the cliffs. In the canyons and on the top of the mesa, archaeologists have discovered more than 4,800 archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings dating from 550 to 1300 A.D. No one really knows why these ancient people left the area, although some archaeologists think that warfare might have played a part.

Answer: Death Valley

Death Valley receives less than two inches of rainfall per year, while temperatures can soar as high as 134°F. The valley is 282 feet below sea level, thus making it the lowest point on the continent. The desert has a beauty all its own. In Death Valley, rocks are sculpted by erosion.

A visitor can find tinted mudstone hills and colorful sand dunes. Despite the dryness and heat, Death Valley has over a thousand varieties of plants.

Answer: Katmai

In 1912, a volcano erupted in Katmai with a force ten times that of Mount St. Helens in 1980. The result was terrifying. Ash filled the air for miles, global temperatures cooled, and acid rain burned clothing off lines in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1916, the National Geographic Society sponsored an expedition to Katmai, headed by Robert Griggs. Griggs, a botanist, found fumeroles everywhere, and named Katmai the "Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes".

He then spearheaded a campaign to include Katmai in the National Park System.

Although most of the park is wilderness, visitors come for fishing and camping, or just to enjoy the natural beauty of the surroundings.

Answer: Acadia

Most of this park is situated on Mount Desert Island, consisting of parkland, seaside cottages, and private property. Explorer Samuel de Champlain named this area L'Isle des Monts Desert, roughly translated as "the island of barren mountains". The name is appropriate considering that the mountain summits have few trees and appear barren. Acadia was once known as Lafayette National Park, but the name was changed to Acadia in 1929. Visitors come to hike, fish, and pick blueberries.

Answer: Badlands

Driving through the vast terrain of the Badlands, one can see bison, pronghorn and big-horned sheep roaming about. The large stretch of land in the southern region of the park belongs to the Oglala, a Lakota tribe native to the area. On Stronghold Table, a Ghost Dance took place in 1890 just before more than 150 Lakota were massacred at Wounded Knee, 25 miles south.

Answer: Olympic

The three ecosystems contained within the park are subalpine and wildflower meadows, temperate forests, and the Pacific shore. Located on the Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park stretches 1,441 miles. Some very interesting animals inhabit the park.

The Olympic marmot and the Olympic Mazama pocket gopher can be spotted here. Mountain goats were introduced to the park in the 1920s. Mount Olympus, the park's glorious peak, reaches an elevation of 7,980 feet.

Answer: Arches

The soft red sandstone formations were created 150 million years ago. Eventually groundwater dissolved the salt deposits which led to the collapsing of the sandstone domes into a maze of vertical rock slabs called "fins". For those who enjoy hiking, Arches is a great choice.

Some hikes are more vigorous than others but hiking to Delicate Arch, perched on a cliff, is one of the most popular hikes in the area. A word of warning: Utah temperatures are very hot in this region during the summer months. Spring and fall are the best times to hike the Arches.

Answer: Great Smoky Mountains

The "smoky" in the park's title refers to the brush and trees which form a close weave of air-breathing leaves. The water and hydrocarbons given off by the leaves produces a filmy "smoke". Unfortunately, since most visitors view the park via a scenic highway, the smoky residue left by the leaves is not all that clogs the air. Pollution has been a big problem for the park.

However, there are plenty of scenic loops off the beaten track. There are over 1,600 plants in the park, some found only in this area.

The park has also preserved the old churches, cabins, and farmhouses of the mountain people who settled here in the late 1700s.

Answer: Big Bend

The name Big Bend comes from the way the Rio Grande winds south along the Texas-Mexico border. The river suddenly veers northward in a large horseshoe curve. The park lies at that curve. Big Bend spans 801,163 acres and is remote enough for those who want to venture out beyond the commonly visited national parks. Those who might not be familiar with desert living might be surprised to learn that cacti plants aren't the only vegetation. For bird-watchers Big Bend has over 450 species of birds. For budding botanists there are more than 1,200 plants species located here. Volcanic activity in the area hundreds of millions of years ago left molten rock and mountains behind. If you enjoy wildlife, you might get to see deer, mountain lions, or even some bears.

Answer: Yellowstone

Most of Yellowstone lies within Wyoming, but it reaches into Montana and Idaho. There are several entrances to the park depending on which direction you're coming from. I have been to Yellowstone many times over the years, and it is quite a scenic park to visit. Boiling hot springs, geysers and fumaroles remind visitors that 640,000 years ago the central part of the park exploded, devastating the landscape.