Matt Ginnow

      The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Clark County, Nevada , is an area managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of its National Landscape Conservation System , and protected as a National Conservation Area . It is about 15 miles (24 km) west of Las Vegas , and is easily seen from the Las Vegas Strip . More than three million people visit the area each year. [2] The conservation area showcases a set of large red rock formations : a set of sandstone peaks and walls which were formed by thrust faults including the Keystone Thrust. The walls are up to 3,000 feet (910 m) high, making them a popular hiking and rock climbing destination. The highest point is La Madre Mountain , at 8,154 feet (2,485 m). A one-way loop road, 13 miles (21 km) long, provides vehicle access to many of the features in the area. Several side roads and parking areas allow access to many of the area trails. A visitor center is at the start of the loop ro...

    Hot Springs National Park is an American national park in central Garland County, Arkansas , adjacent to the city of Hot Springs , the county seat. Hot Springs Reservation was initially created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, 1832 to be preserved for future recreation. Established before the concept of a national park existed, it was the first time that land had been set aside by the federal government to preserve its use as an area for recreation. The hot spring water has been popularly believed for centuries to possess medicinal properties, and was a subject of legend among several Native American tribes. Following federal protection in 1832, the city developed into a successful spa town . Incorporated January 10, 1851, the city was known in the early 20th century as the home to Major League Baseball spring training, illegal gambling, speakeasies during the Prohibition era , and gangsters such as Al Capone , horse racing at Oakl...

  Zion National Park is an American national park located in southwestern Utah near the town of Springdale . A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile (590 km 2 ) park is Zion Canyon , which is 15 miles (24 km) long and up to 2,640 ft (800 m) deep. The canyon walls are reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone eroded by the North Fork of the Virgin River . The lowest point in the park is 3,666 ft (1,117 m) at Coalpits Wash and the highest peak is 8,726 ft (2,660 m) at Horse Ranch Mountain . Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau , Great Basin , and Mojave Desert regions, the park has a unique geography and a variety of life zones that allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. Numerous plant species as well as 289 species of birds, 75 mammals (including 19 species of bat ), and 32 reptiles inhabit the park's four life zones: desert , riparian , woodland , and coniferous forest . Zion National Park includes mountains , ca...