Yosemite National Park: Yosemite Valley

After arriving at Thousand Trails Yosemite Lakes, we took a drive into Yosemite National Park to visit the Yosemite Valley Welcome Center, and take some photos of some interesting rocks.

Yosemite National Park entrance sign

Yosemite Valley, with Half Dome visible:

Half Dome

Tunnel:

Tunnel

Waterfall (barely flowing at the end of summer):

Waterfall

El Capitan:

El Capitan

Waterfall:

Waterfall

Historic church:

Church

Welcome Center:

Welcome Center

Yosemite Valley map:

Yosemite Valley map

We had dinner at the grill, with a couple of ravens watching us (and looking like sitting on my shoulder for a moment):

David with ravens

Heading out of Yosemite Valley:

Yosemite Valley

Tunnel

We headed back into the valley a few days later, and explored some more stuff:

Yosemite Valley

Ansel Adams Gallery:

Ansel Adams Gallery

Exploration Center and Theater (the movie was worth a watch):

Exploration Center and Theater

Indian Village:

Indian Village

Lassen Volcanic National Park

We visited Lassen Volcanic National Park again. The main visitor center was closed, but the museum was open, so we went there first:

Museum

Seismograph

And unlike last time, the road through the park was open, so we enjoyed the sights:

Lassen

The Sulphur Works area was like a tiny Yellowstone. I know many people don’t like the sulphur smell, but we enjoy it, probably thanks to that association (and with Rotorua in New Zealand):

Lassen

It was nice to be able to see more of the park this time.

Gateway Arch National Park

We visited Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, Missouri.

The NPS map:

An interactive map:

Map sign:

Map sign

Old Courthouse, currently being renovated:

Old Courthouse

Gateway Arch:

Gateway Arch

Inside the visitor center, a model tram; eight of these go up and down each leg of the arch:

Model tram

Exhibits:

Exhibits

A model of the observation area at the top of the arch:

Exhibits

Line to the top:

Line to the top

Boarding pass:

Boarding pass

Waiting for the tram:

Waiting for tram

Our tram:

Tram

Looking through the windows in the tram doors to the inside of the arch:

Inside the arch

Trams at top:

Trams at top

Top of the arch:

Top of arch

630 feet high:

630 feet high

Jenn taking a photo out an observation window:

Jenn

Views from top:

View from top

Shadow of the arch:

View from top

Waiting for the tram for the journey down:

Waiting for tram

Selfie in the tram:

Selfie in tram

Inside the arch:

Inside the arch

Out of the tram:

Out of the tram

Tram waiting area:

Tram waiting area

Arch store:

Store

Arch cafe for a snack:

Cafe

Snack

Under the arch:

Under the arch

Arch selfie

A rather unique national park.

Mammoth Cave National Park

We visited Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. It is notable as the longest cave system in the world, with over 400 miles of passages.

Entrance sign

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Mammoth cave has several guided tours available. We did the “Domes and Dripstones” tour, which required taking buses to a cave entrance:

Buses to a cave entrance

Down into a sinkhole:

Down into a sinkhole

Cave entrance:

Cave entrance

Looking down:

Looking down

Underground ranger talk:

Ranger talk

Not too bad a picture of me:

David

Lots of steps:

Lots of steps

Historic graffiti:

Historic graffiti

Very flat cave ceiling:

Very flat cave ceiling

Ranger talk area:

Ranger talk area

Cave

Ranger talk

More steps:

More steps

The “Frozen Niagara” formation:

Frozen Niagara formation

Formations

Selfie

Formations

Steps

Formations

Vertical panorama of a dome:

Panorama

Formations

An interesting cave, but we’ve seen nicer-looking ones. Just shows that size isn’t everything.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina over several days, starting with a long drive from Pigeon Forge, north of the park, to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at the southern side of the park (plus a bit further to the southernmost visitor center of the Blue Ridge Parkway; see a separate post about that).

The NPS map; click or tap to interact:

An interactive map of our route:

Entrance sign

Parking tag required:

Parking tag required

View

Loop

Tunnel

View

Elk were re-introduced to the park in 2001:

Elk

Oconaluftee Visitor Center:

Oconaluftee Visitor Center

Relief map

Passport stamp

Exhibits

Farm exhibits:

Farm exhibits

Chickens

Farm exhibits

Pigs

Stream

Farm exhibits

Elk in front of elk sign:

Elk in front of elk sign

View

An interactive map of our route for our second visit, to the Sugarlands Visitor Center and Clingmans Dome:

Sugarlands Visitor Center:

Sugarlands Visitor Center

Exhibits

Clingmans Dome:

Clingmans Dome

Passport stamp:

Passport stamp

Visitor center

Split rock:

Split rock

Path to the lookout; we decided not to go up there:

Path to lookout

View:

View

An interactive map of our route for our third visit, to Cades Cove:

Tunnel

Horses:

Horses

Old church:

Old church

View:

View

Visitor Center:

Visitor Center

Old farm buildings:

Old farm buildings

Snakes

Water mill

Old farm buildings

New River Gorge National Park: Thurmond and waterfalls

We visited the Thurmond area of New River Gorge National Park, plus a scenic drive to a couple more waterfalls.

The NPS map of the whole park; click or tap to interact on their site:

An interactive map of our route for visiting Thurmond and the waterfalls:

Waterfall on the way to Thurmond:

Waterfall

One-way car and rail bridge to Thurmond:

One-way road and rail bridge to Thurmond

Bridge

Thurmond:

Thurmond

Train engine:

Train engine

Passport stamps:

Passport stamps

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Train engine:

Train engine

Train

Historic Thurmond:

Thurmond

Back over the one-way bridge:

Back over the one-way bridge

Glen Ferris falls:

Glen Ferris falls

New River Gorge National Park: Canyon Rim and Bridge

We visited the Canyon Rim area of New River Gorge National Park, the newest full National Park in the US. The Canyon Rim section has a visitor center that overlooks the iconic New River Gorge bridge, plus has a winding scenic drive down into the canyon, that passes under the bridge three times.

The NPS map of the whole park; click or tap to interact on their site:

An interactive map of our route for visiting Canyon Rim etc:

Going over the New River Gorge Bridge:

New River Gorge Bridge

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Gorge viewpoint:

Gorge viewpoint

Bridge viewpoint:

Bridge viewpoint

We did the scenic Fayette Station Road driving tour, that goes down into the gorge:

Fayette Station Road driving tour

Narrow road

Bridge virw from road

One way bridge:

One way bridge

A view of the New River Gorge Bridge from the one-way bridge:

New River Gorge Bridge

Bridge view

New River Gorge Bridge

New River Gorge National Park: Sandstone Falls

We visited the Sandstone Falls area of New River Gorge National Park, the newest full National Park in the US. The Sandstone Falls section features a 1500 feet wide waterfall on the New River.

The NPS map of the whole park; click or tap to interact on their site:

An interactive map of our route for visiting Sandstone Falls:

Sign

Boat

Path

“Masks are optional”; haven’t seen any mention of COVID-19 for a while:

Masks are optional

Visitor center exhibits:

Visitor center

Viewpoint overlooking Sandstone Falls:

Viewpoint

Sandstone Falls boardwalk:

Sandstone Falls

New River Gorge National Park: Grandview

We visited the Grandview area of New River Gorge National Park, the newest full National Park in the US. The Grandview section overlooks a bend in the New River.

The NPS map of the whole park; click or tap to interact on their site:

An interactive map of our route for visiting Grandview:

Grandview sign