Tag: national parks

Gate 1 ConnectionsUSA & Canada

Step into the Beauty of America’s National Parks: 5 Things to Love About Walking & Hiking Tours

on March 5, 2024

America’s National Park system currently boasts over 400 parks, monuments, and memorials that span 85 million acres and counting. It began as a movement that emerged to preserve the beautiful landscapes that early Western explorers encountered.  Thanks to that movement, you can still witness these awe-inspiring wonders for yourself.

Gate 1 Travel offers plenty of ways for you to explore and experience the best of what America’s National Parks have to offer. One of the best ways to do that is on foot. That’s why we’ve put together Walking & Hiking Tours that immerse you in some of the country’s most iconic natural landscapes. Here are five reasons to love our North American Walking & Hiking Tours.

#1. Unique Views

One of the biggest perks of a Walking & Hiking Tour is that your travels will take you off the main roads – literally. While driving through the National Parks might give you some good glimpses of the landscape, there’s nothing quite like hiking to the bottom of a canyon or through a redwood forest to see it from an entirely different angle.

#2. A Full Sensory Experience

When you’re walking through a National Park, your experience goes far beyond just the things you’ll see. Engage your senses as you feel the different kinds of terrain beneath your feet, listen to the sound of birdsong punctuating the steadiness of a cascading waterfall, and breathe in the scent of the local wildflowers. 

#3. See the Scenery at a Slower Pace

Sometimes you don’t even realize how much you’re missing when you drive past a landscape. While you may still get the panoramic views of mountains and plains, you probably won’t get to see the finer details you can appreciate when you’re moving a little slower. When you slow your pace to a walk, you’ll get to know the land in a whole new way.

#4. Smaller Groups and New Friends

At Gate 1, we prioritize providing an enriching experience for our Walking & Hiking enthusiasts by maintaining compact tour groups. The limited group size ensures ample opportunities for meaningful interactions with your guide, your surroundings, and your fellow travelers, allowing you to make memories and friends throughout your journey.

#5. Balancing Movement and Comfort

While backpacking and camping have their own unique benefits, we understand that those experiences aren’t every nature-lover’s cup of tea. Our Walking & Hiking Tours offer a great balance of active days in nature’s beauty and relaxing nights in comfortable hotel rooms, with our motor coaches dropping you off and picking you up at the trailheads.

So, pack your bags and get your hiking boots ready! Whether you’re traversing red canyons on our 6 Day Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks Walking Tour or visiting America’s very first National Park on our 6 Day Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Parks Walking Tour, you’re sure to make lasting memories every step of the way. Want even more adventure? Visit our website today to browse all our Walking & Hiking Tours, both domestic and abroad.

#G1PhotoFridayUSA & Canada

The Majestic Canyonlands, United States

on October 4, 2019

Canyonlands National Park encompasses over 300,000 acres of fascinating terrain in the southeastern state of Utah near Moab. Divided by the Green and Colorado Rivers, this area has long been shaped by water and erosion. The park is divided into four districts with the most notable being the “Island in the Sky”. It is located on a large 1,500 foot mesa that gives you incredible views of this massive park. You do not want to miss the unforgettable sights and scenes at the Canyonlands.

This week’s #g1photofriday was uploaded by user @rsergei2018 using the hashtag #gate1travel. This picture was taken in Canyonlands National Park, United States. Be sure to tag your photos on social media with #gate1travel or #g1photofriday to be featured. Check out Gate 1 Travel’s United States trips here! 

Did you know; Author Edward Abbey described the park as “the most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth. There is nothing else like it anywhere.”

Travel TipsUSA & Canada

Happy 100th Anniversary Grand Canyon!

on April 23, 2019

Happy Anniversary to one of the most iconic landmarks in the USA; the Grand Canyon. The park officially became recognized as a national park 100 years ago and we are celebrating with a post dedicated to the history of this geological wonder, with a few fun facts mixed in. It’s time to pack your bags, grab your sun glasses and join us on our journey through the Grand Canyon.

Long before the canyon was a national park, scientists estimate the canyon was formed anywhere from 5-70 million years ago. It is estimated that about 30- 70 million years ago tectonic plates shifted back and forth to create the Colorado Plateau. From there, about 5-6 million years ago, the Colorado River helped shape the canyon over the next millions of years by slowly weathering away the Colorado Plateau. Even today these forces of nature continue to slowly widen and deepen the formation. Even though the formation of the canyon is a young 70 million or so years old, some of the oldest rock in the canyon, like that found in the inner gorge, can be traced back to around 2 billion years ago!

Since its formation, the Grand Canyon has hosted indigenous populations, groups of explorers and many who struggled to explore the land. It is estimated that the first humans passed in and around the Grand Canyon about 12,000 years ago. The first recorded group to inhabit the canyon was the Ancient Pueblas, who lived there an estimated 2,300 years ago. The park has had continuous occupants since that time. The first scientific expedition took place here in 1896 when US Major John Wesley Powell led a passage through the Grand Canyon with a volunteer group of nine men to see if the land could be successfully traversed. This was due to the widely believed theory that the land in the Grand Canyon was uninhabitable. Powell and his men completed the journey successfully and showed that the canyon can be crossed in its entirety. He also coined the name “Grand Canyon” as opposed to its previous names of “Big Canyon” or “Great Canyon.”

From there, the Grand Canyon still had several years and political hurdles until it became a national park. Before his presidency, Benjamin Harrison introduced a bill to attempt to crown the Grand Canyon a national park in the years 1882, 1883 and 1886, all of which were unsuccessful. In 1893, now President Harrison established the area as the Grand Canyon Reserve and in 1893 it was declared a monument. Even after these milestones, the US Senate attempted to elevate the canyon to national park status in both 1910 and 1911 and both attempts were shut down. The Grand Canyon had supporters in very high places and still did not see national park status for 8 more years.

Finally, in 1919, under the administration of President Wilson, the area was delegated as an official national park on February 26. For a place to be considered for designation, it must possess a unique natural, cultural or recreational resource. In the United States, it is maintained by the national government and by act of congress.

The Grand Canyon was finally a protected national park and its popularity skyrocketed and continues to. The area now sees over 5 million visitors a year and is continuously one of the top most visited national parks in the United States. It was the 2nd last year just behind the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. It is a true piece of Americana and holds a place in the hearts of visitors for a lifetime.

That’s enough of our history lesson, we will now provide you with some fun facts about the Grand Canyon National Park!

  • The US Bureau of Reclamation wanted to build a staircase of reservoirs through the canyon in the late 1960s.
  • The Grand Canyon Railway was completed in 1901 and now brings over 225.000 passengers to the park each year.

  • In 2014, a five-day routine flooding of the Grand Canyon was ordered in hopes to improve the environment by delivering sediment to the Grand Canyon. This flooding released enough water in the Grand Canyon to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool every 2.5 seconds. These floods are expected to continue through 2020.

  • Grand Canyon National Park is larger than the state of Rhode Island at 277 miles in length.

  • The canyon is 18 miles at its widest point across with it stretching a mere 4 miles at its narrowest.

  • The rock found at the bottom of the canyon is around 2 billions years old with the rock on top being only 230 million.

  • The Grand Canyon is not the widest, longest or deepest canyon in the world but it is one of the most popular with around 5 million visitors per year.

  • It is around 6,000 feet deep.

  • Native Americans have been living in and around the canyon for thousands of years, long before Powell started his journey.

  • It creates its own weather because of the drastically varying elevations. The weather you are experiencing in one part of the park can be completely different from the weather just a few miles away.

  • There are no dinosaur bones in the Grand Canyon because the rock that makes up the majority of the canyon is about a billion years older than the dinosaurs.

*As a special bonus, we wanted to give a shout out to National Parks week from April 20- April 28! Celebrate National Parks Week by visiting our Celebrating National Parks Week: Facts from our National Parks blog post. Learn more about your national parks and get inspired to see some of these beautiful places for yourself!

#G1PhotoFridayUncategorizedUSA & Canada

Getting Back to Nature in Banff, Alberta

on September 14, 2018

Banff, Alberta is located in Western Central Canada nestled among the Rocky Mountains and located about an hour and a half outside of Calgary. This beautiful resort town is picturesque thanks to its various gardens, wildlife, incredible setting among the mountains and, of course, Banff National Park! When in Banff, be sure to take a stroll down Banff Avenue, the main street, that features boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and luxurious hotels. Other attractions include Lake Louise, Bow Falls, Whyte Museum, Cave and Basin National Historic Site and much more!

banff

This week’s #g1photofriday was uploaded by user @megan_dlm using the hashtag #gate1travel. This colorful scene was taken in Banff, Alberta, Canada.  Be sure to tag your photos on social media with #gate1travel or #g1photofriday to be featured. Check out Gate 1 Travel’s Canada trips here!

Travel TipsUSA & Canada

Celebrating National Parks Week: Facts from our National Parks

on April 26, 2018

The national parks of the United States are a long-honored treasure and a must see for tourists and locals alike. With these parks sprinkled all over the country, there’s something different for everyone! Whether it be snow on the mountains in Denali National Park in Alaska or plunging canyons in the Grand Canyon of Arizona, you will find adventure at its best right in America. We are taking you on our own tour through the country and highlighting some of the most fascinating facts from each of these parks. Put on your hiking shoes, grab your canteen and join us on this magical journey.

Arches National Park:

  • Arches National Park is located in Moab, Utah and is perfect for nature enthusiast, hikers, campers and geology lovers
  • Bring your camera to Delicate Arch; it is one of the most photographed sites within the park and features a large sandstone arch that you can see from near and far
  • The park contains over 2000 natural sandstone arches, it is a true one-of-a-kind adventure

Denali National Park and Preserve:

  • Denali, Alaska 1405_dt_26795163Mt. Denali, formerly Mt. McKinley is the highest peak in North America and it is right here in this Alaskan park
  • Mt. Denali was renamed in 2015 to pay homage to the native Koyukon language of the Athabaskan people
  • Denali encompasses 6 million acres in a sub-arctic ecosystem and contains fascinating animals such as grizzly bear, wolf, Dall sheep and moose.

Kenai Fjords National Park:

  • Kenai Fjords is home to an array of marine wildlife that includes orcas, sea lions and fin, gray, minke, sei and humpback whales. Animals to see on land are moose, goats, otters, hares, lynx, black and brown bears, wolverines and gray wolves
  • Exit Glacier is one of the parks most famous attractions because of its accessibility and gradual recession, be sure to listen to its crackle!
  • Paddle the fjords, go on a boat ride, take a tour with a ranger or take a flight tour while in the park

Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve:

  • This Alaskan park is the largest national park in all of the United States; it also covers the largest wilderness area in the entire National Wilderness Preservation System, it equals 6 Yellowstones
  • Mount Wrangell, from which the park gets its name, is one of the largest active volcanoes in North America
  • The Malaspina Glacier spills out from the St. Elias Mountains between the bays of Icy and Yakutat, this natural phenomenon is called a Piedmont glacier

Grand Canyon National Park:

  • The Grand Canyon’s appearance is mainly due to erosion and took 3-6 million yearsGrand Canyon to form; erosion continues to alter it to this day
  • The Grand Canyon National Park receives close to 5 millions visitors each year
  • Grand Canyon was made a national monument in 1908 and established as a national park in 1919
  • The Grand Canyon area contains about 277 miles of the Colorado River and is populated by five main Indian tribes including; The Hopi, Navajo, Havasupai, Paiute and Hualapai

Yosemite National Park:

  • Yosemite has a huge array of things to do while in the park including Tuolumne Meadows, Tioga Road, Hetch Hetchy Valley, Crane Flat Area, waterfalls, rock formations, lakes and rivers.
  • Yosemite welcomes millions of guests a year due to its large area of over 1,000 square miles
  • Bears are plentiful in Yosemite so it important to follow the rules regarding bears and food storage while in the park

Redwood National Park:

  • Named for the tallest trees on Earth, this 200 square mile park is also home to prairies, woodlands, coastline and river ways
  • Hiking and camping is an excellent way to see the beauty of the Redwood National Park and some areas even allow a leashed pet
  • Find animals here such as banana slugs, gray whales, black bears and sea anemones to name a few

Sequoia National Park:

  • This park is named for the towering Sequoia trees and is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains
  • While the Redwood is the tallest tree, a tree by the name of General Sherman, a giant sequoia located in the park, is the largest tree in the world
  • Glacial canyons, large lake basins, green meadows and granite peaks are all natural sites that you must see while in this park

Mesa Verde National Park:

  • Located in Colorado, this national park is home to the Ancestral Pueblo people who have called it home for over 700 years
  • The park protects around 5,000 known archaeological sites which includes 600 cliff dwellings that can be seen while visiting the park
  • Mesa Verde means “green table” in Spanish and describes the beauty of plant life and natural formations in the park

Crater Lake National Park:

  • Named for Crater Lake, a caldera lake formed within a now collapsed volcano called Mount Mazama
  • A violent eruption occurred 7,700 years ago and caused the collapse of this tall peak, it was even witnessed by Native Americans in the area at the time
  • Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and it is fed by rain and snow; it is known for its dark blue color and excellent water clarity

Badlands National Park:

  • Layered rock formations, towering landscapes, towering mountains, and steep canyons all await you at this national park located in South Dakota
  • The park contains one of the worlds richest fossil beds and some fossils are on display for visitors at the Fossil Exhibit Trail
  • Highway 240, or Badlands Loop Road, is a great place to go for a drive and enjoy many scenic lookouts

Bryce Canyon National Park:

  • Bryce Canyon is located in southern Utah and is home to hoodoos, or crimson-
  • Byrce Canyon_1111_dt_11825835colored spire rock formations that make this park famous
  • The Bryce Amphitheater, a depression filled with hoodoos, is a must-see while visiting the park
  • Prime viewing hours for the park and its magnificent formations are around sunup and sundown, so get your cameras out during this time!

Zion National Park:

  • Located in southwest Utah, this national park is most famous for its steep red cliffs and beautiful rock formations
  • Sites that you must see while in Zion include Angels Landing, Virgin River and The Narrows, these sites are all great for a hike and picture
  • Enjoy paths and trails that pioneers and ancient peoples walked in this narrow slot canyon

Canyonlands National Park:

  • Canyonlands National Park was carved by the Colorado River and is located in the southeastern part of Utah, near Moab
  • Fantastic buttes, canyons, rock pinnacles called “The Needles”, Horseshoe Canyon and Island in the Sky, a flat-topped mesa, are all sites you must see while visiting Canyonlands
  • Rivers divide this diverse park into four main districts; Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze and the rivers

Grand Teton National Park:

  • This picturesque park is located in the state of Wyoming and encompasses an entire mountain range, the TetonsMN0147SchwabackersLanding
  • The park is excellent for hiking, camping, fishing, mountaineering and getting excellent pictures
  • Must see adventures in this alpine landscape include Jenny Lake, an extremely picturesque site you will want a photograph of, Taggart Lake Trail, an easy/moderate hiking trail and Teton Park Road, a road that gives a nice overview of the park

Yellowstone National Park:

  • Wyoming, Montana and Idaho share this large park that is atop a volcanic hot-spot; this results in mud pots, hot springs, geysers and lots of steam
  • Old Faithful, perhaps the world’s most famous geyser, is located here and is named for the predictable nature of its eruptions
  • Yellowstone was the world’s first national park for good reason; mountains, forests, lakes, wildlife and the beauty of the natural world are all here for your pleasure

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve:

  • Located in the southeast Alaskan wilderness, this park gets its name for the immense glaciers that can be seen here, including the Grand Pacific Glacier
  • This huge park covers 3.3 million acres and includes every aspect of nature from steep mountains to large glaciers to temperate rain-forests
  • Be on the lookout for excellent wildlife viewing here including humpback whales, sea-lions, puffins and brown bears
USA & Canada

Celebrate the National Parks Centennial

on August 25, 2016

August 25, 2016 marks the 100th birthday of the US National Parks Service and we thought we’d celebrate with some National Park Service facts and links to events to help everyone celebrate this historic day.

Did you know?

  • Over 400 National Parks, monuments and historic sites are managed by the National Park Service
  • California has the most National Parks with 9 & Alaska has the most parks & sites
  • Alaska is also home to the largest National Park – Wrangell-St.Elias
  • The most visited National Park, with over 10.5 million visitors a year is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina & Tennessee
  • Yellowstone was the first National Park in the world created in 1872

Ways to Celebrate:

  • Free entrance days – there are a total of 6 remaining Free Entrance Days of the 16 that were offered in 2016 including August 25-28th
  • Google Arts & Culture has released a collection of videos & 360 degree tours highlighting 5 different parks
  • The National Park Service is encouraging users to post to social media with the hashtag #findyourpark
  • Explore the National Parks with Gate 1 Travel on one of our 15 packages that visit US National Parks & Sites!

Gate 1 Tours highlighting National Parks & Sites:

For more information on all of our Gate 1 USA & Canada Tours click here, check out a few of our National Parks Videos here.

Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Yosemite National Park Sunset
Yosemite National Park Sunset
Mt Rushmore
Mt Rushmore
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park

Tag your photos with #gate1travel on Instagram and submit your photos on our site.