Along the shores of Brooks River in the Katmai National Park, young brown bears learn the fine art of catching salmon from their mother. On the other side of the country, freezing temperatures have created a wonderland of frozen waterfalls in a myriad of shapes, sizes, and colors. Each year these icicles melt and reform along the country’s first National Lakeshore, Pictured Rocks. There are over 400 national parks in the US, each unique in its own right, serving as a haven for wildlife and natural wonders, like the 360+ species of birds that reside in the Everglades National Park, or the 2000 year old Redwood trees in a forest that houses some of the tallest on earth. But 100 years ago, their story may not have been told had it not been for environmentalist and writer John Muir and president Theodore Roosevelt.
Wildlife and its habitat cannot speak so we must and we will
-Theodore Roosevelt
John Muir was a fierce protector of natural wonders like Yosemite, but was unable to prevent its destruction from loggers, ranchers, and developers. His drawings and writings, however, caught the attention of President Theodore Roosevelt, who found healing through nature after the loss of his mother and wife. A 3-day camping trip in Yosemite provided the initial framework for the US National Park Service, which now preserves an area three times the size of England.
This Friday, February 12th, 2016, MacGillivray Freeman Films in partnership with Brand USA, will debut National Parks Adventure in IMAX and large screen theaters across the country. The film, which was shot on location in over 30 National Parks, is in part a celebration, commemorating 100 years of conservation and preservation by the US National Park Service.
Director Greg MacGillivray grew up visiting the National Parks and recalls visiting Yosemite for the first time at the age of 7. Subsequent visits fueled his love for these parks, and the inspiration for this particular film came from a desire to show how majestic the National Parks are and how the US National Park Service has managed to keep these places pristine for the past 100 years. With so many locations to choose from, MacGillivray opted to include a mix of iconic, well-known parks like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone and the Everglades with lesser known, but equally sublime locations like Devils Tower, Bryce Canyon, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan.
The stars of this film are undoubtedly the massive crystals of rock formed in the heart of a volcano at Devils Tower…the vibrant hot springs which glean their color from heat-loving bacteria..these natural wonders formed in the midst of volcanoes, fire, and wind. To tell their stories, world-renowned climber Conrad Anker, adventure photographer Max Lowe, and artist Rachel Pohl set out on a journey across the country, where physical and emotional limits are tested as each depicts what the national parks mean to them individually. For Anker, visiting the National Parks is a “humbling experience.” In an age where technology infiltrates nearly ever aspect of our lives, getting outside offers families an opportunity to communicate directly, to appreciate nature together , and to connect in a way that is unmatched.
National Parks Adventure is a celebration of America’s most treasured natural wonders and their beauty has the power to inspire travel and discovery this year! In honor of the film, here are 10 Fascinating Things You Didn’t Know About America’s National Parks.
- There are 407 National Park sites, including monuments, seashores, lakeshores, recreation areas and historic sites, protected across the U.S. – totaling 84 million acres, the size of the entire country of Germany.
- The National Park system ranges from A to Z …Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Park in Kentucky to Zion National Park in Utah.
- Yellowstone became America’s first National Park on March 1st, 1872, but it wasn’t until 1903 that naturalist John Muir went camping in Yosemite with President Theodore Roosevelt and convinced him of the need to preserve these natural wonders. Prior to that time, the U.S. Calvary (mounted forces of the U.S. Army) cared for our National Parks.
- Last year, 292.8 million people visited National Park sites and the number continues to grow. Since the initiation of the park system, 12 billion visitors have visited these natural wonders.
- The most frequently visited site is Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco while the least visited park is Aniakchak National Monument in the Aleutian Islands.
- The largest National Park, Wrangell-St. Elias in central Alaska, features 13.2 million acres, big enough to hold Switzerland or Costa Rica. It also includes 9 of the 16 highest peaks in the U.S. and one of the nation’s largest active volcanoes. The smallest National Park, Thaddeus Kosciuszko Memorial, is just .02 acres and was once the personal home of the Polish freedom fighter who played a key role in the American Revolution.
- More than 1,000 threatened and endangered animal species make their homes in National Park Service sites and wildlife include alligators, bald eagles, bison, blue whales, grizzly bears, lynx, panthers, sea lions, turtles and wolves.
- The highest point in North America, Mt. McKinley, is found in Alaska’s Denali National Park, while the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere is in California’s Death Valley.
- The National Park system includes 2 tropical rain forests (in American Samoa), a coral reef (Biscayne National Park in Florida) and 47 thermal springs.
- Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky is home to the longest cave system in the world at more than 3, 454 miles. The world’s largest gypsum dunefield can be found in White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. The largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere is in Florida’s Everglades National Park.
For more information or to plan your next National Parks Adventure, visit NPS.gov.
Images: National Parks Adventure
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