Hiking in the Wild West – Trekking through National Parks in the USA
Rugged mountains and snowy peaks, clear lakes, lifeless deserts and salt marshes, super volcanoes, prismatic springs and powerful geysers, the largest canyons and trees on the planet, rocks of all colors of the rainbow… The breathtaking nature of U.S. national parks beckons with their beauty and unpredictability. On our journey we will discover something new every day and get to know this wonderful country in all its aspects. We will see giant metropolises, visit 8 national parks, 4 natural monuments, and drive through 6 states – in one hike in the Wild West.
Los Angeles – Sequoia Park – Yosemite – Death Valley – Red Rock – Las Vegas – Grand Canyon – Monument Valley – Page – Horseshoe Colorado – Antelope Canyon – Zion – Bryce Canyon – Salt Lake City – Grand Teton National Park – Yellowstone – Salt Lake City
Day 1. Meeting in Los Angeles.
From the first day of tracking in the national parks of the United States of America you will not be bored, because the world-famous City of Angels, home of Hollywood, Disneyland, Broadway, and the embodiment of the American dream in Beverly Hills awaits you. The huge, bustling and colorful metropolis lies on the oceanfront and is surrounded by mountains, and is the second most populous city in the country. The center of the city is adorned with mind-blowing art deco skyscrapers, museums, libraries, and the Griffith Observatory, while the periphery is famous for the beaches of Santa Monica and Malibu. Walk the Walk of Fame and Rodeo Drive, take pictures of the Hollywood Hills, explore the world of celebrities in Beverly Hills, see Broadway House and the Dolby Theater where the Oscars are awarded, ride the cable car, visit Chinatown… if only there was enough time to see everything! At night you can have a drink in one of the bars on the Sunset Strip, thanks to which Los Angeles was named the Entertainment Capital. At night we go back to the hotel.
Day 2. Sequoia Park.
We leave noisy L.A. and drive to Sequoia National Park (it takes about 4 hours). From the first moments we are enveloped by the majestic serenity and monumental beauty of the local nature. We delve into the Giant Forest grove, where we will meet the General Sherman sequoia, the largest tree in the world. Five of the ten largest trees on the planet grow in this forest. We climb Moro Rock for a panoramic view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We descend to the sequoias and camp among these prehistoric giants. On time and strength, we will walk to the glacial lakes and see Tokopah Falls, dominated by the imposing top of the Watchtower.
Day 3 – 5. Yosemite National Park.
We move to one of the oldest and largest parks in the world, Yosemite, a land of waterfalls, emerald meadows, and wild mountains. This part of our hike in the U.S. will be self-contained, giving us a better understanding of the pristine nature of these places.
We will climb Glacier Point (2199m) and see Nevada Falls (181m). We will see the most unusual peak in America – the famous Half Dome (2695m). The ascent is very steep, you have to hold on to the safety ropes. From the bald half-dome peak the panorama of Yosemite opens. We will spend the night in tents in the forest.
Day 6. Death Valley and Las Vegas.
We say goodbye to the cool forests of Yosemite and move to Death Valley, the hottest and driest area of the states. On the way we will see the highest point of North America – Mount Whitney (4,418m), and after a couple of hours we will ironically see the lowest depression of the continent – Badwater (86m below sea level). Badwater is actually a giant salt marsh and the scenery is deserted and unearthly. It was here in 1913 when the record temperature was recorded – +56.7 ° C, which no thermometer in the entire Western Hemisphere has not yet visited. Despite the heat, there is water in Bedwater, but the concentration of salt makes it lethal for humans, as the name of the area indicates.
From Badwater, we drive to Red Rock Canyon State Park. On the way we will see the Mojave, a huge, harsh desert with real barchans, and Star Wars fans will surely recognize its ochre colors. A gold rush once raged here, leaving behind hundreds of ghost towns.
The high walls of Red Rock have a stunning rich bright red color and cast doubt on the reality of what happened. These plaster cliffs were once the bottom of the ocean, and when it rose, the salts in the plaster oxidized. The sight is spectacular, especially in the sunset rays. Red Rock is about 25 kilometers from Las Vegas, where we would arrive in the morning and check into a motel. If we have enough energy (and of course we will:) we will go for a walk in the night city that never sleeps.
