Geography Trips to West Coast USA

Bryce Canyon National Park is named after just one of many canyons which form a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters on the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah. Erosion has carved colorful Claron limestones into thousands of spires, fins, arches and mazes. Collectively called "hoodoos," these unique formations are whimsically arranged and tinted with colors too numerous and subtle to name. From late May through early September, the free Bryce Canyon Shuttle takes visitors to the park’s most popular viewpoints, trails and facilities. Using the shuttle is voluntary, but encouraged.

Zion National Park is Utah's oldest and most visited national park receiving around three million visitors each year attracted by the immense canyons, beautifully sculptured rock formations, soaring cliffs and breathtaking landscapes. Zion canyon was formed over centuries of erosion caused by tributaries of the Virgin River which left behind the beautiful eroded canyon walls and monoliths. Originally inhabited by the Anasazi people; their abandoned cliff houses and rock art are scattered throughout the park, later by the Paiute Indians before the first Mormon settlers arrived in 1858 and gave it the name Zion Canyon.

A powerful and inspiring landscape, the Grand Canyon will overwhelm your senses through its immense size; 277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km) wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep. Although first afforded Federal protection in 1893, Grand Canyon did not achieve National Park status until 1919, three years after the creation of the National Park Service. Today Grand Canyon National Park receives close to five million visitors each year. The oldest human artifacts found are nearly 12,000 years old and date to the Paleo-Indian period. There has been continuous use and occupation of the park since that time.

Standing 725 feet above the Colorado River, Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon on the border between Arizona and Nevada. Beginning with a film about its construction, this tour then takes you down into the bowels of the dam through the tunnels used for its construction, admire the beautiful terrazzo floors installed in the 1930s and the massive generators. A walk along the sidewalks on top of the dam provides awe-inspiring views of the dam face, Lake Mead, the intake towers, the Colorado River, and other features around the dam site.

You can’t get much further behind the scenes than this tour! Encompassing an area larger than the state of Rhode Island, the Nevada Test is one of the most restricted-access areas in the United States. Visitors to the site can see first-hand many relics remaining from nuclear weapons test, rocket experiments, and other energy-related programs.

Visit this stunning architectural achievement with hundreds of unique exhibits and nearly 40,000 live animals, a great place for students to learn about species from around the world. It is the only place on the planet with an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum and a 4-story rainforest all under one roof.

Death Valley is the hottest, driest, and lowest National Park. In this below-sea-level basin, steady drought and record summer heat make Death Valley a land of extremes. Yet, each extreme has a striking contrast. Towering peaks are frosted with winter snow. Rare rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers. Lush oases harbor tiny fish and refuge for wildlife and humans. Despite its morbid name, a great diversity of life survives in Death Valley. A programme of Park Ranger Tours exists to get the most from your visit.

Arguably the world's most beautiful bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge connects San Francisco with Marin County and can be experienced from near countless angles. Drive, bike, or walk across the two-mile long suspension bridge. The 1,000-acre Golden Gate Park, larger than Central Park, is located in the western area of the city includes several great museums, a botanical garden, and an arboretum.

Standing 725 feet above the Colorado River, Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon on the border between Arizona and Nevada. Beginning with a film about its construction, this tour then takes you down into the bowels of the dam through the tunnels used for its construction, admire the beautiful terrazzo floors installed in the 1930s and the massive generators. A walk along the sidewalks on top of the dam provides awe-inspiring views of the dam face, Lake Mead, the intake towers, the Colorado River, and other features around the dam site.

The Muir Woods National Monument is home to one of the world's last remaining coastal redwood forests, this protected nature reserve allows travelers to get amongst these giant Northern California trees for an incredible experience only minutes from the city. Raised boardwalks and hikes allow you to get among these ancient trees who cool their roots in the fresh water of Redwood Creek and lift their crowns to reach the sun and fog.

Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find glacier-carved valleys, grand meadows, alpine peaks, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.