7. Black Canyon National Park is located in western Colorado and it has two entrances; the more-developed south rim entrance is located 24 km east of Montrose, while the north rim entrance is located 18 km south of Crawford and is closed in the winter. This national park represents 19 km of the 77 km long canyon of the Gunnison river and contains the deepest and most dramatic section of the canyon.
The Black Canyon is named like this because of its steepness which makes it difficult for sunlight to penetrate and in result, the canyon walls are most often in shadow, causing the rocky walls to appear black.
A wide variety of flora and fauna can be found within Black Canion. Some common plants that are native to the park include Ponderosa pine, Sagebrush, Desert Mahogany or Gambel oak (scrub oak).Wildlife includes coyotes, elk, magpies, eagles, and the mule deer or some migratory birds such as the Mountain Bluebird, the Peregrine Falcon, the White-throated Swift and the Canyon Wren. (information from Wikipedia)
What to do
There are several miles of hiking and nature trails in the park along the south rim. The north rim is accessible by automobile and has a small, primitive campground. The Black Canyon is a center for rock climbing and other full adventure activities. Most of the climbs are difficult and are only done by advanced climbers, especially when the main goal is to reach the top of The Painted Wall, the tallest vertical wall in the state of Colorado, with an elevation of 685 m. Also, in the region exist some rafting opportunities, but the run through the park is very difficult and only the best kayakers can make the ride.
More useful information about the park you can get from here.
8. Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park located at 11 km away from Panguitch, in southwestern Utah. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon which is not actually a canyon but a giant natural amphitheater created by erosion along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is unusual because of its hoodoos, geological structures formed by wind, water and ice erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks.
Bryce Canyon can be enjoyed during any season, whether it is the summer with its average temperatures of 28 °C or the cold winter days, when snow covers almost the entire area. Because of its climate changing and different natural phenomena, Bryce Canyon represents one of the most impressive and picturesque canyons, giving the opportunity to admire a natural colorful amphitheater .
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Getting there is possible by plane (the Bryce Canion Airport is located 4 miles from the park) and can be reached by embarking in Las Vegas. From the airport one can take a shuttle bus in order to get to this fantastic unusual destination.
There are plenty of things to do in the park, such as horseback tours or trailing. There are no special bike lanes and biking altogether is actually forbidden. A shuttle bus drives visitors through the park if they prefer this type of tour.
