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A Look at a Few of the Most Incredible National Park Landmarks

by Jeff Yarbrough
National parks in the United States contain some of the most incredible landmarks in the world. Located along the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, the natural rock arch known as Cape Royal marks the canyon’s westward turn into the heart of the Kaibab Plateau. The bright yellows and reds of the North Rim’s cliffs make for a particularly breathtaking contrast to the area’s wildflowers and other flora. It's also an excellent spot to view the South Rim nine miles away.
Yosemite National Park is home to a range of monolithic rock formations, including Cathedral Spires, El Capitan, and Sentinel Rock. However, Half Dome, which is equally majestic when viewed from the valley floor or Glacier Point alike, remains the park’s most iconic image. Visitors to the park can hike to the top of the dome to take in incredible views of the valley and surrounding mountains. This trail also passes Vernal and Nevada Falls, among other beautiful landmarks.
Nebraska’s Chimney Rock National Historic Site includes a geologic formation that rises out of the ground to a height of 326 feet. When immigrants headed west on the Oregon Trail during the mid-1800s, they used the rock as one of the trail’s few markers. To them, the needle-shaped formation marked the beginning of the transition from the vast, flat plains to the forested mountains.