Why we have National Parks...again

Well, back in 2007, I posted this about National Parks.  I have been doing some more traveling since then and here are some more beautiful shots of lands we have decided are worth protecting from development and resource exploitations:

Bryce Canyon National Park

Zion National Park from Angel's Landing

Canyon Lands National Park

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park

Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park

If you have the chance, I highly sugggest checking them out.  All of them have some great back country hiking (I can speak directly to Bryce and Zion), but all can also be seen with day hikes or even from the parking lots.  

Why we have National Parks

People sometimes ask why we spend so much money on preserving our National Park Lands. Aside from the fact that they help create oxygen for us to breath and collect water for us to drink, here are two reasons:



Also, were it not for our funding to National Parks, this Helicopter would not have been able to fly into the middle of a Canyon in Kings Canyon National Park and evacuate a Boy Scout Master who had broken his ankle:



I will also give a nob to the Boy Scouts. While I do not agree with all of their views, they did a great job with this group who was able to carry their 200 lb Scout Master down a mile of granite off trail to where the helicopter could pick him up. Unfortunately for them, they still had a two day hike back to civilization while their leader was likely in operating room withing 4 hours.

So next time you are concerned about spending on National Parks, look at these pictures and think about that man who was saved because of our National Park system's search and rescue program.