First published to coincide with the centennial of the National Parks Service, this unique collection by a single photographer has been updated in this second edition to include information on all sixty-three US National Parks.
In 2007, award-winning landscape photographer Andrew Thomas began a quest to travel to and photograph all parks of the US National Park Service. His photographs are collected in this stunning tribute to some of the most spectacular and diverse scenery in the world.
Capturing the peaks of Colorado and the glaciers of Alaska, the volcanoes of Hawaii and the everglades of Florida, the coral reefs of American Samoa and the beaches of the US Virgin Islands, Thomas exhibits every single park, even the de-listed, forgotten three: Mackinac in Michigan, Platt in Oklahoma, and Sullys Hill in North Dakota. The second edition of The National Parks of the United States includes three parks that were added to the system since the US National Park Centennial on August 25, 2016: Gateway Arch in Missouri, New River Gorge in West Virginia, and White Sands in New Mexico.
Every park is represented by several photos, giving a full impression of the varied geographical features and dramatic mood shifts inherent in the changing light and seasons. Thomas also provides useful details for each park--nearest city, topographical coordinates, area size--plus personal reflections on the area quoted from a variety of perspectives: park rangers, explorers, geologists, artists and famous personalities such as Mark Twain, Babe Ruth, Brigham Young and Harry S. Truman. Also featuring a map overview of all the parks and sections dedicated to the wildlife and other protected areas, this book is a complete, breathtaking compilation of the pure splendour the United States park system has to offer.