Robert Cross

1919: 44,173 (national park established) 1925: 136,527 1932: 117,700 1935: 214,407 1939: 405,585 1943: 72,100 (Word War II) 1946: 486,834 1956: 1,033,404 (first year over 1 million) 1969: 2,192,574 1974:...

Anywhere along the south rim, any time of day, the viewpoints induce a delicious tingle up the spine and knee-weakening awe. As seen from the north rim--1,000 feet higher but...

Established as a national park: Feb. 26, 1919. Area: 1,218,376 acres (1,904 square miles). Visitors: 4,908,073 in 1995. Location: Entirely within northwestern Arizona, 60 miles north of Williams, 80 miles...

GRAND CANYON, Ariz.--"How long is this durn mountain?" one man asked another as they left the tour bus. "It's 277 miles!" came the reply, each syllable drawn out for dramatic...

GETTING THERE Las Vegas and Flagstaff, Ariz., are the nearest large cities served by major airlines. From those launching pads, several highways lead to the heavily-traveled south rim. Access to...

GETTING THERE The park nestles within a nexus of the Interstate Highway system, near the point where I-75, I-81 and I-40 converge. As a result, the Smokies have been a...

Established as a national park: June 15, 1934. Area: 521,053 acres (814 square miles), half each in Tennessee and North Carolina. Visitors: 9,080,422 in 1995. Location: Straddles the North Carolina/Tennessee...

900-600 million years ago: Soil, sand and silt deposits in a shallow sea rise 50,000 feet and compress into hard rock. 400 million years ago: Movements of the earth's crust...

In a uniformly enchanting landscape, outstanding features may resemble one another. But take the time, and individual characteristics become apparent. They tell a story of wilderness created, wilderness lost and...

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, Tenn.--Precisely where this cash-guzzling, souvenir-intensive, hotel-heavy metropolis ends, Great Smoky Mountains National Park begins. A few yards from the Gatlinburg city limits, scores of visitors...