Terra Galleria Photography

Posts Tagged ‘national parks’

Outdoor Photographer Magazine 1985-2023

Summary: My relationship with Outdoor Photography Magazine first as a reader, then a contributor, spanned the entirety of my career in nature photography. As it publishes its final issue which features a 32-page article with my words and photographs, I reflect on the history of the magazine and what happened. It is rare for a […]

Three USPS Waterfall Stamps by QT Luong

I am honored that three of my images have been selected by the U.S. Postal Service to be part of the new commemorative stamp series “Waterfalls”, released today, June 13, 2023. The new postage series (on sale here) which pays homage to the variety and beauty of American waterfalls, is released by the U.S. Postal […]

Snow in Yosemite Valley

Today marks the official start of the spring, while the weekend saw the re-opening of Yosemite National Park. The park had been closed since February 25, the second longest closure in memory – floods in 1997 closed the park for over two months. The closure of this winter was caused by unusually deep snow. On […]

Visiting the National Park of American Samoa: Tuitula

Despite its small size, the National Park of American Samoa is one of the most beautiful parks of the system, graced with stunning white sand beaches, pristine coral reefs, towering sea cliffs, and lush, forested mountains. American Samoa, in the Southern Hemisphere, right in the center of Polynesia, is the southernmost US territory and the […]

Lower Courthouse Wash: Out of the Beaten Path in Arches National Park

Arches National Park is, of course, renowned for its more than 2,000 documented arches, as well as other sandstone rock formations. However, as always, there is more to discover than the main attractions. Follow me along the less-traveled Courthouse Wash route where besides experiencing an unexpected desert river environment, you are sure to get away […]

Great Basin’s Mount Washington: A Remote Corner of a Remote Park

Great Basin National Park was established on this day 36 years ago. Despite its intriguing mix of natural wonders that include a cave with rare formations, a peak with one of the most southerly glaciers, bristlecone pines and aspen growing nearby, and a six-story limestone arch, Great Basin National Park is one of the least-visited […]

National Park Service Visitor Guides through the Years: Looking In

On the 106th anniversary of the National Park Service (NPS), this article continues where my previous write-up about the official NPS visitor guides stopped. As an introduction to the history of those publications over the years, we examined their front cover. In this article, we are going to open them and take a quick look […]

Capitol Reef National Park: the Rim Overlook Trail

Among the cornucopia of natural environments found on the American continent, maybe the most unusual are those of the Colorado Plateau, where a convergence of geology and climate has created landscapes without equal anywhere else. When asked about my favorite national parks, I’ve always felt the list would not be complete without one of the […]

Yellowstone: the other Grand Canyon

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park. When President Grant signed the Act of Dedication (you can read its brief text here) on March 1, 1872, setting aside Yellowstone “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people”, the first national park in the world was established. Yellowstone National Park is internationally renowned […]

Kīpahulu: one-square mile tropical paradise

Haleakalā National Park protects two areas of the island of Maui. The contrast between them always amazes me. The nearly freezing temperatures, barren lava soil, and sea of clouds of the 10,000-foot-high Haleakalā Crater couldn’t be more different from the paradisiacal tropical pools, jungle, and waterfalls found at the ocean’s edge at Kīpahulu. Despite its […]