Ansel Adams Wilderness, Sierra Nevada, California, USA

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Beautiful Places to Visit

Located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, the Ansel Adams Wilderness is a wilderness area encompassing 937 square kilometers (362 square miles or 231,533 acres). Within the Ansel Adams Wilderness are glaciated mountains including Mount Ritter, Banner Peak, and the Minarets, all of which are part of the Ritter Range. The wilderness area is also home to many lakes, including Shadow Lake, Thousand Island Lake, Lake Ediza, and Garnet Lake. A popular feature located in the Ansel Adams Wilderness is Devils Postpile National Monument, an unusually symmetrical formation of columnar basalt. Visitors to the wilderness area can enjoy 562 kilometers (349 miles) of hiking trails, opportunities for technical rock climbing on the Minarets, and cross-country skiing at Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain in the winter.

Banner Peak and Thousand Island Lake, Ansel Adams Wilderness, Sierra Nevada, California

Credit: Mark Wetters

Shadow Creek, Ansel Adams Wilderness, Sierra Nevada, California

Credit: Rob Kroenert

Credit: Brian Tobin

Credit: Steve Dunleavy

Dolomites, Italy

Posted on February 16, 2010 by Beautiful Places to Visit

The Dolomites are a section of the Alps mountain range in Italy. Besides the spectacular views, visitors to the Dolomites can enjoy skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding, ice skating and sledding in the winter months, and hiking, mountaineering, mountain biking, base jumping, paragliding and hang-gliding in the summer. The Dolomites were recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in August, 2009. Marmolada, the Dolomites’ largest peak, stands 3,344 meters (10,972 feet) tall. The Dolomites span three Northeastern Italian provinces: Belluno, Bolzano-Bozen and Trento. Accommodation can be found in any of the many cities and villages in the area.

Credit: Roberto Ferrari

Marmolada Westgrat, Dolomites, Italy - Panorama

Credit: Marco Klüber

Credit: wbirt1

Credit: 5348 Franco

Credit: Rotraud Weiss

Credit: Jack Brauer

Credit: 5348 Franco

Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

Posted on November 23, 2009 by Beautiful Places to Visit

Skiers, snowboarders, hikers, and wildlife lovers should not miss this incredible Canadian destination: Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. This glacial lake is located near the Trans-Canada Highway and the tiny town of Lake Louise. The Eastern shore of the lake is home to the large luxury resort hotel Chateau Lake Louise. Accommodation for the budget-minded traveler can be found in Lake Louise town only 3km (2 miles) away. Other activities to be enjoyed at the lake and surrounding area include mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, dog sledding, snowshoeing and more.

Credit: Benefactor123

Credit: Kylee Epp

Credit: Durand

Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil

Posted on November 15, 2009 by Beautiful Places to Visit

Located on the border between the state of Paraná in Brazil and the province of Misiones in Argentina, you will find the stunning Iguazu Falls dividing the upper and lower parts of the Iguazu River. These massive falls, four times the width of Niagara Falls, moved First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to famously exclaim “Poor Niagara!” Iguazu Falls is made up of 275 individual falls, the tallest of which is 82 meters (269 ft) high. The most popular single waterfall among tourists is the impressive 82 meters (269 ft) tall, 700 meters (2,297 ft) long Devil’s Throat (or Gargantua del Diablo). The falls can be accessed from the Brazilian town of Foz do Iguaçu or the Argentine town of Puerto Iguazú. There are many trails and walkways around the falls, and the more adventurous types can enjoy rock climbing and water sports.