Meander through the Garden of the Gods in Colorado in the USA
Ride through a unique National Natural Landmark location, a natural resource rich in beauty, biodiversity and geology. The area lies in the southwest of the United States, in Colorado Springs, one of the most popular tourist attractions where nature lovers can venture through the nature park for hiking, rock climbing, road and mountain biking and horse riding.
Enjoy the spectacular views in this unique natural park and keep your eyes open for the hidden gems: wild animals crossing the road in this Garden of the Gods video in the first part of the route.
The remarkable geological features of the Garden of the Gods park make the landscape so unusual are the unique and majestic sedimentary rock formations protruding from the lush green vegetation. These massive natural rock features have unique descriptive names, such as the Cathedral Spires, Sentinel Rock, Steamboat Rock, the Three Graces, Balanced Rock and Sandstone Strata. The rock consists of deep hues of red, pink, and white sandstone, conglomerates, and limestone deposited horizontally and now tilted vertically due to the lifting up of the Rocky Mountains and the Pikes Peak massif over millions of years.
While meandering through, consider how these ancient rocks formed as mountains that eroded and then were buried in their sediments over 300 million years, resulting in these slanted and precarious formations called 'fins' and exhibiting a comprehensive view of the earth's history. The region was once an ancient sea, containing eroded remains of an old mountain range, sandy beaches, and great dune fields. Some wildlife seen here is mule deer, Bighorn sheep, elk and rabbits.
Tour the spectacular natural surroundings of the Piatra Craiului National Park in Romania
Cycle and explore the Piatra Craiului Mountain range in the Southern Carpathians in Romania. The name means Kings' Rock or The Rock of the Prince because the massif has one of Europe's most spectacular limestone ridges, towering high above you and seemingly stitched to the edge of the road. The mountains form part of one of the most magnificent landscapes in the area, home to a highly diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna. The region became a National Park in 1938 and has a concentrated high number of plant species in Romania in only a small area. The Piatra Craiului National Park recently received the European Diploma for Protected Areas from the Council of Europe.
The Piatra Craiului carnation flower is now its symbol and unique to the park. The flower, found on the sunny craggy rocks in the lower alpine area or at the upper edges of meadowlands, provide an array of colour. In the summer months, you can notice its beautiful pink colour. Many species of orchids, edelweiss, yellow poppy and wild lilies add to the park's natural flora. From spring to autumn, the area displays abundant and myriad colours. The caves provide shelter for many species of bats, while numerous rare bird species and hundreds of unique and protected species of butterflies inhabit the region.
The park is also home to many mammals, such as large carnivores like the wolf, bear, bobcat and lynx. The park is famous for mountain climbing, hiking and mountain biking. Many mountain bike trails are inside the park and along its limits, where one can explore this magical and protected space. On this route, look out for the different hidden gems: domestic animals that observe and accompany you while you ride.
