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Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Great Natural Landmarks in New York

By Shawn Pratten


Perhaps best known for its towering buildings and masses of residents, New York is also quite close to some gorgeous natural landmarks that any visitor to the city would want to experience. From grand waterfalls to scenic mountain vistas, the Natural Landmarks in NY offer something for everyone.

The Palisades

Right in the backyard of Manhattan, observable from the George Washington Bridge, the Palisades, or "Hudson Palisades" of Manhattan and New Jersey are a line of steep cliffs that run along the west side of the Hudson Stream. They rise nearly vertically, from 300ft. To a maximum of 540 ft. In height. These cliffs are actually an appointed natural landmark by the National Park Service.

The Pocono Mountains

Situated only 1 and a half hours west of Manhattan, the Pocono Mountains are found in northeast Pennsylvania and cover a 2,400 square mile area of beautiful mountain peaks. Located within a four county area that includes some 150 lakes, this countryside is accented by North Knob, its tallest peak at 2,693 feet.

The Finger Lakes

Created by glaciers millions of years back, the Finger Lakes are found in Central New York State and are comprised of eleven parallel lakes that that cover 9,000 square miles. The widest and deepest of the lakes, Seneca Lake includes some over 4 trillion gallons of water, and is an incredible 618 feet at its deepest point! A well-known New York natural landmark in its own right, The Finger Lakes area is perhaps best known for the region's wine industry. At 200 miles away, it can be a day trip from NYC.

The Adirondack Mountains

Located in the northeast part of New York, this natural landmark of New York state is made up of some 6.1 million acres of land and is located about 4 hours north of Manhattan. A nature lover's dream, the region boasts the longest fall foliage viewing season in the whole northeast U.S..The Adirondack Mountains is home to Lake Placid, the site of 2 Winter Olympics, as well as Mt. Marcy, the highest point available to mountain climbers. Mt. Marcy sits at an elevation of over five thousand feet in Adirondack Park, a protected forest reserve of the U. S., covering a fantastic 2.3 million acres of public land.

The Catskill Mountains

Located about one hundred miles north east of New York, the Catskill Mountains sprawl across an area of 4,000 square miles. Technically a "dissected plateau" rather than a mountain range, the highest point of this natural landmark of Manhattan is Slide Mountain, with an elevation of 4,154 ft. This rugged terrain is well known for its fall foliage, as well as world-class fly fishing.




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