text:
Great Glen Way

The Great Glen Way is a 79 mile (129 km) hike between Fort William and Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.

Understand
The Great Glen is a fault line that slashes diagonally across Highland Scotland. Glaciers carved the fault into a valley which was flooded by three long lakes (Loch Lochy, Oich and Ness), linked in the 19th century by a coast-to-coast canal. It's always been a natural transport route. Beyond the mainland, the fault stretches undersea north to Shetland and southwest through Donegal.

The Great Glen Way, designated as a way-marked long distance trail in 2002, traverses the glen. That means it is at no great altitude and seldom far from the main road, with bail-out options. A suggested itinerary is to walk it over six days, or by mountain bike in two or three. The recommended direction is from Fort William northeast to Inverness, to have the sun and weather at your back. This gives you firm level going to start with along the canal towpath, with rougher ground and ridges (they're no more than that) encountered about halfway along. But do as you please, it can easily be done as a series of there-and-back Sunday afternoon strolls.

Prepare
The route can be walked any time of year but is a pleasanter proposition in summer, with milder weather, longer days and less boggy terrain underfoot. That's the peak tourist season so everything's open, but accommodation and transport may fill up. So you need to book your overnight stops, which commits you to travelling a fixed distance each day come wind or weather.

See below for the Highland Council trail guide.

Get in
Fort William the usual start point has trains and buses from Glasgow, plus a sleeper train from London Euston. The train is scenic and takes 4 hours from Glasgow, continuing to Glenfinnan and Mallaig. The bus takes a shorter route through Glencoe and does it in 3 hours, continuing to the Isle of Skye.

Inverness has an airport, and trains and buses from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, plus from Thurso (for Orkney) in the north and another portion of the sleeper from London.

Both cities have good all-year road connections but the highways are mostly undivided, traffic builds up behind the slow fellow towing a caravan, and overtaking accidents are a risk.

A bus connects Fort William and Inverness. The railway is long gone, though part of the Great Glen Way uses its track bed.

Walk
An online guide to the route is published by Highland Council.

Section 1: Fort William to Gairlochy
old fort is the start point, near the railway station. Fort William is a proper town, with accommodation and other amenities, though only a sea wall remains of the fort. The town is the north terminus of the West Highland Way and the base to climb Ben Nevis, as if you didn't have enough walking ahead of you. The Great Glen Way hugs the coast to Inverlochy (with a more substantial castle ruin) then west to Corpach (railway station). This is the foot of the Caledonian Canal, and you follow the towpath up Neptune's Staircase, an impressive flight of locks. The way continues along the canal until the swing bridge at Gairlochy. This section is 10.5 miles / 17 km and level.

Section 2: Gairlochy to Laggan
is a tiny village at the outlet of Loch Lochy, with little accommodation and no shops. Spean Bridge 4 miles east has more facilities and a railway station. While the main road is east, the Great Glen Way cleaves to the west side of Loch Lochy: the "pepper pot lighthouse" marks the entrance to the canal. Follow the minor road to Clunes, by the outflow from Loch Arkaig. This area is Lochaber, homeland of Clan Cameron, and there's a museum and clan graveyard. It is not worth diverting to Loch Arkaig in search of its legendary lost Jacobite treasure and equally improbable monster, so continue on the forest track to Laggan. This section is 13 miles / 21 km and level.

Section 3: Laggan to Fort Augustus
is a straggling place along the canal, with little accommodation. Follow the towpath to Invergarry Bridge the south outlet of Loch Oich - this is the head of the canal, so it descends in both directions.

The next stretch is closed until Jan 2025 because of logging along the east side of Loch Oich. Normally you follow the the old railway track, now a cycleway, and the railway station museum is still open. The alternative path is west side on lanes paralleling A82 to Invergarry, which has the shell of a castle within the grounds of a hotel, and other accommodation. Beyond the north outlet of the loch, the way is along a bootlace of land between the River Oich and the canal, passing two more locks to reach Fort Augustus. This diverted section is 12 miles / 19.5 km.

Section 4: Fort Augustus to Invermoriston
is a small town with accommodation and eating places. The old fort has variously been an abbey, a scandal-hit school and an outdoor activities centre, and is now apartments. The canal descends by a flight of locks into Loch Ness: boat trips putter out in search of the monster, but to date none have been devoured. The Great Glen Way is west of the loch, as is the main road. Choose between the low-level route by the lochside, or climbing through the forest onto the high-level track, which adds a mile. They re-unite at Invermoriston, 9 miles / 15 km by the low-level route, so you might combine it with the next section to Drumnadrochit.

Section 5: Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit
has accommodation. Again you have a choice of a low-level route along the lochside, or the more scenic high-level route. A third of the way along, the lower route climbs steeply to re-unite with the higher. Continue on forest tracks past Grotaig, then descend through Clunebeg Wood into Drumnadrochit. This section is 14 miles / 22 km.

Section 6: Drumnadrochit to Inverness
is a large village that subsists on Nessie tourism, with kitsch souvenirs and a kiddy-theme park. Every coach tour of the Highlands stops here. However Urquhart Castle is impressive, and the Loch Ness Centre relates the genuine story of the loch. Lots of accommodation, and boat trips venture out on the loch. You have to walk a mile out of the village on the busy A82 to pick up the Great Glen Way. This ascends steeply to Abriachan, and you might opt to split this long section here. Follow the forest track to Craig Leach Forest, and the drove road (cattle trail) to the edge of Inverness. Descend steeply to Bught playing fields and follow the River Ness to city centre. This section is 20 miles / 30 km.

is a substantial city with accommodation, transport, and lots to see and do. The castle is the ceremonial north terminus of the Great Glen Way.

Stay safe
The usual precautions for open country apply, but this is not a wilderness and you're seldom far from the main highway. You're likely sleeping in hostels and B&Bs along the way and don't need the supplies and gear necessary for a back-country bivouac, just day provisions. Carry warm and waterproof clothing even in summer, conversely use sun protection even if it's cloudy.

Midges are a nuisance in summer especially in the evening, although not in the hungry clouds encountered further west. Don't camp out if you react badly to bites. No repellent known to science completely deters the West Highland Midge, only a stiff breeze or cold day. Try the Smidge brand of repellent, or an oily moisturiser like Avon Skin so Soft, or wear a head net, or invoke the traditional folk-remedy of cussing continually while flapping a handkerchief round your face; these all work about the same.

If you have accommodation booked but your plans change, please call and cancel. It frees the space for other hikers and if you simply no-show, they might call out the local rescue team fearing you're in a bad way.

Go next

 * Other long distance paths in Scotland include:

 * Speyside Way is an 85 mile walking and cycling route from Buckie on the northeast coast to  Newtonmore.
 * West Highland Way is a 96 mile walking route from Glasgow to Fort William.
 * John Muir Way is a 120 mile walking and cycling route across the central lowlands from Dunbar to Helensburgh.
 * Southern Upland Way is a 212 mile walking route from coast to coast in the Scottish Borders.

title: Great Glen Way


text:
Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are an important water system of North America for transportation, commerce, and recreation; they lie mostly on the border between the United States of America and Canada.

The size is difficult to appreciate until you see them: at 94,250 square miles (244,100 km2) combined, the lakes are nearly as large as the United Kingdom, and there are places where a plane flying over one will not see land. Taken collectively, they are the second-largest reserve of fresh water by volume outside the polar ice caps (slightly smaller by volume than Lake Baikal in Russia), making them an invaluable natural resource. Even considered individually, they are huge.

The Saint Lawrence Seaway is a large system of canals and locks, jointly built and jointly managed by the US and Canadian governments, which allows ocean-going vessels into this lake system so that some cities far inland in both countries are now important ports for worldwide trade.

Lakes
Although lakes often have names like "This Lake" and "That Lake", the Great Lakes are named the other way around as "Lake This" and "Lake That". Listed West-to-East (with rank on Wikipedia's list of the world's largest lakes by volume of water in parentheses), they are:

The American-Canadian border runs more-or-less down the middle of lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario. The border also runs across Lake Superior, but most of that lake is in the US; the border is just north of Isle Royale National Park, the big island on the west side. Lake Michigan is entirely in the US, Georgian Bay and the North Channel entirely in Canada.

The border between Michigan on the east and Wisconsin and Illinois on the west runs down the middle of Lake Michigan.

Other waterways
The Great Lakes themselves are not the only waterways in the system. Ones that connect the lakes are:
 * The Saint Mary's River between Lakes Superior and Huron
 * The Straits of Mackinac between Lakes Michigan and Huron
 * Several bodies of water between Southeast Michigan and Southwestern Ontario
 * The Saint Clair River between Lakes Huron and Saint Clair
 * Lake Saint Clair, tiny compared to the Great Lakes but still over 1000 km² (430 square miles)
 * The Detroit River between Lakes Saint Clair and Erie

 * The Niagara River (with its famous falls) between Lakes Erie and Ontario; ship traffic bypasses the falls via the Welland Canal
 * The Saint Lawrence River which drains the whole system into the Atlantic Ocean

The border runs through most of these as well, though it only follows the Saint Lawrence for a short distance; further east, both sides of the river are in Québec and the border is further south, following the 45th parallel across northern Vermont.

Some moderately large bodies of water attached to the lakes are:
 * The North Channel, considered part of Lake Huron but separated from the main lake by a string of islands
 * Georgian Bay, on the northeast side of Lake Huron
 * Green Bay, on the west side of Lake Michigan

Regions
The following regions lie around the Great Lakes.

Cities
The following cities lie on or close to the shores of the Great Lakes.

By body of water
Broken down according to the bodies of water they are on, and in upstream-to-downstream order, some important places are:
 * Lake Superior
 * Duluth, Minnesota
 * Thunder Bay, Ontario
 * Lake Michigan
 * Chicago
 * Milwaukee
 * Lake Huron
 * Sarnia-Port Huron
 * Detroit River, between lakes Huron and Erie
 * Detroit
 * Windsor, Ontario
 * Lake Erie
 * Cleveland
 * Buffalo
 * Niagara River, between lakes Erie and Ontario
 * Niagara Falls, two cities on either side of the border
 * Lake Ontario
 * The Golden Horseshoe, including Toronto, Hamilton, and the suburbs in between
 * Rochester
 * Kingston, Ontario
 * Downstream along the Saint Lawrence

Other destinations
The region is well provided with recreational areas; in roughly west-to-east order, some of the main ones are: Some of these are quite developed and others still close to wilderness.
 * , a large island on the west side of Lake Superior, in the US but near the border
 * , along the east shore of Lake Superior, a large and spectacular wilderness park
 * , in the Straits of Mackinac between Lakes Michigan and Huron
 * , between the North Channel and the main body of Lake Huron
 * , on the northeast shore of Lake Michigan some distance from the big cities
 * at the southern tip of Lake Michigan
 * , popular as "cottage country" for Toronto and nearby areas, part of Lake Huron
 * , a peninsula into Lake Erie which is the southernmost point in Canada, at roughly the latitude of Chicago or Beijing
 * , a major amusement park in Ohio, on Lake Erie
 * , on the US side near several Ohio cities
 * , toward the east end of Lake Ontario, on the Canadian side
 * , downstream in the Saint Lawrence

Get in

The Great Lakes cover a vast region, so there are naturally many points of entry, preeminent among which is Chicago's busy O'Hare International Airport. Other major airports, in order starting from the busiest: Detroit Metropolitan, Toronto Pearson International, Minneapolis-St. Paul International, Chicago Midway, and Cleveland-Hopkins International.

The principal highways of the Great Lakes on the U.S. side of the border are I-90, which runs east-west along the south coasts, and I-94, which runs a more eccentric course from the west coast of Lake Michigan, through Chicago, central Michigan, Detroit and Port Huron where it then passes across the river to Sarnia, Ontario. On the Canadian side, Highway 401 runs west-east from Windsor-Detroit through Toronto and on to Kingston and Montreal. The Trans-Canada Highway traces the northern shores of Lake Huron and Lake Superior.

Get around
Rail travel around the Great Lakes is served by Amtrak Lake Shore Limited and Amtrak Wolverine.

See
The Great Lakes boast some of the world's great urban skylines, and their crystal blue waters also provide anyone with a boat the means to take in a grand view of them. Chicago, the birthplace of the skyscraper, has a claim to be the greatest, but it's a hard claim to stake in a region with skylines such as those of Toronto and Detroit, and to a lesser extent Milwaukee, Cleveland, Hamilton, Buffalo, and Rochester.

Natural destinations abound along the region's lakeshores. The Indiana Dunes, and Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore provide the most striking lakeside landscapes, while island destinations like the Thousand Islands, Isle Royale National Park, St. Joseph Island, the Lake Erie Islands, and Manitoulin Island make for natural vacation destinations.

Major attractions right on the water are similarly in large supply. Chicago's Navy Pier on Lake Michigan is one of the most visited attractions in the Midwest for its amusement park, live entertainment, shops, restaurants, and theater. Toronto's CN Tower on Lake Ontario is the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere, providing tourists with great views, including one very steep one down from the glass floor. Cedar Point Amusement Park near Sandusky, Ohio, has been voted best amusement park in the world for at least a decade by Amusement Today. Perhaps the best known to the world, though, is massive Niagara Falls.

Do
Many boaters use the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway and their connection points as a travel route. There are many marinas and public boat ramps available for this purpose, and the lakes and connected waterways such as the Erie Canal and Rideau Canal are popular with people cruising on their own or chartered boats. Also, the Victory Cruise Lines, Great Lakes Cruising Company Pearl Seas Cruises and the Blount Small Ship Adventures provide cruise ships on the Great Lakes. Cruise Season typically runs from May through October.

Great Lakes beaches are something most of the world has overlooked. While yes, for much of the year, it's too cold to swim, there are some fantastic beaches that are usable in the summer months. The lakes are big enough to make you feel like you are at the ocean, with waves to boot, but without the annoying salt and jellyfish. And throughout much of the water system, the water is actually clean enough to drink (not recommended) and certainly clear enough where you can freely open your eyes underwater. Some of the most famous beaches include the Great Lakes' longest at Wasaga Beach in Central Ontario, the beach volleyball hub of the Midwest at Lincoln Park Beach in Chicago, the beautiful beaches along the Indiana Dunes National Park, and the affluent beach communities along Chicago's version of the Hamptons in Harbor Country, Michigan. And even when it's too cold for swimming, several beaches throughout the region are actually known for surfing.

In this area, if someone says something like "let's go to the Lake" without naming it, they're probably referring to the nearest Great one.

Buy
There isn't any one sort of souvenir or good associated with the Great Lakes (aside, perhaps, from Detroit automobiles or Milwaukee beer), but there are plenty of great places to go shopping. Chicago's Magnificent Mile is renowned as one of the world's truly great retail strips. Yorkville serves much the same purpose in Toronto. A smaller retail location is in Detroit's Renaissance Center, which is probably worth a visit regardless of whether you want to shop at its many stores and souvenir shops. Tower City Center in Cleveland is another major shopping complex, with retail running the gamut from high end boutiques to low-end national franchises and back again.

Eat

What could possibly unite the disparate culinary regions of the Great Lakes? Oh right, fish. Lake trout, wild salmon, chubs, smelt, perch, walleye, and whitefish are all very popular both among recreational and commercial fishers throughout the region. Smoked fish and shrimp is especially popular in small "shacks," particularly along the industrial shores of southwestern Lake Michigan, and you should jump at the chance to try some.

Similarities end at fish, however. The Chicagoland area is a culinary delight, from high end contemporary American in Chicago, to low end regional fast food like Chicago-style pizza, hot dogs, etc., and cuisines brought their via the tides of immigration from the American South, Greece, Middle East, Mexico, Vietnam, etc. Toronto rivals Chicago for international cuisine, both high and low end, with enormous immigrant populations from all over Asia especially.

Drink
There is one city in this region synonymous with drinking, and that is Milwaukee. Brew City was for a long time the world's leading beer producer, and remains firmly associated with the drink both in the popular culture ideal and the reality of the city's great nightlife. While none can rival that of Milwaukee, the cities and towns lining the Great Lakes largely share its affection for the drink, particularly in can form, accompanied with cheap shots of liquor.

High end nightlife in the Great Lakes congregates in both Chicago and Toronto. Live music, however, is much more widespread, with vibrant independent music scenes throughout all the major cities, especially in Chicago and Detroit.

Go next
Where next? Perhaps the obvious choice would be to head deeper into the Midwest, perhaps down the Mississippi River towards St. Louis, Memphis, and New Orleans, up the Mississippi through the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and Saint Paul) to the river’s source in the North Woods of Itasca State Park, or down through the cornfields to Indianapolis.

Following the waterways east takes you along the St. Lawrence River through the Thousand Islands and towards Montreal, Quebec City, and on to Canada's Atlantic Provinces. Or you could turn south from the St. Lawrence towards Lake Champlain to get to Lake George and the Adirondacks.

Keep following I-90 west to get deep into the American Interior. It will eventually take you into the Black Hills and Badlands region of South Dakota, home to Mount Rushmore (and a lot of bison), and on to Wyoming.

On the Canadian side, the Trans-Canada Highway leads west along the north shore of lakes Huron and Superior as far as Thunder Bay, then on to Winnipeg and Canada's Prairie Provinces. Much of that route is through quite lightly populated areas; what you see will be mostly trees and lakes with the occasional moose. Those more interested in cities may prefer to cross into the US and take a route that runs south of the lakes.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Great Lakes


text:
Great Lakes (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Great Lakes:

Africa

 * African Great Lakes, a collection of lakes in and around the Great Rift Valley in eastern Africa
 * We have an article on one, Lake Tanganyika

Australia

 * The Great Lakes — A region on the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales, around Forster-Tuncurry
 * Great Lake, part of Tasmania's Highland Lakes
 * The Great Lakes District, another named for the Perth Wetlands in Perth, Western Australia

China
Chinese Tài Hú translates approximately as "Great Lake"; our article is at Lake Tai

North America

 * Great Lakes — A region in the United States of America and Canada.
 * Great Lakes (South Dakota)

United Kingdom

 * Great Lake (Britain), a lake on the River Poulter in Nottinghamshire, England

title: Great Lakes (disambiguation)


text:
Great Lakes (South Dakota)

The Great Lakes region of South Dakota is in the central part of the state in the United States of America. It follows the course of the Missouri River from North Dakota South to Nebraska.

Cities

 * — in the capital of the state, on the Missouri river, you can visit the state Capitol building and several museums, or go fishing at the Oahe Dam lake
 * — along the east bank of the Missouri River

title: Great Lakes (South Dakota)


text:
Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, also known as the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area is made up of the following parks:
 * Kruger National Park in South Africa
 * Limpopo National Park in Mozambique
 * Gonarezhou National Park, Manjinji Pan Sanctuary and Malipati Safari Area in Zimbabwe.

title: Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park


text:
Great Northern Highway

The Great Northern Highway in Western Australia is a road between Perth in the south and Wyndham in the north covering an approximate distance of 3200 km. The journey passes through a number of different conditions and its recommended to keep a watch on the weather as conditions will change substantially from start to finish.

Understand
Distance, isolation, and dynamic changes are what make this journey one to experience starting from Perth to the end of the highway in Wyndham is 3,223 km. The Great Northern Highway goes through the Swan Valley, Wheatbelt, Mid-West, Murchison, Pilbara and Kimberley regions of Western Australia. The Great Northern Highway is one of the main supply routes to the North of Western Australia as such big trucks known as road trains are normal. The trucks aren't the only thing that are larger. The landscapes, the distances between places and even the mining and pastoral activities occur in areas larger than some countries.

The highway starts in Perth, Western Australia - in the south west as National Highway 95, and passes through the Tropic of Capricorn just south of Newman, and becomes National Highway 1 after meeting North West Coastal Highway south of Port Hedland. Great Northern Highway terminates in the Kimberley town of Wyndham. Some people much prefer the longer coastal route to Port Hedland, being closer to the coast with a higher frequency of facilities and not so desolate. That route is the Brand Highway and North West Coastal Highway route that is National Route 1 from Perth, through Geraldton, Carnarvon, and Karratha on the way to Port Hedland.

Prepare
The Great Northern Highway passes through desert so you should take plenty of water and fuel with you on your trip.

Reading the map - you can see the sections where services/stopping places are minimal. Whichever direction you are travelling, it is essential that your vehicle is in good condition, you are stocked up with adequate supplies, at the beginning of these sections.
 * Wubin - Mount Magnet section
 * Meekatharra - Newman section
 * Port Hedland - Broome section

Vehicle
Though the whole journey is on a sealed road which can be driven along by all vehicle types, your choice of vehicle will impact on your comfort, travel times and what side journeys you may be able to take. What ever your choice of vehicle ensure that the vehicle carries a full sized spare tyre as you may exceed the capabilities of many of the temporary spares found in newer vehicles, additionally not all centres will have replacement tyres readily available.

Get in
You can get onto the highway from a number of locations. Initially at Perth on the south end and from Wyndham on the north end. The connection with Geraldton, is a drive across to Mullewa, and Yalgoo, and you connect at Mount Magnet. From the North West Coastal Highway at Port Hedland.

Go
The main centres along the highway all have their unique features that are worth exploring
 * Wubin - small old railway town, and marginal eastern wheatbelt location on the Mullewa railway line
 * Mount Magnet - current and historic mining town, former railway junction
 * Cue - historic mining town with heritage buildings and streetscapes
 * Meekatharra - end of the line of former railway line, and start of a long stretch to Newman across gibber plain
 * Newman - current iron ore mining town
 * Marble Bar - famous location of high temperatures and also nearby - the earliest known signs of life on the planet in local rock formations
 * Port Hedland - important mining export port, and junction of the North West Coastal Highway and the Great Northern Highway
 * Broome - Western Australia's northern holiday destination, significant heritage, world war II historical location, beach culture, ethnic melting pot
 * Derby - Kimberley town
 * Kununurra - Kimberley and Ord River town
 * Wyndham - end of the highway

Regions
The section of highway immediately north of Perth runs along the eastern Swan Valley, which attracts large numbers of visitors to its numerous wineries, microbreweries and restaurants. Further north are the gorges and related areas around Karijini National Park and the inland Pilbara mines, which are of interest to some, but the alternative North West Coastal Highway between Perth and Port Hedland offers access to the Indian Ocean and its many natural attractions and is hence favoured by tourists.

In the Kimberley, the highway provides access to many off-highway natural attractions such as Eighty Mile Beach, Purnululu National Park (the Bungle Bungles), Wolfe Creek Crater, the Gibb River Road and Broome, as well as being the part of the route into and out of the Northern Territory. Best seen between April and October when the weather is cooler, these attractions draw in local, interstate and overseas tourists, of which a large number use four wheel drives towing caravans.

Side trips
There are a number of side trips along the way for the more adventurous traveller. These routes will deviate away from the Great Northern Highway, passing by other towns and attractions before rejoining the highway. Be aware that once off the main highway the roads are generally of lower quality – they may be narrower, have sharper turns, or be partly or mostly unsealed.

Chittering Valley

 * Bullsbrook to Upper Chittering via Chittering Road: 40 km (length along highway: 30 km)

In Bullsbrook, turn off at Chittering Road - there is a sign for Chittering Valley Tourist Drive 359. The road winds its way alongside the Brockman River, past orchards and wineries, where you can stop off and enjoy the local produce. Further north there and some brilliant vistas of the valley, but make sure you slow down around the sharp bends - there's little room to recover if you make an error in judgement, and no one want their overturned car to become part of the view.

Side trip to Moora

 * Bindoon to Walebing via Bindoon–Moora Road and The Midlands Road: 110 km (length along highway: 80 km)

About four and a half kilometres north of the Bindoon townsite, turn off at Bindoon–Moora Road, signed as State Route 116 (a blue shield shape with 116 in white). Unsurprisingly, this road leads from Bindoon to Moora, passing by farms and paddocks. There aren't many stops along the way - about half way along there's the Mogumber Tavern. After visiting the attractions at Moora, return to the Great Northern Highway via The Midlands Road - follow guide signs towards New Norcia when leaving the townsite.

Road Trains
Road Trains (Big trucks with multiple attachments) are common on the Great Northern Highway. Take care, as it is extremely difficult for them to brake over short distances. Passing a Road Train is not a good idea, ever. Many cautious smaller vehicle drivers simply pull off the road and stop while they are in the vicinity, it can be worth it.

Stay safe

 * See main article Driving in Australia

The Great Northern Highway is in Australia so you will be driving on the left, see the Driving in Australia article for more information.

More specifically to travel the road requires planning, and careful preparation. There are sections that have differing hazards, and to be warned of them is well worth taking note. Feral and native animals tend to be near the highway at dawn and sunset. It is a case of if you do not have bull/kangaroo bars and you are driving the length of the highway is to plan your travel around the hazards.

Stray cattle and other grazing animals are particularly dangerous and prevalent throughout the Kimberley and Pilbara as potential roadkill. Kangaroos and wedge-tailed eagles, although smaller, are also very dangerous, with wedge-tailed eagles particularly immobile after gorging on other roadkill.

Driving at night is best avoided; being equipped with a good frontal roo bar and driving spotlights can help slightly, but is still very dangerous.

If you have not experienced being in a car being hit by an emu, camel, goat, kangaroo or other animals, it is well worth considering camping or stopping at night. If you do that, you should utilise allocated parking bays, away from the main traffic.

Mobile phone coverage along the route is varied and also if your have difficulty with a vehicle, recovery costs to the nearest populated centre can be expensive.

Flooding is another hazard, as the Kimberley and Pilbara receive periods of torrential rainfall between November and May. At some locations, it is not unusual for the road to be underneath metres of water. However as little as 100 mm of water is sufficient to cause a major accident if driven into at high speed.

Go next

 * From the northern end, diversions are possible at:
 * Halls Creek to go into the Northern Territory on very rough inland routes
 * Port Hedland to proceed along the coastal route rather than inland
 * Meekatharra to go to Kalgoorlie along inland route
 * Mount Magnet to travel west to Geraldton

 * Travelling along the highway from the south (and variants of above)

title: Great Northern Highway


text:
Great North Region

Great North Region is the northernmost region of New Hampshire.

Cities

 * — famous for holding its presidential elections early
 * — famous for holding its presidential elections early
 * — famous for holding its presidential elections early

Other destinations

 * - This portion of The White Mountain National Forest encompasses the Pilot Range of Mountains.
 * - This portion of The White Mountain National Forest encompasses the Pilot Range of Mountains.
 * - This portion of The White Mountain National Forest encompasses the Pilot Range of Mountains.

Do
Northern New Hampshire has a growing number of recreational trail networks through thousands of acres of forest. Snowmobile trails are managed through local clubs and more information and trail reports can be found on their individual sites. ATV trails are also managed by local clubs, but are connected in a larger network known as Ride the Wilds. The Cohos hiking trail begins at Fourth Connecticut Lake on the Canadian border, and travels through many scenic areas of the region.

title: Great North Region


text:
South West Coast (Victoria)

The South West Coast of Victoria, Australia is the area around the Great Ocean Road including the Great Ocean Rd, Surf Coast, and the Otways.

It can more broadly cover Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula, but Wikivoyage covers those two regions under Greater Geelong.

Shipwreck Coast

 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital

Other destinations

 * along the Great Ocean Road with some waterfalls
 * – The earliest evidence of aquaculture in the world is found here. As early as 6000 BC, the Gunditjmara people created a system of channels, dams and weirs trapping eels and fish. The eels were smoked and preserved and were eaten all year around.
 * – contains the 12 Apostles

Understand
The first British settlement in Victoria was in Portland, in the far west of the South West Coast region, in 1834. Melbourne was founded only a year later. This area has become a major agricultural region in Victoria, with farms for dairy, beef cattle, lamb, and wool, as well as other crops. The only part of this region without significant farming activity is the Otway Ranges, which was once a major source of timber, but is now protected as Great Otway National Park, one of Victoria's largest and most diverse national parks, and a major tourist attraction.

The Great Ocean Road, built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932, is a fantastic drive, not only for the scenery but also for the winding cliff-top roads. Before this road was constructed, the only access for towns on the rugged coastline was by sea. When the first section to Lorne was opened in 1922, road users had to pay a toll, which was abolished in 1936. Not only is the Great Ocean Road an attraction in itself, but it allows road access to virtually all of the region's major tourist drawcards. Its numerous twists, turns, and hairpin bends also make it great fun to drive, unless you're prone to carsickness.

Get in
Most visitors start from Melbourne, which is 95 km away from Torquay. Instead of Melbourne's main airport, fly into Avalon Airport near Geelong, which is much closer to the start of the road. There is car hire there, and it is regularly serviced by Jetstar.

V/Line buses run from Geelong along the Great Ocean Road as far as Apollo Bay three times a day M-F and twice a day Sa-Su. On Friday a bus continues from Apollo Bay to Warrnambool. There are also daily V/Line trains to Warrnambool, but they travel inland.

Get around
Having your own car gives you the most flexibility in getting around Coach tours are also readily available.

There are many sights to see away from the townships, and along the coast. Getting to them by general public transport is difficult.

There are so many pullouts and sights, that you can fall into a yet another spectacular vista fatigue, when driving the road. Is it worth pulling off the road for another cliff drop, another gorge, or another arch? Make sure you plan your trip, so you can skip some attractions if you need to, but don't miss the truly amazing ones.

Itineraries
At its simplest, you won't need an itinerary, or even a map to drive the Great Ocean Road. Start at Geelong or Warrnambool and follow the signs. The eastern end of the route starts at Torquay, 22 km from Geelong. The sights are well signposted off the road, as well as nearby attractions. Information boards exist at all sights and attractions. The road is well developed for tourism, has regular information, food, fuel and accommodation.

Its possible to drive the length of the road, and see the main attractions in a day's driving. Two days will allow you to see just about all of the coastal sights and towns, if that is what you want to do. Consider three days or longer if you want to stay longer at some towns, and do some walks, relaxation, or other recreation.

If starting from Melbourne, remember that it's almost 100 km to the start of the Great Ocean Road at Torquay and another 264 km back from Warrnambool along the inland Princes Highway. This translates to a minimum of 600 km to get there, drive the road from end to end and come back, and doing this in one day doesn't leave much time for sightseeing — spending at least two-three days is a much better idea.

See

 * Geelong — The largest city in the South West Coast Area, Geelong has bustling beaches and wonderful art. See the tallest building in the region, Worksafe Headquarters at 40 m. Visit the Botanical Gardens in East Geelong, with lots of green and get a glamorous view of the city. Also visit the construction sites of The Mercer and Miramar, apartment buildings set to be the tallest in Geelong at 80 and 90 m. The library has been nicknamed the Death Star by locals. Geelong has two major shopping centres: Westfield and Market Square, which have heaps of shops across two levels.
 * Lara — Considered to be part of Geelong, it is a 15-minute drive from the CBD and has a train station. Lara is continuously growing, with new estates coming everywhere. You can also see the farm side of Lara and the 355-m You Yangs National Park.
 * Torquay — A small town 20 minutes away from Geelong and on the Surf Coast Highway, Torquay has many things to see. Torquay is on the end of The Great Ocean Road, next to Jan Juc. There are the beaches full of people during summer, shops and more. Torquay also has the Australian National Surfing Museum. Torquay is still growing, with a plan to be part of Geelong in the future.
 * Bells Beach — Surfing mecca - crashing waves, lots of surfers and kangaroos in nearby grasslands in the early morning
 * Point Addis Surfing, and an indigenous walk through the bushland to a lookout over the beach. Signs provide insights into how the local Aboriginal people used the land (approx 30 minutes return).
 * Split Point — Aireys Inlet.
 * Teddy’s Lookout, Lorne — Provides a view of the Great Ocean Road as it winds along the coastline.
 * Wye River and Kennett River villages for koala sightings, Wye River — Both small villages have excellent koala populations in trees easy for visitors to see.
 * Marriner’s Lookout in Apollo Bay — Views of the township and the 3 bays that make up Apollo Bay.
 * Marriner’s Lookout in Apollo Bay — Views of the township and the 3 bays that make up Apollo Bay.

Do
Walk. Many of the natural features have surrounding walks, but there are developed paths for longer walks.

There are also some great places to go mountain biking in the back of Apollo Bay around the forest and the Otway National Park. There is one tour company that offers 5- to 7-day tours based out of Apollo Bay.

Tour. Many tourists prefer to take a tour rather than drive themselves. There are many operators who provide day and multiple day tours along the Great Ocean Road. Tours also range from small group tours, private tours to bus tours.

Eat
Port Campbell has many cafes and restaurants and it is the only place to get food near the Port Campbell National Park. There are also some restaurants in the region of Great Otway National Park.

Sleep
A wide range of accommodation is available in towns along the Great Ocean Road, but most of it is clustered at the eastern end near Melbourne, particularly Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay.

As the area is such a popular weekend getaway, prices are considerably higher during the weekend and many places (especially B&Bs) have two-night minimum stays. In the summer peak season and during holidays, many places will sell out completely and it can be hard to find even a motel room.

Stay safe
Some of the beaches along the road have dangerous currents. Observe local signs, and seek local advice about the best places to swim. For tips on beach safety and to understand the signs see BeachSafe

There are virtually no overtaking lanes on the Great Ocean Road. Rather the road has turnouts for slower vehicles so if a faster vehicle catches up to you, be considerate and pull over at the next turn out. Frustration causes accidents, let faster vehicles past. If you catch up to a slower vehicle, stay back at a safe distance and wait for the other vehicle to pull over in the next slow vehicle turn out. Don't tailgate.

Many areas on the road experienced significant bush fires in early 2016, with many travellers needing evacuation.

The speed limit along the Great Ocean Road is 80 km/h to 100 km/h. In towns, the speed limit is 50 km/h to 70 km/h.

Given the volume of traffic that can traverse the Great Ocean Road, especially weekends and holidays, don't assume that it will be a quick trip. Allow yourself plenty of time to see everything so that you may enjoy your drive.

Go next
You can travel back to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road or take the inland route via Colac which although a similar distance saves time.

title: South West Coast (Victoria)


text:
Great Plains

The Great Plains of the United States of America consist primarily of wide open grasslands between the Rocky Mountains and the forests of the Midwest. While most of the land consists of farms and pastures, the Great Plains are also home to the Badlands and Black Hills, with the iconic Mount Rushmore. Once at the heart of the Old West, today the region has a relatively small population and is outside the average tourist's itinerary, but not justifiably so, as between the agricultural regions are picturesque canyons and mountain ranges.

States
Paralleling the Rocky Mountains, this vast stretch of grasslands extends from a tiny pocket of northern Mexico, through Texas and all the way north to the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. (Northeastern New Mexico, the eastern half of Colorado and Wyoming, large parts of Montana, southwestern Minnesota, the northern half of Iowa and even extreme northwest Missouri are geographically part of the Great Plains, but they are covered in other region articles.)

Cities

 * – a city that straddles the border between Kansas and Missouri
 * — near the Black Hills of South Dakota
 * — near the Black Hills of South Dakota
 * — near the Black Hills of South Dakota
 * — near the Black Hills of South Dakota
 * — near the Black Hills of South Dakota

Other destinations

 * — a multitude of cliffs and canyons
 * — one of the few mountainous areas on the Great Plains
 * — four presidents' faces carved into a mountain
 * — four presidents' faces carved into a mountain
 * — four presidents' faces carved into a mountain

Understand
While some on either coast might label this part of the country "flyover country", it is not without charms, especially in terms of nature and wildlife. Mount Rushmore, the Native American heritage and the spirit of the Old West are part of the cultural charms of this region.

Talk
English is by far the most spoken and widely understood language. Historically indigenous American languages were spoken by many in this area, but nowadays those that speak them will usually also speak equal if not better English. Historically this was one of the areas with the most German heritage, but the use of German as a first language died out during the World Wars when it was seen as unpatriotic and arose (sometimes justified) suspicions of imperial or Nazi sympathies. Today few people speak anything above and beyond a few words of German.

By plane
Air-travel is fastest and probably the most practical way of entering the Great Plains region. Many smaller cities in this region are serviced by the Midwestern airport hubs of Chicago ( and ), Kansas City, MO, or Minneapolis, Western hub Denver, or Texan hubs Dallas and Houston. From those large airports, smaller commuter flights are available into many small city airports such as Fargo or Grand Forks, North Dakota; Rapid City or Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney, McCook, Scottsbluff and Alliance, Nebraska; Salina, Wichita or Topeka, Kansas; and Tulsa or Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

By train
Amtrak serves part of this region. While trains are often not much faster than buses (if that) and usually not cheaper than flying for all but the shortest trips what they offer in views, legroom and sheer style of travel at least to some more than make up for those downsides and thus Amtrak has posted record riderships for most of the years since 2000.

By car
Most of the region is connected to the interstate highway system. Some roads in rural areas are in a very bad state however.

By bus
Intercity buses in the US

By car
Generally by automobile. On the whole, this is one of the worst regions for touring the  United States without a car.

By train or bus
Greyhound bus has several routes through here as well. Service is relatively limited compared to other US regions, especially in South Dakota.

Although the Great Plains owe parts of their history to the railway, there is very limited passenger rail service. Most of the tracks which once were built by pioneers persist to this day, but are largely used by freight trains. Even larger cities like Tulsa or Wichita are not accessible by train anymore since the 1970s. Some large cities have railway connections like Oklahoma City with the south of Oklahoma and neighbouring northern Texas.

Each state (except for one) has one railway line for passengers where one can get also to rural areas as there are also stops in small towns like Dodge City, Kansas or McCook, Nebraska. Unfortunately, South Dakota with its famous Badlands is the Great Plains state not served by the railway at all.

By plane
Many larger cities have regular air-commuter service to larger hub airports. Smaller towns may have smaller commuter flights with more limited service.

See
The Great Plains is not packed with sights. In fact, it's not packed with much of anything—these are some of the lowest density states in the union, iconic for their wide, sometimes rolling, open spaces. The largest cities of Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Omaha all have a number of modest attractions, although a visitor to the United States probably wouldn't go out of their way to find them. The one big exception, however, are the Black Hills and Badlands of southwestern South Dakota, which is home to several of quite literally the country's biggest attractions: in particular, Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Crazy Horse Memorial, as well as an enormous range of rugged and mountainous terrain, filled with Wild West cowboy towns and big game animals.

Nature

 * Great numbers of North American wildlife can be observed here including Whitetail deer, otters, badgers, pronghorn, prairie dogs, coyotes as well as Elk and Buffalo in wildlife refuges as well as other managed areas
 * Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Western North Dakota
 * Badlands National Park in Western South Dakota
 * Black Hills National Forest in Western South Dakota
 * Sandhills in North Central Nebraska
 * Arikaree Breaks in Northwestern Kansas
 * Monument Rocks in Western Kansas
 * Wichita Mountains in Southern Oklahoma
 * Glass Mountains in Northwestern Oklahoma
 * Many National Grasslands dot this region

Itineraries

 * Lewis and Clark Trail
 * Oregon Trail
 * Santa Fe Trail
 * Storm chasing tours

Do

 * Visit County/State Fairs generally occurring during the fall months, admission is usually charged
 * Rodeos
 * Horseback riding
 * Wildlife Viewing
 * Museums
 * Storm chasing
 * Hiking
 * Fishing (licenses required, purchased at sports shops and larger stores such as Wal-Mart or grocery stores in the region)
 * Hunting (licenses required, hunters safety requirements vary by state)

Drink
Like other regions in America, the drinking age is 21.

Stay safe
The Great Plains are the location of "Tornado Alley", a multi-state region where tornadoes are more frequent on average during the spring and summer months. See Tornado safety for more information. While it is somewhat rare for tourists to experience tornadoes, severe thunderstorms containing frequent lightning, strong winds, hail and heavy rains are common during the spring and summer months as well. When weather conditions deteriorate listen to local radio stations for information ("Weather Radio Information" roadsigns are fairly common on interstates) The northern areas of this region are susceptible to blizzards and bitter cold temperatures during the winter; while southern regions sometimes face severe ice events. When driving cross-country in the winter, be prepared as Interstates often close during severe winter weather events.

The Great Plains experiences the most tornadoes in America and the world. Unfortunately these can be violent sometimes but thankfully rare. Most tornadoes on average are between EF0 and EF2 but EF3 and higher do occur too. If you do see strange weather patterns such as rotating clouds, a funnel cloud, or a loud roar, get yourself to safety. Severe thunderstorms are very frequent too. Some areas sound tornado sirens for severe storms too.

Due to the rural nature of most of the region, gun ownership is very common in the Great Plains, and hunting is a popular pastime for many residents. Gun owners are generally responsible with their weapons, but be sure to wear bright colors when hiking in the wilderness so you do not get mistaken for a wild animal. Be very careful not to take shortcuts across privately owned land, as incidents have happened where property owners shot trespassers. Also avoid talking about gun politics with locals, as it arouses very strong feelings in many people.

Go next
To the north lie the Prairies of Canada.

title: Great Plains


text:
Great Plains Country

Great Plains Country is a region in southwestern Oklahoma.

Cities

 * , including Cheyenne
 * , including Cheyenne
 * , including Cheyenne
 * , including Cheyenne
 * , including Cheyenne
 * , including Cheyenne
 * , including Cheyenne
 * , including Cheyenne
 * , including Cheyenne
 * , including Cheyenne
 * , including Cheyenne
 * , including Cheyenne
 * , including Cheyenne
 * , including Cheyenne

title: Great Plains Country


text:
Great Sand Dunes National Park

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a national park in the state of Colorado. In addition to the eponymous dunes, the park has attractive high country in the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains.

History
Great Sand Dunes National Monument was one of the many United States national parks and monuments created during the Great Depression (1932). In its original form it covered only the dunes themselves. However, it has expanded significantly since its roots, due in large part to concern among residents of nearby communities about the need to protect the watershed containing the dunes. In 2000, a "preserve" adjoining the monument as created, and in 2004 the combined monument/preserve was designated as a national park.

Landscape
The park includes North America's tallest dunes, which rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind-shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This geologic wonderland contains over 30 square miles of massive dunes, and also includes alpine lakes and tundra, six peaks over in elevation, ancient spruce and pine forests, large stands of aspen and cottonwood, grasslands, and wetlands—all habitat for diverse wildlife and plant species.

Climate
In the summer, daytime air temperatures rarely reach, with average temperatures in the. Summer nights are surprisingly cool thanks to the elevation of above sea level, with lows sometimes dropping into the. Afternoon thundershowers are common in July and August with associated winds and lightning. Be prepared to leave the dunes promptly if thunderstorms threaten: lightning strikes are common and may be fatal.

Fall is generally mild, with Indian summer days. Highs average in the 60s - 70s °F, with chilly nights in the 20s - 30s °F. Be prepared, though, for the occasional cold fall storm, bringing icy rain or even snow.

Cold temperatures are the norm in winter, even though sunshine is generally abundant. The lowest temperature recorded at Great Sand Dunes was -25 deg;F in 1963. Average highs are in the 20s-40s °F, with lows averaging -5 to 15 deg;F. Snow may fall and high winds may occasionally occur, so bring warm, layered clothing and sturdy footwear.

Spring can bring high winds; March, April, and May winds are unstable and can be unusually strong. Temperatures can vary widely: highs may reach into the 60s °F, or only into the 30s °F with an even colder windchill. Lows can also vary from 0 deg;F to the 30s °F. March and April are the snowiest months of the year, but some days in spring can also be swimsuit weather.

The average annual precipitation is 11 inches including an average snowfall of 37 inches. Overall, precipitation increases in all directions as you leave the heart of the San Luis Valley. Yearly there are only 30–40 days when clouds obstruct the sun the majority of the day. The valley is known as the "Land of Cool Sunshine", and lives up to that name throughout most of the year.

Visitor information center

 * Park website

By car
Road access to Great Sand Dunes is limited by its position on the west side of the rugged Sangre de Cristos. It is most easily reached via a side road from Colorado SR 17 between Poncha Pass, at the north end of the Sangres, and the town of Alamosa to the south. Another access route is via US 160, which crosses a high pass through the Sangres between Alamosa and Walsenburg on Interstate 25, and then onto SR 150, reaching the same access road as the SR 17 route.

By air
Great Sand Dunes is a long way from a major airport (Denver is about 150 miles away as the crow flies, considerably further as the car drives), but nearby Alamosa's airport has regular commuter service to Denver on Great Lakes Airlines.

Fees and permits
All fees are for 7-day passes, which allow unlimited re-entry for the week. The Great Sand Dunes Annual Pass also allows free access to the park for one year. Fees as of 2020 are:
 * $20 Motorcycle and Riders
 * $25 Non-Commercial Vehicle and Occupants
 * $45 Great Sand Dunes Annual Family Pass

Get around
If you are going to be in the Crestone/BACA and Moffat area Windhorse Transportation is a great service that will give you great tours and is also a taxi service.

Do
Hike. The dunes themselves are a very short distance from the visitor center, and you can reach them by simply following the obvious path. Once you're in the dunes, there are no marked trails; you simply wander among them until you've had your fill. (Either keep the visitor center in sight, or bring a compass.) You'll get sand in your shoes; dress accordingly and have a change of clothes, or at least shoes, waiting at the car. Trails into the high country are reachable from farther up the road, beyond the dunes.

A guidebook with details on numerous hikes in the area, as well as other activities, food, and lodging, is The Essential Guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, ISBN 097244131X.

During spring and early summer, runoff from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains coalesces in a little creek that runs along the south side of the dunes, past the visitor center. Where Mosca Creek passes through the dunes, a remarkable beach-like atmosphere results that draws families doing precisely the things you'd expect at any other beach—with the obvious exception of swimming, since the creek is only about six inches deep. You'll see picnics, small children wading in the creek (which is warmed by the sun), Frisbee tossing, maybe even a little beach volleyball. Come prepared to participate, and bring a change of clothing, particularly shoes; there is a changing room and rinse station near the visitor center to get the sand out of your clothes (and you) before you get back in the car. Flow in the creek is seasonal, and by the end of the summer there may not be enough water left for some of these activities.

Buy
AJ's Truck Stop is a truckerschoice.com truckstop. AJ's is family friendly. AJ's has Brazen Cafe and various other accommodations. It's a mile north of the Mosca entrance/exit on highway 17 in Hooper before the State Highway 12, north of the sand dunes. Major credit cards are accepted. Showers are available.

Eat
Brazen Cafe in Hooper on Highway 17. Ask for the truckers plate... it's the locals' favorite!

Drink
Billy's Bar. Great pizza, great beer.

Lodging
No lodging is available in the park. Alamosa, about 30 miles to the southwest, has a reasonable assortment of motels and motor inns. Some of the tiny towns on Highway 17 (Mosca and Moffat) have motels that seem to come and go:
 * Crestone has B&Bs.
 * Crestone has B&Bs.

Backcountry
The high country is good for backpacking (free permit, available at the visitor center, required). In addition, the rugged 4-wheel-drive road to Medano Pass at the eastern edge of the park offers opportunities for "backcountry car camping," if the term isn't an oxymoron. No permit is required for camping along this road.

Backcountry camping in the dune field itself is also possible, with a free permit, and is a truly mind-blowing experience. Sitting atop a dune, watching the sunset along the Rocky Mountains over the high dunes is simply magnificent. The climb in with a pack is rough on the steep sands, so be prepared for a real workout. The best time of the year to camp in the dunes is undoubtedly late Spring, since sand temperatures are too hot in the Summer, and even in the Fall. During the winter, the high altitude will make the sand extremely cold, and you definitely don't want to camp in both sand and snow. Temperatures in the dune field swing wildly throughout the day, as sand reacts to temperature changes very rapidly. Wear sandals for the day, and prepare for cold nights. And don't forget to prepare for the bizarre environment. That means proper sand gear for your tent (otherwise you will blow away in the rough night winds), and learn how to tie a turban—they're extremely useful for keeping your head cool in the day, warm at night, your face protected from airborne sand, and keeping your head cushioned in any crazy dune descents.

Stay safe
The Great Sand Dunes is generally safe. The Park Rangers are usually in the main parking lot, looking out for your safety. If you are in real need call the sheriff +1 719 655-2544. The dunes are extremely large and easy to get lost in. If you are going to venture deep, bring navigation equipment.

Go next

 * Colorado Gators, +1 719 378-2612. Remarkably enough, an alligator farm set in the San Luis Valley, off SR 17 just north of the road to the park. It's set up as a reptile garden and welcomes visitors (Daily 9AM - 5PM, open until 7PM in the summer, $25 admission, or $12.50 student and senior).

title: Great Sand Dunes National Park


text:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States national park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an International Biosphere Reserve that straddles the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Because of its substantial size, its location within a few hundred miles of several large cities, its year-round accessibility, and of course its general appeal to a wide variety of people, it consistently ranks as the most-visited national park in the United States of America, with 9-10 million visits per year. In 2021, it had 14.1 million visitors.

History
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established on June 15, 1934 after a long process of land purchases starting in with Congress' authorization in 1926. More than $11 million was required to make all of the purchases. The main benefactor, who came to rescue during the Great Depression, was the Rockefeller family which donated $5 million. This great deed was honored by the erection of a memorial at Newfound Gap. The park was dedicated on September 2, 1940 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Flora and fauna
The park is almost 95% forested, with 25% of that being old-growth. Almost 100 different types of native trees can be found in the park in addition to over 1,400 flowering plant species and 4,000 non-flowering plants.

The wildlife is abundant as well, featuring hundreds of different bird species, 66 mammal types, 50 types of native fish, as well as numerous reptiles and amphibians.

Non-native species
Several non-native species, both plant and animal, now call the park home and often threaten the native species.

Climate
Elevations in the park range from 800 feet (250 m) to 6,643 feet (2,025 m): the topography can drastically affect local weather. Temperatures can easily vary 10-20 °F (5-10 °C) from mountain base to top, and clear skies lower down do not guarantee equally pleasant weather at higher elevations. Rainfall averages 55 inches (140 cm) per year in the lowlands to 85 inches (215 cm) per year at Clingmans Dome.

Extreme weather changes are likely in this park. Be prepared for sudden temperature changes in any season of the year, including summer.

Spring
March through May: Spring brings with it unpredictable weather. Changes occur rapidly - sunny skies can yield to snow flurries in a few hours. March is the month with the most radical changes; snow can fall at any time during the month, particularly in the higher elevations. Temperatures in the lower elevations have a mean high of. Low temperatures, which are often below freezing, have a mean of. By mid-April the weather is usually milder. Daytime temperatures often reach the 70s and occasionally the 80s Fahrenheit (20s Celsius). Below freezing temperatures at night are uncommon in the lower elevations but still occur higher up. April averages over four inches of rain, usually in the form of afternoon showers. May is warmer, with daytime highs in the 70s and 80s (20s Celsius) and lows in the 40s and 50s (5–15 °C). May rainfall averages about 4.5 inches (11 cm).

Summer
June through August: Summer in the Smokies means heat, haze, and humidity. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are common. Temperatures increase through the period with July and August afternoon highs in the 90s (30s Celsius) in the lower elevations. Evening lows are usually comfortable with readings in the 60s and 70s (15–25 °C). In the higher elevations, the weather is much more pleasant. On Mount Le Conte (6,593 feet/2,010 meters elevation), no temperature above has ever been recorded.

Autumn
September through mid-November: Clear skies and cooler weather signal the onset of the fall color season. Warm days alternate with cool nights. Daytime highs are usually in the 70s and 80s (20s Celsius) during September, falling to the 50s and 60s (10s Celsius) in early November. The first frosts often occur in late September. By November, the lows are usually near freezing. This is the driest period of the year with only occasional rain showers. In the higher elevations, snow is a possibility by November.

Winter
Mid-November through February: Winter in the Smokies is generally moderate, but extremes in weather do occur, especially with an increase in elevation. It is not unusual to have warm temperatures in the low elevations and snow in the higher areas. About half the days in the winter have high temperatures of or more. Highs occasionally even reach the 70s (20s Celsius). Most nights have lows at or below freezing. But lows of are possible at high elevations. In the low elevations, snows of 1 inch (2.5 cm) or more occur 1-5 times a year. Snow falls more frequently in the higher mountains and up to two feet (60 cm) can fall during a storm. January and February are the months when one is most likely to find snow in the mountains.

Visitor information

 * Park website

The park has several visitor centers inside the park and some in the surrounding areas. These centers offer various ranger-led programs, facilities, services, and exhibits. Visitors can get information to help plan their visit to the park and get answers to their questions from park rangers. There are two main ones:

Get in

Access to the park is restricted to non-commercial vehicles.

By plane
Planes will get you to Asheville (60 miles east) or Knoxville (45 miles west).

By train
The closest train station is in Clemson, South Carolina, a two-hour drive from the park entrance near Bryson City.

By car
Travelling by car is the best method to visit the park. The most popular entrance into the park is from the north through Gatlinburg, Tennessee. You can also enter from the south on the North Carolina side of the park, through Cherokee, Maggie Valley, or Bryson City.

Fees and permits
There are no entrance fees charged for entering this park thanks to restrictions imposed when the park was established. However, parking tags are now required for all vehicles parked inside of the park for more than 15 minutes. These tags can be purchased at kiosks inside of the park. Daily and weekly tags can also be purchased at recreation.gov to be printed out. Additionally, annual passes can be purchased and shipped to you through Smokies Life.

Fees as of 2024 are:

- $5 Daily Pass

- $15 Weekly Pass

- $40 Annual pass

Get around
Take your car or backpack. Yes, you can walk through the park on the Appalachian Trail.

Road closures and restrictions
Motorists should be aware that some roads close for several months out of the year due to snow and ice. Buses and large motorhomes are prohibited on some roads in the park. There are also temporary road closures due to weather and construction.

Refer to the park's website for all up to date conditions.

See

 * Mountain Peaks
 * Mount Le Conte
 * Clingmans Dome
 * Charlies Bunion
 * Mount Sterling
 * Mount Guyot
 * Max Patch Mountain
 * Chimney Tops
 * Andrews Bald
 * Mount Cammerer
 * Gregory Bald
 * Waterfalls
 * Abrams Falls
 * Laurel Falls
 * Grotto Falls
 * Rainbow Falls
 * See the Elkmont Historic District, a ghost town. Founded in 1908 by the Little River Lumber Company as a logging village, the town of Elkmont later became a resort with a hotel. When Great Smoky Mountains National Park was created, cottage owners in Elkmont were permitted to lease their properties back. This ended in 1992: the government refused to renew the leases and the properties were abandoned. The former hotel structure collapsed in 2005, but some other buildings are still standing and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Only a campground is still in operation on Elkmont Road today.

Hikes
The park has many miles of hiking trails. There are occasional ranger-guided tours.
 * The Appalachian Trail crosses the park.
 * Clingmans Dome (6643 feet, 2025 m) is the highest point in the park, the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest point east of the Mississippi River. From the Sugarlands Visitors Center, go south 13 miles on Newfound Gap Road, to the also stunning Morton Overlook, and west 7 miles to the parking lot. Hike the fairly steep paved path 0.5 mile to a concrete overlook. There are many dead trees at the top, victims of bug disease over past decades. Visibility at the top has been greatly reduced over past decades due to pollution.
 * Laurel Falls is the easiest waterfall hike, 2.5 miles round trip. The trail is paved and accessible even to strollers.

Drives

 * A drive around Cades Cove, an historic farming valley, is very popular due to the frequency of wildlife. However, due to congestion and "deer jams," the effective speed on this 11-mile (17-km) one-way loop is very slow — allow a few hours.
 * US Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road) runs north to south through the park connecting Gatlinburg, Tennessee to  Cherokee, North Carolina. The road has steep grades and some tunnels as it winds through the mountains. There are many pull offs offering different views of the park, including the road to Clingmans Dome. Traffic on this road can be heavy during the park's busy seasons. The West Prong of the Little Pigeon River can be accessed from many of the pull offs on the Tennessee side of the highway, and the Oconaluftee River from the North Carolina side.

Fishing

 * You are allowed to fish in the park. Please make sure to check the regulations so you know what you are and aren't allowed to do.

Buy

The visitor centers offer books and souvenirs pertaining to the park. The Cable Mill store, in Cades Cove, offers the same, and grains ground in the on-site, water-powered, historic cable mill. The main focus of the park is nature, not commerce, so don't expect huge selections of goods.

Autotouring is a nice way to see the park; however, gas is not sold in the park. There are gas stations in the surrounding cities.

Eat
Camp stores are expensive and have limited selection. There might be a restaurant or two, but lines are long and prices high. Since the nearby tourist towns of Gatlinburg and Cherokee are very tourist oriented, they offer a variety of restaurants to suit any taste. Your best bet is to visit a grocery store and buy ready-to eat or picnic style food. Many places in the park offer great locations to pull off the road and have a meal in nature. There are also many designated picnic areas in the park, including Collins Creek and Chimney Tops along Highway 441 and Greenbrier and Cades Cove along Laurel Creek Road. Make sure to dispose of your trash and not to litter the park.

Drink
The consumption of alcoholic beverages, and the possession of opened containers, is banned in the park except in housing, lodging facilities, designated picnic areas, campgrounds, or as allowed by special permit.

Do not drink the water in streams without first boiling it; this water may contain diseases transmitted by the fecal material of animals.

Camping
If you insist on being within a short walk from your car, that'll set you back between $12 and $20 a night. There are 10 "car camping" campgrounds in the park.

These campgrounds have restrooms with cold running water and flush toilets. There are no showers or RV hookups in the park. Each campsite has a picnic table and "grill." No more than six people to a campsite with a maximum of two tents or one RV and one tent. You are limited to a seven day stay during the Summer and Fall, and fourteen days during Spring and Winter. Pets are allowed if they are properly restrained.

Bears and other wildlife frequent camp areas. Do not leave any food, or items associated with food, out unattended. Store it in a closed vehicle, not your tent.

Backcountry
Your best bet is to camp in the backcountry, but a permit (available at most ranger stations and visitor centers) is required. Campers must stay in a park shelter or a designated camp site. The shelters, as well as a number of tent areas, require reservations (865-436-1231).

Outside of the park
The towns of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville offer lodging close to the park's northern border in Tennessee along highway 73. Cherokee and Bryson City offer ample accommodations on the North Carolina side of the park. Lodging can usually be found with more ease and for lower rates in the North Carolina towns, as there is less human traffic.

Stay safe

 * Bears The park is home to more than 1,000 black bears. Bears should not be approached. If the bear's behavior changes, you are too close. Remember you are guests in their home and behave accordingly. Visitors to the park can get more information about the park's bears in any of the park's Visitor Centers.
 * Snakes: 23 types of snakes make their home in the park's lands, but only two varieties are venomous: Timber Rattlesnakes and Copperheads. Rattlesnakes are part of the pit-viper family and sport a distinctive rattle at the end of their bodies that makes a buzzing sound when the snake is agitated.  The Copperheads account for most of the snake bites in the area, however their venom is the least toxic, but this does not mean you should underestimate it.  Neither snake is aggressive and if you stay away from places where they tend to sun, you should be able to avoid them altogether.
 * Waterfalls Do not climb on the falls. Fatalities have occurred as a result of people climbing on the falls.
 * Hypothermia Be cautious when in the park's streams. Even during the hotter months of the summer, many of the higher elevation streams can induce hypothermia with extended exposure.

It is a good idea to have some first-aid knowledge if you wander far into the back country, especially off trail. Be sure to get a permit, so they'll know where to look for you if you do not show. And as always, beware of snowstorms.

North Carolina

 * Visit the Cherokee Nation at the eastern entrance to the park.
 * Visit the tourist town of Cherokee.
 * Drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville or to Mount Mitchell (6684 feet, 2038 m), the highest peak in the eastern United States.

Tennessee

 * Visit the tourist towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
 * The cities of Knoxville, and further away, Chattanooga.

.

title: Great Smoky Mountains National Park


text:
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is a great park for birdwatching, with over 200 species of birds resting and feeding there. It is situated in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. It is west of Manhattan's Times Square.

Understand
The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge consists of of varied habitats. It is run by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and supported by the Friends of the Great Swamp. The refuge was established as a refuge on November 3, 1960; and has now become a resting and feeding area for more than 244 species of birds.

Fox, deer, muskrat, turtles, fish, frogs and a wide variety of wildflowers and plants also call the refuge home.

The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset.

If you would like to contact the refuge:

Get in
Cars may be parked at any of the designated parking lots.

A map of the Great Swamp Refuge is available from the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Fees and permits
There are no fees for visiting the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

Get around
Cars are not allowed within the park, outside of the designated roads and parking lots.

There are trails within the refuge, which are open only to foot traffic.

Do

 * There are several hiking trails.
 * The Great Swamp is an excellent place for bird watching.
 * There are many photo opportunities (animals, landscapes, and plants) throughout the Great Swamp Refuge. The best times to photograph plants are usually on misty, overcast days to keep the bright, direct sunlight (and shadows) to a minimum.  Landscape and wildlife photos can be taken with many different types of light in the swamp.
 * Visit the Wildlife Observation Center, off New Vernon Road. The refuge headquarters is on Pleasant Plains Road.

Sleep
Camping is not allowed in the refuge. If you do want to camp, two local parks allow camping by permit - Mahlon Dickerson and Lewis Morris Parks.

Stay safe
This is largely wetland, so be prepared for soggy conditions and stay on the trails where possible.

title: Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge


text:
Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China (万里长城 wàn lǐ cháng chéng) is a series of walls that stretch from Liaoning through Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Ningxia into Gansu within the country of China.

Understand
The Great Wall of China can be visited at many places along its length of several thousand kilometers. Its condition ranges from excellent to ruined and access varies from straightforward to quite difficult. Note that different sections also each have their own admission fees, e.g. if you want to hike from Jinshanling to Simatai then you probably have to pay twice. Although its construction is popularly associated with the tyrannical reign of the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di in the 2nd Century B.C., the wall that tourists see today dates much later to the Ming Dynasty.

History
The Great Wall, as we know it, is actually a series of several walls built at different times by different emperors.
 * First Great wall: built by the Qin Dynasty 221–207 BC
 * Second Great Wall: built by the Han Dynasty 205–127 BC
 * Third Great Wall: built by the Jin Dynasty 1200 AD
 * Fourth Great Wall: built by the Ming Dynasty 1367–1644

The other walls are now mostly ruins. It is the Ming wall that turns up in all the photos.

First Great Wall
The First Great Wall was ordered built in 214 BC by Qin Shi Huang Di after he had finished consolidating his rule and creating a unified China for the first time. The wall was designed to stop raids by the nomadic Xiongnu raiders from the north. 500,000 laborers were used during the 32-year building period to create the First Great Wall.

Although the wall worked at keeping out enemies, it did nothing to stop internal pressures which lead to a regime change in 206 BC and the new leadership of the Han Dynasty. The first Han emperor, Gaozu, was quick to see the benefits of the wall against the raiders and ordered more wall to stretch out as far as Zhaoxiang, Gansu Province.

Second Great Wall
Over 70 years later, the Han Dynasty were still fighting the raiders since the Great Wall had been left to deteriorate and the raiders had breached it in several places. In 130 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty embarked on a program of extending, rebuilding and fortifying the original First Great Wall. After the emperor finished adding more regions under his rule in 127 BC, he ordered a major expansion program that created the Second Great Wall, outposts in Zhangye, Wuwei, Jiuquan, Dunhuang and Yumenguan in Gansu Province and Lopnor and other outposts in Xinjiang Province. The Great Wall was extended down the Hexi Corridor through which the Silk Road traders would travel on the way to and from the West.

When the Han Dynasty fell apart into the three kingdoms of the Wei, Shu and Wu, the northern Wei kingdom decided to continue maintaining the Great Wall so that they could keep out the Rouran and Qidan nomads from the northern plains. Despite the constant maintenance, the Wall kept being breached by the Rouran nomads. Additional walls were built inside and outside of the Great Wall by the different kingdoms. Eventually the Wei kingdom was replaced by the Jin Dynasty (AD 266 - 420) following a coup by Sima Yan, one of Wei's court officials.

Nothing more was done to the Great Wall until the reign of the Liao and Song dynasties. The Liao Dynasty, ruled by an ethnic minority tribe known as the Khitans (Qidan (契丹) in Mandarin), controlled the north while the Song Dynasty controlled the south. The Liao were troubled mainly by a tribe in the northeast region of China called the Jurchen (known as Nüzhen (女真) in Mandarin) so they built defensive walls along the Heilong and Songhua rivers. These failed to stop the raiders from coming south.

Third Great Wall
In 1115, the Jurchens conquered northern China and established the Jin Dynasty, and since they were from the north themselves, understood that the Mongols were right behind them. The Jin emperor ordered the construction of a Third Great Wall to be built in Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia. The walls built had the characteristics of having ditches running along the walls full length.

Despite the impressive fortifications built, the Mongols overthrew the Jin in 1276 and established the Yuan Dynasty. During the Yuan dynasty's rule, the Wall fell into deep disrepair and in 1368, the Chinese Ming Dynasty rose up from a peasant rebellion within and took control.

The Ming Dynasty, after getting rid of the Mongols, determined that they would never be taken again by outsiders. The first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Hongwu, re-established manning of the Great Wall, fortresses and garrisons were built along the wall, and the fort at Jiayuguan was built in 1372 at the western end of the wall. The third Ming emperor, Yongle, turned his focus outward from the empire and sent out explorers and diplomats into the big, wide world. See Voyages of Zheng He.

Fourth Great Wall
It was not until the battle of Tumu against the Mongols that renewed interest in reinforcing the Great Wall occurred. Between 1569 and 1583, the best-known parts of the Great Wall were built, the Fourth Great Wall. The reinforced wall managed to repel the Mongols several times.

The regrouped Jurchens, who re-named themselves the Manchus, retook China in 1644 and formed the Qing Dynasty. From this point on, the Wall slowly started to fade away while stone and rocks were taken from the Wall for building projects and homes. The Cultural Revolution definitely took its toll out on the wall when local people and local governments were encouraged to help dismantle the Great Wall.

It was not until 1984 that Deng Xiaoping started a restoration and protection project of the Great Wall. In 1987, the Great Wall was declared a Cultural World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Landscape
The geography of Northern China ranges from mountainous in northeast Liaoning and Hebei Provinces, through the grasslands of Ningxia, semi-arid desert of China's loess plateau, and borders the sand dunes of the Tengger desert of Inner Mongolia. It is the area around Hebei and Beijing that most people associate with the Great Wall, but most of the Great Wall lies in the desert regions of the country.

Flora and fauna
Chinese wildlife is diverse, considering all of the different habitats available along the length of the Great Wall. From the rare Siberian tiger in the northeast to the protected and rare Giant Panda, which lives in southern Gansu, Sichuan, and Shaanxi, you never know what you might see on a given day.

Wild mammals can be found in the north, such as the Manchurian weasel, brown and black bears, northern pika, and mandarin vole. Deer species include Sika deer, roe deer and the long-sought-after spotted deer, which has many uses in Chinese medicine.

The birds of the region include various pheasants, black grouse, pine grosbeak, various woodpeckers, mandarin duck, and the fairy pitta, a rare migratory bird. Cranes are especially revered in China. Common, demoiselle, white-naped, hooded, and red-crowned cranes all breed in China.

You can find many tonic plants along the Great Wall, such as the rare ginseng (Panax ginseng). Chinese medicine has had many thousands of years to discover and use these tonic plants for the benefit of mankind.

Climate
Northern China has all four seasons and they arrive with a vengeance. Summer and winter temperatures normally reach extremes of over 40 °C and –20 °C respectively.

Get in
See local articles for detailed transportation on getting to specific sections of the Great Wall. Rural Beijing, Yanqing District and Northern Suburbs has details on getting to sections in north Beijing.

See
As the Great Wall of China is rather on the long side, there are a large number of places to visit it. The following list is divided by province/municipality.

Beijing
Find more detailed descriptions for each individual section in Northeastern Beijing, Yanqing District, Huairou District and Northern Suburbs.

 * Badaling (八达岭 Bādálǐng) - The most popular tourist section in Beijing. It is well restored and super crowded. It takes ~2-3h to hike the whole wall depending on your fitness/weather/crowd.
 * Shuiguan (水关 Shuǐguān) - Located near the Badaling Great Wall, Shuiguan is sometimes referred together as the 'Badaling-Shuiguan Great Wall'. It often happens that visitors are guided to the Shuiguan Great Wall rather than Badaling especially during holidays or peak periods.
 * Juyongguan - Nearest section to the center of Beijing. Quite popular among tourists but nowhere near as crowded as Beijing. An expressway cuts through the section which does dampen the view.
 * Mutianyu (慕田峪 Mùtiányù) - Magnificent and as equally well restored as Badaling. In comparison it is significantly less crowded than Badaling and has greener surroundings.
 * Huanghuacheng (黄花城 Huánghuāchéng) - One of the most well built sections of the Great Wall - in fact it was so painstakingly built that the builder, Lord Cai, was beheaded for mismanagement and waste. This section is notable for its picturesque lakeside location.
 * Simatai (司马台 Sīmǎtái) - Far off from central Beijing and in combination with the adjacent Gubei Watertown, a reconstructed historical town, has become a popular weekend travel destination for domestic and international tourists. Night tours overlooking the well illuminated Gubei Watertown are popular and tickets are sold separately.
 * Gubeikou (古北口 Gǔběikǒu) - Also far from central Beijing than other sections but the extra time it takes to get there is rewarded with a very significant reduction in crowding and tourist traps.
 * Jiankou - A section filled with landmarks and many pictures of the Great Wall are from this area. Famous structures including the Beijing Knot, a meeting point for three walls coming from different directions.

Hebei and Tianjin

 * Jinshanling (金山岭 Jīnshānlǐng) - The closest section in Hebei to Beijing.
 * Shanhaiguan - at the Old Dragon's Head, the wall juts out into the sea. To get there from Beijing takes about 3 hours by train.
 * Panjiakou Reservoir - sunken part of the Great Wall
 * Huangyaguan - worth a visit for its water run-off controls, well-preserved towers, challenging hiking and striking scenery
 * Wulonggou - A well-preserved section of the Great Wall in Laiyuan County. It is noteworthy for the high density of watchtowers. Due to the area's remote location, no restoration work has been carried out and there is relatively little in terms of tourist infrastructure. There are also no crowds or fees to contend with.

Liaoning

 * Hushan - can be explored from Dandong
 * Xingcheng - a Ming dynasty walled town
 * Jiumenkou - located 18 km east of "The First Pass Under Heaven' at Shanhaiguan. There you can see the only existing Great Wall section above water, as well as a Great Wall tunnel within the mountain.

Shanxi

 * The Outer Wall of Shanxi - Li'erkou to Deshengbu, Juqiangbu to Laoniuwan, and along the Yellow River
 * The Inner Wall of Shanxi - Yanmenguan, Guangwu Old City, Ningwu Pass and Niangziguan

Shaanxi

 * Yulin and Shenmu - garrison towns in the time of the Ming dynasty

Ningxia

 * The Eastern Ningxia Wall - Hongshan Castle and Water Cave Gully (Shui Dong Gou)
 * The Northern Ningxia Wall - in the area of Helanshan
 * The Western Ningxia Wall - Zhenbeibu and Sanguankou

Gansu

 * Wuwei - garrison town
 * Minqin - oasis town
 * Zhangye - garrison headquarters
 * Jiayuguan - Fort at Jiayu Pass, nicknamed "Last Fort Under Heaven"
 * Lanzhou - former walled town that now is capital of Gansu Province

Sleep
If you want to go on a multi-day trek over a wild section or just see the sunset, you can sleep in the towers with a sleeping bag and mat. Not on tourist sections, only wild ones of course. But please make sure to leave everything clean and take your trash with you.

Stay safe
Bring a jacket against the wind or cold in the chillier seasons. In winter, expect to lose 5 °C between Beijing and the Wall. This, plus the wind from the mountain, will make you cherish every layer of clothes you have. The vendors will be here to sell everything you may have forgotten, although the price is not reasonable. But the crowd is much lighter in winter, with almost nobody after the first peak. The winter sun and, if you're lucky, the snow will give you amazing views on the walls.In summer you will need lots of water, but there are plenty of vendors at the most visited sections. Be prepared for the possibility of sudden, short, but rather violent thunderstorms.

Do not leave any trace of your visit. Even if it is not an uncommon sight, resist the urge to add your name to the carvings in the wall, or take a piece home as a souvenir. If the wall should be damaged by your actions, the authorities may very well take action with fines and other punishments.

Hiking as a recreational sport is not well understood so the etiquette of crossing state and private land has not yet been established. Remember that the Wall is mostly mud and poorly supported stones, and that you are on your own if you're outside the maintained areas. Even if you are not walking on the wall, you will find few trails to follow and at some parts, the area the Wall traverses are vertical, treacherous and very unsafe. Besides that, it is difficult to obtain clean drinking water and some areas may even have no water at all. Other areas will have manmade obstacles, like roads and motorways that have solid fencing. Villages where you could get supplies may be few and far between. Some may take you miles away from the Wall. Poor cartography is still a problem here since maps of less than 1:450,000 are not easy to get a hold of due to the military applications of such maps. Besides that, guides who know the areas along the Great Wall are few and far between.

Beware of bus scams that may ruin your day. Also try to avoid organized tours to the Great Wall costing ¥100-150. These are advertised by people handing out flyers around the Forbidden City in Beijing for example (the real bus service to the Great Wall only costs ¥20!). Also, the driver might just stop and set you off before your destination.

title: Great Wall of China


text:
Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth is a long-established English seaside town in the county of Norfolk, at the mouth of the River Yare. Around 5 million people visit Great Yarmouth every year, making it Britain's third most popular seaside resort.

Understand
Great Yarmouth is about 120 miles (172 km) to the north east of London, about 20 miles (32 km) from Norwich, the nearest city, and close to the Norfolk Broads — a popular network of inland lakes and rivers.

Great Yarmouth used to be the home of one of the most lucrative fishing industry and famous for herrings. Now it is a bustling and very popular seaside resort. Undoubtedly, one of the most popular attractions is Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, a free-entry theme park, which boasts 28 rides (including the 'Scenic Railway roller coaster', built in 1932) and draws annually 1.5 million visitors. The two piers, Britannia Pier and Wellington Pier, both contain family-orientated entertainment including a Bowling alley (Wellington) and a theatre (Britannia).

As well as the usual thrills and spills one would expect on a classic British seafront, Great Yarmouth also has a quieter side, with a fascinating heritage quarter to explore. Not many people know that Great Yarmouth has the most complete city walls after York, with heritage walks to help you discover this medieval attraction along with several museums and houses dating back many centuries. If ghost walks are more your cup of tea, Eerie Tales and Yarmouth Yarns is the tour for you, (+44 1493 846346).

Great Yarmouth is also a centre for the North Sea oil and gas industry and increasingly for offshore wind power. The new outer harbour is a huge development taking place which will see cruise liners and larger ships coming to the town. The Maritime Festival in September each year celebrates Great Yarmouth's maritime heritage.

Yarmouth has seen significant regeneration spending to improve and modernise the popular seafront area and to ensure it is linked to the town centre. Regent Road has a stunning ceiling of light which is illuminated in the evenings and is now a lovely pedestrianed link street leading from town centre to the seafront area.

Illuminations along Marine Parade are also worth an evening stroll, some have been designed by children from local primary schools. Fireworks celebrations run for 6 weeks every Wednesday evening for the six weeks of the school summer holidays when a carnival atmosphere can been enjoyed.

By car
The A47 is a direct route from Norwich or King's Lynn. The road South towards Lowestoft and Ipswich has now been renumbered, was A12, now A47

By plane

 * Norwich International airport, with connecting flights from Amsterdam, is about 45 minutes' drive away.

By bicycle
Regional Cycle Route 30 runs northwards from to town to Sea Palling, Cromer and beyond. National Cycle Route 517 runs southwards from the town to Beccles where it connects with National Cycle route 1 and Regional Cycle Route 31.

Get around
Great Yarmouth has lots of car parking, all clearly signed. It is a common misconception that parking is difficult to find, but this is not actually the case, with many car parks to be found up and down Marine Parade on the sea front and in the town centre, catering for nearly 2000 cars. Prices start from £1.00 per hour in summer. If you do try to park on a side street to avoid paying, make sure you watch out for residents parking areas where a pass is required.

A refurbished and improved Marine Parade includes extra wide pavements and a special slow lane for bicycles and the landau. A widened road with clearly marked crossing areas for pedestrians and several new roundabouts mean that it is now much easier to cruise up and down when finding somewhere to park.

Regular bus and train services are also available.

See
Yarmouth offers the traditional seaside attractions - crazy golf, amusement arcades, funfairs, etc. There is also a racecourse, greyhound and stock car racing. The beach itself is clean and good for families.

A few miles north of the town, are quieter seaside villages like Winterton, Sea Palling and Waxham. 20 miles (32 km) or so to the south is Southwold, an upmarket resort.

 * is an RSPB wildlife reserve west bank of the confluence of the Yare and Waveney. It's open 24 hours, free, donations welcome. There's no road access so either walk from Berney Arms station (half a mile) or visit on a boat trip. The windmill is a seven-storey tower, which was built to grind clinker for cement, then switched to pumping for drainage. In 2024 it's closed for restoration.
 * is an RSPB wildlife reserve west bank of the confluence of the Yare and Waveney. It's open 24 hours, free, donations welcome. There's no road access so either walk from Berney Arms station (half a mile) or visit on a boat trip. The windmill is a seven-storey tower, which was built to grind clinker for cement, then switched to pumping for drainage. In 2024 it's closed for restoration.
 * is an RSPB wildlife reserve west bank of the confluence of the Yare and Waveney. It's open 24 hours, free, donations welcome. There's no road access so either walk from Berney Arms station (half a mile) or visit on a boat trip. The windmill is a seven-storey tower, which was built to grind clinker for cement, then switched to pumping for drainage. In 2024 it's closed for restoration.
 * is an RSPB wildlife reserve west bank of the confluence of the Yare and Waveney. It's open 24 hours, free, donations welcome. There's no road access so either walk from Berney Arms station (half a mile) or visit on a boat trip. The windmill is a seven-storey tower, which was built to grind clinker for cement, then switched to pumping for drainage. In 2024 it's closed for restoration.
 * is an RSPB wildlife reserve west bank of the confluence of the Yare and Waveney. It's open 24 hours, free, donations welcome. There's no road access so either walk from Berney Arms station (half a mile) or visit on a boat trip. The windmill is a seven-storey tower, which was built to grind clinker for cement, then switched to pumping for drainage. In 2024 it's closed for restoration.
 * is an RSPB wildlife reserve west bank of the confluence of the Yare and Waveney. It's open 24 hours, free, donations welcome. There's no road access so either walk from Berney Arms station (half a mile) or visit on a boat trip. The windmill is a seven-storey tower, which was built to grind clinker for cement, then switched to pumping for drainage. In 2024 it's closed for restoration.

Do
The Greater Yarmouth area has a variety of interesting and entertaining attractions to enjoy, whether you're on holiday, day-tripping or live in or around Norfolk. Indoor and outdoor activities are available - so, even if it's raining (though East Anglia does enjoy the least rainfall of anywhere in the UK) there's still plenty to keep the visitor occupied.

The borough of Greater Yarmouth has up to 17 miles (25 km) of sandy beach to enjoy. Deck chairs and wind breaks can be hired on the beach in summer. Dog walkers are welcome at North Beach.

Marine Parade hosts a large range of activities, from Joyland to the more sedate Model Village, from the aforementioned Pleasure Beach to Yesterday's World, with something for all age groups.

Yarmouth Hollywood Cinema is well worth a visit. It's the cheapest cinema around and although it only has 5 screens (3 of which are smallish) and isn't exactly the most modern experience; it has character that is often lacking from 'multiplex' cinema chains

 * Wheels Festival shows off classic and contemporary cars in July.
 * GY Arts Festival is usually in July.
 * Out There Festival is held in mid-September, multiple locations.
 * GY Arts Festival is usually in July.
 * Out There Festival is held in mid-September, multiple locations.

Buy
Many places of genuine interest on Regent Road (including Docwra Rock Shop - see below).

Great Yarmouth puts the fun back into shopping, whether in the high street chain stores, some of the quirky local shops or the more traditional seaside shops. Market days are Wednesdays and Saturdays all year and on Fridays as well during the summer months.

For general shopping, Yarmouth is served by Asda next to the train station; Tesco between town centre and the industrial estate and Sainsbury's near Market Gates.

Eat
Yarmouth has a long history of chip stalls on the market place near town centre and Market Gates. Several have been there for many many decades offering a delicacy not available anywhere else.
 * The Beach Hut on the Esplanade serves trad seaside fare Th-Tu 9:30AM-3PM. Dog-friendly, cash only, no toilets.

Drink
When the sun goes down, Great Yarmouth becomes a wonderland of colour as you find your way to a night out on the town to enjoy our theatres, nightclubs, cinemas and casinos.

The Britannia Pier theatre has a varied programme of performance to enjoy.

For fine dining try the Anna Sewell restaurant or Café Cru at The Imperial Hotel. Alternatively, Pub on the Prom is a great place to start with a wide menu and a great atmosphere.

Popular clubs in Yarmouth include Caesars, Roseys, Kings Wine Bar, Arena, Fantasia, Peggotys, the Gari/Tabu/Gaping-Hole-In-The-Ground (after several incarnations this one has turned in to a fun place to be on a Saturday night), The Long Bar, Angels Strip Club and the Ocean Rooms.

Sleep
There's such a range of holiday accommodation in Great Yarmouth you'll be spoilt for choice.

Connect
As of June 2022, Great Yarmouth has 4G from EE, Three and Vodafone, and 5G from O2.

Go next

 * Lowestoft — a quiet coastal town in neighbouring Suffolk.
 * Norwich — a two-cathedral city, Norwich is the capital city of Norfolk.

title: Great Yarmouth