Bigger is not always better, but it certainly can be interesting. Many national parks claim bragging rights to the biggest something-or-other. Can you sort them out? Take this week's quiz and see how you measure up. Answers are at the end. No peeking.
1. The biggest park in the National Park System, ______, is about six times as large as Yellowstone National Park.
a. Denali National Park & Preserve
b. Katmai National Park & Preserve
c. Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
d. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
2. Encompassing over 5,210 square miles, ______ is the biggest national park in the conterminous 48 states.
a. Death Valley National Park
b. Yellowstone National Park
c. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
d. Glacier National Park
3. The biggest tract of federally designated wilderness east of the Rocky Mountains is in
a. Everglades National Park
b. Voyageurs National Park
c. Isle Royale National Park
d. Badlands National Park
4. The biggest battlefield park in America, ______, is also the biggest military park in the world.
a. Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
b. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
c. Gettysburg National Military Park
d. Shiloh National Military Park
5. Totaling some 2,600 acres, the biggest collection of orchards in the National Park System is at
a. Walnut Canyon National Monument
b. Gettysburg National Military Park
c. Capitol Reef National Park
d. John Muir National Historic Site
6. The biggest river bottom hardwood forest in the U.S. is in
a. Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
b. Big Cypress National Preserve
c. Big Thicket National Preserve
d. Congaree National Park
7. The biggest natural bridge in the world is in
a. Natural Bridges National Monument
b. Arches National Park
c. Rainbow Bridge National Monument
d. Zion National Park
8. The biggest tree in North America, by total volume, is the
a. General Sherman in Sequoia National Park
b. General Grant in Kings Canyon National Park
b. Grizzly Giant in Yosemite National Park
c. Hyperion in Redwood National Park
9. America’s biggest high-altitude lake (elevation above 7,000 feet) is in
a. Glacier National Park
b. Yellowstone National Park
c. Rocky Mountain National Park
d. Crater Lake National Park
10. The biggest log building in the National Park System is the
a. Glacier Park Lodge
b. LeConte Lodge
c. Copper Creek Inn
d. Old Faithful Inn
Extra credit
11 Your national parks “been there, done that” collection is not complete unless you've visited _____ in Isle Royale National Park, which is world famous as “the biggest island in the biggest lake on the biggest island in the biggest lake on the planet.” [Biggest, in this context, refers to biggest surface area.]
a. Ryan Island
b. Siskiwit Island
c. Devon Island
d. Moose Island
Answers: (1) d (2) a (3) a (4) b (5) c (6) d (7) c (8) a (9) b (10) d (11) a
Grading: 9 or 10 correct, rest on your laurels; 7 or 8 correct, pretty darn good; 6 correct, passably fair; 5 or fewer correct, nothing to brag about.
Comments
This is an interesting discussion. With some quarter of a million words to choose from -- more than any other language that is or ever was -- the English language sure is a lot of fun. If you think that sorting out the difference between largest and biggest can be confusing, try sorting out coterminous, conterminous, and contiguous, all of which mean exactly the same thing and can be reasonably well included in the meaning of "continuous." Being a geography professor, I had to deal with the concept on an almost daily basis. I always used "coterminous states" in my lectures and articles. A geography professor colleague invariably used "conterminous states" in his lectures and articles. When we engaged each other in discussion and needed to refer to what most people call the Lower 48, we used the term "contiguous states" and never said coterminous or conterminous. True story.
Bob (Krumenaker), have you read Nevada Barr's two books set at ISRO? If so, are you interested in writing or collaborating on a review of Winter Study for Traveler? I'd really love to get an insider's view.
Fascinating stuff, love reading these quizzes!
If you're into NP trivia, visit the county highpoints website, and click on the National Parks and National Monuments sub-pages.
www.cohp.org
I'm through about a dozen of Nevada Barr's books. Love 'em. The one about Dry Tortugas is a must-read prior to visiting there. The first ISRO book is good, haven't seen the second one yet. My least favorites are the two set at Natchez Trace. That may be a bit of prejudice coming through, in that that is the only place she has written about I haven't visited. (yet)
I've stood in 52 of the 58 National Parks, and been to the highest point in 44 of those.
Dave C
Denver, CO