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National Park Quiz 16: Waterfalls

Dark Hollow Falls near Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. Do you know what type of waterfall this is? Photo by Ragrawal via Wikipedia.

1. The photo accompanying this quiz shows Dark Hollow Falls in Shenandoah National Park. Dark Hollow Falls is a classic example of a
a. horsetail waterfall
b. plunge waterfall
c. cascade waterfall
d. block waterfall

2. The highest waterfall in North America is ______ at Yosemite National Park.
a. Bridalveil Falls
b. Yosemite Falls
c. Sentinel Fall
d. Nevada Fall

3. The two most famous waterfalls at Yellowstone National Park are Upper Falls and Lower Falls. Each of the following statements about these waterfalls is true EXCEPT:
a. The falls are on the Yellowstone River, which flows from Yellowstone Lake.
b. The falls are located where the river flows over erosion-resistant rhyolite ledges.
c. Visitors can see the Upper Falls from a viewing platform near its brink.
d. Measured top to bottom, the Upper Falls is higher than the Lower Falls.

4. People visit Brooks Falls for the primary reason that
a. brown bears gather there at certain times to catch salmon
b. a gorgeous rainbow forms in the mist at the base of the falls
c. the plunge pool at the base of the falls offers great trout fishing
d. a trail offers access to a moss-lined grotto behind the falls

5. Among the numerous waterfalls at ______ National Lakeshore are Munising Falls, Miners Falls, and Sable Falls.
a. Pictured Rocks
b. Indiana Dunes
c. Sleeping Bear Dunes
d. Apostle Islands

6. The highest, most scenic waterfalls in ______ are associated with geologic features called hanging valleys.
a. Yellowstone National Park
b. New River Gorge National River
c. Yosemite National Park
d. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

7. The lower falls drop only 60 feet, but Linville Falls is still one of the prettiest sights in
a. the Blue Ridge Parkway
b. the Natchez Trace Parkway
c. Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
d. Rock Creek Park

8. Many picturesque water features in our national parks that are referred to as waterfalls are actually seeps. If the feature is a seep, not a true waterfall, it cannot be expected to
a. have a basin or plunge pool at its bottom
b. be found where temperatures fall below freezing in the winter
c. flow for more than a day or two after a rain
d. have any mineral-stained rocks to add beauty or interest

9. It may seem incongruous, but some national parks in arid regions have waterfalls. On the western edge of ______, for example, Darwin Falls cascades a good 100 feet to a plunge pool that is full of cool water and surrounded by cottonwoods and willows.
a. Great Basin National Park
b. White Sands National Monument
c. Joshua Tree National Park
d. Death Valley National Park

10. Ice climbers love to climb frozen waterfalls, seeps, and giant icicles. Which of the following Lower 48 national parks is considered to offer the best ice climbing opportunities on a year-in-year-out basis?
a. Yosemite National Park
b. Glacier National Park
c. Voyageurs National Park
d. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Extra credit question

11. These falls are accessible via River Road about a 15-minute drive from the Hinton Visitor Center. A ledge of unusually erosion-resistant rock that the river has not yet been able to cut though created the falls. There are actually two falls that together extend over a quarter mile in width. The main falls extend about 800 feet from the east side of the river and are 25 feet high. The lower falls, which extend from the west bank, have a 10-foot drop and a width of about 400 feet. Visitors are afforded great views of the falls from nearby observation decks and boardwalks. Which falls are we talking about?
a. Columbine Falls in Grand Teton National Park
b. Sandstone Falls in New River Gorge National River
c. Abrams Falls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
d. Angel Falls in Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

Answers: (1) c (2) b (3) d (4) a (5) a (6) c (7) a (8) a (9) d (10) b (11) b

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

You are wrong. Dark Hollow Falls is a classic tier horse tail...as the water rides on the rocks...a classic plunge is where the water falls away from the rocks from top to bottom....


According to wiki....

Dark Hollow Falls, near Skyline Drive, Virginia, is an example of cascade waterfall.

It even shows the same picture as the quiz.


Completely coincidental to this week's quiz, I found myself writing today about waterfalls - focused for points of reference mostly on the Yellowstone ones I have experienced - but really about all waterfalls.

See Reflections on the beauty of waterfalls.

Jim Macdonald
The Magic of Yellowstone
Yellowstone Newspaper
Jim's Eclectic World


To see some of the beautiful pictures of Yellowstone River Falls, you can use this link.
http://yellowstone.travelingmorgans.com/index_page0004.htm


Thanks for the feedback, Joseph and Anon. Dark Hollow Falls is a cascade waterfall, not a plunge waterfall. (Don't know if it can also be considered a tier horse tail.) Sorry it took so long to correct the typo in the answer section, but I only found out about the problem a few minutes ago. I've just returned from northern Michigan, where we've been ensconced at a place with no TV, a "maybe yes, maybe no" cell phone signal (as Kurt can attest), and of course, no Internet access to check on Traveler commentary. How's that for weaselspeak?


"you need to enroll in America’s National Parks" :) this is what i got


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