Hiking and driving options are limited in Yosemite in the wintertime, but the crowds are much smaller. From December to February, only 9 percent of the park’s 5 million-plus annual visitors show up, according to park visitation statistics. Yosemite’s winter weather can be cold, especially at the higher elevations. The Yosemite Valley is at 4,000 feet elevation and even if it snows. The Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area is at Badger Pass. It includes a terrain park along with beginner and intermediate slopes, making it a good place for kids and others just learning to ski.

credit: Christopher.Michel

The Mercantour National Park is in the northern Provence region, running along the border with Italy. it covers much of the northern part of the alpes-Maritimes Department. The parc offers a great variety of habitats and environments and an equally wide range of flora and fauna. It covers some 685 km², and consists of a central uninhabited zone comprising several valleys (Roya, Bévéra, Vésubie, Tinée, Haut Var/Cians, Verdon, Ubaye – and a peripheral zone that includes a couple of dozen villages. The Valmasque is a small river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It flows into the Brague in Biot.

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Over 70 abandoned trolleys, subways and buses have found home in a North Carolina forest. The trains, once filled with people, now sit decaying on winding tracks stretching through the snowy forest, infusing visitors with a certain apocalyptic feel. The trains are from big cities such as New York City and Philadelphia, but have been left to rot in this unusual graveyard.

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Located at the highest elevation point on the Northern Cross-Island Highway, at approximately 1700 meters above sea level, the Mingchih Forest Recreation Area, and neighboring Cilan Forest Recreation Area, are both managed by the Yilan Forestry Bureau. This park is blessed with a diverse eco-system. The frequently fog-shrouded lake of the name- Mingchi means bright lake-is nestled beautifully amidst the mountains and is surrounded by planted cryptomeria and old-growth cypress.

credit: ppd888