Endangered Places to See Now

By Laurel Kallenbach for Experience Life

Thinking about visiting an area hard-hit by global warming? Far-flung or nearby, many landscapes are in flux. Here are some important U.S. locations. For more ideas, read Frommer’s 500 Places to See Before They Disappear by Holly Hughes (Wiley, 2009).

Death Valley, Calif.: The vegetation that holds the desert soil and dunes in place is being threatened by heat and drought.

The Redwoods, Calif.: The giant, 2,000-year-old trees are at risk from forest fires.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore, N.C.: Severe storms and rising sea levels have caused beach erosion and loss of flora and fauna.

Nachusa Grasslands, Ill.: One of the last surviving prairies, this area is being protected from encroaching development.

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Keys: This low-lying island is threatened by rising seas, reef bleaching and hurricanes.

The Everglades, Fla.: The marshy landscape and bird species are threatened by dwindling water, pollution and urban development.

Glacier National Park, Mont.: The namesake glaciers are melting and could be gone by 2030.

Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska: Rising sea tides and glacial melting are changing the face of these mountains.

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