Snæfellsjökull National Park

Lóndrangar

When magma solidified inside the vent of an ancient volcano, the Lóndrangar rock formation was created. Over the course of hundreds of thousands of years, the softer volcanic cone surrounding the magma eroded away, leaving the two towers standing above the coast.

Some believe Lóndrangar is the entrance of a fortress that leads to the unseen kingdom of the huldufólk (hidden people). They look like humans and live in a parallel world.

Racomitrium lanuginosum

Moss is the first plant to grow atop porous basalt. As it slowly breaks down the rock, soil forms, allowing other plants to take root. It’s protected under Icelandic law.

Black Sand Beach

Armeria maritima

Silene uniflora

Plantago maritima

Mertensia maritima

Mertensia maritima

Rhodiola rosea

Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis

Mycale lingua

Cairn Marks the Grave of Björn Pétursson

Björn Pétursson is known as Iceland’s only serial killer. He confessed to murdering and robbing nine travelers who entered his property. Once executed, his body was chopped into pieces and buried at three different locations to ensure he couldn’t come back and haunt the people who convicted him. Located near Snæfellsjökull National Park, the cairn above is the only remaining site of the three.

Adirondack Rail Trail

Adirondack Rail Trail Bog

Rail Trail Bend

Trifolium aureum

Straightaway

Lonicera tatarica

Trail Treadmarks

Typha latifolia

Taraxacum officinale

Taraxacum officinale

Betula pendula and Granite

Myosotis scorpioides

Prehensile Snout Spotted

Trichechus manatus latirostris

Manatees like this one, seemingly comfortable surfacing while munching sea grass next to a biped on a paddle board at Manatee Park, sense the world around them with hairs called vibrissae, densely packed around their mouths and faces. They’re highly sensitive to touch and help sea cows detect changes in water currents and textures, allowing them to explore and forage. Prehensile lips grab and pull food toward their mouths like elephants, alpacas, rhinos, and horses. Click here to view more photos from an afternoon paddle at Manatee Park and along the Orange River.