Perhaps the most notable of these animals is the quetzal, for whom the park was named. Although the bird is renowned for being elusive and skittish, park authorities claim that the quetzal is easier to spot here than in the cloud forests of Monteverde and Santa Elena, which lay to the north.
Mount Aconcagua is the highest mountain on the South American continent. Its summit is 22,834 feet (6,960 meters) above sea level. It is located in Argentina. Image of Mount Aconcagua copyright by iStockPhoto and Cristian Lazzari.
Mount Whitney. The highest mountain in the contiguous states, Mount Whitney practically adjoins the lowest point on the continent, just 84 miles away in Death Valley. Itâs relatively easy to get to from the Bay Area or the SoCal sprawl and is one of the most-climbed mountains in the country. Photo: Howard Ignatius