Biggest, Tallest, Widest, Deepest Natural Formations in North America

Overview of some of the biggest and best landforms in North America. I look at the top rivers, lakes, waterfalls, canyons, islands, caves, and more in a quick rundown of the "ESTs" of nature on the continent.
0:00 Intro
0:29 Rivers
1:06 Lakes
2:36 Waterfalls
3:54 Oceanic stats
5:22 Islands
6:18 Caves
7:36 Mountains
8:52 Canyons
If you would like to purchase a pin for the viewer wall map or just to support the channel, please visit patreon.com/geographyking
Largest Canyons in North America video:
kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6ixpHaujJmshJY
Album displayed:
Yes - "Tales from Topographic Oceans" (1975)

[@GeographyKing]

I made a big dumb when I mentioned Landscape Arch at the end. I stated 88 ft and showed 88 ft/ 290 m, but meant 290 ft and 88 m. But don't blame me- I was force-fed Imperial units as a kid.

[@ljwilson55]

I've heard people refer to Imperial Units as "Freedom" Units in the last few years. I doubt that we will become civilized and change over to metric in my lifetime (born 1955).

[@warderjack]

Freedom units 😂

[@davidkavorkian4282]

Been there many times. Two pieces have fallen from Landscape Arch in my lifetime. In fact in the 80's and 90's there was an official trail that went right to the arch, now it's fenced off and you are only allowed to see from a distance. If this is on your bucket list you might want to hurry. I suspect the next chunk to fall may be the last.

[@joemarchinski914]

👍🇺🇸keep inching along We use meters to test voltage 👀👍

[@floridajake58]

Too late I'm blaming you lol jk

[@bennettwettengel6754]

Yay!! Geo king vid

[@Akroker1]

I know right! I’m so hyped to have spotted it this early lol

[@jrunn93]

Always makes my hole weak when he posts a video

[@sipjedekat8525]

Woohoo!

[@foisixes677]

another banger of a video like always Kyle

[@xp8969]

You got the first comment, congrats!!

[@GeographyKing]

Thank you!

[@danielkoon1016]

Mount Thor on Baffin Island is said to have the greatest pure vertical drop of any mountain on earth; sheer cliff face with a drop of over 4,000 feet. A tidbit I thought was worth sharing.

[@Rancid-Jane]

That is a very interesting fact. Thank yoy.

[@joesutherland225]

Epic hang gliding video I would think Daniel Koon .

[@jaybear7272]

Great video as always Kyle! My favourite fact in this area is that Canada has the world’s only known instance of a lake on an island in a lake on an island in a lake. It’s in Lake Yathkyed, Nunavut. There’s also a tiny island in that smallest lake, which is therefore the world’s only island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island in a lake!

[@derbagger22]

ewe hertz mah brane

[@TheSpiritombsableye]

Makes sad Indonesia noise.

[@smoceany9478]

i still prefer treasure island, one less order, but i just like it

[@robertwazniak9495]

Great stuff as usual. Might I suggest a similar recipe with the best natural element of each of the 50 States. Every state has got to have some natural resources worth visiting.

[@danthecraftman]

delaware has entered the chat

[@kevincinnamontoast3669]

Delaware is famous for river mud.

[@zaccheaus3853]

"But either way the Great Lakes are all pretty big" Your delivery had my dying, love it.

[@ELMS]

200k subscribers. Congratulations, Kyle. Well deserved.

[@GeographyKing]

Thank you!

[@figlexgonzalez3115]

Kyle, I appreciate you and I like your videos a lot. Greetings from Mexico!!

[@planetbarrett6055]

I love the albums you keep in the background. Tales from Topographic Oceans is a great album!

[@Steveofthejungle8]

That’s really cool that the three tallest mountains in North America are in three different countries

[@callmez55]

Your channel is so interesting. I love the way you explain things in details too. A new subscriber here from Indonesia!

[@GeographyKing]

Thank you! Welcome to the channel

[@brucejensen2693]

First time commenter. Adore your videos, and love this one. Wanted to provide a minor correction - Ribbon Fall in Yosemite Valley, indeed the tallest single drop on the continent, is a stand-alone waterfall, and not part of the Yosemite Falls series, which lies about 3.5 miles east of Ribbon Fall and upgradient along the north side of the Valley. Ribbon Fall plummets from the precipice of the Valley, approximately 1,610 feet, as you noted. Upper Yosemite Fall, which comprises just over half of the total drop of Yosemite Falls, is 1,430 feet high. There is an excellent trail up the side of Yosemite Falls, but Ribbon Fall can only be viewed from the Valley floor (about 1,300 feet below the base of the fall), unless one wants to scramble up the huge talus pile below the fall. I have done this twice, and standing on the huge boulders at the base of Ribbon Fall with the fall surging in spring snowmelt is humbling, overwhelming and frankly frightening - standing below the greater than 90 degree cliff from which Ribbon Falls descends, and knowing that the huge talus pile is comprised of 50 - 500 ton boulders that fell from that cliff, makes one not wish to spend much time in that watery maelstrom. Ribbon Fall has a much smaller watershed than Yosemite Falls, and unlike its more famous sister farther up the Valley, becomes a trickle by late June in most years. I urge everyone to visit Yosemite Valley between March and July to see greatest hydrologic show in America, and also the rest of the glorious places Kyle mentions in this terrific video.

[@finegoldstones]

Congrats on 200k!! Well earned

[@BamBamBigelow.]

Interesting one, My Man!

[@michaelmiddleton3311]

Great stuff Kyle. As a kid growing up in CA., King's canyon was my favorite campground.

[@ironpig701]

Great job. One that I find fascinating is the highest point and lowest point in lower 48 Mt whitney to Death Valley via driving is 100 miles apart

[@Daniel-79]

I’m from the Pacific Northwest and it’s cool to learn about geographic features I have never heard of like Fantastic Pit! Cool video! Thank you!

[@charleskummerer]

Amazing content as always, and we all know you especially loved talking about the caves there

[@rhobot75]

Hey, CONGRATULATIONS on 200k subscribers!!!!

[@trudymccann3671]

Good Job, Kyle. Like the information, I have been to several of the places you highlighted. Good to know some new details too. Thank you.

[@Kernel4Ben]

Kyle always has the best albums on display

[@yungthunder2681]

Thank you for including meters in your measurements! Some of us really appreciate it

[@mitchwatkins945]

ah man, no one ever gives Black Canyon enough credit, I was hoping to see it listed for the steepest canyon! great video though!

[@marklittle8805]

Manitoulin Island is an amazing and quiet place. And it has many lakes with islands on them. Also take note, Manitoulin has part of the Niagara Escarpment on it with some great look outs and views plus some beautiful little waterfalls. It is a remote place and quiet

[@josephreed8176]

Great video, Kyle! Just an FYI, East Port is technically not the most eastern point in the United States. That goes to Quoddys Head State Park just south of there. Keep up the great work!

[@clara-ik1wn]

Really enjoyed this video! One of my favourites so far :)

[@walkerpantera]

i really enjoy your presentation style, you keep it moving but not rushed and with great factoids!

[@davidd7042]

You did it again. Love the nerdy perspective.

[@robbyblackwell7247]

Awesome video, love your channel dude

[@GeographyKing]

Thank you!

[@anteater4112]

Always appreciate your videos. I have an idea for a video. How about comparing the 50 state's state highway signs? Similar to the state welcome signs video. thanks!

[@magdalenablake8235]

Kyle, this was awesome! Do more vids like this!!!

[@mathoskualawa9000]

Hawaii got into half of the categories listed in your video. Weehah!! I feel we should've been in the caves section also, due to Kazumura Cave being considered one of the longest *lava tube* caves in the world. Great video. Mahalo!

[@Kev1234-d4j]

Nice video. When I visited Jewel cave in the black hills the guide was saying they find new areas of the cave every year. The guide said that Jewel cave could one day surpass Mammoth.

[@jacobstratton1140]

It’s amazing to think that there is a whole world beneath our feet.

[@TheJackiscool]

Loving this series. Keep em comin, Kyle !

[@Aquatarkus96]

Is that a copy of Tales from Topographic Oceans I see there behind you?? Stupendous taste :D

[@rexpresto]

That was one of your most-interesting videos, Kyle. I kept saying, “Holy S***!” over and over with each superlative you brought up. Great job.😊

[@saltywalrus]

Thank you geography king for being the king of interesting geography facts

[@mdimp1468]

Your videos are just wonderful. Thanks for your positive channel.

[@jamiehackl1231]

Awesome video, thanks for making it.

[@iamtheprogression]

Great, clear and interesting as always

[@abbyf6144]

Thank you for so many quality videos! Another great one

[@colonialstraits1069]

Manitoulin Island is the largest freshwater lake in the world. Manitoulin Island itself has 108 freshwater lakes, some of which have their own islands. Lake Manitou, at 104 km2 (40 sq mi), is the largest lake in a freshwater island in the world, and Treasure Island in Lake Mindemoya is the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake in the world.

[@seankwasny6767]

Great vid as always, man. There's so much cool stuff out there to see, it's bs I only get about 80 years on the planet to explore everything. Good luck paddling through the whirlpool, I'm sure it will work out great! lol

[@buckyjr710]

Congrats on 200k, GK!

[@michael7054]

Great video!

[@MohondasK]

The nerdiness is strong in this video, Kyle. Thanks!!

[@DillyDahlia]

Always learn something new from you!

[@chuckokelley2448]

Thanks dude Greetings from Visalia

[@MADHIKER777]

Fantastic list! Thanks!

[@irefusetoaskmydoctorifyour6401]

Another "Fact"-ion Packed video Kyle! No filler in your videos, for sure! Now I gotta go watch it again to absorb all the info! 👍 👍

[@NYIsles55]

Regarding the depth to area ratio, there's actually a little known lake in Hawaii that has a higher depth to area ratio than Crater Lake. Lake Kauhako is a crater lake in the Kauhako crater on the Island of Moloka'i. It has a depth of about 814 feet (about 248 meters), but has a width of only about 160 feet (about 50 meters). Crater lake on the other hand is 1949 feet deep, but about 5 to 6 miles in diameter.

[@dugroz]

punching a hole!

[@WalterDiamond]

I had to look that up, thinking you were describing an incredibly deep pond. It's actually 1,600 feet in diameter, not 160. But you are correct that it's has a diameter-to-depth ratio greater than Crater Lake. Thanks for sharing!

[@GeographyKing]

Thank you for that info. I had never even heard of Kauhako. Further proof that those little islands in the middle of the Pacific pack a lot of physical geography punch.

[@birbluv9595]

Fascinating video! I wonder if you could do a video about the oldest exposed rock formations in North America. Incidentally, I used to live in northeast Tennessee, where there is a very high incidence of kidney stones. Apparently this results from the combination of karst geology (lots of limestone in that whole area, with cave systems like Mammoth) and the local predilection for drinking iced tea. Something in the tea combines with the calcium in the water to create calcium oxalate, which composes most or all kidney stones.

[@davidmedlin8562]

Hawaii isn't in north America

[@HoratioNegersky]

Glad my feed algorithm finally spotted you again.

[@iangomez7190]

Great video as always

[@mindruns2646]

Congrats on 200k subs!

[@geoffreydonaldson2984]

Always great stuff! (I was holding my breath for Nahani Falls in the Northwest Territory-good thing that portion wasn’t too long! Always loved the legend of the Dead Man’s Valley.

[@t.williams8185]

Good stuff. Keep it coming.

[@ytubepuppy]

Always a thumb's up for your videos. 👍

[@MikeP2055]

May I humbly request an episode about the beautiful Colorado Plateau, please and thank you.

[@bnthern]

one of your best presentations

[@tonyporco9524]

A fun topic for a video might be examining the different "Grand Canyons" in various states. Besides the most famous one, there's Letchworth State Park in upstate New York (sometimes referred to as the "Grand Canyon of the East"), the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, which is in your state park video, and Providence Canyon of Georgia, which is sometimes referred to as "Georgia's Little Grand Canyon." Come to think of it, Breaks Interstate Park, in far southwestern Virginia along the border with Kentucky, is also referred to as a "Grand Canyon."

[@parkersullivan6372]

Excellent video format. If and when it gets stale, you can do in depth looks into each topic, such as Crater lake or Copper Canyon. Thanks for the content!

[@sofly5493]

Another great video. Thank you geo king 🙏🏻

[@PBGetson]

10:15 The Longest Natural Arch is 88 meters, or 290 feet long, not 88 feet long. 290 meters is 951 feet.

[@spencergray9665]

Love your videos so much

[@gnosis6656]

Great job, as always. Here’s hoping that next year we can see a new version of March Madness.

[@Orpilorp]

Hello! This is the first video from your channel that I have watched. I really enjoyed it, as I enjoy studying geography. You described many places I would like to visit in America. I live in Nebraska, and would love to visit the falls in Souix Falls, S.D. I know they are not very big, but the fact that they built the city around them, and they are the spotlight of the community sounds very interesting. A book that brings the rock formations of Utah to life is "Riders of the Purple Sage," By Zane Grey. I felt I was there, walking over the Rainbow Bridge.

[@donaldpetersen2382]

Seeing Hell's Canyon felt otherworldly to me, like I stepped off earth and onto an entirely different planet. 30+ years of learning the world's other various large geographical anomalies didn't prepare me for the absolutely massive scale of Hell's Canyon's drop off. A must see in person

[@almightysosa3007]

This video feels like it’s chock-full of trivia answers

[@MP-bx3uj]

Fun video! Learned a lot

[@jamie5092]

love your top so much btw

[@truckermre]

Woot!! I was born and raised on Manitoulin Island. Beautiful place! You should check it out!

[@jeffgerndt2813]

Excellent as always!

[@robertbenson4612]

I am from LaFayette, GA, about 20 minutes from Ellisons Cave. I didn't know you were from the area!

[@tonyporco9524]

Is it a coincidence that in a video about the biggest, tallest, longest, etc., you have a copy of what might just be the longest album in rock history in the background?

[@xerorenegado15]

Niagra falls in buffalo was depressing, I highly recommend going on the Canadian side

[@TM-vq1bf]

I agree. I thought I was in Detroit . Didn’t look so hot

[@xerorenegado15]

@@TM-vq1bf yes! Lol you're right it did remind me of Detroit

[@bassangler73]

Awesome!!! Love your channel

[@dougsundseth6904]

Mammoth Cave is the longest in terms of mapped passages, but it's believed that the 215 mapped miles of Jewel Cave in SD is only 3% to 5% of its total volume. This is based on the amount of air that "breathes" in and out when the air pressure changes. It's almost certainly the longest cave system, but the passages can be extraordinarily tight in a lot of places so the vast majority has never been explored.

[@yarnspinner5223]

Great video as always, very informative content!

[@samwill7259]

This is why we need to protect our world Even if we had a back up planet somewhere This one is too unique to replace

[@malikshabazz2065]

Great stuff. Keep up the good work! :-)

[@randomcrap861]

This video is amazing

[@davemartin2493]

Love your stuff, but check your stats for the landscape arch.

[@woandew]

I love when this guy makes vids

[@AllAmericanOutdoorsman]

Great video ! So entertaining, cool seeing the deepest pit in Georgia may be worth the trip from Tennessee to check it out

[@TM-vq1bf]

Great episode

[@garyglenn5233]

NC hasn't got much in the way of truly huge landscape features, but we do have the highest mountain ( Mt Mitchell ) east of the Mississippi (I still believe east of the Rockies, not counting the one in SD ) and the tallest tree east of the Mississippi. It's a pine tree that's 185 ft 6" ( if it's still standing ). More people visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in a typical year than all of the other parks combined. So the old North State has some pretty cool places ( in the mountains of course) . It makes me proud to be an old NC hillbilly. 😌

[@riskassure]

Nice video, but I was hoping to see you mention other common natural formations like deserts, glaciers, forests, etc… or certain features of natural formations like the prominence of a mountain, volcanic calderas, etc…

[@willytheriot8439]

Really cool video

[@samtischman4051]

Wish you could like videos twice always great stuff

[@johnparsons1573]

Awesome video

[@hertears14]

Solid video 👌

[@BS-vx8dg]

This was a *really* enjoyable video, and it made me wish someone at KZbin could invent a new feature: Internal thumbs up. There were about four or five times that I wanted to say, "That's so cool!" and give it a thumbs up. But of course, we can only thumbs up once for the entire video (which I will now do).

[@geezzzwdf]

ha thanks for the memories as a family we spent meny summers in Kings Canyon.

[@edwardwalter3100]

The return of the end of video tag!

[@posteroonie]

10:19 feet and meters swapped. What an arch!

[@LothlorianOG]

Just want to say I wish we still had that license plate in SC. It was by far my favorite one that weve had.

[@kareng1894]

I was hoping for mention of Dry Falls this time. LOL Perhaps next time!

[@heronimousbrapson863]

The MacKenzie has its origins in Alberta (and a bit in Saskatchewan) but it mainly flows through the Northwest Territories. In fact, the MacKenzie proper begins in Great Slave Lake, NWT.

[@daviddittrich5764]

Best Urban Park Systems would be a cool video