Camping next to Devil’s Tower. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Photo: Jolanta Surowiec

Many visitors come to appreciate the most beautiful view of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park by hiking a 3-mile round trip trail and waiting until the last light shines on it. However, most of them leave after sunset, only a few knows the secret charms of the dark. With some little tricks of artificial lighting and long exposure, the prominent southwest landmark also shines under a starry night sky.

Photo: Wan Shi

At 13.2 million acres which is bigger than the country of Switzerland, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve stretches from one of the tallest peaks in North America, Mount St. Elias (18,008) to the ocean. Yet within this wild landscape, people have been living off the land for centuries and still do today. The park is a rugged yet inviting place to experience your own adventure.

Photo: National Park Service

Who is ready for summer? This photo from Glacier National Park is getting us excited for the warmer months right around the corner.

Photo: National Park Service

The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the largest of three sequoia groves within Yosemite National Park, contains approximately 500 mature giant sequoias. The significance of this grove was recognized by Abraham Lincoln when he signed the Yosemite Grant on June 30, 1864, a landmark bill that set aside and protected Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove. The giant sequoias are among the largest and oldest living things on earth.

Photo: National Park Service

Mysteries of Sonoran Desert life are slowly revealed and abundantly displayed at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. This International Biosphere Reserve, is an ecorich collection of plants and animals that have adapted to living throughout this surprisingly diverse geological landscape. Scenic drives, wilderness hikes and camping can lead to unravelling the mysteries that await your discovery. 

Photo: National Park Service 

Yosemite Falls is flowing again! Thanks to recent rain and snow, it should continue flowing at least until mid to late summer next year.

 To learn more about Yosemite Falls, click here.

Photo: National Park Service 

Rising above a scene rich with extraordinary wildlife, pristine lakes, and alpine terrain, the Teton Range stands monument to the people who fought to protect it. These are mountains of the imagination. Mountains that led to the creation of Grand Teton National Park where you can explore over two hundred miles of trails, float the Snake River or enjoy the serenity of this remarkable place.

Photo: D. Lehle, National Park Service 

Red Rock Canyon was designated as Nevada’s first National Conservation Area. Red Rock Canyon is located 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip on Charleston Boulevard/State Route 159. The area is 195,819 acres and is visited by more than one million people each year. In marked contrast to a town geared to entertainment and gaming, Red Rock Canyon offers enticements of a different nature including a 13-mile scenic drive, more than 30 miles of hiking trails, rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, road biking, picnic areas, nature observing and visitor center with exhibit rooms and a book store.

Photo: Van Phetsomphou

Another great photo from our friends at the Bureau of Land Management.

mypubliclands:

The summer night sky in the Piper Mountain Wilderness Area in Inyo County, California.  Alluvial fans cover large portions of the eastern side of the wilderness, with plains and hills also part of the landscape. Desert bighorn sheep habitat can be found in three areas within this wilderness. Sagebrush and juniper-pinyon woodland are the common vegetation, with conifer trees on the higher elevations. At the base of the Inyo Mountains lies one of the northernmost stands of Joshua trees, as seen in this picture.  Piper Mountain Wilderness and many other BLM land areas are far from city lights and offer incredible night sky viewing opportunities.

Photo credit: Bob Wick, BLM-California