Yellowstone National Park after a fresh snowfall. 

Photo: National Park Service 

Visit Arches National Park in Utah and discover a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures unlike any other in the world. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks. This red rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and inspire you with its sunsets.

Courthouse Towers are pictured above.

Photo: National Park Service 

Before highways and railways, before pioneers, even before Columbus…..the land we know as the United States was truly a vast wilderness. To protect these last remaining areas, in 1984 Congress created the Paria Canyon - Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. Paria Canyon’s outstanding scenery, desert wildlife, colorful history, and opportunities for primitive recreation will remain free from the influence of man and are protected in this condition for future generations. Its 112,500 acres beckon adventurers who yearn for solitude, scenic splendor, and the chance to explore one of the longest and deepest slot canyons in the world.

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument Manager Kevin Wright hikes Coyote Buttes South in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area within the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona. 

Photo: Rachel Tueller, Bureau of Land Management

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.

The unique geologic features, plants and animals of Red Rock Canyon NCA represent some of the best examples of the Mojave Desert. In 1990, special legislation supported by the Nevada congressional delegation, changed the status of the Red Rock Recreation Lands to a National Conservation Area (NCA), the seventh to be designated nationally. This legislation provides the funding to protect and improve the area. Red Rock Canyon NCA  is enjoyed by the local population as well as visitors from the United States and many foreign countries. One million visitors each year enjoy the spectacular desert landscape, climbing and hiking opportunities, and interpretive programs sponsored by the BLM.

Photo: Van Phetsomphou

Come and experience Glacier National Park’s pristine forests, alpine meadows, rugged mountains, and spectacular lakes. With over 700 miles of trails, Glacier is a hiker’s paradise for adventurous visitors seeking wilderness and solitude. Relive the days of old through historic chalets, lodges, transportation, and stories of Native Americans. Explore Glacier National Park and discover what awaits you.

Photo: National Park Service 

Today the massive buildings of the ancestral Pueblo peoples still testify to the organizational and engineering abilities not seen anywhere else in the American Southwest. For a deeper contact with the canyon that was central to thousands of people between 850 and 1250 A.D., come and explore Chaco Culture National Historic Park through guided tours, hiking & biking trails, evening campfire talks, and night sky programs.

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: Sarah Zenner, National Park Service 

Seney National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to watch wildlife, get out into nature and go exploring. Winter, spring, summer and fall, come out and enjoy them all. Located in the middle of the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan, there are so many ways to experience the Refuge. Whether you would like to drive the self-guided auto tour, stop by the Visitor Center, walk our trails, go hunting or fishing, take photographs, canoe, kayak, snowshoe, ski, or partake in a special event or program, the Refuge is a wonderful place to visit.

Photo: Atlee Hart - USFWS