Happy Thanksgiving! We’re thankful for public lands and all the wonder they provide. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin advocated for the turkey to be our national bird? Thankfully, the majestic bald eagle was chosen instead. Photo from Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve in Alaska by Stewart Brackett (www.sharetheexperience.org).

There’s something else in Cleveland that rocks – Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. It’s a quick drive from both Cleveland and Akron, so there’s no excuse not to #OptOutside this Thanksgiving weekend. Take a hike, ride the scenic railroad or bike the towpath trail. Blue Hen Falls is a popular destination, too. It’s an easy hike, so feel free to bring the family. Photo by Bob Trinnes (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Check out more amazing public lands near major cities: http://on.doi.gov/1MNd9Cv.

It’s Thanksgiving week and for many of us, that means spending time with our family. Sometimes you’re happy, sometimes it’s awkward. If you’re ever deep in a food coma and your family starts to show the personalities of a group of burrowing owls, it’s time to #OptOutside. Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is just outside of Denver, Colorado, and is a great excuse to get out of the house and enjoy someone else’s family drama. Photo by Rich Keen, DPRA.

Check out more amazing public lands near major cities: http://on.doi.gov/1MNd9Cv.

Happy Thanksgiving! Here at Interior, we are thankful all year long for America’s amazing public lands and wildlife, like this pair of handsome wild turkeys at the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama. While turkeys may look off-kilter – tilting their heads and staring at the sky – they’re fast. Turkeys can clock more than 12 miles per hour. Photo courtesy of Michael Padgett, National Wildlife Refuge Association.

Looking for a place to get away this Thanksgiving weekend?

After a few days of visiting friends in the concrete jungle of New York City, you might need a breath of fresh air. #OptOutside for Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Along the two main trails, you can see a wide variety of wildlife in the air, on the land and in the water. Ospreys and diamondback turtles are some of the most visible residents. Photo by Micael Fano (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Check out more amazing public lands near major cities: http://on.doi.gov/1MNd9Cv.

This week, when you feel the need to push yourself away from the table and take a break from Thanksgiving events, we encourage you to #OptOutside. Chances are, there’s a park, wildlife refuge or other public lands a short drive away. All this week, we’ll be sharing great places to explore this weekend.

Sure, you’re happy to see your family in Los Angeles, but can you really visit California and not go to the beach? #OptOutside to marvel at the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Explore the shoreline or take it all in from the hills above. You might enjoy it almost as much as grandma’s potato salad. Photo by Steve Lanctot (www.sharetheexperience.org). Check out more amazing public lands near major cities: http://on.doi.gov/1MNd9Cv.

Happy Thanksgiving! Here at Interior, we’re thankful all year long for America’s amazing public lands like Joshua Tree National Park in California. Pictured here is one of the park’s iconic Joshua Trees illuminated at sunset. 

Photo by Jaganath Achari (www.sharetheeperience.org).

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today we are thankful for America’s great outdoors and breathtaking places like Zion National Park in Utah.

Photo: National Park Service

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! All of us at the Department of the Interior hope you have a safe and happy holiday.

And what says Thanksgiving like turkey? Once rare, wild turkeys are now common on many national wildlife refuges. This Tom strutted his stuff at New Jersey’s Edwin B. Forsythe Refuge.

Photo: Dendroica Cerulea