You can almost feel the breeze on this mountainside meadow of wildflowers at Curry Mountain in California. The 1,800 acres of @mypubliclands property is provided through an easement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The area’s steep and rugged terrain is complemented this time of year with beautiful blooms. 

Photo of mountain hillside with purple wildflowers by Jesse Pluim, Bureau of Land Management.

Spring is in the air! Eggs are appearing in nests at @usfws National Wildlife Refuge System sites and other public lands from coast to coast. Learn all about eggs, their distinctive characteristics, and the threats they face: http://ow.ly/xOf750DRCaJ

Do you hear the buzzing of spring? The desert lily’s sweet fragrance attracts many types of bees and butterflies. The flower grows in southeastern California and western Arizona, and this photo was taken at Bureau of Land Management’s Desert Lily Preserve. Desert lilies grow from a bulb deep within the ground, with a thick stem of 1-4 feet tall. Its large flowers are cream-colored and funnel-shaped and appear in clusters that can be up to a foot long. When spring hits the desert, these blooms are a welcome sight. Photo by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management

The Lemhi Pass in #Idaho is where Lewis and Clark crossed over the Continental Divide in 1805. This marked a major milestone in the U. S. westward expansion, but Lewis and Clark were not the first people to use the pass. They followed a well-traveled Shoshone Trail. Sacajawea lived as a child below the pass along Agency Creek until age 12 when she was captured during a battle with another another tribe and forced to North Dakota. It was here that she became part of the Corps of Discovery with Lewis and Clark and proved to be invaluable to the success of the expedition. Today the pass is traversed by a 35-mile long graded unpaved Backcountry Byway through public lands where colorful wildflowers like arrowleaf balsam-root, lupine and delphinium rival the sunset. Photo by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management (@mypubliclands). 

It’s the first day of spring! We’re excited for future opportunities to witness scenes like previous years’ superblooms at Carrizo Plain National Monument in California, where wildflowers put on spectacular shows. This is also a great time of year to review Leave No Trace principles, so that everyone can enjoy our pristine parks, refuges and wilderness areas for generations. Other helpful resources you can read at home may include identification guides for wildflowers and birds. Photo from 2017 by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management.

Spring wildflowers in the west are now blooming further north and at higher in elevation as spring progresses. Here the Milky Way looms above the 9,000 foot peaks of the Granite Range in far northwest Nevada. Arrow-leaf Balsamroot blooming in the foreground were buffeted by winds during this long exposure to create an impressionist look. The Nobles route of the California National Historic Trail passes along the base of the mountains after crossing one of the harshest parts of the journey west through the Black Rock Desert. Photo by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management.

Coastal lupine flowers dance in the wind as the fog clears from the coastline at Point Reyes National Seashore in California. About an hour drive from San Francisco, the park offers stunning views of the ocean and over 150 miles of trails to explore. Stop in at the visitor center and see the exhibits about the historic lighthouse or collect more information on the whales, seals, sea lions and wildflowers, all part of what makes this national seashore a treasure. Pic by Lauren Buchholz (www.sharetheexperience.org)

This spring promises to be a good season for wildflowers with ample rain and mountain snowfall across most of the west. The bloom is already starting in Southern California and Arizona and will begin moving northward and higher in elevation as spring progresses. These pink sand verbena are currently carpeting sections of Mecca Hills Wilderness near Palm Springs, California. Wildflower blooms can be very site-specific and short-lived in any particular location. A delicate resource, please remember to take only pictures and don’t trample the plants. Photo by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management.

Start your spring outdoor adventure with a sunrise at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. With waterfalls, wildlife, history, hiking trails and amazing views along the famous Skyline Drive, the park is a feast for your eyes and spirit, and will keep you coming back for more. Photo from Thornton Hollow Overlook by N. Lewis, National Park Service.

Here are some spring flowers for Lady Liberty. Visiting Statue of Liberty National Monument is one of the most rewarding experiences of any trip to New York City. The size and artistry of the massive sculpture is only surpassed by the incredible inspiration this iconic symbol has had on generations. Don’t forget to get tickets ahead of time. Photo by National Park Service.