Maybe you’re really into the holiday season, maybe you’re not? Whatever your fancy, public lands across the country offer everything from festive opportunities to quiet paths that can help counter whatever stress you may be feeling. We’re owl in this together.

Photo: a northern hawk owl is the tree topper we all need at Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Photo by David Turko (www.sharetheexperience.org). 

Trying to play peekaboo with wildlife? You otter know better. While they are well suited to life in the cold waters of the North Pacific with thick, water resistant fur and flipper-like hind feet, a sea otter’s forelimbs are used mostly for foraging and grooming. That means their little hands are highly skilled. Opening clams and crushing crabs keeps them fed. Hunted to the edge of extinction by the early 1900s, sea otters populations are on the road to recovery. Photo from Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge by Lisa Hupp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

As National Wildlife Refuge Week comes to a close, we hope you’ve taken the time to learn more about these amazing places. There’s a wildlife refuge in every state, many of them near urban centers. From the everyday relaxation of a walk in the fresh air, to the unexpected thrill of seeing a rare bird or dramatic landscape, experiences at wildlife refuges can make terrific memories. See you out there! Photo of fall foliage at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska by Lisa Hupp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Winner! Winner! Salmon Dinner!! After a season of serious dedication to stuffing salmon in his face, 747 has earned the title of the King of Chonk. The winner of Fat Bear Week is in excellent shape to survive the cold winter ahead. Thanks to everyone who voted and took the time to learn more about these amazing animals and Katmai National Park & Preserve, the park that feeds them. We sure love fat bears! Photo by Naomi Boak, National Park Service. 

Like ribbons of gold, fall colors streak across the landscape at Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. In these forests and across the tundra, animals fill their bellies and caches with enough food to last them through the coming winter. Every cold breeze is a reminder that this autumn beauty is a farewell to light. Each day sees a little less sun. Each night grows longer and darker. Soon, everything will come to a halt, and dream of spring. Photo by Nathaniel Gonzales (www.sharetheexperience.org).

I like fat bears and I can not lie. Fat Bear Week is finally here! In preparation for the long, harsh winter, brown bears at Katmai National Park & Preserve in Alaska have spent the last months stuffing themselves and packing on the pounds. The chubbiest bears are the ones most likely to emerge healthy next spring. Every year, Katmai features before and after photos of some of the park’s bears so that the public can vote for their favorite husky bears. It’s tons of fun. Vote now: https://explore.org/fat-bear-week Photo of 128 Grazer by A. Ditta, National Park Service.

Happy Labor Day! Thanks to all of the hard workers, especially our Interior employees, who make our country the amazing place it is. We hope you enjoy some well-deserved relaxation. This little fox suggests a nice nap. Photo by Lisa Hupp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Often heard but not seen, American pika sing out with what sounds like a squeaky and adorable “meep.” Related to rabbits but resembling a hamster, you may hear them as you hike in higher elevations on western mountains near rock piles. In late summer, pika will gather mouthfuls of vegetation to build “haystacks” for winter food and defend them vigorously. This pika was spotted at Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska along the Savage River Loop Trail, resting on the top of a rock. Have you ever seen this mountain floof? Photo by David Turko (www.sharetheexperience.org).

If you’re feeling the summer heat, this picture must look pretty inviting. The waters of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve are clean and cold, running through a complex network of rivers, lakes and groundwater systems. Water rich, the park protects the headwaters and spawning grounds for some of Alaska’s most abundant salmon runs. The park, including Lake Clark and surrounding lakes and rivers support over two hundred thousand spawning sockeye salmon per year. So you’ll have lots of company when you take a swim. But they might decline your invitation to dinner. Photo by National Park Service.