If the conditions are just right, you can see a spectacular sight at Congaree National Park in South Carolina. These “rainbow pools” are not a sign of pollution, but a natural occurrence that can be caused by one of two things. Many times they are the result of decaying vegetation, especially cypress cones and needles, that release their natural oils. The other cause can be bacteria breaking down iron in the soil. Combined with very still waters, a few days without rain, and the correct angle of the light, and you can see shimmering colors floating on the water. Photo by National Park Service.

If you like strange and colorful landscapes, you’ve got to visit John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon. The yellows, golds, blacks and reds of the Painted Hills are striking and surreal. Changing light and moisture levels drastically affect the tones and hues visible in the hills. The seasons can also change the look of the Painted Hills. Spring often brings wildflowers that grow in between the hills, adding even more color. Photo by Chaney Swiney (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Morning frost clings to tall grasses at Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota. Half water and half rolling hills, Chase Lake plays an important role in the conservation of the American white pelican, hosting a large breeding population in the summer. Those big white birds won’t be back for a few months, but there’s still lots to see and do at the refuge. Sunrises are a great way to start the day. Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Happy Birthday, Glacier Bay National Park! Designated from a national monument to a national park on this day in 1980, Glacier Bay covers 3.3 million acres of rugged mountains, dynamic glaciers, temperate rainforest, wild coastlines and deep sheltered fjords. From sea to summit, the Alaska park offers limitless opportunities for adventure and inspiration. And the most incredible blue water you’ll ever see. Photo by Cliff LaPlant (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Autumn is a spectacular time to visit Santee National Wildlife Refuge with its cypress forest turning shades of red. This wildlife refuge is located on the north shore of Lake Marion – the largest lake in South Carolina – and is home to a wide diversity of wildlife species. It’s a major wintering area for ducks and geese, as well as a nesting and stopover area for neo-tropical migratory birds, raptors, shore birds and wading birds. Visitors can take in the amazing fall colors, try their luck fishing in Lake Marion or enjoy the sight and sounds of all the birds. Photo by Marc Epstein, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Visitors to City of Rocks National Reserve in Idaho often get really into geology. With classic examples of features like tafoni, panholes, xenoliths and intrusions, the park makes an excellent outdoor classroom. But if you don’t find the rocks that fascinating, you can still enjoy the natural beauty of this rugged landscape. Photo by National Park Service.

The violet light of sunset reflects on the water at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland, while this great blue heron concentrates on its next meal. Great blue herons live year-round in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and spend most of their waking time fishing. Growing up to 4 feet tall with a wingspan of more than 6 feet, they are graceful birds flying through the air or wading in the water. Where is your favorite place to watch great blue herons and other birds? Photo by Kaila Ferrufino (www.sharetheexperience.org).

What a colorful wetland scene! Cumberland Island National Seashore is on the largest and southernmost barrier island in Georgia. Here pristine maritime forests, undeveloped beaches and wide marshes whisper the stories of both people and nature. Natives Americans, missionaries, enslaved African Americans and wealthy industrialists all walked here. Photo by Tone Watson (www.sharetheexperience.org).

If patience was a plant, it would be a Bristlecone pine. Cautiously growing in the harsh terrain of Great Basin National Park in Nevada, these amazing trees can grow to be more than 5,000 years old. Gnarled, twisted and scattered in groves on rocky ground, Bristlecone pines make excellent subjects for photos, especially with a night sky or sunset backdrop. Photo by Thomas Sikora (www.sharetheexperience.org).

On foggy mornings, an eerie calm falls over Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi. The water is still and the air is thick. With 48,000 acres of forests, fields and waters, the refuge is excellent habitat for eagles, alligators and the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. Visitors enjoy fishing, hunting, hiking, and wildlife photography and observation. The refuge also serves as an outdoor classroom for Mississippi State University and other local educational institutions. Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.