Frozen in winter’s icy grip, Glacier National Park in Montana is much quieter, but no less stunning. Much of Going-To-The-Sun Road is closed, but sections of the park are still accessible by car and much more can be explored with skis and snowshoes. A popular spot for visitors is Lake McDonald - at 10 miles long and 464 feet deep, it is both the largest and deepest body of water in the park. Covered in a patterned layer of ice and ringed by snow-capped peaks, it’s a sight that will make you shake with excitement. Or is that just the cold? Photo by National Park Service.

A little desolate beauty goes a long way. In the winter, the sun stays below the horizon for a large part of the day at Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. During these short December days, the refuge only sees slightly more than 2 hours of sunlight with longer periods of twilight. The animals that remain here year round – moose, wolves and wolverines – depend on thick coats and honed skills to survive the cold and darkness. Photo by Lisa Hupp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

A golden sunrise warms the frosty morning at Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota. With over 40 percent of the park covered by lakes, rivers and streams, Voyageurs is a maze of interconnected waterways. These waters were the transportation corridors for the park’s namesake, the voyageurs, and are the basis for recreation in the park today. Winter visitors can enjoy skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, sledding and driving on ice roads. Photo by National Park Service.

A lavender sunrise reveals the marbled and cracked surface of Dream Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. If not for the chill, this would be the most beautiful floor in the world. Photo courtesy of Eric Schuette.

Offering a huge reward for little effort, Dream Lake is only a mile hike from Bear Lake Trailhead at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Winter conditions can add complications, but there’s nothing like sunrise painting the mountains to make you forget about the cold. Photo by Crystal Brindle (www.sharetheexperience.org).