“We are never far from the lilt and swirl of living water. Whether to fish or swim or paddle, of only to stand and gaze, to glance as we cross a bridge, all of us are drawn to rivers, all of us happily submit to their spell. We need their familiar mystery. We need their fluent lives interflowing with our own.” — John Daniel

The John Day National Wild and Scenic River the longest undammed river in Oregon. It flows through colorful canyons, broad valleys and breathtaking terrain. Photo by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management.

New Park Alert! Welcome, White Sands National Park in New Mexico, as the 62nd park in the National Park System. You bring so much beauty to our already amazing family of public lands.

White Sands became a national monument back in January of 1933 but will continue to serve up eye-catching scenery, inspiration and educational value as a national park. Photo by Ching Fu (www.sharetheexperience.org).

The Windows Section is considered by some to be the beating heart of Arches National Park in Utah. This area contains a large concentration of arches and is one of the most scenic locations in the park. North Window, Turret Arch and Double Arch are just a few of the awe-inspiring expanses you’ll find in just over two square miles. Other named features in this area include Garden of Eden, Elephant Butte, and Parade of Elephants. They look even more interesting with a layer of snow on them. Photo by Jacob W. Frank, National Park Service.

If the holiday season has you stressed, take a moment and share a mental vacation with us at Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida. Almost 70 miles west of Key West, this remote park is home to historic Fort Jefferson, warm blue waters, awesome coral reefs and slow, colorful sunsets. Accessible only by boat or seaplane, it takes some planning to get there. So you probably won’t get there tomorrow, but that’s not going to stop us from imagining the sand under our feet right now. Photo by National Park Service.

A rock carried away by the churning Colorado River. Flecks of dirt scattered by the winds. Erosion and gravity doing their work with patient deliberation. Cutting and carving the land over the course of 6 million years, revealing rocks formed and buried over 1.8 billion year ago. Visiting Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is about appreciating time as much as size. Looking across its vast expanse and down into its deep channels, everyone starts to imagine the process and are quickly overwhelmed by the sense of the time it took to create this natural wonder. Photo by National Park Service.

Get some gratification from a little elevation. There are so many excellent views at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan. Along the lakeshore, overlooks at the Sleeping Bear, Empire and Pyramid Point bluffs stand 400 feet above water. On the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, the North Bar Lake Overlook offers a vista over the forest and beyond to Lake Michigan. It looks particularly good in November. Photo by National Park Service.

We know very little about the ancient people that once inhabited Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida. Scant evidence reveals a culture known as the Calusa, who first ventured into this vast swamp over 4,500 years ago. In this sea of grass, they found a wetlands cornucopia, feasting on large amounts of fish, deer, shellfish, reptiles, plums, berries and more. First contact with European explorers led to conflict and disease. By the 1800s, the remaining Calusa were absorbed into the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes. Today, archaeologists continue to roam this unique environment, looking for clues of a lost culture. Photo by National Park Service.

Golden morning light shimmers on the ocean and glints against the black rock cliffs at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This unique park reveals at least 70 million years of volcanism, migration and evolution that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex ecosystems and a distinct human culture. Visitors might not realize it, but they’re standing near the top of the most massive mountain on Earth, rising 56,000 feet from the sea floor. Mother Nature really knows how to build. Photo by Janice Wei, National Park Service.

A red rock wonderland sculpted by wind, water & time, Arches National Park in Utah will blow your mind. In 1929, President Herbert Hoover established Arches National Monument to protect the arches, spires, balanced rocks and other sandstone formations on this amazing landscape. On November 12, 1971, Congress changed the status of Arches to a National Park. That’s today! But no matter the name, the season or reason, we love celebrating this incredible place. Photo by Zack Nicol (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Walking down the winding staircase from the Cape Blanco Lighthouse to the sandy beach below, you can stroll across the sandy beach as the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean. Waves and wind pound the surrounding bluffs at this western-most point of land in Oregon. Daytime views provide an unparalleled opportunity to watch California gray whales and other marine mammals swimming just offshore and the lighthouse itself is a fascinating glimpse into our history. Just another wonderful day on public lands. Photo by Lisa McNee, Bureau of Land Management.