Vibrant colors from the day’s last light at Joshua Tree National Park gives us pause. The park protects nearly 800,000 acres of the California desert and is home to extensive stands of Joshua trees, rugged canyons and mesmerizing rock formations. The Joshua trees, the park’s namesake, are actually the world’s largest Yucca in the world and their unique shapes dance across landscape. Photo by Emily Haskell, National Park Service.

For a short time in February – if the conditions are perfect – Horsetail Fall at Yosemite National Park in #California glows red and orange and looks like lava falling down the side of El Capitan. Visitors flock to the park every year to see this phenomenon, which happens when sunset hits the waterfall at just the right angle, illuminating the water and mist in brilliant orange light. If you have a chance to witness #Yosemite’s Firefall, remember to go slow, plan ahead, mask up and share the amazing views. Photo of 2019 #Firefall courtesy of Daniel Berson.

“Aren’t red foxes supposed to be red?” As it turns out, they can have silver, black or mixed coloration, like this stunning fox found at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. Keep an eye out for the white tip of the tail, a characteristic they all share. Photo courtesy of Dani Tinker.

The Racetrack Playa at Death Valley National Park is home to one of the most enduring mysteries. All across the bottom of this dry lakebed are hundreds of rocks that leave trails on the ground when they move. Some of the rocks, which weigh up to 700 pounds, have traveled over 1,500 feet. For years, the source of their movement had gone unsolved, but in 2014 researchers discovered a rare combination of events that move the rocks. When the California playa floods and cold winter nights freeze the water into a thin layer of ice that then break into large floating panels as night turns into day, winds drive the rocks forward across the slippery surface, which leave trails in the soft mud below. Although scientists have discovered the secret of the moving rocks, the fascination remains the same. With such a fragile surface, being careful to not leave tracks in this remote area will help keep it fascinating and mysterious for years to come. Photo by Shu Xu (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Welcome to Paradise. Located on the south side of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, the area features stunning scenery, waterfalls and subalpine meadows. The second you reach the parking lot, you’re overwhelmed with epic mountain views. The rolling, verdant mountainside along the Myrtle Falls trail provides plenty of opportunities for photographs and places to pause and process the beauty. At these higher elevations, it’s always good to prepare for winter conditions, be flexible with your plans and follow the safety measures that the park recommends. Photo by Kristopher Schoenleber (www.sharetheexperience.org).

#ICYMI We’re looking back on the favorite posts of 2020 and we simply had to include a summer shot from Paradise #Top10of2020

Like a mirage, dazzling white sand dunes shimmer in the tucked-away Tularosa Basin in southern New Mexico. They shift and settle over the Chihuahuan Desert, covering 275 square miles - the largest gypsum dunefield in the world. So much more than monochrome dunes, White Sands National Park can be hard to describe. Photographer Mitch Warnick says, “Disorienting and beautiful come to mind - the air can be hot, but the contrasting cold sand balances it out. The sand becomes a cool blue as the sky’s warm colors fade during the sunset. The nearest visible landmark could be a few hundred feet away or a few thousand. This is a place that must be experienced to be understood.” Photo by Mitch Warnick (www.sharetheexperience.org).

#ICYMI We’re looking back on your favorite posts of 2020. These shimmering dunes made our year a bit brighter. #Top10of2020

Canyonlands National Park in Utah is a showcase of geology. In each of the park’s districts, visitors can see the remarkable effects of time and erosion on a landscape of sedimentary rock. For millions of years, rock was broken down and carried here by wind and water, creating deposits that eventually became distinct rock layers. Many of the rock’s layers were deposited near sea level, but after a long period of uplift, the average elevation is now over 5,000 feet above sea level. As this area gradually rose, rivers that once deposited sediment on the lowlands began to remove it from the emerging plateau. The Green and Colorado rivers carved into the geologic layer cake, exposing buried sediments and creating the canyons and rock spires of Canyonlands that amaze us now. Photo by Randy Smythe (www.sharetheexperience.org). #ICYMI We’re looking back on your favorite posts of 2020. This display of incredible geologic formations really rocked our feeds this year.  #Top10of2020

No, the bison at Yellowstone #NationalPark in #Wyoming haven’t learned to fly. Yet. Despite weighing as much as 2,000 pounds, #bison are strong swimmers and can run up to 35 miles per hour. They can jump over objects 5 feet high and have excellent hearing, vision and sense of smell. Photographer Alex Walczak witnessed their power when he took this wonderful picture, “There was a whole group of them rolling around and I noticed a young bison running all over the place on the hill. I got this photo while it was in the middle of jumping and kicking like a bronco. After about 5 minutes of racing around, this young bison calmed down.” We guess it just needed to burn off some energy. Photo courtesy of Alex Walczak.

#ICYMI we’re looking back on our favorite posts of 2020. 10/10 in our #Top10of2020 #highlights #usinterior

Decorated by fresh snow, Yosemite National Park in California really sparkles. Beauty is all around us. Wishing you peace, joy and time in the great outdoors this season. We are truly grateful for a chance to share in wonder and discovery on public lands with you all. From us at Interior, Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Video courtesy Mark Bouldoukian.

Everywhere you look, you can find patterns in Mother Nature. Cracks in Dream Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park create a gorgeous but perilous, natural tapestry. Always test ice before walking on it and never take chances. Besides hiking in winter, you can explore Rocky Mountain’s spectacular mountain environments by snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding and wildlife watching. Photo by Carl Finocchiaro (www.sharetheexperience.org).