Vieques National Wildlife Refuge in Puerto Rico offers access to quiet beaches, spectacular ocean views and topnotch snorkeling. The refuge was created to maintain rare subtropical dry forest habitat, help local wildlife and protect historical and archeological sites. It’s a blend of rich heritage and the soothing calm of paradise. Photo courtesy of Keenan Adams.

There is no one-size-fits-all trip to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Each season offers new and different ways to enjoy the park. Spring splashes the riverbanks and shoreline with an abundance of colorful wildflowers. Summers are all about fun in the sun and on the sand. In the fall, Maple trees burst with warm red and golden hues crafting a spectacular backdrop for a hike by Lake Michigan and winter brings a scenic canvas of white snow begging for cross-country skiing. Photo by Rafi Wilkinson, National Park Service.

Travel back to the wild west at John Jarvie Historic Ranch in Utah. In 1880, John Jarvie built a ranch along the Green River to offer store goods to those that lived or traveled in this wild territory. Jarvie chose this location due to a naturally occurring river crossing which was used by Native Americans, fur trappers, travelers and local residents. Today, you can camp, fish, float and enjoy educational demonstrations at this fascinating site. Photo by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management (@mypubliclands).

Happy Thanksgiving! Among the many things we’re thankful for, America’s public lands are near the top of the list. From sea to shining sea, we’re grateful for gorgeous mountains, pristine waters, enchanting forests, sublime deserts, fascinating history, wonderful wildlife and endless opportunities for recreation and connecting with the outdoors. From everyone on Interior’s hardworking team, have a safe and fun Thanksgiving. Photo of Half Dome at Yosemite National Park courtesy of Tom Ashman.

The rolling plains and scattered wetlands of Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge in Montana were created by receding glaciers more than 12,000 years ago. Today, these lands and waters serve as habitat for a great variety of wildlife, especially migrating waterfowl. Depending on the season, the sky can hold a lone eagle, fill with waves of tundra swans or show dramatic sunset colors. Photo by Christal Steele (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Just an hour from downtown Washington, D.C., Douglas Point offers a tranquil respite from the rush of the city. Several hiking trails (including part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail) lead through a beautiful hardwood forest to narrow beaches along the Potomac tidewaters. The Bureau of Land Management and the State of Maryland jointly acquired about 1,270 acres of land known as Douglas Point, and it’s one of the last remaining undeveloped tracts along the Potomac River. In addition to connecting nearby residents to the outdoors, Douglas Point offers visitors a chance to learn about the region’s history – close by are a Civil War encampment site of approximately 25,000 troops, archeological sites and the evolving ecosystems of the shipwrecks at Mallow Bay. Photo by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management, @mypubliclands

Just because you live in a city doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the outdoors. Urban wildlife refuges provide an easy escape to nature for millions of Americans every year. Within view of Denver’s skyscrapers, visitors to Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge can see bison, bald eagles, snow geese and sunsets. It’s just one of many resources for city dwellers. Find more: www.fws.gov/urban/wildlifeRefuges.php Sunset photo by Dave Showalter, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Tomorrow is National Hunting and Fishing Day. Held every year since 1972, National Hunting and Fishing Day celebrates outdoor sports, and how hunters and anglers contribute to conservation. Whether you are a first-timer or a seasoned sportsman or woman, your public lands are some of the best places to wet a line or bag the big one. Just ask the people at Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi, a very popular place for outdoor sports. Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

As you enter Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California, Moro Rock looms overhead, thousands of feet above the highway. This large granite dome is a spectacular geologic feature that can be enjoyed from above or below. A concrete and stone stairway leads over 350 steps to the summit where views open up from the foothills and San Joaquin Valley to the west, to deep into wilderness to the east. View from the top of Moro Rock by Cheryl Dickinson (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Like the park’s namesake tree, every visit to Joshua Tree National Park in California is different. Some are wide ranging and unpredictable, others are short and prickly, and some of them look best under a starry night sky. Grab your water bottle and find out which Joshua Tree experience is for you. Photo by Hannah Schwalbe, National Park Service.