Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Ohio manages 6,500 acres of wetland, grassland and wooded habitat. This peaceful refuge is home to a diversity of waterfowl and other migratory birds, resident wildlife, and endangered and threatened species. It provides a place for people to enjoy wildlife-dependent activities and learn about the complexities of the natural world through education and interpretive programming. The refuge adds to the richness of the community by holding in trust a portion of the natural heritage of the Great Lakes ecosystem for the continuing benefit of the American people. Photo by L. Sauer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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).

2,250 feet down, at the base of the Painted Wall – the tallest cliff in Colorado – the Gunnison River thunders through Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. You can actually hear the river roaring from the canyon rim. Several trails and overlooks along the rim offer stunning views of dramatic drops and the distant river. There are no maintained or marked trails into the inner canyon. Routes are difficult to follow, and only individuals in excellent physical condition should attempt these hikes. Breathtaking sunset photo by Claire Codling (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Happy Summer Solstice! The official start of summer, today is the longest day of the year. Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska is so far north that the park will get over 20 hours of sunlight today and only a few hours of twilight. If we were there, we’d spend that extra daylight exploring this amazing landscape of mountains, forests and tundra while keeping our eyes open for fascinating wildlife. Photo by Kathleen Raine, National Park Service.

Some sights on public lands can seem too beautiful to be real. Every spring, pink and purple blooms of wild rhododendron appear along exposed mountain ridges near the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina. These splashes of color highlight the already remarkable beauty of this rolling landscape. 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway are open for visitors to cruise, with every turn, trail and overlook promising a needed dose of tranquility and splendor. Photo courtesy of Joshua T. Moore.

There’s just no other place quite like Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. With its sheer size and scale, looking out across this massive landscape of canyons, cliffs and colors can be overwhelming. From every overlook at every time of day, the view is always changing, but never uninspiring. Currently open for Memorial Day weekend, the park is working with federal, state, tribal and local public health authorities to take a responsible approach to increase access of public lands while reducing the potential exposure of COVID-19. Photo by NationalPark Service.

All across Whipple Mountains Wilderness in California, life has adapted to thrive. From the spiky saguaro to delicate wildflowers, plants accent and soften the rocky ground. Bighorn sheep, mule deer, wild burros, coyote, black-tailed jackrabbits, ground squirrels, kangaroo rats, quail, roadrunners, owls, desert tortoises, and several species of rattlesnakes and lizards live here. And above, soaring through the dramatic desert sky, eagles, hawks and falcons look down on their next meals. Photo by Bureau of Land Management.

Cotton candy skies melt into a blissful sunset at a wildlife haven in coastal Maine. Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge is the northernmost refuge in the Atlantic Flyway, a migratory bird route that stretches from Greenland to South America. Shorebirds and songbirds flit amongst the streams and marshes that weave through the landscape. The wetland shores are a sanctuary of breeding grounds for migratory birds. In mid-May, Magurrewock Marsh abounds with geese and ducks who have stopped to rest on their journey northward. Photo by Keith Ramos, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri was established in 1964 as the first national park site to protect a river system. The Current and Jacks Fork Rivers are two of the finest floating rivers you’ll find anywhere. These 134 miles of spring-fed, cold and clear waters are a delight to canoe, swim, boat or fish. The rivers are bordered by forests of sycamores, maples, cottonwoods and willows, high cliffs, and over 300 caves. The Ozark Region is rich in history, too. People have lived here from 10,000 years ago to the present. Every time and every group of people has a story to tell. Will you stop to listen? Photo of sunset from the Clubhouse overlook on the lower Current River by Brock Davis, National Park Service.

As the largest, coldest and most pristine of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior is an astounding natural feature. It has the largest surface of any freshwater lake on Earth and is the third largest lake by volume. Bordered by Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Canada, the lake’s waters have a massive impact on the surrounding land. At Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, cliffs, boulders and beaches are sculpted and smoothed, creating a dramatic meeting of land and water. Photo by National Park Service.