At just 160 square acres of land, Rainbow Bridge National Monument is one of the smallest units of the National Park Service. What it lacks in acreage it makes up for in size as one of the largest natural bridges in the world! Photo by Rosemary Polletta (http://sharetheexperience.com)

The night sky can be one of the most awe-inspiring views we will ever glimpse. Many people seek public lands to experience starry skies and dark nights. Let International Dark Sky Week inspire you to gaze into the vast universe this evening. Photo by @mypubliclands of Corona Arch in Utah.

Cedar Breaks National Monument sits at over 10,000 feet and looks down into a half-mile deep geologic amphitheater. The bristlecone pines that live here, some of which are over 1000 years old, thrive in this high elevation. The slow passage of time has allowed these trees to evolve and thrive in harsh environments, but with the rise in temperature due to global climate change, the bristlecones are facing new challenges.  

Faster growth due to higher temperatures could make the trees more susceptible to fungal and insect damage. National Park Service employees are working alongside researchers to study the past and present changes due to climate change and any to the bristlecone tree and other park plants and animals as well. Pic by Jessica Fridrich (sharetheexperience.com)

The Needles form the southeast corner of Canyonlands National Park, Utah and were named for the colorful spires of Cedar Mesa Sandstone that dominate the area. Remember to “follow the beaten path.” If you’re exploring public lands with a designated trail system, stay on the trail to focus your impacts. Photo courtesy Jacob W. Frank.

In addition to the Bureau of Land Management managing public lands for a variety of uses, they are also tasked with managing cultural and paleontological resources, ensuring that the cultural, educational, aesthetic, inspirational and scientific values are preserved for future generations. Photo of Sand Island National Recreation Area in Utah by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management. https://www.blm.gov/visit/sand-island-recreation-area

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

The sandstone formations at Arches National Park in Utah bask in the evening light after a rainstorm. What a powerful place. Walking among massive monoliths and towering walls at the Park Avenue and Courthouse Towers area - it echoes a city stroll, just with natural skyscrapers. They are telling a story in stone. And we are listening. Photo by Neil Hoeffner (www.sharetheexperience.org). 

Fall is a great time to visit Zion National Park in Utah. The crowds get smaller and the temperatures cool. Along the Virgin River, cottonwoods turn golden yellow and bigtooth maples add splashes of scarlet to the canyons and trails. These streaks of color enhance the already magnificent landscape. Photo by Bryanna Plog, National Park Service.

A magnificent and mysterious landscape, San Rafael Swell Recreation Area features badlands of brightly colored and wildly eroded sandstone formations, deep canyons and giant plates of stone tilted upright through massive geologic upheaval. Established by Congress as part of the John D. Dingell. Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019, the Swell offers endless amounts of recreational experiences including: hiking, biking, four wheel driving, horseback, canyoneering and river running. Historic sites and ancient petroglyphs give clues to the area’s fascinating human history. Photo by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management.

As the first light of the day reaches over the horizon, it kisses the landscape at Canyonlands National Park in Utah, turning these geologic wonders into a sea of colors. Carved out of vast sedimentary rock deposits, Canyonlands’ landscape of canyons, mesas and deep river gorges reveal millions of years of deposition and erosion. Established on this day in 1964, the park has been providing calming views and thrilling adventures for 56 years. Photo by Darlene Smith (www.sharetheexperience.org).