This bison is enjoying a cool fall morning at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. Although it looks calm, the best description of a bison’s temperament is unpredictable. They usually appear peaceful, unconcerned, even lazy, yet they may attack anything, often without warning or apparent reason. To a casual observer, a grazing bison appears slow and clumsy, but they can outrun and out-maneuver all but the fleetest horses. They can move at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour and cover long distances at a lumbering gallop. So, be safe and watch them from a distance. Photo by Duane Weber, National Park Service.

It’s the best time of year! The first baby bison of spring was recently spotted at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. Calves are orange-red in color, earning them the nickname “red dogs.” They can walk within 3 hours of birth, and before long, nursery groups of calves will romp around together, never far from their mothers’ watchful eyes. Check out more bison facts: http://on.doi.gov/1Oc7VXg Photo by National Park Service.

Getting caught in a thunderstorm can be terrifying, but viewed from a safe distance, they’re one of nature’s most spectacular light shows. At Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, the rolling hills and grassy prairies allowed photographer Michael Hindes to capture this awesome sight from afar. If you’re visiting and the weather gets too bad, you can retreat underground to the gigantic cave complex that gives the park its name. Photo by Michael Hindes (www.sharetheexperience.org).

An amazing pic of a full moon and a bison at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. One of America’s oldest national parks, Wind Cave is home to bison, elk and other wildlife that roam the rolling prairie grasslands and forested hillsides of the park. Kadek Susanto captured this photo the day after the lunar eclipse just as the moon was rising over the prairie. To get the effect of a bigger moon, Kadek used a 400mm lens with the 2x extender.

Photo courtesy of Kadek Susanto.

Yesterday, Yahoo! released a list of “The Nation’s Worst National Parks,” but we think these stunning pics prove these national parks are some of the most beautiful places in the U.S. – and are definitely worth the visit!

Called “America’s Best Idea,” our national parks protect some of the most spectacular places in the U.S. From Alaska to Florida – and every state in between – the more than 400 national parks help preserve local history and provide visitors a chance to explore America’s great outdoors. We think all of them are pretty special and worth preserving.

Photos from top to bottom:
Death Valley National Park (located in California and Nevada) never disappoints with 3.4 million acres of desert and mountains – making it the largest national park in the lower 48 states. This gorgeous picture of the park was taken as a storm rolled in, giving more color and contrast to the Grapevine Mountains while churning sand creates the illusion of fog. Photo by Donna Fullerton (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Swaying prairie grasses, forested hillsides and an array of wildlife – such as bison, elk, and prairie dogs – welcome visitors to one of our country’s oldest national parks and one of its few remaining intact prairies. Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota protects one of the world’s longest caves. Photo of the park’s Red Valley at dawn by Glen Fredlund (www.sharetheexperience.org).

The rugged beauty of the Badlands National Park in South Dakota draws visitors from around the world. The park’s striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds, and its 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie where bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets live today. Photo by Harlan Humphrey (www.sharetheexperience.org).

At Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska, wild rivers meander through glacier-carved valleys, caribou migrate along age-old trails and endless summer light fades into aurora-lit night skies of winter. Pictured here is a beautiful mountain vista near Anaktuvuk Pass in the Brooks Range. Photo by Carl Johnson, National Park Service.

A hidden gem on the East Coast, Congaree National Park in South Carolina preserves the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest in the southeastern United States. Congaree provides a sanctuary for plants and animals (including otters), a research site for scientists and a place for visitors to explore wilderness amidst giant hardwoods and towering pines. Photo courtesy of Jacob Frank.

Who knew the Bison in Wind Cave National Park were nearsighted?

Photo: National Park Service

A ranger on an early morning patrol in Wind Cave National Park last year came across something on the road he couldn’t identify. Then he saw Mom pronghorn several yards off and realized she’d just given birth to a fawn. He blocked the road and guarded the newborn until it was able to scamper away about 20 minutes later.

Photo: National Park Service