This little mountain goat is ready for the weekend. Found on western public lands like Glacier National Park in Montana, mountain goats thrill visitors with their acrobatic feats. Often seen on steep, rocky slopes, they easily balance on rocks and scramble down cliffs in search of tasty grasses, mosses and lichens. Photo courtesy of Steve Muller.

Oceans cover over 70 percent of our planet’s surface and contain 99 percent of the living space on earth, making them hotspots of biodiversity. The National Park of American Samoa – a remote park located on four volcanic islands in the South Pacific Ocean – protects coral reefs, rainforest and a strong Samoan cultural component. Coral reef studies at the park are helping scientists understand how warming waters are affecting these and other reef systems. Photo by National Park Service.

Are you struggling in the summer heat? Let’s flashback to December and take a mental stroll through the ice caves at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin. Accessible by foot when Lake Superior freezes over – which doesn’t happen every year – the caves are like a palace decorated with hanging blue ice formations. It’s a very cool experience. Photo by Wan Shi (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Acadia National Park in Maine is known for its sunrises. The park is one of the first places to see the sunrise in the U.S., but its sunsets are also stunning! Photographer James Kaiser captured this magical view from the top of Cadillac Mountain after a rainy day: “Even when things seem gloomy, conditions can quickly change. It’s one of nature’s most important lessons, and national parks help us appreciate it firsthand.” Photo courtesy of James Kaiser.