Sunrise after a fresh snowfall gives an aura of peace to this small meadow at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. With a golden sun and pink light filtered through the morning fog, it’s easy to picture something magical happening in this majestic place. Are you in the mood to frolic? Photo by Shawn Stackhouse (www.sharetheexperience.org).
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border features almost 70,000 acres of forested mountains, picturesque valleys and fertile floodplains that have known 10 millennia of human contact. The sloping, rocky landscape is home to several waterfalls. A popular destination in every season, Raymondskill Falls is especially gorgeous in winter. Photo by National Park Service.
Life is better with friends. Just ask these two bear cubs playing leapfrog at Lake Clark National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Be sure to thank your friends today and tell them how much they mean to you. Friends Day Photo by Hunt Karen (www.sharetheexperience.org).
Edwards Mountain rises from a frosty lakeshore to pierce the clouds. No matter the season, there’s never a shortage of epic views at Glacier National Park in Montana. Photo by Jacob W. Frank, National Park Service.
Along the lower reaches of the Columbia River in Washington, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge preserves unique habitat for wintering birds and other fascinating wildlife. Quiet and attentive visitors may be treated to the sight of a long tailed weasel running across a trail or a group of river otters playing in the water. Look out over distant fields and you might see a coyote hunting for rodents or a white tailed deer grazing watchfully. The refuge is a place where people can share a bond with nature, and each other, by passing on outdoor traditions to new generations. Sunset photo by Donna Torres (www.sharetheexperience.org).
Happy 112th Birthday to our friends at the U.S. Forest Service. Though forest reserves were first administered by Interior, the Forest Service was created in 1905 as part of the Department of Agriculture with Gifford Pinchot serving as Chief Forester and now manages almost 200 million acres of public land. Among these rich forests and grasslands are places of spectacular beauty, like Trillium Lake at Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon. Photo by Daniel Rice (www.sharetheexperience.org).
Last night’s “super blue blood moon” was the second full moon of January and appeared 14 percent bigger than the usual full moon. The reddish color is an effect of the lunar eclipse, when the moon passes through the Earth’s shadow. It’s the first time this has happened in 150 years. Did you see this rare and spectacular event? Photo from the Pony Express National Historic Trail in Nevada by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management. #SuperBlueBloodMoon
Does this look like your normal morning meeting? It seems like these Steller sea lions at the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex have a lot to talk about. Maybe they’re discussing the quality of the fish they’re hunting or the immense size (11 feet long and 2,500 pounds) of the largest males. Each one seems to have an opinion. Which Steller sea lion are you? Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Even in winter, there is plenty of amazing outdoor activities to do at Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. From early November to May, visitors can explore the park by fat bikes, cross-country skis, snowmobile and dog sled. No matter your experience, you’ll enjoy the stark beauty of winter at Kenai Fjords. Photo by National Park Service.
No matter the season, Yosemite National Park is one of the most beautiful places on earth. What’s your favorite time of year to visit this stunning California park? Photo of a double rainbow 🌈 over Yosemite Falls by Rob Lester, National Park Service.
Sig Nordal 