Majestic mountain views, fall colors and epic wildlife are some of the many delights of visiting Denali National Park. Of this caribou strolling through the Alaskan tundra, photographer Nick Harrison says, “He walked so soft and steady as if he was also taking in the beauty all around him. He was so calm – nothing disturbed him.” Photo courtesy of Nick Harrison.

You’ll need to make more than one visit if you really want to enjoy fall colors at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. Different trees peak at different times, so each journey into this gorgeous forest offers a unique experience. Throughout October, maples, oaks, gums and dogwoods put on a splendid show you don’t want to miss. Photo at Blue Hen Falls by Craig Walton (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge – the first wildlife refuge in Indiana created 50 years ago this week – protects habitat for more than 280 species of birds like sandhill cranes. The refuge was also instrumental to the comeback of the state’s endangered North American river otter, serving as the first release site to bring populations back to healthy numbers. This amazing landscape of lakes, marshes and creeks is a quick trip from major metropolitan areas in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Photo by Susan Harner, USFWS.