Endless views stretching to the sea await adventurers in Maine’s Acadia National Park, which has more than 150 miles of trails to explore. To guide hikers and protect fragile plants and soils, trail builder Waldron Bates created small, artfully arranged rock piles, or cairns. Bates cairns have shown hikers the way for more than a century – by walking at Acadia, you’re following in the footsteps of history. Photo courtesy of James Kaiser.
As if Fantasy Canyon isn’t already a great name, this remote wonderland in Utah has also been called “The Devil’s Playground” and “Hades Pit.” Off the beaten path of more famous Southwestern sites, Fantasy Canyon is protected by the Bureau of Land Management and boasts some of the most amazing erosional features you will ever see. Sunrise photo courtesy of Brock Slinger.
“There’s just something about a winding road that ignites wanderlust,” says photographer Kathryn Dyer, and we couldn’t agree more! At an impromptu stop in California’s Yosemite National Park, Kathryn captured this incredible shot of Half Dome shining golden from a beautiful alpenglow and framed by trees. When you visit public lands, you never know what amazing vistas you’ll find! Photo courtesy of Kathryn Dyer.
Happy National Public Lands Day! America’s public lands give us so much, like this epic view at Great Smoky Mountains National Park that’ll leave you breathless. Check out more of our favorite things about public lands: http://on.doi.gov/2cTEbk6. Photo courtesy of Bob Carr.
Are you and your friends excited for the weekend? Whatever you’re up to, we hope you have as much fun as these elk at Tule Elk San Luis National Wildlife Refuge. Once estimated to have a population of less than 30 individuals, these unique California Tule elk now number more than 4,000. See them – and other terrific wildlife – just two hours outside of San Francisco. Photo by Lee Eastman, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Happy first day of Fall! Are you ready for the smell of campfires and the glorious transition of leaves to orange, red and yellow? We hope the change of season will take you to public lands across the country to experience gorgeous colors like these at Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. The park buffers the Cumberland River as it runs across the Kentucky-Tennessee border, boasting miles of scenic views and lovely wooded trails. Photo by National Park Service.
As you enter Zion National Park from the east, Mt. Carmel Highway offers spectacular views and ever changing landscapes as you zig-zag your way down into the park’s canyon. Ian Barin captured this pic from above the winding road at sunset this past June. Photo courtesy of Ian Barin.
Lake Clark National Park by National Park Service.
Paria Canyon Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and Wilderness by Bob Wick, BLM.
America’s public lands give us so much – from epic views that leave you breathless to new adventures and a lifetime of memories. Now it’s your turn to give something in return. Thank a park for all they give us by volunteering this Saturday for National Public Lands Day. Plus, All public lands – from national parks to wildlife refuges and more – are FREE this Saturday in honor of National Public Lands Day.
To inspire you to get out there and give back, check out some of our favorite things about America’s public lands: http://on.doi.gov/2cTEbk6
Get excited for Sea Otter Awareness Week with this adorable photo of a snoozing sea otter in Kenai Fjords National Park. These cute mammals are found in the coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean, including areas around several national parks in Alaska. Their dense coat of luxuriously soft fur helps keep them warm in cold waters, where they can dive up to 250 feet in search of food like clams, crabs and sea urchins. For more sea otter facts, check out http://on.doi.gov/2d10YvZ. Photo by National Park Service.
Beyond its spectacular natural beauty, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah offers 1.9 million acres of cliffs, terraces, trails and views for your needed nature fix. Established 20 years ago today, the monument is an adventurer’s dream and a fantastic scientific resource for geologists, paleontologists, archaeologists and biologists. Photo by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management (@mypubliclands).
Sig Nordal 