Is there a better way to fight the summer heat than getting out on the water? Kayaking Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan offers amazing views of unique rock formations and endless blue water. Oh, and there are beaches, waterfalls and hiking trails to explore, too! Photo by Courtney Kotewa (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

A skylight​ is not just a view to the world above you, but ​a window to the world beneath. In this photo​,​ taken last month on the Puʻu ʻŌʻō crater at Kīlauea​ in Hawaii, a volcanic skylight reveals a river of molten rock, drifting just below the charred surface. It’s a powerful reminder of the forces at work below us. Photo by U.S. Geological Survey.

Whoa, check out this pic of ominous clouds over Badlands National Park in South Dakota from earlier this month. Badlands is known for its extreme temperatures and weather. While the scenery can be dramatic, be sure to seek shelter when storms start rolling through the park. Photo by National Park Service. 

The unspoiled beauty of Shi Shi Beach in Olympic National Park is calling. It was a dreary, overcast and foggy day but Christian Loya decided to hike out to Shi Shi Beach anyway and hope it cleared. “My persistence paid off on this one. It finally did just before sunset and I was treated with this glorious sunset.” Photo courtesy of Christian Loya.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico protects the remains of massive stone buildings – containing multiple levels and hundreds of rooms  – built by ancestral Pueblo peoples. Chaco Canyon was home to thousands between 850 and 1250 A.D, and these archaeological ruins testify to organizational and engineering abilities not seen anywhere else in the American Southwest. Photographer James Kaiser wandered around Pueblo Bonito for hours, taking photos and marveling at its beauty: “I’ll never forget how uncrowded and timeless it felt in Chaco Canyon that morning,” Kaiser says. Photo courtesy of James Kaiser.

Happy Birthday to the Bureau of Land Management! Responsible for nearly 250 million acres of public land, the Bureau manages resources to best serve the present and future needs of the nation and preserve some of our country’s most stunning landscapes. Photo of Delta Wild and Scenic River Watershed in Alaska by Bob Wick, @mypubliclands.

Take a moment and remember the beauty in this world. This perfect sunset over Bowman Lake at Glacier National Park in Montana will sooth your senses.

Photographer Rowdy Winters captured this breathtaking moment while standing in the middle of the Rio Grande River at Big Bend National Park in Texas with Mexico 15 feet to his right. He pointed his camera up at the night sky and caught the brilliance of a shooting star and the Milky Way. The long exposure even allowed him to pick up the starlight reflecting in the water. It’s an awesome photo of an amazing place. Photo by Rowdy Winters (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

That feeling when everything goes as planned … 

Get a front row seat as brown bears fight for prime spots to feast on the largest sockeye salmon run in the world on #BearCam at Katmai National Park in Alaska. The salmon are jumping and the bears are hungry 🐻 🐟 – visit daily explore.org/bears to see all the action! Video by explore.org.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota honors President Theodore Roosevelt’s conservation legacy. Visitors can see Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch Site, where he spent the bulk of his time and where many of his conservation ideas grew. In the spirit of Roosevelt’s outdoorsy nature, the park also offers plenty of opportunities to explore through hiking, kayaking, biking, camping and more. Sunset shot of Painted Canyon Overlook courtesy of Robert Gjestvang.