Even though we may not see them often, great-horned owls are quite common and can thrive in urban areas. This nest is located in a busy park in Minneapolis, Minnesota! Video of a baby great-horned owl by Courtney Celley, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Angels Landing is a strenuous hike, but you’re rewarded with stunning views of Zion National Park in Utah. No pain, no gain! 💪 Photo courtesy of Jonathan Basiago.
#WeekendInspiration from Carrizo Plain National Monument in California.
Three hundred years ago, California’s Central Valley was vast grassland where antelope and elk grazed and wildflowers swept the spring landscape. Today, amid urban and agriculture development, a remnant remains in the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
Carrizo Plain National Monument is one of the best kept secrets in California. Only a few hours from Los Angeles, the Carrizo Plain offers visitors a rare chance to be alone with nature. Some visitors say you can “hear the silence.” The plain is home to diverse communities of wildlife and plant species including several listed as threatened or endangered and is an area culturally important to Native Americans.
Plan your visit to this beautiful and remote destination using BLM’s National Conservation Lands online recreation maps.
View more photos from Carrizo Plain National Monument on BLM California’s Flickr, including 360 degree panoramic images like the one below:
Only a spectacular sunrise can hope to match the natural artistry of Badlands National Park in South Dakota. The rugged beauty of this unique landscape draws visitors from around the world to enjoy the sights and explore one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Photo by Jerry Smith (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).
The Northern Lights shimmer above the remote Slaven’s Roadhouse at Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve in Alaska. This historic roadhouse along the Yukon River once housed prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush. Today, park visitors can spend the night in this restored cabin. Photo by Sean Tevebaugh, National Park Service.
After nearly disappearing decades ago from most of the United States, the bald eagle is now flourishing across the nation. Seeing this majestic bird is always a special treat. With a wingspan of 8 feet, watching them soar or hearing their distinctive call will stir your spirit. Photo of a bald eagle at Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve in Alaska by Bert van Macklenbergh (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).
You know it’s spring when baby bears 🐻 are out! This cute cub is lounging in a tree at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Mother bears and their cubs usually emerge from their winter dens in late March to early April. Photo by Matt & Delia Hills (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).
Blooming over the Tidal Basin like a gorgeous cloud, the cherry blossoms welcome over 1.5 million people to the National Mall during the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival. Over 3,800 trees color America’s front yard with shades of white and pink. Walking among the blossoms and touring the memorials in Washington, D.C., is an experience you’ll want to repeat. Photo by Andrew Rhodes (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).
In every season, at every hour, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is a stunning and surprising landscape. Remote enough for dark skies to allow the Milky Way to shine and featuring steam rising from hot springs tinted with colorful bacteria and reflecting the aurora borealis, a night in the park offers enough wonders for a lifetime. Photo courtesy of Bryony Richards.
Sig Nordal 