Happy #StPatricksDay! We can’t promise a pot of gold at the end of this double rainbow over Lake Superior, but it’s sure to be an amazing experience at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan. The lake creates dynamic weather, and the area is the second-cloudiest region of the U.S – spring is one of the few seasons when the park has clear skies. Whether there’s clouds, rainbows or blue skies, the view is sure to be enchanting. Photo by Steve Perry (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Denali is huge – 20,310 feet tall and growing about 1 millimeter a year. Despite its size, visitors to Denali National Park & Preserve are often denied a view of “the high one” by clouds and fog. However, on clear days, the massive granite mountain dominates the landscape. Photo by Kathleen Barth (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Picture yourself under the Northern Lights at White Mountains National Recreation Area in Alaska. Bob Wick – who caught this dramatic green display – describes his first experience photographing the aurora borealis: “It was interesting to see how dynamic and fickle the display was, going from a dim glow to bright, dancing molten light pouring from the skies in a matter of 30 seconds. I have never seen or photographed anything in the night sky that compares!“ Photo by Bob Wick, @mypubliclands.

On March 14, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established the first wildlife refuge on Pelican Island in Florida. Created to protect bird species that had been hunted to the brink of extinction, this first refuge led to the National Wildlife Refuge System that now includes over 560 refuges across the country. Though the brown pelican has recovered, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge continues to protect 14 other threatened and endangered species. Photo courtesy of Andrea Westmoreland. Check out more amazing photos from National Wildlife Refuges: http://on.doi.gov/1P85Dlo

A serene scene of a bald eagle framed by a glacier – the namesake of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. In this majestic pose, it’s easy to see why this beautiful, strong bird is our national symbol. Photo courtesy of Stewart Brackett (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Here’s some cute for your day: A baby spotted owl bobbing its head. Ever wonder why they do this? Since owls cannot move their eyes inside their head, they must swivel their heads to change their field of vision. While it might look like dancing, this movement (called parallaxing) helps owls build a better picture of their surroundings. Video by Steven Sobieszczyk, USGS.

Every March, thousands of Sandhill cranes stop in Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve on their way to their northern breeding grounds. The fields and wetlands of Colorado’s San Luis Valley provide excellent habitat for these majestic birds. With the dunes and mountains nearby, they dance and call to each other. It’s one of nature’s great spectacles. Photo by National Park Service.

In southern New Mexico, Dripping Springs Natural Area not only has stunning natural beauty, it also tells the story of the western frontier. Homesteaders settled here along stagecoach routes, later the springs supported a resort during the time of Billy the Kid and it served as a sanatorium before it was eventually abandoned. Now the area is managed by @mypubliclands and is known for hiking through desert scrub, lovely low elevation woodlands and excellent wildlife viewing. Photo by Ria Cabral (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Wispy clouds and a star-filled night sky make for a dreamy backdrop to Owachomo Bridge at Natural Bridges #NationalMonument in #Utah. Home to some of the darkest skies in the country, #NaturalBridges is a stargazer’s paradise and was designated the world’s first International Dark Sky Park. On a given night, it’s possible to see up to 15,000 stars! Photo by Ryan McGinley (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Pastel pinks and turquoise paint the sky above two of the three rocks found at Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge, offering 15 acres of wildness and mystery in Oregon. Designated by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907, Three Arch Rocks is the first Pacific Coast refuge and the oldest refuge west of the Mississippi River. Photo by Stefanie Crivella Bloomer (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).