With pinkish clouds over serene blue waters and stately trees, there’s beauty everywhere you look at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon! Photographer Jeff C. Bryant waited until just the right moment to capture this striking sunset shot: “As someone who photographs sunsets quite often, you win some and lose some. One thing I’ve learned is not to leave early!” We think this shot is definitely on the winning side. Photo courtesy of Jeff C. Bryant,

Swirling star trails grace the night sky at Pinnacles National Park in California, the nation’s 59th and newest national park. 23 million years ago, volcanoes erupted, flowed and slid to form the park’s towering rock spires and rare talus caves that you can hike through today. Photographer Aron Cooperman journeyed 45 minutes through a cave to reach Bear Gulch Reservoir in time to capture this spellbinding scene. Photo courtesy of Aron Cooperman.

Jim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness in Idaho was established in August, 2015 following unanimous passage into law by Congress. This 23,916 acre wilderness features hiking, fishing and equestrian use, as well as opportunities to just “get away” and enjoy some solitude. The view from Jerry Peak alone is worth the visit. Photo by Matt Leidecker, @mypubliclands.

A hike through alder branches, thick vine maple stands, stinging nettle, devil’s club and a moss-covered gully is all worth it to reach this gem-colored lake. Bright and inviting, that first cold plunge into the icy lake re-invigorates like nothing else can. That’s what a trip to North Cascades National Park in Washington is all about. Photo from Trapper Lake courtesy of Crystal Brindle.

The first eastern national park, Acadia’s rugged coast has beckoned visitors for ages. Today people from all over the world come to Acadia National Park in Maine to hike granite peaks, bike historic carriage roads, or relax and enjoy the scenery. Photo of the Bubbles from Jordan Pond by Kristi Rugg, National Park Service.

Labor Day is called the unofficial end of summer, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to hibernate. Take advantage of cooler days to explore public lands across the country. You can see birds migrate, take pictures of changing leaves and enjoy sitting by a campfire. The parks, refuges and wilderness are always there for you. Photo of Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska by Saurin Munshaw (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Labor Day is called the unofficial end of summer, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to hibernate. Take advantage of cooler days to explore public lands across the country. You can see birds migrate, take pictures of changing leaves and enjoy sitting by a campfire. The parks, refuges and wilderness are always there for you. Photo of Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska by Saurin Munshaw (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Summer makes for some epic thunderstorms. Case in point: this dramatic pic of a lighting strike at Badlands National Park in South Dakota from earlier in August. Photo by Badlands’ Seasonal Park Paleontologist Phil Varela, National Park Service.

The Wilderness Act – enacted on this day in 1964 – defines a wilderness as “an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” In the following 52 years, over 109 million acres of pristine forests, mountains, deserts and wetlands have been protected, giving all Americans the opportunity to escape into nature. Photo of the Steelhead Falls Wilderness Study Area in Oregon by Jeff Clark, @mypubliclands

Walk in the footsteps of fur traders and the Grand Portage Ojibwe at Grand Portage National Monument, located on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota next to the Canadian border. The 8.5-mile Grand Portage Trail winds through history and beautiful scenery like forests and meadows. After hiking through a downpour, photographer Travis Novitsky says, “The gorgeous sunset over the beaver meadow made it all worthwhile!” Photo courtesy of Travis Novitsky.