Cuteness alert: four adorable bear cubs go on a walk with their mother in Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. It’s rare to see a mother bear with that many cubs – they usually only have two or three baby bears. Next Friday, August 19, marks the 75th anniversary of the refuge, which was created to protect Kodiak bears and their habitat. Video by Lisa Hupp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Wolverines are well known, but rarely seen animals. Famously fearless and incredibly tough, wolverines can travel over almost any terrain and will take on prey many times their size. Because they thrive in remote areas, it’s difficult to get good photos of these amazing animals. Luckily, on a recent boating trip on the Noatak River at Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska, National Park Service staff were able to get some pictures of this curious wolverine. Photo by S. Behrns, National Park Service.

Hey everyone, my name is Jacob W. Frank, aka Ranger Jake, and I am lucky enough to work as the visual information specialist at Glacier National Park in Montana. Interior thought it might be cool for me to take over its Instagram account today and share ranger tips on how to make a trip to Glacier memorable. Let’s get started:

Tip: Get into the Backcountry
Some places are too hard to reach during those golden hours without having to hike in the dark. The better solution is to backcountry camp. Yes it’s slower, heavier, and more of a challenge logistically with permits and planning, but sticking your head out of a tent with a view like this from Cracker Lake or any one of the other 60+ backcountry sites makes everything worthwhile. Backcountry camping also allows you to see some places that might be too far to hike in a single day. 🏃 

Check out more tips today on @USInterior’s Instagram: http://ift.tt/1lMi3Jl

 -Ranger Jake

Established in a high valley tucked into the Allegheny Mountains, Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in West Virginia preserves almost 17,000 acres of forest and wetlands. The Blackwater River meanders through this rugged and gorgeous landscape, supporting an impressive variety of wildlife. The refuge is a great place for fishing, hiking and, as you can see, photography. Photo by Frank Ceravalo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Happy 100th birthday to Lassen Volcanic National Park! Underneath this California park’s serene surface lies magma, which creates volcanoes and hydrothermal features like boiling pools, gurgling mudpots and steaming ground. Lassen Volcanic is one of the only places in the world where you can see all four types of volcanoes – you can even hike each type! Sunset photo courtesy of Beth Young.

Stretching from the Maine coast to inland forests and dotted with lakes and marshes, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge welcomes 300,000 nature enthusiasts a year. Exploring miles of trails from dawn to dusk, visitors can observe wildlife and take in the beauty of nature all while honoring the memory of world-renowned marine biologist, author and environmentalist Rachel Carson. Photo by Judy Grabowicz (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

A vibrant sunset over a carpet of wildflowers at Pine Forest Range Wilderness in northern Nevada. The area is an island in the sky rising almost 6,000 feet above the desert floor to rocky peaks that top out at around 10,000 feet. The range has been glaciated, and has several cirque lakes which are very uncommon in the Great Basin. It makes for some exceptional views, doesn’t it? Photo by Bob Wick, @mypubliclands.

The first sun rays at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah cast light and shade over a stone forest of amazing rock formations. Photographer Daniel Madrigal was at the park to shoot this inspiring scene. “The shadow, texture and color explosion that is Bryce is absolutely stunning. The light changes by the minute. One could spend a lifetime there and never capture the same thing twice.” Photo courtesy of Daniel Madrigal.

This little mountain goat is ready for the weekend. Found on western public lands like Glacier National Park in Montana, mountain goats thrill visitors with their acrobatic feats. Often seen on steep, rocky slopes, they easily balance on rocks and scramble down cliffs in search of tasty grasses, mosses and lichens. Photo courtesy of Steve Muller.

Oceans cover over 70 percent of our planet’s surface and contain 99 percent of the living space on earth, making them hotspots of biodiversity. The National Park of American Samoa – a remote park located on four volcanic islands in the South Pacific Ocean – protects coral reefs, rainforest and a strong Samoan cultural component. Coral reef studies at the park are helping scientists understand how warming waters are affecting these and other reef systems. Photo by National Park Service.