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.

In the Avalanche Lake area of Glacier National Park, abundant rainfall, prehistoric glaciers and rushing streams have combined to create a landscape of striking beauty and rich diversity. So much water allows nature to display vibrant colors –  from sparkling blue lakes to rich green forests. A hike on the Trail of Cedars is a great way to experience this gorgeous Montana landscape. Photo courtesy of Steven Bumgardner.

Photographer Jose Torres took advantage of a cross country move to take pictures in national parks along the way. One of his favorite stops was Badlands National Park in South Dakota where he captured this amazing scene of the unique rock formations glowing in the light of the moon and the Milky Way. What a shot! Photo courtesy of Jose Torres.

Go 🐢 go! Watch these cute sea turtle hatchlings race to the ocean at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas. Padre Island – the longest stretch of an undeveloped barrier island in the world – protects 70 miles of coastline, dunes, prairies and wind tidal flats. It’s a safe nesting ground for the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, one of five types of sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico that use the park and its surrounding waters. Video Patrick Gamman, by National Park Service.

Hi, Christina Adele Warburg here! I’m a park ranger at Yosemite National Park, and I will be taking over @USInterior on Instagram today. Even after a long day of work, nothing beats exploring this California park that happens to be my backyard, and I’m going to share some of my favorite Yosemite spots with you.

Stormy days in Yosemite are my favorite, and there’s no better place to watch a storm clearing than from Tunnel View. Unfortunately, most park guests know that, too. Taking a quick hike up Inspiration Point trail will lead you to a similar view – but without the crowds. This is where I watch most of my sunsets, which I usually only share with mosquitoes and deer. 
-Ranger Christina Adele Warburg.

Head over to http://ift.tt/18D22bU to see more great places in Yosemite to explore.

Green cottonwoods flourish by Medano Creek at the edge of the dunefield in Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve in Colorado. The tallest dunes in North America spread across 30 square miles, creating a unique high-altitude desert environment and a place of extremes. The sand surface can reach 150 degrees on a summer afternoon, or drop to minus 20 degrees on a winter night. Surfing the dunes is a fun summer activity. Photo by Patrick Myers, National Park Service.

The giant saguaro is a symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park in Arizona. Here you have a chance to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset. Photo by Eileen Mattil (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Happy Independence Day from all of us at Interior! 🎆  We hope you have a happy and safe holiday. Photo of the 4th of July fireworks display over the National Mall in Washington, DC, by Tom Hamilton (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). 🇺🇸