Avalanche Lake at Glacier National Park in Montana is your perfect summer escape. Surrounded by old growth cedar and hemlock forests, the cool water of the lake takes the edge off the warmth of the sun. Marvel at the reflections in the lake and listen as the wind plays its symphony in the trees of this natural amphitheater. Photo by Tim Rains, National Park Service.

Dinosaurs once roamed here, and visitors today can see the fossils of these ancient creatures embedded in the rocks of Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado. The park also preserves petroglyphs (patterns chipped or carved into rock) and pictographs (patterns painted on rock) of designs shaped like lizards, birds, spirals and more. Photographer Dustin Baugh captured this beautiful photo before cooking dinner at his campsite: “The meadow was full of deer and Canadian geese wandering the swollen river banks, with one large bighorn sheep grazing near the cliffs.” Photo courtesy of Dustin Baugh.

June is Great Outdoors Month, so grab your hiking boots and hit a trail near you! For those of you close to Washington, D.C., Great Falls Park in Virginia offers an exhilarating escape into the beauty and power of nature. From a cliff above the Potomac River, you can marvel at the rushing water pouring over a massive series of falls. It’s truly an impressive sight. Photo by Kristopher Schoenleber (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Did you know a baby porcupine is called a porcupette? These cute critters have soft hair mixed with barbed quills that stick up when they feel threatened to deter predators. Porcupines sleep in trees and feed on the inner bark, twigs and leaves. They live to be 5-6 years old and have one or two young, which are born with soft quills that harden within an hour. Photo courtesy of California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

On Memorial Day, we honor those that have fallen in the service of our nation. You can take part by visiting Colonial era sites like George Rogers Clark National Historical Park in Indiana, a Civil War battlefield like Shiloh National Military Park in Tennessee or a memorial on the National Mall like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. These memorials, cemeteries and battlefields help remind us of the extraordinary sacrifices made to keep us united and free. Vietnam Veterans Memorial photo by Thomas Kredo (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). George Rogers Clark National Historical Park and Shiloh National Military Park photos by National Park Service.

While Joshua Tree National Park is known for its twisty, spikey Joshua trees, the park is home to so much more! In this southern California landmark, three distinct ecosystems come together to create extraordinary diversity. It also has some pretty amazing views, like this one of sunset over the “jumping” cholla cactus garden. Photo by Nina Mayer Ritchie (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

It’s a three day weekend – the perfect excuse to spend some extra time in bed. Bighorn sheep are famously elusive and quick to avoid human contact, so this photo of a napping ram at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is a special find. Photo by Bill Cochran (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

What better way to kick off Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer than with this amazing sunset photo from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan. Here you can find pristine waters, perfect waves, miles of sandy beaches and incredible views! Photo by Lorie D’Elia (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

It’s time for your Blue Ridge Parkway experience. Take a slow-paced and relaxing drive (please obey the speed limit) revealing stunning long-range vistas and close-up views of the rugged mountains and pastoral landscapes of the Appalachian Highlands. The Parkway meanders for 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina, protecting a diversity of plants and animals, and providing opportunities for enjoying all that makes this region of the country so special. Photo from Beacon Heights courtesy of Jim Ruff.

A dreamy picture of a sunrise along the Ohio & Erie Canal at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. Last fall, photographer Wookie Kim went on an epic 45-day trail running road trip, driving to more than 30 national parks – from Cuyahoga Valley to the Grand Canyon – and running a trail each day. Wookie says: “In all, I ran almost 500 miles of trails, gained 70,000-plus vertical feet, hit 33 states and had one unforgettable experience. It was the trip of a lifetime.” iPhone courtesy of Wookie Kim.