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.