Every spring, the cherry blossoms at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. explode into a gorgeous display of white and pink. Blooming into flowering clouds that hover over the Tidal Basin, it’s an incredible natural event in the middle of an urban area. With peak bloom expected March 19-22, the National Park Service is getting ready to welcome over 1.5 million people to this annual festival. Photo from a previous year by Jesse Collins (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Many visitors to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve are mystified: Why is there a Sahara-like dunefield below alpine peaks that reach over 13,000 feet in Colorado? The answer is complex, but the two essential elements are here: Avast, arid, closed basin that lakes once covered and a mountain barrier with a low curve to funnel winds into this natural pocket. Learn more at https://on.doi.gov/2lU4nyW. Photo by Patrick Myers, National Park Service.

Within sight of downtown Miami, Biscayne National Park in Florida protects a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands and fish-bejeweled coral reefs. There’s also evidence of 10,000 years of human history, from pirates and shipwrecks to pineapple farmers and presidents. Outdoors enthusiasts can boat, fish, snorkel, camp, watch wildlife or simply enjoy a gorgeous sunrise over the ocean. Photo courtesy of Andrew R. Slaton.

Travel back in time at Hovenweep National Monument where six prehistoric, Puebloan-era villages spread over a 20-mile expanse of mesa tops and canyons along the Utah-Colorado border. Multi-storied towers that are perched on canyon rims and balanced on boulders lead visitors to marvel at the skill and motivation of their builders. Newly retired Gary German snapped this wonderful sunrise photo while enjoying his morning coffee from the park’s Sleeping Ute Mountain. Photo courtesy of Gary German.