There’s something interesting around every turn at Badlands National Park in South Dakota. You’ll see colorful rock formations, a mind-blowing collection of fossils, wildlife like bighorn sheep, bison and prairie dogs, and sunrises that will inspire you. In sunlight or snow, the park’s 244,000 acres offer a tempting reason for you to get outside and explore. Photo by National Park Service.

The Iditarod National Historic Trail in Alaska encompasses a 1,500-mile system of winter trails that first connected ancient Alaska Native villages, opened up Alaska for the gold rush and now plays a vital role for travel and recreation. Maintained by the Bureau of Land Management, the trail is now mostly closely identified with the famous annual sled dog race. The race, which started this weekend, challenges the racer and the 21 dog team with harsh conditions across rugged, but beautiful terrain. Photo by Kevin Keeler, Bureau of Land Management (@mypubliclands).

Half the park is after dark when the night skies come alive with dazzling stars. In the winter, skies are filled with a whole new catalog of stars, making the experience even better. Derek Culver took this amazing photo in December of Zion National Park in Utah. That’s the Virgin River, the Watchman, and in the sky, you can see the Orion Constellation with Barnard’s loop and Orion Nebula. Photo courtesy of Derek Culver.