One of nature’s most social and playful creatures, river otters have big personalities and even bigger appetites. Often seen in groups, they can be observed hunting and frolicking year round at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri. In winter, you might even catch them sliding across the ice on their bellies. Photo courtesy of Kenny Bahr.

Wide expanses of land make Southwest sunsets some of the best in the United States, and the view from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is no exception. Straddling the border of Utah and Arizona, this desert gem is a perfect place to explore golden cliffs, lush hanging gardens, narrow slot canyons and the brilliant blue paradox of Lake Powell. Photo by Jeremy Stevens (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Icy water reflects the sunset at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey. More than 80 percent of the refuge’s 47,000 acres is wetlands. The quiet tidal waters serve as nurseries, spawning and feeding grounds for fish and shellfish, which are important in the diets of many wildlife species – particularly the migratory birds who live and visit here. Photo by Kris Orr (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).