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. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 3/5/17.
Arches National Park. Photo by Joshua Snow. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 5/4/17.
Amateur photographer Matthew Hanna won the Share The Experience photo contest night sky category for this beautiful pic of the Milky Way stretching above the seastacks at Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Spanning the Oregon coast, the wilderness islands and windswept headlands of Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge are celebrated for their abundant wildlife, rugged grandeur and amazing night skies. Photo by Matthew Hanna. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 5/4/17.
Enjoy one of my favorite National Parks in Utah: Zion. Then, just down the road, there are more trails to explore at the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area.
The Northern Lights reflected in a river at the Denali National Park. Photo by Carl Johnson. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 2/17/17.
Zion National Park in Utah boasts some of the most scenic landscapes in the southwestern U.S. Within its 229 square miles are high plateaus, a maze of deep sandstone canyons and the gorgeous Virgin River. The soft scents of pine and juniper drift on the air. A winter sunset coloring the sky above this dramatic scene is an unforgettable experience. Photo by David Curry. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 2/18/17.
Storm clouds color the sky above Everglades National Park in Florida. Vast and unique, the park encourages exploration and discovery. In a place where a few inches of elevation can make a huge difference, visitors can kayak on quiet sloughs and marshes or hike through pinelands or scenic coastal lowlands. Photo by Kenneth Carper. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 2/22/17.
Desert sunsets are some of the best. Case in point: Saguaro National Park. Photo by Michel Hersen. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 2/22/17.
The Gunnison River flows through Black Canyon in winter with snow swathing the cliffs. Photo taken from Crystal dam looking upstream. Curecanti National Recreation Area in Colorado is a series of three reservoirs along the once wild Gunnison River. The reservoirs that make up Curecanti today are a destination for water-based recreation high in the Rocky Mountains. Best known for salmon and trout fishing, Curecanti also offers opportunities for hiking, boating, camping and bird watching. Photo by Alex Stephens, Bureau of Reclamation. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 2/24/17.
An unforgettable night sky – with a tinge of color from the Northern Lights – stretches over Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. America’s national parks hold some of the last remaining harbors of darkness where visitors can enjoy the splendor of these protected dark skies. Photographer Matthew Newman says his nighttime adventure forever changed the way he experiences nature: “Making a seven-mile snowshoe hike round trip in the middle of the night to try and capture the Aurora Borealis and Milky Way from this location was amazing.” Photo by Matthew Newman. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 1/15/17.
Arches National Park in Utah is the perfect place to snuggle into your sleeping bag and spend the night counting stars. Towering rock formations reach for the Milky Way as the magnificent landscape surrounds you in silence. Photo by Allen Utzig. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 11/26/16.
It doesn’t get any more beautiful than this: the Milky Way as seen from Observation Point in Utah’s Zion National Park. Photo by Joshua Snow. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 12/9/16.
Another out-of-this-world moment at Wyoming’s Devils Tower National Monument. Photo by Rip Rippey. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 9/6/16.
Beyond its spectacular natural beauty, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah offers 1.9 million acres of cliffs, terraces, trails and views for your needed nature fix. Established in 1996, the monument is an adventurer’s dream and a fantastic scientific resource for geologists, paleontologists, archaeologists and biologists. Photo by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 9/18/16.
A powerful lightning storm lights up the sky over Arches National Park! Photo by David Lane. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 9/19/16.
The Milky Way over the Watchman at Zion National Park. Photo by Evan Kokoska. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 10/11/16.
As you enter Zion National Park from the east, Mt. Carmel Highway offers spectacular views and ever changing landscapes as you zig-zag your way down into the park’s canyon. Ian Barin captured this pic from above the winding road at sunset this past June. Photo by of Ian Barin. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 9/21/16.
Stretching from the Maine coast to inland forests and dotted with lakes and marshes, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge welcomes 300,000 nature enthusiasts a year. Exploring miles of trails from dawn to dusk, visitors can observe wildlife and take in the beauty of nature all while honoring the memory of world-renowned marine biologist, author and environmentalist Rachel Carson. Photo by Judy Grabowicz. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 8/8/16.
Established in a high valley tucked into the Allegheny Mountains, Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in West Virginia preserves almost 17,000 acres of forest and wetlands. The Blackwater River meanders through this rugged and gorgeous landscape, supporting an impressive variety of wildlife. The refuge is a great place for fishing, hiking and, as you can see, photography. Photo by Frank Ceravalo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 8/10/16.
The Milky Way over Observation Point. Utah’s Zion National Park. Photo by Jared Warren. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 7/3/16.
Photographer Rowdy Winters captured this breathtaking moment while standing in the middle of the Rio Grande River at Big Bend National Park in Texas with Mexico 15 feet to his right. He pointed his camera up at the night sky and caught the brilliance of a shooting star and the Milky Way. The long exposure even allowed him to pick up the starlight reflecting in the water. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 7/14/16.
The Sonoran Desert National Monument in Arizona is the most biologically diverse of the North American deserts, and its namesake monument protects an extensive saguaro cactus forest that visitors can hike through to see classic desert vistas. Photo of the Milky Way shining above saguaro cacti by Bob Wick, BLM. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 6/13/16.
The Milky Way sparkles over Bubble Pond at Maine’s Acadia National Park. Photo by Evan Kokoska. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 5/16/16.
Angel’s Landing at Zion National Park in Utah. A strenuous climb and a steep, narrow ridge lead to the summit, where an expansive panorama is well worth the effort. This trail can get crowded – please remember to be safe. Photo courtesy of Brock Slinger. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 6/4/16.