National parks are both the stuff dreams are made of and the places where dreams come true. Photographer Evan Brogan snapped this gorgeous vista of Colorado National Monument shortly after quitting an unfulfilling job and asking his girlfriend to marry him. “We took photos of her ring over the 485-foot cliff where we camped. We found ourselves at this vantage point, yelling echoes into the canyon walls, alone, watching the rain blow in and carrying with it one of Colorado’s many daily rainbows.” Photo by of Evan Brogan. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 10/3/16.
Nothing says spring like the colorful wildflowers of Handies Peak Wilderness Study Area in Colorado. More than beautiful springtime displays, this secluded landscape offers alpine lakes, large canyons and 13 peaks over 13,000 feet. Make the most of this season by hiking, backpacking, camping or mountain climbing in this remarkable wilderness. Photo by Bob Wick. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 4/5/16.
Now is the perfect time to see Mars in the summer night sky at Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 8/10/16.
Offering a huge reward for little effort, Dream Lake is only a mile hike from Bear Lake Trailhead at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Winter conditions can add complications, but there’s nothing like sunrise painting the mountains to make you forget about the cold. Photo by Crystal Brindle. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 2/24/16.
Dinosaurs once roamed here, and visitors today can see the fossils of these ancient creatures embedded in the rocks of Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado. The park also preserves petroglyphs (patterns chipped or carved into rock) and pictographs (patterns painted on rock) of designs shaped like lizards, birds, spirals and more. Photographer Dustin Baugh captured this beautiful photo before cooking dinner at his campsite: “The meadow was full of deer and Canadian geese wandering the swollen river banks, with one large bighorn sheep grazing near the cliffs.” Photo courtesy of Dustin Baugh. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 6/2/16.
Colorado National Monument has experienced some intense thunderstorms this month, making for some dramatic photos. This amazing shot by Bob Ingelhart from July 10 captures a lightning storm overlooking Monument Canyon. Photo courtesy of Bob Ingelhart. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 7/22/15.
The Colorado National Monument rises more than 2,000 feet above the Grand Valley of the Colorado River. Towering monoliths exist within a vast plateau and canyon panorama. You can experience sheer-walled, red rock canyons along the twists and turns of Rim Rock Drive or hike some of the park’s more than 40 miles of maintained trails. Sunrise photo over the monument by William Woodward. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 4/20/15.
A lovely spring morning begins at Oklahoma’s Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Kathy Suttles. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 4/6/15.
A fiery sunrise over the Mesquite Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park in California. Many first time visitors to Death Valley are surprised it is not covered with a sea of sand. Less than one percent of the desert is covered with dunes, yet the shadowed ripples and stark, graceful curves define “desert” in our imaginations. The Mesquite Flat Dunes are the best known and easiest to visit in the national park. Photo by Mike Mezeul II. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 4/24/15.
Hazel Mountain Overlook in the Shenandoah National Park is an amazing place to watch a sunrise in Virginia . Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 4/8/15.
A stunning Alpenglow sunrise over Dream Lake. It’s just one of the amazing vistas in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo by Malcolm Boshier. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 5/7/15.
But must we use a star filter whenever we photograph a pretty sunrise?
Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. But this treasure is much more than a monument. Towering monoliths exist within a vast plateau and canyon panorama. You can experience sheer-walled, red rock canyons along the twists and turns of Rim Rock Drive, where you may spy bighorn sheep and soaring eagles. Photo: William Woodward. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 12/27/14.