Archive for the ‘National Monument’ Tag
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.
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.
On September 15, President Obama designated our newest National Monument: the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, which is located more than 100 miles southeast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. The monument is home to undersea canyons and mountains, making up fragile and largely pristine deep marine ecosystems that provide a haven for rare and native species as well as important scientific research. The area’s rich biodiversity includes deep sea corals – some of which are found nowhere else on Earth – and endangered whales and sea turtles. Thanks to today’s action, New England’s unique seamounts will be protected for future generations. Photos by NOAA. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 9/15/16.
Throughout the expedition we have seen several octopus, but few have been as cute as this one!
Anthomastus coral in Oceanographer Canyon.
Corals were also diverse, but composition and abundance of corals differed between the north and south side of the seamount. We observed this colony of Jasonisis, a bamboo coral, with numerous crinoid associates.
The stuff dreams are made of: A brilliant, fog-free sunrise at Golden Gate National Monument. Photo by Jeff Lewis. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 7/22/16.
Rising nearly 5,000 feet above Yosemite Valley and 8,800 feet above sea level, Half Dome is a Yosemite National Park icon and a great challenge to many hikers. At least a 14-mile round trip through wilderness with an elevation gain of over 4,800 feet, this hike is not for the unprepared. Permits are required to reduce crowding – protect natural and cultural resources, and improve safety. But for those who make to the top, the view is indescribable. Photo by National Park Service. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 7/25/16.
Photo by Tom Hamilton. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 7/4/16.
An alternative, foggy view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Photo by Dave Gordon. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 8/23/16.
On August 24, 2016, President Obama designated Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument – our nation’s newest national monument and the 413th site in the national park system. Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument will permanently protect north-central Maine’s awe-inspiring mountains, forests and waters for current and future generations. The approximately 87,500 acres that make up the new national monument is rich in biodiversity and known for its outstanding opportunities to hike, canoe, hunt, fish, snowmobile, snowshoe and cross-country ski. Photo by Scott Miller. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 8/24/16.
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.
A rainbow follows a fleeting storm at Colorado National Monument. Photo by Dawn Morrow. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 8/1/16.
A Utah gem worth exploring is the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, shown here at sunset. Photo by Phill Monson. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 8/9/16.
A grand golden sunset over North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway. Photo by Chris Mobley. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 7/27/16.
Incredible sunsets are one of the many rewards of hiking along the Appalachian Trail, a national scenic trail that stretches from Georgia to Maine. Native to the Appalachian Mountains, rhododendrons bloom in this gorgeous photo that was taken along the trail near the Roan Highlands on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. With so many great vistas to choose from, this scenic area is a favorite with day hikers and backpackers alike. Photo courtesy of Serge Skiba. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 7/28/16.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona protects spectacular wilderness in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. The park is the only place in the United States where visitors can see large stands of organ pipe cacti, which can live to be more than 150 years old. Explore this Southwest gem with activities like hiking, camping, wildflower walks, scenic drives and night sky gazing. Sunset photo by Jim Dunham. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 7/28/16.
Assateague Island National Seashore protects sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests and coastal bays along a strip of barrier island that stretches across the Maryland and Virginia border. In this dynamic coastal environment, the island is continuously being reshaped by wind and water. Sunrise photo by Jake Breach. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 7/22/16.
Lightning rips through the sky over White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world’s largest gypsum dunefield. Photo by Donald Palansky. Published on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 7/22/16.
Ominous clouds over Badlands National Park. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 7/19/16.
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.
