Old, hardened lava flows extend from the caldera of Medicine Lake volcano in northern California.
Published Oct 10, 2017Despite the bay’s calm waters, constant reminders of the city break through.
Published Oct 5, 2017The highlights of this landscape in southern Utah tend to reach down into the Earth, rather than soaring above it.
Published Aug 20, 2017The deepest lake in the United States is a haven for fishermen.
Published Jul 31, 2017A beach oasis stands within a few miles of the densest urban area in the United States.
Published Jul 16, 2017Wedged between Maryland and Virginia, the District of Columbia was established in 1790 to serve as the permanent seat of the U.S. federal government.
Published Jul 10, 2017The diverse landscape in this Washington park includes mountain peaks, glaciers, rivers, lakes, and forests.
Published Jun 24, 2017Its name comes from the fiery orange earth around its cone.
Published Jun 18, 2017The San Andreas fault runs straight through Tomales Bay.
Published Jun 17, 2017Scientists have found a way to detect nighttime fires even sooner, when they are still relatively small.
Published Apr 7, 2017Winter weather has helped sculpt the natural amphitheaters and hoodoos found at Utah’s Bryce Canyon.
Published Apr 1, 2017Despite being quite close to each other, two mountain ridges in western Virginia have very different origins.
Published Mar 15, 2017The Cherokee Indians called these dark, fog-streaked hills “Shaconage”— the “Place of Blue Smoke.”
Published Jan 22, 2017The scenic double water gap near Harpers Ferry has impressed onlookers for centuries.
Published Jan 17, 2017The Delaware River looks equally at home in an oil painting.
Published Dec 31, 2016The Gunnison is forced to stay on this beaten path, unable to leave the valley.
Published Dec 17, 2016Tall, branch-like cacti provide shelter for animals at the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
Published Dec 4, 2016These white mounds are the world’s largest gypsum dune field, centerpiece of the White Sands National Monument.
Published Nov 27, 2016“A man may stand there and put all America behind him.”
Published Nov 25, 2016Molten rock meets the sea in the latest episode in a long-lived eruption.
Published Nov 20, 2016The river supplies Atlanta with its drinking water and a bit of recreational fun.
Published Nov 13, 2016Management and restoration features are visible in Florida’s unique subtropical wilderness.
Published Nov 12, 2016Parts of the Glen Canyon that John Wesley Powell explored in 1869 have been submerged by Lake Powell.
Published Oct 16, 2016A particularly curvy part of the Potomac River was a formidable challenge for C&O Canal engineers.
Published Oct 8, 2016Roughly one-third of the world’s naturally occurring sequoias grow in 75 groves in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Published Sep 27, 2016Where Glacier Bay National Park reaches the Gulf of Alaska, the climate is mild and prone to significant rainfall. Glacier Bay itself, however, tends to be snowy and cold.
Published Sep 11, 2016Lighthouses and sandstone formations draw visitors to the shores of Lake Superior.
Published Aug 28, 2016Over epochs, deposition and erosion have carved sharp spires and deep canyons out of this South Dakota landscape.
Published Aug 27, 2016Falling blocks of rock in cliff alcoves became building materials for Ancestral Puebloans—and a popular draw for tourists visiting the park.
Published Aug 26, 2016On most summer days, a trip to North Carolina’s Outer Banks means a peaceful day at the beach, but there is evidence all around that this beach is not always so serene.
Published Aug 25, 2016