Great American Landscapes

Discover

Our national park landscapes tell the stories of remarkable forces of nature and the influences that shaped, and continue to shape, what we see today.

Dry landscape with sparse grasses and trees
The Ancient Depths

Ancient Seas

Canyonland vista at sunset
Where Rocks Take Shape

Arches, Buttes & Rock Formations

Dry desert valley surrounded by mountains
Home on the Basins & Ranges

Basin & Range

Red rock canyons stretch as far as the eye can see
Carved by Time

Canyons & Canyonlands

A Caver lights up a gypsum chandelier
Enchanting Landscapes Beneath Parks

Caves and Karst

Desert landscape with Joshua trees at dusk
Land of Extremes

Deserts

Shadows on sand dunes in front of snowy mountain peaks
Formed by Wind & Water

Dunes

Grassy foothills leading to mountain peaks
The Partners of the Great Peaks

Foothills, Plains & Valleys

Sunset through pine forest
A Walk in the Woods

Forests, Woods & Shrublands

Chunks of ice calving off from a glacier into the ocean
Frozen Rivers of Ice

Glaciers

Sunset over green grasses
Seas of Green & Grass

Grasslands & Prairies

Green sea leading up to rocky shore
Refuges in Our Waters

Islands & Atolls

Mountain lake reflecting blue sky
Reflecting & Sustaining Life

Lakes

Snow-covered peak with smaller mountains in foreground
Source of Inspiration & Imagination

Mountains

Green fish with bright blue spots swimming along rocks
Protecting Our Ocean & Coasts

Oceans, Coasts & Seashores

Father and son joyfully paddle a canoe down a wooded calm river
Find your Way!

Rivers

Lush tropical shore with blue-green waters
Southern Climes

The Tropics

Discover what is beneath the surface
Discover what is beneath the surface

Underwater

Water cascading down multiple levels of a plant-lined waterfall
The Power of Water

Waterfalls & Gorges

Wetlands
Where land and water bodies meet

Wetlands

Last updated: June 30, 2020