

Snake River Headwaters, Wyoming
Photograph by Michael Melford, National Geographic with aerial support by Lighthawk
Snake River Headwaters
Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming
387.5 miles protected since 2009

Landmannalaugar, Iceland
Photograph by Wild Wonders of Europe
The first beams of a June day spotlight a ridge of rusty volcanic rhyolite at Landmannalaugar, a hikers’ favorite. The Haarbergs hiked up to an overlook after midnight; at dawn, around 3 a.m., the clouds gave them a tiny break. “Five minutes and it was over,” says Orsolya.

Northern Lights, Iceland
Photograph by Fred Schalk, My Shot
On this night northern lights had been predicted, so I decided to find a nice spot on the Reykjanes peninsula. However, the sky wasn’t very cooperative, especially in the far distance, so on my way over I stopped near an abandoned house, where it was less cloudy. In some ways the outcome was really not so bad because the clouds, the blue spots in the sky, the green northern lights, and the orange reflection of the Reykjavik city lights all mixed together in a multicolor light show.

Death Valley National Park
Photograph by William Lee, My Shot
In the early morning of January 22, 2011, a photographer was shooting pictures in Death Valley National Park.