熊耳国家纪念区附近的雪松台地和骡子角，犹他州，美国 Cedar Mesa and Muley Point near Bears Ears National Monument, Utah, USA (© Jeff Clay/Tandem Stills + Motion)

写在大地上的故事 The stories written across the land

美国国家公共土地日

熊的耳朵、着火的房屋和遍布急转弯的道路有什么共同之处？它们都是犹他州东南部公共土地故事的一部分。

在国家公共土地日，雪松台地及附近的骡子角展现出古老历史与高地沙漠风光的非凡交融。熊耳国家纪念区拥有重要的文化和自然资源，其中包括反映数千年人类历史的考古遗址。它的名字源于两座形似熊耳的孤峰。

National Public Lands Day

What do a bear's ears, a house on fire, and a road packed with hairpin turns have in common? They're all part of the story of southeastern Utah's public lands.

On National Public Lands Day, Cedar Mesa and nearby Muley Point offer a remarkable mix of ancient history and high-desert scenery. Bears Ears National Monument encompasses important cultural and natural resources, including archaeological sites that reflect thousands of years of human history. Its name comes from twin buttes that resemble a bear's ears.

Rising to roughly 6,500 feet, Cedar Mesa is carved by deep canyons, including Grand Gulch, an archaeological treasure trove. Mule Canyon's House on Fire gets its name from sandstone that glows orange in morning light. Nearby Muley Point overlooks the San Juan River, Valley of the Gods, Monument Valley, and Navajo Mountain. Reaching it via the steep, unpaved Moki Dugway gives new meaning to the word 'switchback.'

瓜兹曼山口附近的秋日山杨林，犹他州，美国 Fall aspen trees near Guardsman Pass, Utah, USA (© Danita Delimont/Shutterstock)

金色时节 The golden season

瓜兹曼山口，犹他州，美国

在犹他州瓜兹曼山口附近，季节的变化以金色写满山坡。为美国西部染上色彩的山杨中，有许多是美洲山杨——北美分布最广的本土树种。眼前看似由一棵棵独立树木组成的森林，往往有着截然不同的真相：许多山杨形成彼此相连的无性系群落，树干从共享的根系网络中长出，并与相邻树干拥有相同的遗传密码。

即使叶片变黄飘落，这个生物体仍有很大一部分在地下存活。山杨可以依靠根系熬过冬季，静静地为未来的生长做准备。秋分或许宣告夏季结束，但在这些非凡的林地中，生命从未真正停歇。

Autumn equinox

The autumn equinox marks a turning point in the Northern Hemisphere. Occurring each September, it is the moment when the sun crosses the equator heading south, and day and night are nearly equal in length. After this celestial balance, daylight gradually shrinks as the journey toward winter begins.

Near Guardsman Pass in Utah, the change is written across the mountainsides in gold. Many of the aspens coloring the American West are quaking aspens, the most widely distributed native tree species in North America. What appears to be a forest of individuals is often something else entirely: many aspens grow in connected colonies, with trunks emerging from a shared root network and carrying the same genetic code as their neighbors.

Even as their leaves turn yellow and fall, much of the organism remains alive below ground. Aspens can persist through winter via their root systems, quietly preparing for future growth. The autumn equinox may signal summer's end, but in these remarkable groves, life never truly pauses.

夕阳下的峡谷地国家公园，莫阿布，犹他州，美国 Sunset in Canyonlands National Park, Moab, Utah, USA (© Jason Hatfield/Tandem Stills + Motion)

日落之后，探索仍在继续 The adventure doesn't end at sundown

峡谷地国家公园

国家公园周，是你暂别日常、走向自然的最佳契机。这一为期九天的庆祝活动将于4月18日至26日举行，聚焦国家公园体系中400多处自然与文化遗产地。在这里，自然风光与人文历史交织，为人们带来难忘的户外体验。从海岸线与森林，到辽阔的沙漠景观，这些受保护的区域邀请人们走进自然，感受宁静，心怀敬畏。

在美国犹他州东南部，靠近莫阿布的峡谷地国家公园，则提醒人们：冒险并不会在日落时结束。当最后一缕阳光隐去，科罗拉多河与格林河在深邃的峡谷间蜿蜒流淌，穿行于高耸的孤峰与嶙峋的岩柱之间。由于地处偏远、光污染极少，这里的夜空清澈通透，繁星如幕，令人叹为观止。

作为“国际暗夜天空公园”，峡谷地国家公园是体验沙漠夜晚的理想之地。在这里观星，无需深入荒野腹地——只需短途步行或在观景点驻足，便能收获难忘的夜间景致。尤其是在无月之夜，银河横贯天际，璀璨壮丽。

National Park Week

National Park Week is your cue to trade routine for trail dust. It's a nine-day celebration running April 18–26, highlighting more than 400 places across the National Park System that preserve natural and cultural heritage while creating unforgettable outdoor experiences. From coastlines and forests to vast desert landscapes, these protected sites invite exploration, reflection, and wonder.

In southeastern Utah, Canyonlands National Park near Moab offers a striking reminder that the adventure doesn't end at sundown. As the last light fades, the Colorado and Green rivers trace their way through carved canyons, towering buttes, and rugged spires. With its remote setting and minimal light pollution, the park's clear skies reveal a brilliant canopy of stars.

Designated an International Dark Sky Park, Canyonlands is one of the best places to experience the desert after dark. Stargazing here doesn't require heading deep into the backcountry—short walks and scenic pullouts provide unforgettable nighttime views, especially on moonless nights when the Milky Way stretches across the sky.

拱门国家公园的北窗框景中的炮塔拱门, 犹他州, 美国 Turret Arch framed by North Window in Arches National Park, Utah, USA (© Jim Patterson/TANDEM Stills + Motion)

古老岩石的传奇 OldRockArch

古岩石日

今天，让我们重新审视时间的尺度。古岩石日，揭开地球深藏的秘密：亿万年的风沙、海洋与火焰，塑造了我们脚下的世界。在犹他州拱门国家公园，透过北窗眺望炮塔拱门，仿佛凝视一段漫长的史诗。如今的拱门由恩特拉达砂岩构成，而那些砂岩曾是流动的沙丘和浅海，经过漫长侵蚀才雕刻出如今的拱形。可即便如此，这些地质构造仍算年轻。地壳在板块、侵蚀与火山的轮回中不断重生，唯有古老的大陆地盾守护着真正的远古。加拿大的阿卡斯塔片麻岩，约有40亿年历史，是目前已知最古老、仍扎根原处的岩石。

古岩石日不仅讲述岩石的故事，也铭记地质学先驱。泰奥弗拉斯托斯与老普林尼记录了早期矿物研究；1603年，阿尔德罗万迪让“地质学”成为一个学科的名字；150年后，威廉·史密斯绘出了首张地质地图；1785年，詹姆斯·赫顿掀开地球年龄的面纱，让我们第一次意识到脚下世界的浩瀚时光。

Old Rock Day

Today is a day that puts time into perspective. Old Rock Day highlights the vast geological processes that have shaped our world since its earliest eras. In Arches National Park, Utah, Turret Arch—seen through North Window—offers a striking reminder: landscapes can take hundreds of millions of years to assemble. The Entrada Sandstone that forms these arches began as shifting dunes and shallow seas long before erosion carved today's shapes. Even so, these formations are relatively young. Most rocks on Earth disappear over time because plate tectonics, erosion, and volcanism continually recycle the crust. Only the planet's ancient continental shields preserve truly old material. Canada's Acasta Gneiss, about 4 billion years old, is the oldest known rock still rooted where it formed.

Old Rock Day also remembers the pioneers of geology. Theophrastus and Pliny the Elder recorded early mineral studies, while Ulisse Aldrovandi helped establish the term 'geology' in 1603. One hundred fifty years later, William Smith drew the first geological map. And in 1785, James Hutton revealed the Earth's immense age, providing insights that continue to shape our understanding of the ground beneath our feet.

太阳神庙，圆顶礁国家公园, 犹他州, 美国 Temple of the Sun, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA (© Austin Cronnelly/TANDEM Stills + Motion)

犹他州的时光层叠 Layers of time in Utah

庆祝圆顶礁国家公园成立54周年

数百万年的岩层沉积，伴随地壳的巨大弯曲，造就了这片沙漠独一无二的地质窗口。这里是犹他州的圆顶礁国家公园，砂岩峭壁与峡谷像一本打开的历史书，记录着地球的沧桑。1971年12月18日，它被正式列为国家公园。今日的图片聚焦大教堂谷的砂岩巨石，其中包括壮丽的“太阳神殿”，彰显这片景观的非凡魅力。

圆顶礁国家公园得名于两大标志性地貌特征：水袋褶皱中的圆润砂岩穹顶，宛如美国国会大厦；以及褶皱的脊线，曾像“礁石”般阻隔早期旅人穿越沙漠。1937年，这里先被列为国家纪念地，直到后来才晋升为国家公园。

这一天不仅纪念自然奇观，也铭记这里的人类历史。早在拓荒者果园出现之前，原住民就在弗里蒙特河畔繁衍生息，并在峡谷的岩壁上刻下岩画，留下古老的印记。

Celebrating 54 years of Capitol Reef National Park

Rock layers formed over millions of years and a massive bend in the Earth's crust give this desert a rare window into geologic history. This is Capitol Reef National Park in Utah, where sandstone cliffs and canyons preserve a striking record of the planet's past. December 18 marks the anniversary of its designation as a national park in 1971. Today's featured image highlights the sandstone monoliths of Cathedral Valley, including the Temple of the Sun, part of this extraordinary, protected landscape.

Capitol Reef takes its name from two defining features: rounded Navajo sandstone domes—within the Waterpocket Fold—that resemble the US Capitol building, and the Fold's ridges that form a 'reef,' which blocked early travel across the desert. Before becoming a national park, the area was designated as a national monument in 1937.

This anniversary also honors the human history linked to this region. Indigenous communities lived along the Fremont River long before pioneer orchards appeared, leaving petroglyphs carved into canyon walls.

一名男子从摩押附近的科罗纳拱门索降, 美国 A man rappels off Corona Arch near Moab, Utah, USA (© Grant Ordelheide/TANDEM Stills + Motion)

地球的公开秘密 Earth's open secret

摩押附近的科罗纳拱门，犹他州

通往它的科罗纳拱门步道起初较为平坦，但沿途风光壮丽：穿越铁路轨道、攀爬光滑岩石，甚至需借助金属缆绳前行，让这段旅程远不只是一次在犹他州拱门国家公园之外，有一处如同通向天空的巨大门户般的自然奇观，吸引着摄影师、自然爱好者和徒步旅行者，那就是今日图片中所见的科罗纳拱门。这座巨大拱形岩石由纳瓦霍砂岩构成，是一处充满冒险却不拥挤的旅行目的地。普通的沙漠散步。步行约1.5英里后，你将抵达这座令人震撼的天然拱门，它宽达140英尺，高约105英尺，庞大的规模令人叹为观止。过去曾有人在拱门上系绳荡秋千，这种极限活动后来因安全原因被禁止。即便没有刺激的冒险，这次徒步旅程仍能让你在红岩地貌的心脏地带，欣赏到令人震撼的自然景观，留下难忘回忆。科罗纳拱门也被称为“小彩虹桥”，因其外形酷似鲍威尔湖附近的著名彩虹桥，但它独自坐落于更为宁静的天地之中，绽放着独特的自然魅力。

Corona Arch near Moab, Utah

Just outside Arches National Park in Utah lies a natural wonder that rises like a colossal doorway against the sky, drawing photographers, nature lovers, and hikers. Welcome to Corona Arch, seen in today's image, a towering Navajo sandstone formation that offers big adventure without the big crowds. The Corona Arch Trail starts off easy but packs a punch of scenery: railroad tracks, slickrock scrambles, and even a metal cable assist make it more than just a walk in the desert. After 1.5 miles of walking, the payoff is big: a massive arch that's 140 feet wide and 105 feet high. It's so large that people once swung from it on ropes, until that was banned for safety reasons. Even without the adrenaline stunts, the hike offers beautiful views and unforgettable moments in the heart of Red Rock Country. Also known as Little Rainbow Bridge, it shares visual similarities with the iconic Rainbow Bridge arch near Lake Powell—but Corona Arch holds its own in a more peaceful setting.

圆顶礁国家公园弗鲁塔附近的岩画, 犹他州, 美国 Petroglyphs near Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA (© Nicolas VINCENT/Adobe Stock)

古老的岩画 Age-old storyboard

圆顶礁国家公园弗鲁塔附近的岩画, 犹他州, 美国

圆顶礁国家公园拥有一种亘古不变的魅力。在这里，红色的岩石峭壁、蜿蜒的峡谷与古老的故事，在犹他州沙漠的天空下彼此交织。1971年，这里被正式指定为国家公园。它不仅因鲜明的地质景观而引人驻足，更因那刻印在大地上的古老叙事与文化遗产而让人驻足沉思。

早在游客们穿上徒步靴踏上圆顶礁的步道之前，弗里蒙特人和祖先普韦布洛人便已在此居住。从公元300年至1300年，他们在地穴屋和天然岩穴中生活，将农业巧妙地融入狩猎采集的日常。他们与这片土地的联系既具有精神层面的意义，也具备实际的生活用途。他们在此留下了公园最引人注目的遗迹之一：岩画，比如今日图片中在弗鲁塔地区发现的岩画。这些岩画展示了一种古老的视觉语言，刻画着戴头饰、佩珠宝的人形形象，旁边还有大角羊和蜥蜴等动物图案，以及象征仪式、迁徙和天文现象的抽象符号。这些共同构成了一座无声的档案库，记录着那些曾在这片非凡土地上生活、迁徙并赋予其意义的人们的故事。

Petroglyphs near Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

There's something timeless about Capitol Reef National Park—a place where red rock cliffs, winding canyons, and ancient stories come together under Utah's desert sky. Designated a national park in 1971, Capitol Reef invites reflection—not just on its vivid geology, but on the ancient narratives and cultural heritage etched into its landscape.

Long before visitors laced up hiking boots and hit the trails at Capitol Reef, the Fremont and Ancestral Puebloan peoples called this place home. Between 300 and 1300 CE, they lived in pit houses and natural rock shelters, weaving farming into their hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Their connection to the land was both spiritual and practical—and they left behind some of the park's most captivating features, including petroglyphs like those found in Fruita, featured in today's image. These rock panels showcase an ancient visual language, featuring human figures adorned with headdresses and jewelry. Alongside them are animals like bighorn sheep and lizards, as well as abstract shapes alluding to ceremonies, migrations, and celestial events. Together, they form a silent archive—a timeless record of the people who lived, moved, and made meaning in this extraordinary landscape.

精致拱门, 拱门国家公园, 犹他州, 美国 Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah, USA (© mmac72/Getty Images)

大自然的耐心之作 Nature took its time

精致拱门, 拱门国家公园, 犹他州, 美国

这片景观并非一朝一夕形成，而是大自然历经漫长岁月的雕琢之作。你在美国犹他州拱门国家公园所见的一切，是3亿多年间地壳抬升、风化与侵蚀共同作用的结果。这些天然拱门最初由古海洋遗留下的盐层构成，在时间推移中，砂岩层开裂、位移并不断风化，最终形成了超过2000座天然拱门。这些地貌主要由恩特拉达砂岩与纳瓦霍砂岩构成。该地区于1929年被认定为国家纪念地，并于1971年正式升格为国家公园。

其中最著名的拱门，便是今日图像所展示的精致拱门。它是美国西南部最具代表性的天然拱门之一。早期曾被称为“马裤”或“盐溪拱门”，直到1930年代，一次科学考察团队将其描述为“外观精致”，从而得名“精致拱门”。如今，精致拱门已成为犹他州的非官方象征，频繁出现在该州车牌、广告宣传，甚至印在1996年为纪念犹他建州百年而发行的美国邮票上。前往精致拱门需完成一段中等难度的徒步路线，途中需攀登光滑岩面，贴近悬崖边缘前行。无论你是地质爱好者，还是寻求壮丽自然景观的旅行者，这座拱门都将为你带来难以忘怀的震撼体验。

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Utah

This landscape wasn't built overnight—nature took its time to craft it. What you see at Arches National Park in Utah, is the result of over 300 million years of erosion, uplift, and weathering. Over time, layers of sandstone cracked, shifted, and slowly wore away, revealing more than 2,000 natural arches. The formations are made mostly of Entrada and Navajo sandstone. The area was recognized as a national monument in 1929 and was upgraded to national park status in 1971.

The distinctive shape of Delicate Arch, seen here, has made it one of the most recognizable natural arches in the Southwest. Originally known by several other names—including the Chaps and Salt Wash Arch—it wasn't officially called Delicate Arch until the 1930s. It is Utah's unofficial mascot, appearing on everything from state license plates to a US postage stamp issued in 1996 to mark 100 years of Utah statehood. The arch is accessible via a moderately difficult hike that climbs over bare rock and skirts steep drop-offs. Whether you're a geology enthusiast or simply looking for a view worth the effort, Delicate Arch delivers.

拱门国家公园双拱门映衬下的银河，犹他州，美国 The Milky Way framed by Double Arch in Arches National Park, Utah, USA (© Adventure_Photo/Getty Images)

让我们一起庆祝宇宙 Let's celebrate the cosmos

国际天文日快乐！

你是否曾好奇，通过望远镜看到的土星环是什么样子？又或者，天文学家是如何发现遥远星系的？国际天文日正是探索这些奥秘的绝佳时机！这一年度活动最早于 1973 年发起，其官方主题是：“将天文学带给大众”。 从当地公园到天文俱乐部、博物馆，再到天文台，游客们可以参与望远镜观测、太空讲座，甚至体验模拟月球重力的装置！这一想法起源于加利福尼亚的一位天文学家道格·伯杰。他不再等待人们走进天文台，而是直接把望远镜带到热闹的公共场所。这一招奏效了，人们很快就迷上了仰望星空！如今，世界各地都在庆祝国际天文日，加拿大、瑞典、阿根廷等许多国家都有举办相关活动。今天，就是探索宇宙的好时机。找一架望远镜，一起仰望星空、庆祝宇宙的壮丽吧！

Happy International Astronomy Day!

Ever wondered what Saturn's rings look like through a telescope? Or how astronomers spot distant galaxies? International Astronomy Day is the perfect time to find out. This annual event, first launched in 1973, is all about 'Bringing Astronomy to the People'—the official theme of Astronomy Day. From local parks to astronomy clubs, museums, and observatories, visitors can enjoy activities like telescope viewings, space talks, and even moon gravity simulators.

The event started when Doug Berger, an astronomer in California, decided to take telescopes to busy public spaces rather than wait for people to visit observatories. It worked—people got hooked on stargazing. Astronomy Day is celebrated worldwide, with events in countries like Canada, Sweden, and Argentina, among many others. Today is the day to explore the universe. Find a telescope and celebrate the cosmos!

锡安国家公园，犹他州，美国 (© Simon Dannhauer/Getty Images)

国家公园周开始了

锡安国家公园，犹他州，美国

穿上你的登山靴——国家公园周开始了！这个为期九天的活动从今天开始，鼓励人们探索并欣赏国家公园的自然美景与文化遗产。这是一个了解这些受保护区域、参与保护工作、并享受壮丽景观的绝佳时机。可以通过参观国家公园、分享这些自然宝藏的信息，来加入这一庆祝活动，同时也感受它们在国家遗产中所扮演的重要角色。

今日图片展示的是锡安国家公园，这是一个很好的起点。该公园位于犹他州西南部，占地232 平方英里，地貌独特，拥有壮观的砂岩悬崖和狭窄的缝隙峡谷。锡安国家公园拥有丰富的动植物资源，包括近 300 种鸟类和19 种蝙蝠。是不是很吸引人？锡安国家公园只是全美 400 多个国家公园中的一个。国家公园周是一个深入了解它们并亲近大自然的绝佳机会。