玛丽湖，约翰·缪尔荒野（毕晓普附近），加利福尼亚州，美国 Marie Lake, John Muir Wilderness near Bishop, California, USA (© Steve Dunleavy/Getty Images)

攀登后的奖励 The reward after the climb

玛丽湖，加利福尼亚州，美国

如果山脉能够记录过去，那么位于加利福尼亚州毕晓普附近的约翰·缪尔荒野保护区将拥有丰富的历史资料可供分享。这里的山谷、湖泊和花岗岩地貌诉说着数百万年来的演变历程。这片广袤的保护区成立于1964年，横跨内华达山脉超过65万英亩的土地，并以博物学家约翰·缪尔的名字命名。如今，太平洋山脊步道和约翰·缪尔步道的部分路段穿过这里，吸引着徒步旅行者来到美国本土最大的高海拔荒野地区之一。

玛丽湖距离毕夏普不远，海拔约10550英尺（3200米），是背包客穿越塞尔登山口的必经之地。清澈的湖水倒映着周围的花岗岩，使其成为这条徒步路线上最热门的摄影景点之一。生活在如此高海拔地区的生物适应了短暂的生长季。白皮松和扭叶松遍布大地，而土拨鼠、金鳟、克拉克星鸦、黑熊、鼠兔和加州大角羊等动物也依然是这片生态系统的重要组成部分。

Marie Lake, John Muir Wilderness near Bishop, California

If mountains could keep a record of the past, the John Muir Wilderness near Bishop, California, would have plenty to share. Its valleys, lakes, and granite formations reveal a history shaped over millions of years. Established in 1964, this vast protected area spans more than 650,000 acres of the Sierra Nevada and is named after naturalist John Muir. Today, parts of the Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail pass through the area, drawing hikers into one of the largest high-elevation wilderness regions in the contiguous United States.

Not far from Bishop, Marie Lake sits at an elevation of about 10,550 feet and is often reached by backpackers crossing Selden Pass. Its clear water reflects the surrounding granite, creating one of the most photographed spots along the trail. Life at these elevations is adapted to a brief growing season. Whitebark and lodgepole pines grow across the landscape, while marmots, golden trout, Clark's nutcrackers, black bears, pikas, and California bighorn sheep remain part of the ecosystem.

羚羊峡谷，纳瓦霍族保留地，亚利桑那州，美国 Antelope Canyon on the Navajo Nation, east of Page, Arizona, USA (© Mark Skalny/Getty Images)

为摇滚而生 Born to rock

羚羊峡谷

7月13日是国际岩石日，旨在庆祝我们脚下地质构造的基石，并激发人们对岩石如何塑造地球地貌和历史的好奇心。从古代工具到现代矿物用途，这些坚实的结构蕴藏着火山喷发、大陆漂移以及数百万年来生命演化的线索。很少有地方能像羚羊峡谷那样生动地展现这段历史。羚羊峡谷位于亚利桑那州佩吉市以东的纳瓦霍族保留地，是一条狭窄的缝隙型峡谷。它由纳瓦霍砂岩经山洪和侵蚀作用雕琢而成，光滑流畅的岩壁展现了水和沉积物如何随着时间的推移塑造岩石。阳光透过峡谷狭窄的缝隙照射进来，在经受了数百年自然力量雕琢的红色和橙色岩石上，形成一道道光束，跳跃闪烁。在国际岩石日，像这样的景观将地质学变成了一座活生生的艺术馆——邀请游客们将岩石视为地球动态历史的不断演进的记录，而不是静止的物体。

International Rock Day

International Rock Day, observed on July 13, celebrates the geologic building blocks beneath our feet and encourages curiosity about how rocks shape Earth's landscapes and history. From ancient tools to modern mineral uses, these solid structures hold clues to volcanic eruptions, shifting continents, and life over millions of years. Few places display that story as vividly as Antelope Canyon, a narrow slot canyon on Navajo Nation land east of Page, Arizona. Carved from Navajo Sandstone by flash floods and erosion, its smooth, flowing walls reveal how water and sediment sculpt rock over time. Sunlight filters through the canyon's narrow openings, creating beams of light that dance across red and orange stone, shaped by centuries of natural forces. On International Rock Day, landscapes like this turn geology into a living gallery—inviting visitors to see rocks not as static objects, but as evolving records of our planet's dynamic past.

卡塔丁森林和水域国家纪念地，缅因州，美国 Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine, USA (© Cavan Images/Offset/Shutterstock)

缅因州的狂野一面 A wilder side of Maine

卡塔丁森林和水域国家纪念地，缅因州

如果你想寻找缅因州最原始的自然风光，这里就是了。卡塔丁森林和水域国家纪念碑横跨约87,500英亩的北部原始森林——静谧的池塘倒映着天空，茂密的森林仿佛吞噬了所有声音。不要指望这里人潮涌动或生活便利。在这里，泥泞的道路颠簸不已，手机信号也很快就会消失。但这正是它的魅力所在。漫步在静谧的池塘边，或沿着佩诺布斯科特河东支流漂流，你会立刻感受到这片荒野的气息，仿佛置身其中，触手可及。

这座于2016年设立的保护区，保护着一片曾被伐木改变、如今正逐渐被自然重新占领的土地。云杉和桦树林是驼鹿、黑熊和行踪隐秘的加拿大猞猁的栖息地，而偏僻的水域则孕育着野生溪鳟。向西眺望，或许能瞥见卡塔丁山在树林间巍峨耸立。日落之后，星空将主宰一切——这里是国际暗夜星空保护区，繁星点点，璀璨夺目。

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine

If you're looking for Maine at its most untamed, this is it. Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument stretches across about 87,500 acres of the raw North Woods—where quiet ponds mirror the sky and dense forests seem to swallow sound.

Don't expect crowds or convenience. This is a place where dirt roads rattle your car and cell service disappears quickly. But that's the point. Step out beside a still pond or drift along the East Branch of the Penobscot River, and the wilderness feels immediate, almost personal.

Established in 2016, the monument protects a landscape shaped by logging and is now being slowly reclaimed by nature. Spruce and birch forests shelter moose, black bears, and elusive Canada lynx, while remote waters hold wild brook trout. Look west and you may glimpse Mount Katahdin rising beyond the trees. Stay after sunset and the sky takes over—this is an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, where stars burn bright above the forest.

温德盖特山口附近的巨柱仙人掌, 麦克道尔山脉, 亚利桑那州, 美国 (© Eric Mischke/Getty Images)

看起来很精神

巨人柱仙人掌, 温德盖特山口, 麦克道尔山脉, 亚利桑那州

在索诺拉沙漠，作为生存大师的巨人柱仙人掌赋予了“坚守”（stick around）一词新的含义。这种巨型植物伸展着躯干与枝臂，向四面八方昂然挺立，已然成为美国西南部的标志性象征。

巨人柱是美国最高的仙人掌，仅分布于横跨亚利桑那州、加利福尼亚州和墨西哥的索诺兰沙漠。它们的高度可超过40英尺（约12米），重量可达6吨，寿命近200年。然而，它们的生长初期十分缓慢，最初几年仅长高1至1.5英寸（约2.5至3.8厘米）。大多数巨人柱需等待50到75年才会长出分枝（即“手臂”），而有些则终生保持着像“长矛”一样笔直无枝的形态。

巨人柱专为适应严酷环境而生，其褶皱状的树干能储存水分——雨后膨胀，干旱时收缩。它们的根系可向四周延伸长达100英尺，以便汲取短暂降雨带来的水分。幼株常在“护士树”的庇护下生长。植株长到35岁时便会开花；啄木鸟凿出的巢洞，随后会被猫头鹰和鹪鹩利用。巨人柱坚韧、耐性十足且浑身长满尖刺，它有力地证明了：在沙漠中生存绝非易事。

博尼亚德海滩上的漂流木, 亨廷岛, 南卡罗来纳州, 美国 Driftwood on Boneyard Beach, Hunting Island, South Carolina, USA (© Frances/Adobe Stock)

逐渐失去立足之地的树木 The trees that lost ground

博尼亚德海滩上的漂流木, 亨廷岛, 南卡罗来纳州

在美国南卡罗来纳州亨廷岛州立公园内的博尼亚德海滩，最先映入眼帘的是那些树木。紧接着，一个疑问便会浮现：为何一根根被海水漂白的树干和裸露的树根散落在沙滩上，仿佛一幕正在坍塌的景象被按下了暂停键？自20世纪80年代以来，亨廷岛一直面临严重的海滩侵蚀问题，其侵蚀速率位居美国东海岸前列。在部分区域，海岸线每年后退幅度最高可达约30英尺（约9米）。

在岛屿南端的博尼亚德海滩上，这一自然演变过程清晰可见：饱经风霜的浮木，以及活橡树和棕榈树的残骸，沿岸错落分布。这些树木曾是滨海森林的一部分，但随着海岸侵蚀和风暴导致海岸线变迁，它们的生存空间逐渐丧失。如今留下的景象，既像是一堂生动的地质课，又宛如一座露天画廊。这里记录了超过200种鸟类；近海常有宽吻海豚出没，附近的沙滩上也有红海龟筑巢产卵。每逢退潮，最宽阔的滩涂便显露出来，供人探索；每一次造访，这里的景致都各不相同，独具风貌。

Driftwood on Boneyard Beach, Hunting Island, South Carolina

At Boneyard Beach within Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina, the first thing you notice is the trees. Then comes the question: why are bleached trunks and exposed roots scattered across the sand like a scene paused midway through collapse? Since the 1980s, Hunting Island has experienced major beach erosion, with some of the highest rates along the US East Coast—reaching up to 30 feet per year in certain areas.

On the island's southern end, Boneyard Beach shows this process clearly: weathered driftwood and the remains of live oaks and palmettos line the shore. Once part of a maritime forest, these trees gradually lost ground as coastal erosion and storms shifted the shoreline. What remains is part geology lesson, part outdoor gallery. More than 200 bird species have been recorded here; bottlenose dolphins are often seen offshore, and loggerhead sea turtles nest on nearby beaches. At low tide, the widest stretch opens to explore, and no two visits look exactly the same.

奎诺尔特雨林, 奥林匹克国家公园, 华盛顿州, 美国 Quinault rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington state, USA (© Chris Moore/Tandem Stills + Motion)

一个郁郁葱葱的王国 A lush kingdom

世界雨林日

6月22日是世界雨林日，这是一个全球性的日子，也是全年呼吁人们保护世界剩余雨林的行动。这些生态系统并非地图上的点点星罗棋布。它们遍布热带地区及其他地区，却仅覆盖地球表面约6%的面积。想想南美洲的亚马逊雨林、非洲的刚果盆地以及东南亚的森林吧。

位于华盛顿州奥林匹克国家公园的奎诺特雨林是一片原始的温带雨林。雨水和雾气滋养着它，使每一根树枝都成为鲜活的生命之源。仔细观察，你会发现这里郁郁葱葱，湿润丰饶：西加云杉和西部铁杉，披着苔藓和蕨类的大叶枫，以及倒下的参天大树上萌发新芽的“保育原木”。森林地面是真菌、昆虫和两栖动物的柔软实验室。如果你要来这里游览，可以从奎诺特雨林护林站出发，沿着枫树林步道走一小段，就能与森林平视相望。6月22日提醒我们行动起来。让我们每天都为森林挺身而出，守护那些依然屹立的生机。

World Rainforest Day

June 22 is World Rainforest Day, a global moment and a year-round call to protect the world's remaining rainforests. These ecosystems aren't just dots on the map. They thrive across the tropics and beyond yet cover only about 6% of Earth's surface. Think of the Amazon in South America, the Congo Basin in Africa, and the forests of Southeast Asia.

Quinault, in Olympic National Park in Washington, is a primeval temperate rainforest. Rain and fog keep it growing, turning every branch into a living surface. Look closer and you'll see lush, damp abundance: Sitka spruce and western hemlock, bigleaf maples dressed in mosses and ferns, and 'nurse logs' where new trees germinate on fallen giants. The forest floor is a soft laboratory of fungi, insects, and amphibians. If you're visiting, start at the Quinault Rain Forest Ranger Station and take the short Maple Glade Trail to meet the forest at eye level. June 22 is a reminder to act. Let's show up for forests every day and protect what's still standing.

大烟山国家公园，田纳西州，美国 Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA (© Mint Images/Getty Images)

岁月雕琢，风景始成 Aged to scenic perfection

大烟山国家公园迎来了92周年生日！

这些山随着时间慢慢形成——1934年6月15日，它们得到了保护。这一天，大烟山国家公园在田纳西州和北卡罗来纳州成立。公园面积超过522,000英亩，名字来源于漂浮在山脊上的天然烟雾。作为阿巴拉契亚山脉的一部分，这些山峰已有超过三亿年的历史。

美洲原住民在这些山里狩猎已有大约14,000年。考古学家在动物迁徙路线沿线发现了古旧时代的投射点，而林地时期的遗址则展示了约2,000年前的陶器和早期农业实践。

公园被称为“世界蝾螈之都”，是一个生物多样性热点，栖息着大约30种蝾螈、黑熊、麋鹿、200多种鸟类以及成千上万种植物。这里的森林随海拔高度变化，支持着多样的生态系统。Kuwohi是最高点，可以欣赏到开阔的景色。同时，Cades Cove和Cataloochee Valley保存了反映公园建立前当地生活的建筑。

Great Smoky Mountains National Park turns 92!

These mountains were shaped over time—and June 15, 1934, helped protect them. That's when the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in Tennessee and North Carolina. Covering over 522,000 acres, the park takes its name from the natural smoky haze drifting over its ridgelines. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, these peaks are over 300 million years old.

Native Americans have hunted in these mountains for around 14,000 years. Archaeologists have found Archaic-period projectile points along animal migration routes, while Woodland-period sites reveal 2,000-year-old ceramics and early farming practices.

Recognized as the Salamander Capital of the World, the park is a biodiversity hotspot, home to around 30 salamander species, black bears, elk, over 200 bird species, and thousands of plant varieties. Its forests shift with elevation, supporting a wide range of ecosystems. Kuwohi is the highest point, offering sweeping views. Meanwhile, Cades Cove and Cataloochee Valley contain preserved buildings that reflect life in the region before the park's creation.

落日，恶地国家公园，南达科他州，美国 Sunset in Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA (© Troy Harrison/Getty Images)

岁月的层峦 Layers of change

南达科他州恶地国家公园的落日

层叠的嵴线横跨南达科他州的恶地国家公园。随着光影变幻，饱受侵蚀的山峰与沟谷悉数呈现在眼前，其间交织着粉红、灰白与金黄的岩层条带。时至今日，风力和流水仍在持续重塑这片地貌，不断剥蚀着质地松软的沉积岩，从而让数百万年的地球历史展露无遗。这些岩层分别由远古河流的沉积物、火山灰，以及该区域曾被浅海覆盖时期的沉积物交替堆积而成。

在这片崎岖不平的地表之下，埋藏着全球最丰富的化石群之一。这里保存了曾漫步于该区域的早期哺乳动物遗骸，例如古马类以及现代犀牛的近亲。然而，恶地国家公园不仅是一扇窥探过去的窗口。在当下，美洲野牛在开阔的普利里草原上觅食，大角羊在陡峭的嵴线间穿行，而黑尾土拨鼠则以活跃的集群形式聚居于草场之上。

景观公路与观景点顺应着地形的起伏绵延，为访客提供了极目远眺的壮阔视野。即便在此时此刻，随着地貌的缓慢演变，那些尘封于过去的岩层仍在不断破土而出。

Sunset in Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Layered ridges stretch across Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Their bands of pink, gray, and gold shift with the light as eroded peaks and valleys come into view. Wind and water continue to shape this terrain, steadily wearing away soft sedimentary rock and exposing millions of years of Earth's history in layers formed by ancient rivers, volcanic ash, and periods when shallow seas covered the region.

Beneath this rugged surface lies one of the world's richest fossil beds, preserving the remains of early mammals such as ancient horses and relatives of modern rhinoceroses that once roamed the region. The Badlands are only a window into the past. Today, bison graze the open prairie, bighorn sheep move along steep ridges, and prairie dogs gather in active colonies across the grasslands.

Scenic roads and overlooks trace the contours of the land, offering sweeping views. Even now, layers of the past continue to emerge as the landscape slowly transforms.

纳奇兹小径公园大道, 图珀洛, 密西西比州, 美国 Natchez Trace Parkway, Tupelo, Mississippi, USA (© The best photo is earned/Getty Images Plus)

多走走，多思考 Wander often, wonder more

纳奇兹小径日出步道

如果你最近沉迷于电子屏幕，今天正是改变的好时机——我们建议你去徒步旅行。

今天图片展示的是位于密西西比州图珀洛附近的纳奇兹小径公园大道。这条小径几个世纪以来一直是美洲原住民的通道，在18世纪末19世纪初又为欧洲和美国的探险家和商人所用。如今，它绵延444英里，部分路段保存完好，展现了这条古道在经年累月的使用后逐渐下沉至周围地表的过程。沿途的指示牌详细介绍了这些历史，而大片森林和开阔的平原则让人可以放慢脚步，悠闲地欣赏沿途风光。

在山路上走走可以帮助减轻压力、改善情绪，还能缓解久坐带来的身体僵硬。因为活动恰逢周末，所以非常方便——走出去，稍微活动一下，剩下的就交给山路吧。

National Trails Day

If your screen time has been winning lately, today is a good time to change that—we suggest hiking. National Trails Day, created in 1993 by the American Hiking Society, nudges people toward exploring trails.

Take the Natchez Trace Parkway near Tupelo, Mississippi, featured in today's image. This trail was used by Native Americans for centuries before serving European and American explorers and traders in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Now it covers 444 miles, with preserved sections showing how the original path sank below the surrounding land after years of use. Markers along the route explain these layers of history, alongside stretches of forest and open land that make it easy to slow down.

Time on trails can help lower stress, improve mood, and ease stiffness from long hours of sitting. Because it falls on a weekend, it's an easy win—step out, move a little, and let the trail do the rest.

大沼泽地国家公园航拍景观，佛罗里达州，美国 Aerial view of Everglades National Park, Florida, USA (© Tetra Images/Getty Images)

顺流而行 Follow the flow

大沼泽地国家公园

今天是美国湿地月的最后一天，但对湿地生态的关注并不应随之结束。每年 5 月举行的这一全国性活动，旨在让更多人了解湿地这一美国最具生产力的重要生态系统之一。而位于佛罗里达州的大沼泽地国家公园，正是展现湿地力量的典型代表。从空中俯瞰，浅水、锯齿草、红树林与蜿蜒水道共同构成广阔景观，淡水从奥基乔比湖缓缓向南流动，塑造出独特生态环境。

大沼泽地国家公园面积约达 150 万英亩，是美国最大的亚热带荒野地区之一，也是众多鸟类、鱼类、爬行动物以及佛罗里达美洲狮等珍稀物种的重要栖息地。除了维持生物多样性，湿地还在生态系统中发挥着关键作用，例如过滤污染物、储存碳、减缓洪水，并为周边社区提供更洁净的水源。美国湿地月也提醒人们，无论从空中还是地面观察，这些水域景观都值得长期保护与关注。

End of American Wetlands Month

Today is the last day of American Wetlands Month, but don't let that bog you down. Take today to shine a spotlight on wetlands. Held throughout May, this national observance shines a spotlight on wetlands—some of the most productive ecosystems in the United States—and few places show their power quite like Everglades National Park. From above, Florida's iconic wetlands unfold as a vast patchwork of shallow water, sawgrass, mangroves, and winding channels, shaped by freshwater slowly flowing south from Lake Okeechobee.

Covering about 1.5 million acres, the Everglades is the largest subtropical wilderness in the country and a vital refuge for birds, fish, reptiles, and rare species such as the Florida panther. Wetlands also work behind the scenes, filtering pollutants, storing carbon, reducing floods, and helping supply clean water to nearby communities.

American Wetlands Month invites us to appreciate these watery landscapes—from above and on the ground—and recognize why protecting them matters long after May ends.