Crystal Lake in the Enchantments, Washington, United States Sep 3, 2024

Sometimes it"s nice to get away. Thanks to environmentalist Howard Zahniser, Americans can do that in one of the country"s many wildernesses—areas sheltered from human activities. Pictured in today"s image, Crystal Lake is one such protected area. Located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington, the Enchantments has more than 700 lakes and ponds and some of the best rock climbing in the Western United States. It"s also home to mountain goats, ptarmigan, pikas and numerous types of alpine flowers. If you want to see Alpine Lakes Wilderness yourself, however, be prepared to wait. Few permits are granted for day hikes, and of the 40,000 people who entered last year"s lottery for overnight permits, only 2,558 received one.

© Mitch Pittman/Tandem Stills + Motion

palette

Today in History

Sep 3, 2023Skyscrapers in Manhattan
Sep 3, 2025Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 23, 2026Þorrablót, Icelandic midwinter festival
Aug 12, 2024African elephants, Amboseli National Park, Kenya
May 10, 2026Polar bears in Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada
Jun 26, 2024Banggai cardinalfish
June 14, 2026Mallard duck
Nov 5, 2024Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil
Jun 27, 2024Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence
Feb 6, 2026Ra Gusela peak at Giau Pass, near Cortina dAmpezzo, Italy
Nov 8, 2023West Indian manatee mother and baby
Jan 7, 2025Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand
Dec 22, 2025Alte Brücke Bridge, Frankfurt, Germany
Jun 28, 2024Chausey Islands
Apr 12, 2025View from the cupola of the International Space Station
Sep 30, 2025Koala, Australia
Apr 5, 2026Lake Gentau in the French Pyrenees
Aug 11, 2024Wooden path to Kennedy Lake, Vancouver Island, Canada
Jul 22, 2025Badlands National Park, South Dakota, United States
Jun 7, 2024Family of humpback whales, Dutch Harbour, Alaska
Nov 25, 2025Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
Aug 10, 2024Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
Mar 1, 2024Butterflies in a meadow, Germany
Dec 1, 2024Icebergs, Antarctica
Nov 1, 2024Vineyards in Varnhalt, Black Forest, Germany
Sep 26, 2023Venice Skatepark, Los Angeles, California, USA
May 24, 2025Jotunheimen National Park in Norway
Aug 18, 2025Avalanche Lake Trail at Adirondack High Peaks, New York, United States
May 25, 2024Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
Nov 27, 2025Eastbourne Pier, England
June 3, 2026Bardenas Reales Natural Park and Biosphere Reserve, Navarra, Spain
May 3, 2025Arches National Park, Utah, United States