Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington, United States Sep. 3, 2024

Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington, United States

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
A pair of high achievers
Sep. 3, 2025Grizzly bears at Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul. 3, 2025Rainbow River, Rainbow Springs State Park, Florida, United States
Nov. 30, 2023Saint Andrews Day
Nov. 24, 2025Gwalior Fort, Madhya Pradesh, India
The origin of Canadas national parks
Aug. 28, 2023Dubrovnik, Croatia
Swinging over Munich
May 14, 2026Pitigliano, Tuscany, Italy
Mar. 7, 2026The Brocken, Harz National Park, Germany
An oasis in a sea of sand
May 22, 2024International Day for Biological Diversity
Mar. 1, 2025Aurora borealis over Maligne Lake in Alberta
Nov. 12, 2025Colosseum, Rome, Italy
May 11, 2024World Migratory Bird Day
Jan. 18, 2026White Sands National Park, New Mexico, United States
Apr. 30, 2024Cheetah in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
A rainbow that’s worth the rainfall
Preserving Alaskas natural beauty
Dec. 7, 2025A pine forest in Alsace, France
Nov. 1, 2023Kenny Lake, Lake Superior Provincial Park
What are these colourful insects?
Jul. 7, 2024Rice terraces of Mù Cang Chải, Yên Bái province, Vietnam
Time to make an impression
‘Night shining’ clouds
Nov. 25, 2024Maasai giraffes in Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Mar. 1, 2024Wheaton River, Yukon
Oct. 11, 2025World Migratory Bird Day
May 25, 2025Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia
May 31, 2024Gunnerside, Yorkshire Dales National Park, England
May 18, 2024International Museum Day
Mar. 4, 2024Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica