Public domain Windows Desktop wallpaper from US National Parks
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Yosemite National Park - California
ntThere are thousands of public domain images available from the U.S. National Park Service that make great scenic view wallpaper. The images are available in high resolutions, which means they can be adjusted to fit your preferred screen resolution. I have chosen over 50 images from the archives, but there are hundreds more available from the NPS Digital Image Index.
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ntThe first image is from Yosemite National Park.
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ntFor the best results download the highest resolution image by left-clicking the small image above. In Windows, you right-click that large image and click the “Set as desktop background” menu item. The gallery was originally published in September 2010.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Acadia National Park - Maine
ntPeople have been drawn to the rugged coast of Maine throughout history.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument - Nebraska
ntDuring the 1890s, scientists rediscovered what the Lakota Sioux already knew – bones preserved in one of the most complete Miocene mammal sites in the world.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Aniakchak National Monument - Alaska
ntGiven its remote location and notoriously bad weather, Aniakchak is one of the least visited units of the National Park System.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore - Wisconsin
ntAlong windswept beaches and cliffs, visitors experience where water meets land and sky, culture meets culture, and past meets present.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Arches National Park - Utah
ntArches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, like the world-famous Delicate Arch, as well as many other unusual rock formations.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Badlands National Park - South Dakota
ntContaining the world’s richest Oligocene epoch fossil beds, dating 37-28 million years old, the evolutionary stories of mammals such as the horse and rhinoceros arise from the 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area - Montana, Wyoming
ntThe canyon offers a diversified landscape of forest, mountains, upland prairie, deep canyons, broad valleys, high desert, lake and wetlands.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Cape Cod National Seashore - Massachusetts
ntThe great Outer Beach described by Thoreau in the 1800s is protected within the national seashore.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Carlsbad Caverns National Park - New Mexico
ntAs you pass through the Chihuahuan Desert and Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico and west Texas—filled with prickly pear, chollas, sotols and agaves—you might never guess there are more than 300 known caves beneath the surface.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Crater Lake National Park - Oregon
ntCrater Lake has inspired people for hundreds of years. No place else on earth combines a deep, pure lake, so blue in color; sheer surrounding cliffs, almost two thousand feet high; two picturesque islands; and a violent volcanic past. It is a place of immeasurable beauty, and an outstanding outdoor laboratory and classroom.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Death Valley National Park - California and Nevada
ntA superlative desert of streaming sand dunes, snow-capped mountains, multicolored rock layers, water-fluted canyons and three million acres of stone wilderness.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Devils Tower National Monument - Wyoming
ntAmerica’s first national monument. Devils Tower rises 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Dinosaur National Monument - Colorado, Utah
ntinosaur National Monument’s cultural history dates back 10,000 years. The Yampa and Green Rivers have provided water for survival in an arid country.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Everglades National Park - Florida
ntEverglades National Park, largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, boasts rare and endangered species.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve - Alaska
ntGates of the Arctic, in Alaska’s central Brooks Range, is a wilderness park accessible to backcountry travelers. The park has no signs, facilities, roads or trails – travel is by foot or boat (canoe, raft or kayak). Traveling through this vast wilderness you will discover craggy ridges, glacier carved valleys and fragile flowers.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Gettysburg National Military Park - Pennsylvania
ntThe Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War, the Union victory in the summer of 1863 that ended General Robert E. Lee’s second and most ambitious invasion of the North.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Glacier National Park - Montana
ntWith over 700 miles of trails, Glacier is a hiker’s paradise for adventurous visitors seeking wilderness and solitude.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Golden Gate National Recreation Area - California
ntGolden Gate National Parks chronicle two hundred years of history, from the Native American culture, the Spanish Empire frontier and the Mexican Republic, to maritime history, the California Gold Rush, the evolution of American coastal fortifications, and the growth of urban San Francisco.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Grand Canyon National Park - Arizona
ntA powerful and inspiring landscape, the Grand Canyon overwhelms our senses through its immense size; 277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km) wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Grand Canyon National Park - Arizona
ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve - Colorado
ntAlpine tundra, forests, massive dunes, grasslands, and wetlands are all protected as elements of the Great Sand Dunes natural system.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Tennessee, North Carolina
ntRidge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America’s most visited national park.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park - West Virginia
ntA visit to this quaint, historic community, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, is like stepping into the past. Stroll the picturesque streets, visit exhibits and museums, or hike our trails and battlefields. There’s a wide variety of experiences for visitors of all ages, so come and discover Harpers Ferry.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - Hawaii
ntHawaii Volcanoes National Park displays the results of 70 million years of volcanism, migration, and evolution — processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with unique ecosystems, and a distinct human culture.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
The Marine Corps War Memorial - Virginia
ntThe Marine Corps War Memorial stands as a symbol of this grateful Nation’s esteem for the honored dead of the U.S. Marine Corps. While the statue depicts one of the most famous incidents of World War II, the memorial is dedicated to all Marines who have given their lives in the defense of the United States since 1775.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Lake Mead National Recreation Area - Nevada, Arizona
ntLake Mead National Recreation Area offers a wealth of things to do and places to go year-round.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Lincoln Memorial - DC
ntIn this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument - Montana
ntThis area memorializes one of the last armed efforts of the Northern Plains Indians to preserve their way of life. Here in 1876, 263 soldiers and attached personnel of the U.S. Army, including Lt. Col. George A. Custer, met death at the hands of several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Mammoth Cave National Park - Kentucky
ntMammoth Cave National Park preserves the cave system and a part of the Green River valley and hilly country of south central Kentucky. This is the world’s longest cave system, with more than 365 miles explored.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Montezuma Castle National Monument - Arizona
ntGaze through the windows of the past into one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America. This 20 room high-rise apartment, nestled into a towering limestone cliff, tells a 1,000 year-old story of ingenuity and survival in an unforgiving desert landscape.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Mount Rainier National Park - Washington
ntThis greatest single-peak glacial system in the United States radiates from the summit and slopes of an acient volvano, with dense forests and subalpine flowered meadows below.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Mount Rushmore National Memorial - South Dakota
ntColossal heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln were sculpted by Gutzon Borglum on the face of a granite mountain.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
National Mall & Memorial Parks - DC
ntOfficially established in 1965, National Mall and Memorial Parks actually protects some of the older parkland in the National Park System. Areas within this premier park provide visitors with ample opportunities to commemorate presidential legacies; honor the courage and sacrifice of war veterans; and celebrate the United States commitment to freedom and equality.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
North Cascades National Park Service Complex - Washington
ntNorth Cascades National Park Service Complex Washington Jagged peaks, deep valleys, cascading waterfalls and over 300 glaciers adorn the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Olympic National Park - Washington
ntHere you will find Pacific Ocean beaches, rain forest valleys, glacier-capped peaks and a stunning variety of plants and animals. Roads provide access to the outer edges of the park, but the heart of Olympic is wilderness; a primeval sanctuary for humans and wild creatures alike.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Ozark National Scenic Riverways - Missouri
ntTwo of America’s clearest and most beautiful spring-fed rivers make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Current and Jacks Fork Rivers wind through a landscape of rugged hills and towering bluffs.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Padre Island National Seashore - Texas
ntLocated along the south Texas coast, Padre Island National Seashore protects the longest undeveloped stretch of barrier island in the world. Here, you can enjoy 70 miles of sandy beaches, wind-carved dunes, vast grasslands, fragile tidal flats, and warm, near shore waters.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Petrified Forest National Park - Arizona
ntWith one of the world’s largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood, multi-hued badlands of the Painted Desert, historic structures, archeological sites, and displays of over 200-million-year-old fossils, this is a surprising land of scenic wonders and fascinating science.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - Michigan
ntSandstone cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, lakes, forest, and shoreline beckon you to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Redwood National Park - California
ntCoastal redwood forests with virgin groves of ancient trees, including the world’s tallest, thrive in the foggy and temperate climate. The park includes 40 miles of scenic Pacific coastline.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Rocky Mountain National Park - Colorado
ntThis living showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, with elevations ranging from 8,000 feet in the wet, grassy valleys to 14,259 feet at the weather-ravaged top of Longs Peak, provides visitors with opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and adventures.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway - Minnesota, Wisconsin
ntThe St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers offer 252 miles of clean water gliding past a lush green landscape, with glimpses of a human presence.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Statue of Liberty National Monument - New York
ntLocated on a 12 acre island, the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Sunset Crater National Monument - Arizona
ntSunset Crater Volcano was born in a series of eruptions sometime between 1040 and 1100.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Thomas Jefferson Memorial - DC
ntThe words of Thomas Jefferson, some written more than 200 years ago, have shaped American ideals. Today, many of these impressive, stirring words adorn the interior walls of his memorial. The Thomas Jefferson Memorial stands as a symbol of liberty and endures as a site for reflection and inspiration for all citizens of the United States and the world.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
United States Capitol Building - DC
ntThe United States Capitol is a building that serves as the seat of government for the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. It is located in Washington, D.C., on top of Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
USS Arizona Memorial - Hawaii
ntThe USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor is “ground zero” where World War II began for the United States. The event where Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto stated: “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant…”
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Virgin Islands National Park - Virgin Islands
ntVirgin Islands National Park’s hills, valleys and beaches are breath-taking. However, within its 7,000 plus acres on the island of St. John is the complex history of civilizations – both free and enslaved – dating back more than a thousand years, all who utilized the land and the sea for survival.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Washington Monument - DC
ntThe Washington Monument is the most prominent structure in Washington, D.C. and one of the city’s early attractions.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
President's Park The White House - DC
ntThroughout the years President’s Park has served many purposes from bosk to bivouac, from a field for infantry drills to a place for inaugural celebrations.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming, Montana, Idaho
ntEstablished in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is America’s first national park. Located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, it is home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk. Preserved within Yellowstone National Park are Old Faithful and a collection of the world’s most extraordinary geysers and hot springs, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming, Montana, Idaho
ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Yosemite National Park - California
ntYosemite National Park, one of the first wilderness parks in the United States, is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.
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ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
Yosemite National Park - California
ntPhoto credit to National Park Service
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