1

American Bison

Image: Chloe Leis

The American bison once roamed the Great Plains in vast herds, a true icon of the American West. These massive mammals can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and stand 6 feet tall at the shoulder. Due to overhunting and habitat loss in the 1800s, their numbers dwindled dangerously low, with the species being driven to the brink of extinction.

Fortunately, thanks to dedicated conservation efforts, bison populations have rebounded miraculously and now roam freely through many of the United States' national parks, particularly in Yellowstone, where they have lived continuously since prehistoric times.

2

California Condor

Image: Kacie Long

The California condor is North America's largest flying land bird, boasting an impressive wingspan of nearly 10 feet. In the 20th century, populations dramatically declined due to various threats, including DDT and lead poisoning, poaching, and habitat loss. By 1987, only 27 individuals remained, with the species facing near-extinction.

Rigorous conservation efforts, including captive breeding programs, have increased the condor's numbers, and many individuals have been reintroduced to their natural habitats near the Grand Canyon area, Zion National Park, and the coastal mountains of California.

3

American Alligator

Image: David Clode

The American alligator, a formidable reptile, is native to the southeastern United States. As apex predators, they consume a wide range of prey, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. These powerful creatures can grow up to 15 feet long and weigh over 1,000 pounds.

Once hunted nearly to extinction for their hides, American alligators have made a remarkable comeback thanks to strict protection laws. Today, they thrive in swamps, marshes, and rivers, where they play a crucial role as ecosystem engineers. By constructing small ponds known as alligator holes, they create both wet and dry habitats that support a variety of other organisms.

4

Bald Eagle

Image: Ingo Doerrie

The bald eagle is not only America's national bird but also a powerful symbol of freedom all over the world. An opportunistic feeder that primarily subsists on fish, it is classified as a type of sea eagle, closely related to the European white-tailed eagle. Found throughout North America, this majestic bird has a wingspan of up to 7.5 feet and uses its sharp talons to snatch prey from the water.

Despite its name, the bald eagle is not actually bald. The name comes from an older use of the word "bald," which used to mean "white-headed." This bird of prey is also known for building the largest nest of any North American bird—a structure that can be up to 13 feet deep, 8 feet wide, and weigh almost 1 metric ton on average.

5

Gila Monster

Image: David Clode

The Gila monster, native to the southwestern United States, is one of the few venomous lizards in the world. These brightly colored reptiles are slow-moving and rarely attack humans, but they can deliver a powerful bite if threatened or mishandled. Gila monsters are a unique part of America's desert fauna, often inhabiting burrows or sheltering under rocks where conditions are favorable.

The name "Gila monster" refers to the Gila River Basin in Arizona and New Mexico, where these lizards were once abundant. Because the species has remained relatively unchanged morphologically since at least the Miocene, they are occasionally regarded as living fossils.

6

Red Wolf

Image: Patrick Fobian

A canid native to the southeastern United States with a size that falls between a gray wolf and a coyote, the red wolf is often classified either as a subspecies of the gray wolf or as a type of coywolf (a genetic hybrid of wolf and coyote). Despite their size, red wolves play a crucial role in their ecosystem as apex predators.

While their original range covered the southeastern United States to as far north as the state of New York, the species is currently critically endangered, with fewer than 20 individuals remaining in the wild. Efforts to save the species include captive breeding and reintroduction programs aimed at restoring their presence in the wild.

7

Florida Panther

Image: Maheera Kulsoom

The Florida panther, a subspecies of the cougar, roams the forests and swamps of southern Florida. Its modern range includes national parks and natural reserves such as the Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. With only around 200 individuals left in the wild, these solitary and elusive cats are considered endangered and currently occupy only 5% of their historic range.

Conservation efforts focus on habitat preservation and reducing vehicle collisions, the leading cause of death for these big cats. Since 1982, this majestic feline has been officially recognized as Florida’s state animal.

8

Hawaiian Monk Seal

Image: Sebastian Coman Travel

Found only in the Hawaiian Islands, the Hawaiian monk seal is one of the only two mammals endemic to the islands, alongside the Hawaiian hoary bat. Its common name comes from the short hairs on its head, resembling a monk's tonsure, but native Hawaiians know it as ʻIlio-holo-i-ka-uaua, which translates to "dog that runs in rough water."

Considered one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world, with a population of about 1,400 individuals, these seals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.

9

Pronghorn

Image: Patrick Hendry

The pronghorn, native to North America's grasslands, is the second fastest land animal in the world, capable of reaching speeds up to 55 mph. Often mistaken for antelopes, pronghorns are actually unique to the American continent and are not related to Old World antelope species.

In fact, the pronghorn's closest living relatives are the giraffe and okapi. Remarkably, their incredible speed evolved as a defense mechanism against now-extinct predators, such as Miracinonyx , commonly known as the American cheetah.

10

Black Bear

Image: Robert Thiemann

The black bear, the most widely distributed bear species in North America, is found in forested areas from Canada to Mexico. These adaptable omnivores can weigh up to 600 pounds and are skilled climbers and swimmers.

Not related to grizzly or polar bears, black bears share more genetic similarities with the Asian black bear than with any other species. And before the migration of brown bears to the continent, American black bears were likely the only bear species present in much of North America. Despite their size and strength, black bears are generally shy and tend to avoid human contact whenever possible.

1

McKenzie River Scenic Byway, Oregon

Image: Atanas Malamov

Oregon is famous for its stunning landscapes, and autumn months are no exception. The McKenzie River Scenic Byway stretches from the vineyards of the Willamette Valley to the forests of the Cascade Mountains .

The best time of the year to visit if you want to enjoy the vibrant colors is mid-to-late October.

2

Charlottesville, Virginia

Image: Mitchell Kmetz

The endless forests and rolling hills of Virginia, especially in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, create breathtaking landscapes painted in red, orange, yellow, and green during October and November.

3

French Lick West Baden, Indiana

Image: Adam Bouse

Nestled in the hills of Hoosier National Forest, French Lick West Baden is a resort town that showcases some amazing views when it comes to fall foliage . The best time to visit is from mid-October to early November.

4

Mississippi River Valley, Minnesota

Image: Josh Hild

The Mississippi River Valley in southern Minnesota is home to vibrant forests, steep hillsides, and picturesque river towns , waiting to be explored by those eager to make the trip.

The best time to see the foliage change is from late September to mid-October.

5

Breckenridge, Colorado

Image: Thomas Morse

Breckenridge, Colorado, bursts into vivid colors every late September, with the changing leaves of the aspen trees creating a gold, red, and orange rainbow in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.

6

Northwoods, Wisconsin

Image: Dave Hoefler

Thousands of lakes and vast forests that stretch across five counties can be found in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. From mid-September to early October, visitors are treated to some of the best foliage in the region, with vibrant shades of orange, red, yellow, and purple.

7

Highlands, North Carolina

Image: Wes Hicks

Imagine a lush rainforest with waterfalls, rivers, and lakes to explore, combined with the typical colors of the leaf change season. Such a place exists in North Carolina. The mountain town of Highlands, perched at over 4,100 feet on the Highlands Plateau in Nantahala National Forest, offers breathtaking fall foliage, with the best viewing time in mid-October.

8

Whidbey Island, Washington

Image: Toan Chu

Washington’s ultimate road trip, the Cascade Loop, winds along the Puget Sound via the Whidbey Island Scenic Byway . Peak fall colors along this drive commonly occur between late September and mid-October showcasing brilliant shades of gold, orange, and red.

9

Tunnel of Trees, Michigan

Image: AJ Yorio

A place known as the Tunnel of Trees will hardly disappoint visitors who come during the foliage change season. This 20-mile scenic route follows the historic Michigan 119 highway between Harbor Springs and Cross Village . The canopy of gold, orange, yellow, and purple leaves is typically on display from late September to mid-October.

10

North Lake Tahoe, California & Nevada

Image: Ben Carless

The stunning Lake Tahoe is framed by the peaks of the Sierra Nevada range on its north shore. Its hundreds of hiking trails wind through diverse tree species that display vivid red, orange, and yellow foliage from mid-September to late October.

11

The Ozarks, Arkansas

Image: Derek Livingston

The Ozark Mountains are most famous for their neighboring lake of the same name, but the amazing autumn colors are a spectacle that deserves all the attention during October. The palette of bright golds, reds, and oranges is especially stunning in the Buffalo National River area near the small town of Ponca.

12

Anchorage to Kenai drive, Alaska

Image: Derek Livingston

Alaska is nothing short of breathtaking, and fall is no exception. Its vast landscapes come alive with vibrant shades of red, purple, yellow, and orange from late August through September.

One of the best ways to experience the season is on the 160-mile drive along the Seward and Sterling highways from Anchorage to Kenai, following two National Scenic Byways.

1

European origins

Image: Martin Zenker

Lawns — and by lawns we mean closely mown grassy spaces — began appearing in 17th- and 18th-century Britain and France as signs of wealth. This was because only aristocrats or large estates could afford to keep grass short and manageable.

Before mechanized tools, scythes, shears, or grazing animals were used to maintain lawns, so turf was largely limited to those who could own the necessary manpower or animals. Early American colonists imported these aesthetics and tried to replicate them in their architecture and homes, albeit less formally.

2

Public parks set the bar

Image: Carl Newton

Early urban park designers, strongly influenced by European landscaping ideas, laid out wide expanses of turf in city parks, showing the public a "civilized" green aesthetic. That made clipped lawns part of the civic-space ideal, and not just a private luxury.

These parks helped cement the association between grass lawns, order, leisure, and modern urban life in American culture.

3

Mechanical breakthroughs

Image: Daniel Watson

In 1830, English engineer Edwin Beard Budding patented the first mechanical lawn mower, inspired by a wool-mill reel used to trim cloth.

Budding’s design used a cylinder of blades powered by a rear roller, making it easier to cut grass evenly, and largely replaced laborious scything or grazing, cutting down the cost of maintaining such status symbols in the process.

4

Et pluribus lawnus

Image: Gang Hao

Once affordable lawn mowers—including lighter push-mower variants in America—became popular, maintaining a lawn became feasible for aspiring middle-class homeowners.

This sparked a major transformation in both private and public architecture, as many well-to-do homes that before could not afford it began attempting to replicate the European lawn style in some fashion or another.

5

Suburban dreams

Image: Venrick Azcueta

For decades, lawns remained a steady feature of American architecture and green-space design; however, it wasn’t until after WWII that the true lawn boom began. Returning veterans and government-backed mortgages fueled rapidly expanding suburbs.

Developer William Jaird Levitt and his company built thousands of nearly identical homes, each with its own front and back lawn. By the 1950s and ’60s, lawns had become central to the "American Dream," symbolizing stability, middle-class respectability, and neighborhood uniformity.

6

A bit of chemical help

Image: Victor Furtuna

After the war, synthetic fertilizers (derived partly from wartime chemical technologies) became widely available to consumers, enabling lush, uniform lawns even in soil and climate conditions unsuited to grass.

This lowered the barrier to achieving a "perfect" lawn, further popularizing lawns as part of the American identity and raising the expectations of what the perfect lawn should look like.

7

Begone, pesky weeds!

Image: Dmitry Burdakov

In addition to fertilizers, in 1944, researchers discovered 2,4‑Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), the first widely effective selective herbicide — killing broadleaf weeds while leaving grasses largely unharmed.

Deployed commercially soon after WWII, 2,4-D made maintaining uniform, weed-free lawns much easier and was quickly adopted in home lawn products.

8

Thou shalt keep thy lawn green

Image: Tiago Rodrigues

As suburbs proliferated, lawn maintenance became a shared social norm — homeowners' associations and neighborhood covenants often started to expect regular mowing and upkeep.

Keeping a well-groomed lawn became not just an aesthetic choice but also a mark of civic responsibility and conformity to norms.

9

Environmental worries

Image: Rémi Müller

By the mid- to late 20th century, the ecological cost of the lawn aesthetic became visible: heavy water use for irrigation, chemical runoff from fertilizers and herbicides, and reduced biodiversity as a consequence.

These drawbacks spurred both scientific and public debate about the sustainability of the traditional lawn model — especially in water-scarce regions, where it was both impractical and resource-intensive.

10

The birth of mixed lawns

Image: Ruben Sukatendel

Growing environmental awareness, droughts, and changing tastes have prompted many homeowners and municipalities to adopt drought-tolerant landscaping, native plants, or mixed-species yards instead of the traditional uniform turf.

As a result, today the "ideal lawn" is evolving as we speak: classic turfgrass still remains common, but alternative yard styles now offer more varied ecological, economic, and aesthetic options.