The phrase “National parks are America’s best idea” is attributed to Wallace Stegner, a writer and conservationist, and boy did the idea ever catch on.  Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, and of course our own Great Smoky Mountains National Park are some of the famous 63 national parks that we all recognize.

What you may not know is that there are 28 different designations with over 400 units in the national park system. These include monuments, battlefields, rivers, seashores and even national grasslands. The historic, geological, and geographic diversity of our national treasures is truly amazing.

Traveling across southern Idaho we stumbled upon Craters of the Moon National Monument. These exposed lava fields, some only 2,000 years old, were a surprise to us and fun to explore. We camped right amongst this harsh, exposed rock where grass and trees struggle to survive.

For this image, the twisted remnants of one tree were used to frame another. The green and gold of the grass and sagebrush punctuates the weathered grey of the tree trunk.

Photographer Chris and painter Robin Rohwer share a painting or photograph each week that has captured their interest, in hopes that it will also capture yours. They have a small studio and gallery in the Phoenix Building at 418 South Gay Street, where you can stop and see their work. Their website is www.ChristopherRobinArts.com. All works are copyright-protected.