America's Natural Wonders Photo Gallery

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Peaceful waterways and quiet trails await you. Leafless trees make it easier to spot and identify birds, and features of the terrain that are obscured in summer are exposed to view. Salmon, trout, and steelhead are biting in the Pacific Northwest. And many hotspots in the South and the West are at their best this time of year: The madding crowds are gone, winter birds and wildlife are in full display, and temperatures have dropped from searing highs. If you really want to get hardcore about it, you can follow summer all the way to its lair: the southern hemisphere, and especially in Patagonia or New Zealand and Tasmania, where people in shorts and and tee-shirts are cavorting at this moment. Whether you love the cold or follow the sun, there's a lot to do besides play in the snow. And for those of you with a snow jones, we've included a short-list of off-beat snow sports.