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Zion National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the United States, but when the area in southwestern ">Zion National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the United States, but when the area in soZion National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the United States, but when the area in southwestern Utah became a national monument in 1909, it was extremely remote and virtually inaccessible to visitors. Even after it became a national park in 1919, fewer than 4,000 visitors came to Zion the following year. But in 1930, the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway was completed, linking Zion to the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon, and greater numbers became acquainted with this geologic marvel. Zion is defined by its breathtakingly steep red cliffs, its maze of sandstone canyons, and its waterfalls with colorful hanging gardens. Visitors here can trek for miles, ducking into crevices and resting in canyons once occupied by the Ancestral Puebloans. Our image shows part of the Observation Point trail, a marvelous route to one of the most spectacular viewpoints in the park.

Before it arrives at its endpoint here at Lake Superior, the Tahquamenon River meanders for nearly 90 miles through Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This waterway's beauty is likely best showcased within Tahquamenon Falls State Park. That name gives a clue to the park's marquee attraction: A series of magnificent cascades as the river empties into Whitefish Bay and Lake Superior. They're nicknamed 'Root Beer Falls' due to their amber hue. As the river flows through wetlands rich with cedar and hemlock, tannins from the trees tint the water, resulting in what's considered the biggest naturally-colored waterfalls in the US.

Just the location of Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island) alone would make it extraordinary. This small chunk of land in the vast expanse of the southeastern Pacific Ocean is one of the most remote inhabited islands on the planet. But there's something else that really puts it on the map: Hundreds of enormous stone statues, or moai, stand (or rest, if they've toppled) across Rapa Nui. The island is made up of a trio of volcanoes, with tuff from one of them being the primary building material for the statues. And while there are some sandy beaches here, much of the coastline consists of the rocky volcanic remnants of the island's fiery birth.

The Alpine ibex is a conservation success story with a little royal privilege thrown in. After being hunted for centuries throughout Europe, the once vast numbers of this mountain goat had dwindled to near-extinction by the 1800s. King Victor Emmanuel II, tired of poachers invading his property in northern Italy, declared one of the last refuges of the Alpine ibex a hunting reserve in 1854, which protected the animals from poaching. Roughly 20,000 of them now make their expert way over the rocky escarpments of Europe's Alpine regions, including the star of our image, who stands amid the splendor of the Aiguilles Rouges mountains of eastern France.

Broome, Western Australia, is certainly a colorful place, and not just for the contrast created by its red beaches and green mangrove forests. On this far-flung peninsula in the Kimberley region, offbeat occupational options abound. Some examples: Pearl farmer at one of Roebuck Bay's two major oyster farms. Paleontologist studying local dinosaur footprints—some of the largest ever found. Camel tour guide leading a mini-caravan on the beach each sunset. Outdoor projectionist at the world's oldest open-air cinema. The list goes on—ready to start your job hunt?