US national parks are offering free entry today to mark National Public Lands Day, a celebration of the 640m acres of America that belong to the American people. We’ve been covering the fate of public lands relentlessly: they are adored by outdoors enthusiasts of every stripe, even as the administration of President Donald Trump is seeking to allow more mining and drilling and has already downsized two national monuments in Utah. Climate change, too, promises to be unforgiving – wildfires are reaching unfathomable size and glaciers are vanishing.

Here is a selection of our public lands stories that should give you an idea of how to spend the day, visiting national monuments, forests and seashores from coast to coast. For a dose of reality, we’ve also included a few pieces exploring the threats America’s public lands are facing in the Trump era.

- Alastair Gee

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Acadia national park, Maine. Photograph: More Than Just Parks / Barcroft

From Acadia to Zion, Bryce Canyon to Yosemite, leading writers and environmentalists share their alternatives to the most popular spots.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Civil War museum at Camp Nelson Civil War park in Kentucky. Photograph: David Stephenson/The Guardian

The Trump administration is quietly seeking to create more African American monuments.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Channel Islands national park. Photograph: Edwin Beckenbach/Getty Images

As the most popular national parks get more crowded, where do you go to escape?

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The outer coast at Tongass national forest. Photograph: Rafe Hanson

Tongass is the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest, with trees more than 1,000 years old. But a pro-logging effort could uproot them.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Canyonlands national park in Utah. Photograph: Sabrina Pintus/Getty Images

President’s ‘energy first’ agenda means vast tracts of public land up for sale – without proper consultation, critics say.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Ingersoll Lodge at Voyageurs national park in Minnesota. Photograph: National Park Service

Amid dangers from the Trump administration and climate change, sites including the Grand Canyon and Zion national park are facing yet another threat: ‘massive disrepair’.