Yosemite Valley

Two sheer stone walls frame a forested valley, and in one photo mist fills it completely.

Bare grey cliffs rise on both sides, a thin waterfall hangs from the right-hand wall, and the valley floor is a carpet of conifers flecked with orange. Another photo zooms in on a distant peak with a rounded top and one sheer face. The last stands in a meadow, looking up at smooth bare rock.

If you are after mountains, waterfalls and wide-open nature, Yosemite Valley in California, United States, has all three. Spring and summer are the times to go. It is popular with visitors, and the days run active.