Spilling Thought: The @mypubliclands Instagram takeover ends with a quiet #starrynight over open wilderness, a signature of the National #Conservation Lands. The small community of Big Pine California is best known as a jumping-off point to popular trailheads in the Eastern #Sierra. But just over the pass to the east of town is a dramatic desert landscape visited by few people and full of surprises -- the 72,000-acre #PiperMountain Wilderness. The Piper, Sylvania and #InyoMountains meet in this area of colorful rock formations and vast desert landscapes. One of the northernmost stands of #JoshuaTrees can be viewed in the northeast part of the wilderness along with sagebrush and piñon-juniper woodlands. Lucky visitors might spot a desert bighorn sheep in one of the canyons. BLM Wilderness Specialist Bob Wick shows here that perhaps the area's best feature is its night skies. Far from any major towns or other developments, the pristine dark skies reveal seemingly countless stars and bright swath of the #MilkyWay in a nightly show. Be sure to follow @mypubliclands for more stunning photos of the National Conservation Lands. Photo by Bob Wick, BLM. by usinterior