National Parks Traveler

There's plenty of debate about the pros and cons of "social media" in today's world, but among the advantages of those sites are the opportunities to enjoy some photos of "wish I'd been there" moments. The Facebook page for Grand Canyon National Park includes some recent images that remind us that our parks offer some special views of the ever-changing natural world.

Andersonville National Historic Site is a sad reminder of the Civil War. It's so well interpreted, it's been called the South's Holocaust Museum.

It was a (hopefully not) one of those once-in-a-lifetime visits to a far off national park, and I was flat on my back. That, however, was not all bad at Virgin Islands National Park on the Caribbean island of St. John, where basking under the February sun on the sugar-sand beaches in between snorkeling adventures is de rigueur. Preferably with a cool drink in hand and a rattan mat beneath you.

Thanksgiving has come and gone, which means the year-end holidays aren't far off. Still searching for gifts? Consider the following great reads for friends and family.

Year-end holidays, with a Western frontier flair, will be observed at Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site in Colorado on December 6-7.

Sea turtles nesting this year at Cumberland Island National Seashore added more than 43,000 hatchlings to their populations, according to seashore estimates.

Holiday events, and concerns over light pollution from solar power projects, are among the news flowing from around the National Park System.

If you're planning to travel the Blue Ridge Parkway next month, you'll want to read this to see the schedule for temporary road closures due to routine maintenance.

Geologists are continuing to search for the cause behind a massive landslide at Denali National Park and Preserve that blocked the park road near Mile 38.

It's easier to keep an eye on Mount Rushmore National Memorial, from anywhere you have an internet connection, thanks to EarthCam.