National Parks Traveler

Summer is coming in. The days are getting longer, and lake, sea, and river water are getting warmer. This leads to a desire on the part of some national park patrons to take off their clothes and a similar number of fellow taxpayers to complain about nudity, with the hapless park ranger in the middle. This can lead to problems.

Teenagers from the Minnesota are being sought to participate in the 2nd annual National Park Teen Ambassador program in Voyageurs National Park.

A congressman from California is furious over Yosemite National Park's proposed Merced River Plan, saying it calls for changes that would "limit public access and enjoyment of Yosemite."

Climbers know trees and branches can snag their ropes, but apparently not all climbers know that you're not supposed to cut down trees in national parks without permission. That seems to have been what happened at Acadia National Park, where officials are looking for those responsible for felling trees near the Precipice Trail.

Wolf numbers in the northern Rocky Mountain states of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and parts of Washington and Oregon at the end of 2012 showed only a slight decrease from a year earlier, though the number of packs increased, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Despite taking in what the Green, Yampa, and other tributaries large and small contribute, the Colorado River is in a death spiral, over-allocated and a victim of growing climate change, left in a state of constant thirst that has made the river the most-endangered in the country, according to American Rivers.

A preferred winter-use plan for Yellowstone National Park that is crafted around "transportation events" and which could allow more than twice as many snowmobiles into the park on a given day than has been experienced in recent years is open for public comment.

What's the deal with scale and perspective when you're taking photographs in the national parks? It's all about placing things in their proper context...or the context you want to reflect.

Looking for some music this coming weekend at a great price? Great Smoky Mountains National Park will hold its 9th annual “Music of the Mountains” celebration Friday, April 19 through Sunday, April 21, and the event offers a nice variety of tunes and styles in several settings in and near the park.

Who doesn't like saving money? During National Park Week, April 20-28, you can book a trip running the white water through Canyonlands National Park or Dinosaur National Monument and save as much as $200 per person.