National Parks Traveler

With President Obama's recent designation of five new national monuments, there now are 77 national monuments within the National Park System. Curious about the history of national monuments? Read on.

Sally Jewell, a businesswoman with a diverse background ranging from the energy and banking sectors to running Recreational Equipment, Inc., was confirmed Wednesday by the U.S. Senate as the 51st secretary of the Interior.

Recent years of relatively sparse federal funding have left the Interior Department and its agencies "in the ditch," according to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who says President Obama's FY14 budget proposal will reverse that trend if approved by Congress.

How did civilians react when the Civil War brought battles and soldiers into their backyards? That will be the topic of discussion this weekend at Stones River National Battlefield in Tennessee.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy Biennial Conference will meet in Western North Carolina in July. Over a thousand people will join in hikes, workshops and excursions. Registration opens April 15.

"Cascade corner," which draws its name from the many waterfalls in Yellowstone National Park's southwest corner, long has been a rather overlooked area of the park. But with more and more visitors taking notice and heading there, park officials are looking into ways to improve their visits.

A few months back we talked about the hawk watch at Acadia National Park. I mentioned a few books that are useful for the enterprising raptor enthusiast. At the time I was also aware that a new raptor identification aid was on the way, but I kept that little secret to myself. The proverbial cat is out of the bag now, and I’ve spent the last couple weeks devouring The Crossley ID Guide: Raptors.

With April having arrived, facilities are opening and visitor center hours are extending at Dinosaur National Monument in Utah and Colorado.

Knowing where to look for whales, and how to identify the whales you see, is getting easier at Olympic National Park thanks to The Whale Trail, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, and the park staff.