Swirling clouds of blue, white, and pink once rose above the Everglades in drifts that practically stained the sky when herons, egrets, storks, ibises, and spoonbills that numbered in the hundreds of thousands nested in the River of Grass. They took to the sky in giant, whirling clouds of feathers, intent on providing their chicks with enough food to fledge.

In a park that covers nearly 150,000 acres, 35 acres almost seems like an afterthought. But the 35 acres that the Trust for Public Land was able to buy with help from the National Park Foundation and others represented only the latest effort to acquire privately owned land inside Zion National Park.

Tourism has trumped mining in a scenic valley just north of Yellowstone National Park that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, following the lead of former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, said would be off-limits to new mining claims for two decades.

One of the best ways to prepare for a national park vacation is to read up on the park you're destined for. With that in mind, here is a great selection of titles to get you ready for your visit to Yosemite National Park.