Rebuffed time and again by the National Park Service, U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota have succeeded in getting Congress to earmark $700 million to build a bridge across the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

An upcoming solar eclipse may attract more attention, but some parks are also planning for visitors who would like to observe an even more unusual celestial event. The Venus Transit on June 5 will be a literal "last chance in your lifetime" occurrence.

With hopes of learning more about the lives of moose and wolves, and whether climate change is impacting them, technicians at Voyageurs National Park will be fitting six moose and two gray wolves with GPS collars.

A steady stream of press releases trickled out from across the National Park System this week, promoting the economic might that emanates from the the parks. All told, the system generated $31 billion and 258,000 jobs in 2010, according to the National Park Service.