In the heart of the Canadian Rockies, a trail gently climbs through a forest, rises above tree line to a meadow dotted with colorful wildflowers, and ascends to a sweeping view of the Columbia Icefield. Here, a pair of brilliant-red Adirondack chairs, placed on the mountain ridge by Parks Canada, beckon. Take a seat and contemplate the scene.

Whether the anti-public lands sentiment among Utah's Republican Party was fomented in the state's far-flung rural counties and flowed across the country to Washington, D.C., or vice versa, the goal is highly visible. From the Statehouse in Salt Lake City to the Capitol in Washington, Utah Republicans are working to either force the transfer of federal lands to the states or to open up more of federal acres to energy development, mining, and even water storage.

This van drove about a half-mile off Badwater Road in Death Valley National Park on Wednesday.

Ozark National Scenic Riverways is hosting a river cleanup effort on March 31 and April 1 with the Ozark Heritage Project.