Though the National Park Service is more than a century old, and oversees parks that interpret the country's rich diversity, the agency itself struggles to attract minorities to its workforce.

An Arizona woman looking for a great photo of the Grand Canyon fell about 100 feet from the South Rim to her death.

Knowing that the nearest hospital was 100 miles away, and that it has just 25 beds and four ventilators, made it relatively easy for Big Bend National Park Superintendent Bob Krumenaker to decide to close his park to the public Thursday after one of his employees was diagnosed with Covid-19.

While Big Bend National Park closed Thursday due to a confirmed case of Covid-19 within the park's community, other parks are moving carefully in granting visitors access, and at least one concessionaire is requiring customers to wear facemasks, a Fourth of July celebration at Mount Rushmore National Memorial will not require face masks or social distancing.