Oil and gas drilling sites less than a mile from Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado are proposed to go up for auction later this year, raising concerns over light and air pollution, as well as ecosystem impacts, energy exploration could generate for the park.

It was 50 years ago that the National Trails System was designated. Today there are 30 trails under that designation, and they range from the path followed by Lewis and Clark into history to the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. Choose any one of the 19 National Historic Trails and you can walk, or paddle, into history.

Contributing photographer Rebecca Latson packed a couple of point-and-shoot cameras and her smartphone, in addition to her SLR, for a winter photo trip to Zion National Park. In this article, Rebecca shares the results as well as advice and tips on getting your best shot, no matter what camera you use.

With March Madness here, and office pools under way, perhaps there should be a pool for when the cherry trees on the National Mall will reach peak bloom? The National Park Service thinks it will arrive between March 27-31.