The map could have been scrawled for a J.R.R. Tolkien saga. The landscape—dotted by cities but more notable for its varied terrain—features vast forests in the north and highlands to the south, with massive rivers carving travel routes through the sweeping plains in between. Home to giant, prehistoric beasts and playful, furry critters, the land is adorned by monuments of both nature and man.

The "tiny house" concept that's such the rage, at least on HGTV, has reached Gateway National Recreation Area in the New York-New Jersey major metropolitan area.

A potent spring snowstorm turned Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado into a winter wonderland, at one point shutting down parts of the park due to avalanche hazards, but in the end creating a mid-winter picture of serenity in places.

After more than eight decades, the official nonprofit partner of Zion National Park, Zion National History Association, has rebranded itself as Zion Natl Park Forever Project.