The rental car was taking a beating so we decided to turn around. Recent rains had eroded the road and created serious ruts in the shortcut we were taking from Mojave National Preserve into the new Castle Mountain National Monument. After the car went up on three wheels climbing out of the last arroyo, we slapped high fives for successfully retracing our track back to the main road.

Katmai National Park and Preserve is located in southwest Alaska, at the base of the Alaska Peninsula. The park was originally established as a national monument in 1918 to preserve the landscape associated with the 1912 volcanic eruption of Novarupta, which turned out to be the largest eruption in the world during the 20th century

The northern section of Moose-Wilson Road in Grand Teton National Park will be closed for two weeks beginning Monday, April 30, to accommodate road drainage improvements. The road segment between Murie Ranch Road and the Death Canyon Road will be closed to all users, including cyclists, through May 13.

As far as laboratories go, it doesn’t get much better than Acadia National Park in Maine. Recently, young scientists volunteering with Earthwatch Institute received some hands-on learning while collecting data that will help scientists understand potential impacts on bird migrations and from ocean acidification.