Freeman Tilden brushed on the military history of a small clutch of coral cayes when he mentioned Fort Jefferson National Monument in The National Parks, but the brief entry did little justice to the place known today as Dry Tortugas National Park.

In decisions no doubt welcomed in some circles, and displeasing in others, mountain bikers have gained some access at Rocky Mountain National Park, and more pedaling trails could be coming to Pea Ridge National Military Park.

The dogs were large, with pointy ears, and they appeared suddenly along the cobbled path, barking furiously. My husband Paul and I paused, then slowly crept past them as we murmured pet-friendly reassurances at their bared teeth. They jumped around a bit but did not draw nearer; all bark, no bite. A cheerful man hobbled down the path on his cane, reaffirming this in Portuguese and gestures and tone that conveyed his meaning to our linguistically challenged ears. Chuckling, he waved us on our way from the tiny stone village into a sparse forest in Portugal’s sole national park—Peneda-Gerês.

The second season of road construction in Sequoia National Park is scheduled to begin Monday and will take place on an approximately mile-long segment of the Generals Highway between Amphitheater Point and Crystal Cave Road.