Theodore Roosevelt National Park

While falling oil prices have slowed production from North Dakota's oil and natural gas fields, a company sees that lull as the perfect opportunity to build a crude oil refinery in the state. However, its proposed location just three miles from Theodore Roosevelt National Park has raised concerns from the National Park Service and conservation groups about how it will impact the park.

I’ve written a few times about the national parks I consider the best for birding, but several readers have asked which would be the best to visit to maximize the diversity of birds seen. When we talk about number of different birds seen, I always think about a big year. During a big year, a birder tries to see as many birds as possible in one calendar year within a certain geographic range, or under certain conditions.

In a move that could make it easier for you to visit your favorite national park, Acadia National Park officials are testing a program to sell week-long and annual passes to their park online.

More and more visitors to the National Park System are discovering the wonderfully fascinating night skies high over head once the sun goes down. But light pollution poses a threat to many of those dark vistas, even at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota.