Let's face it: at National Parks Traveler, we're excited about summer in the National Park System. This summer will be particularly memorable for folks who are able to visit a park on August 21, when a total solar eclipse will darken a swath of the country, from John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon, through Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, and eastward into Congaree National Park in South Carolina.

Dr. Tyler Nordgren, who has greatly popularized night sky events in the park system with his books and programs, sets out on page 4 of the Essential Guide to explain this summer’s eclipse and what you can expect to see.

Glacier National Park is a spectacular destination any time of the year. Rebecca Latson (who grew up outside of the park) returns to Glacier, and tells us how to spend three days there. You’ll find her story beginning on page 9.

The creative side of the National Park Service is revealed on page 17. Senior Editor Scott Johnson writes of the enticing, and occasionally whimsical, graphics created by the agency’s Midwest Region staff.

“Some of the graphics bring a lot of people in that maybe normally wouldn’t connect with the National Park Service in certain regards, but through these graphics or images, they kind of pull them in to learn more,” graphic designer Matt Turner told Johnson. “It’s really allowed us to broaden our horizon with different people we interact with.”

Kim O’Connell brings us up to date on efforts to rehabilitate the National Mall in Washington, D.C., from the roof of the Jefferson Memorial to the turf of the Mall itself. It’s a years-long project that has received great support from the Trust for the National Mall.

Elsewhere in our summer issue you’ll find articles on places to spend a few hours, or a few days, fishing, and where to go hiking in Yosemite National Park. And there’s even an article on interesting facts on Dry Tortugas National Park that could aid you in a national park trivia contest.

We’ve also reviewed another handful of books that should make great additions to your private national park library.

You can dive right into the digital guide below, order a hard copy for $10.95, or download a digital copy for $2.10. Of course, you can also wait and read the stories one at a time as we roll them out on the Traveler in the weeks and months ahead.

Essential Park Guide, Summer 2017

By Kurt Repanshek in National Park Advocates, LLC

42 pages, published 5/15/2017

Summer in the national parks is a special time. Among the stories in National Parks Traveler's Essential Park Guide, Summer 2017, you'll find tips on navigating Glacier National Park, read an update on the National Mall, and learn about this summer's total solar eclipse and national parks it will darken.