As ecological drivers go, you wouldn't think an insect roughly the size of a rice grain would be that significant in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. And yet, the mountain pine beetle, aided by a warming climate, is poised to send quite a shudder through the ecosystem.

A week after a powerful storm pounded Olympic National Park erosion continues to eat away at the Hurricane Ridge Road. Park officials say the road will be closed this weekend while crews work on it.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is one of the Southwest's premier boating areas, but in recent years the drought has really lowered Lake Powell. While that has opened up some fascinating canyon landscapes that had been underwater, the drought also has created some logistical problems for boaters.

Whether you believe in climate change or global warming doesn't really matter these days. There is change ongoing with our climate. Evidence exists in melting icecaps, unusually potent storms, droughts, and warming temperatures in general. How these changes are affecting our national parks is a question that the National Parks Conservation Association explores in a special report.