On the day that three park rangers joined my cruise to interpret Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, I slept through their 6 a.m. arrival. But I was among the early birds gathered in the lounge for their 7:30 a.m. greeting, and when they later spoke from the bridge on a webcam channel, I listened from my stateroom with a park brochure and map spread out on the bed.

The 30-mile highway through Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California is now open for the season. That said, park visitors should prepare for winter conditions at higher elevations and possible delays due to ongoing road work.

A 35-page document from Grand Teton National Park that might have sailed under the radar for most visitors to that rugged national park that helps hold up Wyoming's western border provides a good behind-the-scenes look at managing the park and protecting its resources for more than 3 million visitors.

Returning a 600-pound apex predator to the North Cascades Ecosystem excites those who see grizzly bears as being integral to wildness, but it concerns some of those who will have to live with the bruins.