Last month, during the Memorial Day Weekend, traffic waiting to enter Arches National Park backed up so far onto U.S. 191 that the Utah Highway Patrol temporarily shut off access to the redrock wonder. That dilemma prompted a suggestion by the park superintendent that perhaps the time had come to issue reservations for people hoping to visit Arches.

There are more than a few experiences of a lifetime to be had in the National Park System, but arguably two right at the top of anyone's list would be a raft trip on the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park, and a multi-month sojourn along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

Summer really isn't as far off as you might think. With that in mind, is anyone thinking about camping? And, in particular, are you thinking about your favorite campground in the National Park System?

The clock is ticking down to the National Park Service's centennial in 2016, and the focus of the PR campaign has been on attracting a new generation to the parks. But how far should it go in trying to lure millennials and a more diverse visitor? At least one Park Service veteran wants to see the agency "regain the spiit of John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt."