Dotted with pristine barrier islands, rich with fisheries and wildlife habitat, and lined with mile after mile after mile of blinding white-sand beaches, Gulf Islands National Seashore is a popular destination for both wildlife and human visitors. Threatening to mar this setting is a slowly growing slick of oil spewing from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

Tales from Santa Fe Trail have fired the imagination of generations of Americans, but what was life really like on the Trail? You can get some glimpses into the past on May 8 near Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site during a three-mile hike down part of the trail behind an ox-driven covered wagon. Interpreters will demonstrate trail life in the 1840s during the trip. It's just one of several great living history programs at the park during its 50th anniversary.

They're planting trees at Gettysburg National Military Park. More specifically, they're planting areas that were forested during the battle of Gettysburg in 1863 and that today are open ground.

There are some great, kid-friendly programs on tap in the coming weeks at Assateague Island National Seashore. You can join a walk through the wetlands or watch the critters get fed at the park's aquarium.