Following a rising trend of visitation noted in the first half of 2009, Yellowstone National Park attracted a record number of visitors this summer, with nearly 2.3 million tallied during June, July, and August.

While the view down into the ruddy and tawny maw of Bryce Canyon National Park is pretty spectacular, you should try looking up at the park's colorful ramparts! And one of the best places to enjoy this view is along the park's lone long-distance backcountry trail, the 23-mile-long Under-the-Rim Trail that rises and falls down along the floor of the park, an area that few folks actually get to see because they prefer not to hoist a pack on their back.

With Labor Day past us, time is running out to enjoy camping in some areas of Mount Rainier National Park. Already the Sunrise Visitor Center has been shuttered along with the Sunrise Lodge.

Experiencing our national parks’ grandeur from the saddle of a road bike is a bit like summiting a high peak. The arduous pedal through the park is rewarded with the scenery and equally thrilling descent from the park roads’ high points. Fall is sublime for cycling in national parks, so with the season quickly approaching, now is the time to experience the Mountain West’s greatest national park road cycling routes.