Now, even though the snow continues to pile up in various parts of the country, is the time to begin planning your backcountry escape into the national park system.

Planning a national park visit during the winter months is not as easy as it might seem. Do you pack your long johns, or your swimsuit?

From the South Kaibab Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, the first view of Phantom Ranch reveals that the trees, Fremont cottonwoods, do not know that it's winter.

Spring 2005 in Death Valley National Park gained venerated status among flower lovers for its incredible wildflower blooms. Those blooms --dubbed the "bloom of the century" -- were trigged by heavy fall and winter rains that dumped nearly 6.5 inches of moisture on Death Valley. So, with 2008 starting out stormy in the West, how will Death Valley's blooms be this spring?